AA breakdown cancellation

HampshireH

The AA should not have arranged for the vehicle to be left at a garage which is no longer open as a garage.

As they have they should take ownership of this and arrange for the vehicle to be taken to a working garage. Though I would not have expected the garage to be open until today either way.

You paid for them to recover you and you are in no better situation that if you had left the car unfixed where it was. I.e. it still can't be fixed where it is now.

Personally I would dispute their position and get them to take you to the nearest garage which a mechanic. 

But leaving you stranded? You should have paid for onward travel as part of your policy. That's your responsibility.

TELLIT01

Did the OP pay for 'National Recovery' which is a cost option for cover?  I suspect not, so they would be taken to the nearest AA approved garage and that is all.  It's totally unrealistic to expect to be transported to anywhere in the country on  basic recovery membership.

Aylesbury_Duck

Kayecee33 said:

Mechanic in garage does not work there anymore and no one can fix the car. My point is AA staff refused to take us to a destination we want in the first instance and leave car and passenger to suffer, if we have no relative around the area how will the passengers and dog go home, the area was barren, 40 mins away from city. The breakdown was taken before issue has started, the old one expired and we did not realise til the last minute. 

When the AA staff was asked to drop car to a selected destination he said we need to pay £1000, which I think is very expensive. This should be covered as it’s a national recovery. 

That's not quite how you explained it before.  Your account suggested your old policy had lapsed, you then broke down, rang to renew the policy, waited 24 hours then called for assistance.  There's probably something in the terms and conditions about having to inform them of a pre-existing problem, so you may not have even had rights to any sort of assistance in the first place.

You also took out a relatively basic level of cover that doesn't include national recovery.

Jumblebumble

tightauldgit said:

Kayecee33 said:

Why the title "cancellation" -  the AA seems to have done all that you took out the cover for  - if they can't repair at roadside to take the car to a main dealer.

The garage they drop is not a main dealer it’s a petrol station and as I said the garage is no longer working as mechanic retires , it would be sensible for them to drop car in a proper Vauxhall garage to be properly look at

Were the AA supposed to know this, though? 

As inspector Clouseau always says in his films
It is their business to know these things

Jumblebumble

born_again said:

Kayecee33 said:

The garage was closed but also not functional when we went back the next day the mechanic already retired so how can our car be fixed without a functioning garage, as I said it wa the choice of the AA to drop as there not the driver who does not know area as when he asked to bring somewhere else AA refused and wanted to charge per mile. The breakdown cover is bought late as we thought driver of the car bought one and we did not have issues with car upon going to Hull and we only decided to buy as soon as we know. As i said unfortunately the car still start but not maintaining as it move on our last day Friday so no issues before. I will pursue a complaint to them as AA staff is not helpful and not give other options causing as to still be on the same situation as we will need to move car to another garage with another recovery that has a proper mechanic or to a Vauxhall dealer should be what we have chosen with another recovery.

c) If, following a Breakdown, we can’t fix your Vehicle, it’ll be taken to our choice of local repairer or to a local destination of your choice, provided it is no further. This includes the driver and up to a maximum of 7 passengers.

Well the AA have not taken the car to either of these  so have not kept their side of the bargain
( Unless one interprets a garage that used to repair cars as a local repairer)

sheramber

The driver did not know the area so could not chose a garage. the AA took them to the nearest they knew of. 

If the garage  normally did repairs etc then how would the AA know they no linger provided that service unless they had been advised. 

Do you expect them to ring every garage in the are every day to confirm they still have a working mechanic?

To get taken home or another destination of your choice you need to pay for Onward travel, not just  National recovery , which provides a recovery service nationally but to the nearest garage or elsewhere, if no further.

That service does not require onward travel for the vehicle occupants .

Ny the same inspector Clouseau statement the driver should have known what service he had purchased.

TELLIT01

sheramber said:

To get taken home or another destination of your choice you need to pay for Onward travel, not just  National recovery , which provides a recovery service nationally but to the nearest garage or elsewhere, if no further.

