Complaint AA Breakdown Renewal without notification

Qunbi

The AA automatically renewed my breakdown cover on the basis that they do not have any record of me calling in February to inform the AA that I have sold my car. The renewal letter arrived over the weekend.

I called yesterday (within the 14 day cooling off period) and was told the cover will be cancelled and money will be refunded less a GBP20 admin fee.

I have however, asked my bank to recall the direct debit.

Based on this thread, I will write to Member Relations to ask for all my details to be removed from the AA's database and for all automatic renewals to be cancelled.

Any advice on what else I should do to ensure that the AA doesn't try to charge me again for the GBP20 admin fee?

The_AA_Company_Representative

Veryannoyed wrote: »

You most certainly DID do this, and no, any communication will be in writing.

How do I know what you did? Because I received a copy of a letter from your customer relations dept which told me that the AA was unable to renew my subscription as my credit card xxxx xxxx xxxx 1234 was no longer valid and if I wanted to renew my cover I had to phone the AA.

This was correct. It was an old credit card which I had cancelled.

Neither did I phone the AA to renew my cover for one very good reason. Until your representative sent this letter to me in response to my complaint, I had not received any notification of renewal.

What did happen was that £54.50 was taken from my bank account and the only way you could have done that was if you had my bank card number on your files. So you clearly held TWO card numbers for me, one for my old credit card and the other for a current bank account. Whether you like it or not, these are indisputable facts and backed up by the correspondence that the AA has provided to me.

I will be writing to the CEO to ask two things.
1. For an explanation of the issues I have outlined above;
2. For an assurance that ALL my details, including old and current bank / credit cards, and my address, are removed from the AA's accounts and marketing systems.

If the AA continue to deny this has happened I am going to contact the Information Commissioner to find out if it is legal for firms to keep a customer's bank details on file and to use them for the purpose for which mine were used.

The documents the AA has sent me show that this MUST be the case, there is no other explanation.
LizC

Whilst you are compiling your letter to Andrew Strong, if you would like to give us a call on 01256 493999, with your membership number, we can take a closer look at your membership details for you.

The_AA_Company_Representative

Fair_Play wrote: »

I'm so glad you've been successful, veryannoyed. Must be such a weight off your shoulders. I'm surprised they admit they've had computer problems. I do hope they get it sorted.

I've looked into the AA's competitors, such as the RAC and Green Flag, and they still seem to be the best (of a bad bunch). So I can't see myself leaving them, unfortunately. Where do you think you'll go to once your inclusive cover expires?

I would definitely put your deletion of personal and bank details request in writing, sent by recorded delivery, and addressed to the AA's Chief Executive, Andrew Strong (he'll no doubt pass it to some secretary to deal with, but at least the man at the top will have seen it). A few weeks after you get the reply, call them to say you want to check that your details are up to date. Give your old membership number when asked to do so. If your account comes up on the operator's screen, you'll know they've been telling porkies...

Having read this thread it is clear you have some specific concerns. We would be very happy to discuss these with you and I invite you to call us on 01256 493999.

The_AA_Company_Representative

chris1973 wrote: »

I think the 'average' review given for the 'AA' on the various consumer review sites speaks volumes. Note the customer satisfaction review ratings for 'customer service' and 'value for money'

http://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews11802.html

Obviously, this issue is not isolated either

http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1525695

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?202834-AA-unwanted-automatic-renewal-charged-to-cancelled-credit-card!!

http://www.hypermiler.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=520

http://www.bitterwallet.com/if-you-want-to-ride-with-the-aa-you-can-never-get-out/42998

https://zone.theaa.com/forums/thread/827/#post2894

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2011/jan/22/aa-membership-renewal

There are also 100's of others brought up by Google

You really can't put a price on customer feedback and word of mouth recommendations...............

We hope all has been resolved for you, but if you have any outstanding questions please feel free to call us on 01256 493999.

chris1973

My complaint certainly has NOT been resolved. I have already written to you cancelling my cover well within the 14 day window, my original complaint letter was dated 13th September, just a few days after membership was renewed without my knowledge.

All I have had so far is a letter from Andrew Strong's office admitting the error in relation to the renewal going ahead and apologising for screwing up and renewing my policy on 7th September. Oh and an AA 2012 map sent as a 'goodwill gesture', but no sign of the renewel fee you 'mistakenly' took from my account!!!!!!!!!!, and obviously little notice paid to my original complaint letter dated 13th September clearly instructing you, in no uncertain terms, to cancel the policy and refund the money, so there is no way that you can say that I didn't inform you of my wishes well within this window.

Today, the final nail in the coffin - the 'new' membership cards arrived - what a Joke!

I originally called the number above a few weeks ago only to be told that they couldn't cancel the cover as the 14 day period had, by then, expired. Well of course it had then / now, because you've dragged it out for so long, however it doesn't detract from the fact that the letter I sent and the cert of postage for it are both dated 13th September and the letter from Andrew Strong sent in reply 'promising me a refund after admitting making mistakes with the renewal communication' is dated just a few days later - all well within the 14 day window.

