Complaint against the AA

Unsure_user

Good afternoon all,
I have a query and would really appreciate any feedback or thoughts.
My complaint is against the AA however, I am not a member myself and therefore this makes my complaint a little more difficult!
My Grandson has been borrowing my car and unfortunately about two weeks ago broke down on the local motorway. His friend was with him that thankfully was a member of the AA and they therefore called the AA breakdown recovery service.
The truck subsequently turned up and the driver analysed the car. It turns out that the trouble was reasonably serious and so the AA representative decided to tow my vehicle to the local town, Chelmsford, and deliver it to an approved garage. This is where my complaint arises.
The driver took my vehicle to an exhaust and tire specialist. The problem with the car was the injectors and the engine was obviously not running and therefore had nothing to do with either the exhaust or any of the tires!
The operatives from the garage my car was taken to eventually worked on the car and completely messed it up creating damage to the exterior and putting oil and grease all over the inside of the car! Eventually, after paying this garage a large sum of money, i had to get it collected and moved to a specialist organisation to sort out the issue this garage made worse!
I understand that the quality of the work is not down to the AA however, why was it taken to a tire and exhaust center rather than a mechanical garage??
There is the reason for my complaint!
Maybe someone would help with the ideal place to aim my complaint?
I look forward to your replies...

Herzlos

You're saying it was only a tyre and exhaust fitter, but still did the required work, making a mess of it? So either they were approved for that sort of work, or they did it anyway?

So it doesn't sound like it's the AA's fault - they'll have looked up their nearest approved garage, OK'd it with your grandson and taken the car there.

Jonesya

Nothing is stopping you writing a letter to the AA complaining about their choice of approved garages, but I can't see it will get you any form of compensation.

You don't have a contract with the AA. The AA didn't do the work, it was done by the garage. Who instructed the garage to go ahead with the repair work? Presumably that was you or your grandson on your behalf?

I'd have thought your contract was with the garage and if the work was unsatisfactory, they would be responsible.

Muscle750

I fail to see why you let the intial garage do the work in the first place. And secondly why take it to another garage after should have made them put it right first and refuse to pay until you were happy

forgotmyname

Harsh but the way i see it.

Blame yourself for not having decent breakdown cover.
Blame your Grandson for agreeing to that garage doing the repairs.

If his friend had no cover then your would have been stuck with a very expensive tow off the motorway + repairs.
His cover may have been limited to the nearest open garage, so your choice would be take it there or pay someone to tow it off the motorway.

If the garage had not fixed it why would you pay them anything?

Lots of Tyre places also repair cars, I know lots that are tyre/exhaust and MOTs.

System

Unsure_user wrote: »

The driver took my vehicle to an exhaust and tire specialist. The problem with the car was the injectors and the engine was obviously not running and therefore had nothing to do with either the exhaust or any of the tires!

I understand that the quality of the work is not down to the AA however, why was it taken to a tire and exhaust center rather than a mechanical garage??

My local tyre and exhaust place does all kinds of repairs. A few months ago I got them to change the cambelt, tensioner and water pump in my Mondeo. Two of the three people employed in it are City & Guilds qualified apprentice trained mechanics with decades of experience, the third is a tyre and exhaust fitter who has been there at least 25 years I know of and is capable of doing anything related to suspension, steering and brakes as well. Previously on other cars I've had them do all sorts, had them change a clutch, do oil seals and I trust them to do repairs over any other garage in town.

Just because it says its a tyre and exhaust centre doesn't mean it isn't capable of doing other stuff.

AdrianC

You aren't an AA member. You haven't been in a car when their services have been used.
Your grandson isn't an AA member. He was borrowing your car when it broke down.
Your grandson's friend IS an AA member, and fortuitously happened to be in the car.