That service does not require onward travel for the vehicle occupants .

That isn't what the AA website says about the purpose of 'National Recovery'.

National Recovery in the UK

Breaking down a long way from home can be expensive. But with National Recovery (also known as Relay), you’re covered nationwide.

• If you break down and we can't fix your vehicle at the roadside, we'll help you finish your journey.
• We'll tow you, your vehicle and up to 7 passengers wherever you need to go.
• Choose any single UK mainland destination, like back home or to the start or end of your journey.
• We’re ready to rescue you 24 hours a day, 365 days a year so you’ll never be left stranded.

There's no limit to how many times you can use National Recovery. Call us out as many times as you need to, as long as it's not a recurring problem with your vehicle.

born_again

From T/C
6. Onward Travel

What is covered a) Onward Travel can be used 24 hours after policy purchase b) Onward Travel is available if We have attended the breakdown, the vehicle is immobile, and We cannot arrange a local prompt repair; c) You can choose one of the following: i. a replacement vehicle; or ii. overnight accommodation; or iii. public transport costs which are described in detail on page 17 below.

What is not covered a) Onward Travel can only be arranged if it is requested at the same time as the Breakdown is reported. A replacement car must be requested at the same time as the Breakdown is reported, but can be arranged to start up to 3 working days after the Breakdown. b) Onward Travel is not available following an accident or self-induced fault (such as mis-fuelling, lost keys, or locking keys in your Vehicle). c) Onward Travel is limited to 3 claims in any one Membership Year. d) If you are already in a breakdown situation and you don't have Onward Travel, you are not able to buy it.

But we have to remember 
>We were on holiday in Hull were car ws broken down and it ahould be last Friday is our day to go home in Andover,<

We don't know what Op said at the time of reporting, who was in the car at time & what the fault was, so car may not have been immobile. But you can imagine AA thinking only just took policy out, day before a long way from home on holiday. 

sheramber

TELLIT01 said:

sheramber said:

To get taken home or another destination of your choice you need to pay for Onward travel, not just  National recovery , which provides a recovery service nationally but to the nearest garage or elsewhere, if no further.

That service does not require onward travel for the vehicle occupants .

That isn't what the AA website says about the purpose of 'National Recovery'.

National Recovery in the UK

Breaking down a long way from home can be expensive. But with National Recovery (also known as Relay), you’re covered nationwide.

• If you break down and we can't fix your vehicle at the roadside, we'll help you finish your journey.
• We'll tow you, your vehicle and up to 7 passengers wherever you need to go.
• Choose any single UK mainland destination, like back home or to the start or end of your journey.
• We’re ready to rescue you 24 hours a day, 365 days a year so you’ll never be left stranded.

There's no limit to how many times you can use National Recovery. Call us out as many times as you need to, as long as it's not a recurring problem with your vehicle.

Relay to one destination along with passengers, which in this case was the garage.

There is no provision to then get the driver/passengers to another destination.

If they had towed him to the holiday home they would have been stranded there with a broken down car.

They could not get towed  home  as their belongings were at their holiday accommodation.

They could have been towed to a garage local to their holiday accommodation but since the driver did not know the area he probably did not know of one or did not think of that solution.

Jumblebumble

sheramber said:

The driver did not know the area so could not chose a garage. the AA took them to the nearest they knew of. 

If the garage  normally did repairs etc then how would the AA know they no linger provided that service unless they had been advised. 

Do you expect them to ring every garage in the are every day to confirm they still have a working mechanic?

To get taken home or another destination of your choice you need to pay for Onward travel, not just  National recovery , which provides a recovery service nationally but to the nearest garage or elsewhere, if no further.

That service does not require onward travel for the vehicle occupants .

Ny the same inspector Clouseau statement the driver should have known what service he had purchased.

So what benefit has the OP had for handing over their hard earned to the AA ?
Of course the AA could admit that the benefit is precisely zero because they called it wrong and  send one of their trucks around and take the car to a proper repair center.
I am generally of the view that if I don't know something I don't much  like paying people who take my money but don't know either.