All I can say is that the AA is going to look pretty foolish at the small claims, when these documents are produced, not only admitting they made errors which led to the cover being wrongly renewed in the first place but also promising a refund, (of which I had already WRITTEN to them and asked for just days earlier), but, here we are weeks later, and it still hasn't been honoured.

I think i've shown enough patience and due diligence in letting the AA resolve this matter in a timely manner, but its now almost a month since the renewal fee was taken from my account and still nothing back in response to my complaint and the written complaint communication sent weeks ago, which clearly conveyed my wishes that the membership be immediately cancelled and payment refunded, other than a 2012 road map and a 'we are sorry letter' from Andrew Strong. Well that doesn't cut it.

On Monday I sent a detailed letter of my complaint to the Ombudsman to accompany their usual forms, I have also written to my bank enclosing a copy of the 'we have screwed up your renewal' letter and asking them to return / reverse the funds on the basis that the included letter from the AA proves that they were wrongly taken out in the first place. If that doesn't work, then its a claim through moneyclaim.gov - but rest assured I will be getting a refund, its just a shame the AA were unable / unwilling to provide it at the time the complaint was made and the refund requested, but those were their choices and not mine.

I am more than aware that mistakes happen even to the best run companies, and in my book I dont judge on the mistakes themselves but rather how, and by the speed in which they are rectified when they do occur, and in this case the AA rank 'Dire'

Veryannoyed_3

The_AA_Company_Representative wrote: »

Whilst you are compiling your letter to Andrew Strong, if you would like to give us a call on 01256 493999, with your membership number, we can take a closer look at your membership details for you.

I don't wish to be rude but I don't have a membership number. I didn't renew my membership. I am still waiting for the letter the AA claimed was on its way to me after someone from the membership dept phoned me to assure me this fiasco was all your mistake, lots of other people had the same problem and we were ALL going to get our money back.

I'm really not at all impressed with your assertion that you don't take money from other bank accounts when you hold details of more than one for a customer. I can prove that you certainly do this.

Although I have received a full refund I am so concerned with the way the AA has handled my complaint that I will be putting my concerns in writing.

chris1973

Well, at last I have a refund from the cancellation of my AA membership, literally a month to the day after the renewal went ahead without my knowledge and payment was taken from my account.

Although whether this is a result of the AA finally doing right by their customer, or as a result of my bank seeing sense in response to my written complaint and request to reverse the payment, is anybodies' guess, I'll have to wait to see whether I get a letter from the bank before I give the AA any credit for the refund.

Either way, I will never be giving them my business again.

Veryannoyed_3

I've had a call tonight from the AA chief executive's office assuring me that despite a letter to the contrary, they didn't have two sets of bank details for me (ie an expired credit card and my current bank account) and that there were only one set of details for my bank account.

I've asked for an assurance that they will write to me to confirm my bank details have been removed from their accounts system and they said they would do this.

My postings on here were referred to in the conversation and it's clear that the AA monitors them and does take them seriously.

So if anyone else still has issues can I suggest that you take them up directly with the AA chief executive's office.

jimmy_cricket

Hi,

just thought I would add my twopeneth worth with my recent dealings with the AA.
A week last Saturday, I received renewal notification from the AA - £150! That's expensive I thought and found that indeed it was - I could get the same cover as a new member for £50. I'm also on a recurring payment, even though at the last renewal I specifically requested not to have this.
Anyhow, I rang the AA to cancel, was passed to a different department, who then said that the 'system' had gone down and my request couldn't be dealt with. A promised return call never happened. So, Monday, I called again only to be given a similar runaround, with a promise to call me back, again, surprise, surprise, no one did. So, over a week ago I wrote to cancel the policy, requesting confirmation that this had been done. No response as yet, but I will be very annoyed if, as I suspect, the policy will be renewed.

JC

The_AA_Company_Representative

jimmy_cricket wrote: »

Hi,

just thought I would add my twopeneth worth with my recent dealings with the AA.
A week last Saturday, I received renewal notification from the AA - £150! That's expensive I thought and found that indeed it was - I could get the same cover as a new member for £50. I'm also on a recurring payment, even though at the last renewal I specifically requested not to have this.
Anyhow, I rang the AA to cancel, was passed to a different department, who then said that the 'system' had gone down and my request couldn't be dealt with. A promised return call never happened. So, Monday, I called again only to be given a similar runaround, with a promise to call me back, again, surprise, surprise, no one did. So, over a week ago I wrote to cancel the policy, requesting confirmation that this had been done. No response as yet, but I will be very annoyed if, as I suspect, the policy will be renewed.

JC

I am sorry to learn that you have not received a call back. Can I suggest that you call our Member Relations team on 0844 209 0556, with your details, so they can clarify this for you.