Complaint to the AA

NBLondon

To answer the OP's actual question.... I think writing a formal letter will be better than putting masses of details in an e-mail.


Whether they will get a decent answer depends on how well they phrase it - what actual promises were made by the call centre, who definitely decided the car wasn't going on the flatbed at 0130 (presumably the OP).


The RAC have picked up my wife's (now departed) MGF a few times and knew what type of recovery vehicle was appropriate because they knew what the member's main car was. Surely the AA would have thought of that as well - even if they can't always send the best one fastest.

DoaM

Shoshannah wrote: »

Car was completely standard by the way, not lowered or anything, and nothing exotic or unusual. Just a RWD automatic.

Genuine question ... why is that a problem? If you put the auto box in neutral surely you've got the same situation as a manual with the box in neutral?

tedted

the oil pump in the gearbox is driven by the engine not the rear wheels so a short slow journey would be ok but nothing more or damage may occur

AdrianC

DoaM wrote: »

Genuine question ... why is that a problem? If you put the auto box in neutral surely you've got the same situation as a manual with the box in neutral?

No, not at all. Spinning an autobox by the output shaft alone is bad news. You'll do all sorts of internal damage, unless it's one of the very rare boxes that has an oil pump driven by the output.

Automatics are VERY different internally from manuals.

Laz123

AdrianC wrote: »

How often does that actually happen, here in the real world?

Go on, link me to just ONE news story from the UK in the last five years...

Lol. I can almost hear you stamping your little feet.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/3599018/suspected-sex-attacker-stalks-woman-night/

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/sex-attacker-who-stalked-lone-8268934

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-3295372/Police-hunt-spate-sex-attacks-targeting-lone-women-night.html

AdrianC

Laz123 wrote: »

Lol. I can almost hear you stamping your little feet.

Not at all. I'm just calling you on your hysterical scaremongering.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/3599018/suspected-sex-attacker-stalks-woman-night/

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/sex-attacker-who-stalked-lone-8268934

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-3295372/Police-hunt-spate-sex-attacks-targeting-lone-women-night.html

Two of which describe the same incidents. Not one of those is anything approaching the circumstances we're talking about here - somebody being targetted after breaking down. Both of those are people being followed as they walk through cities.

There ARE risks from being with a broken-down vehicle at the side of the road - but they're not gender-dependent. They're from being hit by inattentive drivers. And they're very easy to mitigate if you simply follow the specific advice in the highway code.

Laz123

AdrianC wrote: »

Not at all. I'm just calling you on your hysterical scaremongering.

Two of which describe the same incidents. Not one of those is anything approaching the circumstances we're talking about here - somebody being targetted after breaking down. Both of those are people being followed as they walk through cities.

There ARE risks from being with a broken-down vehicle at the side of the road - but they're not gender-dependent. They're from being hit by inattentive drivers. And they're very easy to mitigate if you simply follow the specific advice in the highway code.

You need to calm down and get down off your high horse. No one is getting hysterical. I was simply responding to your macho, testosterone-fuelled arrogance that a female would not likely feel more vulnerable than a male if left stranded alone.

Just because a situation may not have occurred recently doesn't mean that it won't happen. There is always the possibility an assault could take place. I don't think any stranded lone female would be reassured by your complacency or your arrogance.

You demanded in your temper-tantrum, 'Go on, link me to just ONE news story from the UK in the last five years...' which I did. Now you're changing the goal posts.

AdrianC

Laz123 wrote: »

I was simply responding to your macho, testosterone-fuelled arrogance

Which was nothing of the kind.

...that a female would not likely feel more vulnerable than a male if left stranded alone.

Just because a situation may not have occurred recently doesn't mean that it won't happen. There is always the possibility an assault could take place. I don't think any stranded lone female would be reassured by your complacency or your arrogance.

But such a feeling of vulnerability would be heightened by scaremongering of this type.

You demanded in your temper-tantrum, 'Go on, link me to just ONE news story from the UK in the last five years...' which I did. Now you're changing the goal posts.

No, you didn't link to one remotely relevant news story. Now you admit that you don't know of one...

Gloomendoom

AdrianC wrote: »

No, not at all. Spinning an autobox by the output shaft alone is bad news. You'll do all sorts of internal damage, unless it's one of the very rare boxes that has an oil pump driven by the output.

Automatics are VERY different internally from manuals.

Some manuals shouldn't be towed in neutral either as they rely on an internal oil pump for lubrication. The car handbook will advise.

DoaM

tedted wrote: »

the oil pump in the gearbox is driven by the engine not the rear wheels so a short slow journey would be ok but nothing more or damage may occur

AdrianC wrote: »

No, not at all. Spinning an autobox by the output shaft alone is bad news. You'll do all sorts of internal damage, unless it's one of the very rare boxes that has an oil pump driven by the output.

Automatics are VERY different internally from manuals.

Gloomendoom wrote: »

Some manuals shouldn't be towed in neutral either as they rely on an internal oil pump for lubrication. The car handbook will advise.

Thanks. Every day is a school day.