The grandson's friend presumably did not have full relay cover - so an inability to do a roadside repair meant that the cover took them to the AA's "choice of relevant local repairer". (p5)
http://www.theaa.com/resources/Documents/pdf/breakdown-cover/terms-and-conditions-current.pdf

Once there, your grandson (presumably, rather than you) contracted directly with the repairer to have work carried out. (p14)

Please note that any contract for repair, other than repairs carried out by the AA or its agent at the roadside under Your AA membership Breakdown Cover, is between the person requesting the repair and the repairer - it is not the AA’s responsibility to instruct the repairer to undertake any work required or to pay them for it.

The AA does not guarantee that any recovery to a relevant local repairer will be within the opening hours of the repairer, or that the repairer will be immediately available to undertake any required repair. Whilst the AA will endeavour to check that the chosen repairer carries out the type of repair work required, this cannot be guaranteed and the AA does not provide any assurance or warranty with respect to any work carried out at Your request by any third party repairer.

No, I'm really not sure at all what you're planning on complaining to the AA about. They've done exactly what they said they would, and rescued their member from the roadside and taken them to a repairer - about whom they make no promises.

If you have a beef with that repairer, then complain directly to them, or seek legal redress from them.
If you have a beef with the choice of repairer the work was contracted to, then complain directly to your grandson for not simply leaving your broken car at a place of relative safety while you sought alternative repairs and arranged a tow.
If you feel you have a beef with the AA, then that's most simply addressed by taking out whatever cover you prefer.

Unsure_user

Many thanks for your replies, i do appreciate your time.

I would say that the majority of you completely miss the point of my question. I understand fully that the quality of work or the fact that the garage did this work can not be the fault of the AA, of course it cant!
The fact that I am not a member of the AA (Infact I am a member of the RAC) was again not their fault. The fact that there was a member in the car means he can utilise their service so those of you that say you were not a member really means nothing - i think!
There was a member present...

My question was about the choice of garage my car was sent to. What happened after that is obviously down to the garage and has nothing to do with the AA where as that initial choice definitely was! I think Adrian C's answer is probably the most telling in so much as the AA make no promises they simply take the vehicle to the nearest approved repairer no matter of the type of repair they are approved for!

My actual question wasn't really if i should complain as i believe the choice of garage was incorrect, it was more aimed at where i should complain within the AA. I am really looking for an email address or a postal address for the chief executives office and will then target my complaint to them.

Once again, I thank you for your time.

AdrianC

Unsure_user wrote: »

I would say that the majority of you completely miss the point of my question.

I don't think we do.

The fact that I am not a member of the AA (Infact I am a member of the RAC)...

Personal cover, or vehicle-specific cover? If the latter, your grandson could have used that.

...was again not their fault. The fact that there was a member in the car means he can utilise their service so those of you that say you were not a member really means nothing - i think!
There was a member present...

And it is that member - not you, not your grandson - who the AA provided their services to. They are the only person with any grounds for complaint.

The AA did exactly what their terms of service said they would. The only person who has any right to complain has no valid grounds for complaint. If their customer doesn't like those terms of service, they have the choice of not giving the AA their business - just as you have chosen not to.

My question was about the choice of garage my car was sent to.

From which you could have had the car taken to somewhere else for repair, rather than your grandson contracting with what you view as an inherently unsuitable garage.

My actual question wasn't really if i should complain as i believe the choice of garage was incorrect, it was more aimed at where i should complain within the AA. I am really looking for an email address or a postal address for the chief executives office and will then target my complaint to them.

The first google result for "AA complaint address" is http://www.theaa.com/complaints

Car_54

Unsure_user wrote: »

My actual question wasn't really if i should complain as i believe the choice of garage was incorrect, it was more aimed at where i should complain within the AA. I am really looking for an email address or a postal address for the chief executives office and will then target my complaint to them.

Once again, I thank you for your time.

In that case, you could have saved several days by using Google or theaa.com to begin with.

Whoever you write to, I'd expect them to refuse to communicate as you are not a member and have no contract with them.