Dear All,
We had a message from a Member, Barry, last week.
He described how a family Member was left stranded when the AA refused service because their vehicle was un taxed…
Barry went on to explain why it wasn’t taxed. However, personally, I think this is irrelevant.
Of course you’d expect the people who claim you “owe” them road tax to try to bully you in to paying.
…But a private company you’re voluntarily paying to provide a service?
Barry had this to say:
I just had to write to you about something that happened to one of my family members on Friday.
He had a breakdown on his car and phoned the AA for help, but they refused to come to his aid saying that his car was untaxed!
In honesty, when he later checked he found that the tax was due last month but he was sure that it was taxed. Apparently something had gone wrong when he had paid online, but he had never been told this!
I had a similar thing happen to me last year, so I know that this is possible.
However, what I am shocked and appalled about is the fact that the AA seem to now be part of the traffic police in getting involved in these checks and furthermore that they have the right to not provide the service that they are contracted to do for a fully paid up member because of something that is absolutely nothing to do with them!
Surely a polite reminder to the member about tax, insurance or MOT would be most beneficial in case of honest mistakes but to leave a motorist with a broken down car anywhere is absurd if they have paid for their service!
I am not aware of this happening to anyone else at any time, or if other breakdown companies do this as well, but I think it is in the interest of your readers to let them know and certainly be warned about the AA staff doubling up as traffic cops now.
I will certainly not be using the AA myself in future, that’s for sure!”
We contacted the AA about the case and they had this to say:
“AA terms and conditions clearly state that a vehicle must be taxed for us to attend. However, If one of our members contacts us to report a breakdown on an untaxed vehicle, we do all we can to help by giving them the opportunity to tax the vehicle and ask them to call back for service once the vehicle shows as being taxed on the DVLA website. If we think that our member is in a vulnerable position, we will do our best to get them to a safe location and give them the opportunity to tax the vehicle online.
“If our member chooses not to tax the vehicle, we can offer them a separate ‘pay-for-use’ option. This means that we can still rescue our members from the roadside but means the vehicle would need to be recovered with the wheels fully off the ground to comply with current road laws, as per standard recovery industry practice .”
Essentially this option is a “wheels off the ground” recovery, which the AA *charge* for, even though – to my mind at least – they’ve already been paid by the Member via their Membership fee!
And I love it when a company says “our T&C’s clearly state”…
My response is always “how many of your customers do you think knew that when they signed up?”.
Sadly, it seems as though the AA’s first “duty” is to the government rather than to their Customers…
We’ve contacted both the RAC and Green Flag on behalf of Members to ask if they have the same policy or not, however, we’ve yet to receive a reply.
If they don’t have the same policy, I’ll be recommending Members who are with the AA switch to a rival who has sounder business ethics.
I’d be interested to hear your views on this story in the comments section here:
All the best,
Adam
A friend of mine was with the RAC, he had only just bought the vehicle a couple of days before he broke down over 100 miles from home, he called the RAC and was told the vehicle was showing as un taxed and they woukd not attend until it was. I had to go pick him up, take him over 100 miles home to get the new keeper slip and tax the vehicle. Once the tax had been payed the RAC came out and done the recovery. So the RAC and AA obviously have the same terms and conditions, no idea about green flag but I suspect it’s the same with all recovery operators…. Personally I think the membership fee of the AA, The RAC and Green Flag are shocking and I use autonational breakdown, however I suspect they also would only attend if your vehicle is taxed.
if the car was not taxed it should not have been on the road this would make insurance invalid what if he killed someone sorry no excuse for not taxing your car
Could be over 40 years old, could be on the way to MOT station, could be foreign registered
Not necessarily as you can’t tax a car without an mot so you might have to drive to an mot station without tax and this is completely legal.
completely legal only if you book your car into MOT station in advance of driving for a MOT test.
if the car was not taxed it should not have been on the road this would make insurance invalid what if he killed someone sorry no excuse for not taxing your car
What absolute RUBBISH!
An untaxed car on its way to a booked MOT must/ought to be insured. The same car cannot be taxed until it has both insurance AND a valid MOT.
I can understand why they have this attitude as when the car is fixed they can be seen to condone to put a car on the road that is not taxed and liable to be stopped by the police possible to be impounded so should they not repair on the road or tow the car to a destination.. thankfully I don’t have a clue as to what they do
Adam if you Google rac or green flag it states clearly they want recover your vehicle if it’s not taxed or insured hope this helps
You didn’t say what the situation was here, and I think is relevant.
You can’t tax a car without an MOT, but you can drive a car without an MOT if you are taking it to a pre-booked test or back again after a failure.
If you are recommissioning a car that has been off the road it won’t have tax or MOT. If it dies on the way to the MOT test needed to tax it I would have expected the recovery service to help.
Spot-on.
Sadly, common sense is sorely lacking these days in our litigious, iron-rod terms and conditions, with no hope of either compassion or sense
No such thing as “common sense” – it is really “acquired knowledge” and some people fail to acquire any
Most of their vans are equipped with a towing function however if a truck is needed for off the ground recovery which no doubt costs more. If the AA tow an untaxed vehicle it is unlawful to do so and they have spelled it out in their Ts and Cs, so whilst it’s unfortunate for this fellow I can see where the AA are coming from, they don’t want to break the law mind you my last experience with the AA was unsatisfactory I had a leaky auto gearbox but the operative refused to recover the car so that wasn’t impressive. Boycott them no lobby them for a better service yes. Over the years they have been useful to me overall no service is perfect.
If a car is towed then it becomes a trailer and does not require an MOT or insurance as it is covered by the towing vehicle and it doesn’t need all 4 wheels off the ground either – if FWD then front wheels lifted if RWD then rear wheels lifted if automatic or slip into neutral with a manual and tow it with a “steersman” guiding the vehicle – steersman does NOT have to have a driving licence.
i dont believe there is no actual law that says you insurance is not valid if its not taxed
its the insurance companys rules the same as if the car is not registered to a person ijnsurance wont cover it just another way for the insurance to NOT pay out if there should be a problem
i lent a friend a car to go to funeral as it was in the trade it was not in mine or my company name with dvla it was covered for any driver on a traders policy with him as a named driver all taxed and moted stopped by police had to leave the car there and walk to the funeral with 4 greiving relatives 6 points £350 fine
I’ll be interested to see the results of that enquiry. If it transpires that RAC and Green Flag do not have that clause in their T&Cs I will consider leaving the AA having been a member continuously since 1977. I do not condone untaxed, un-insured or vehicles without an MOT being on the road but in this case, the AA is not a government agency and their contract is with the payhing customer. I would not object to the AA reporting the matter to the police for investigation. After all, it is the duty of every citizen to report a crime or a suspected crime. However, there may always be mitigating circumstances of which the AA is not aware but which may satisfy a police investigation. The AA may like to regards itself as the “fourth emergency service” but that does not entitle the AA to take policing decisions.
The AA is NOT the fourth emergency service. Their slogan had to be changed years ago after severe cticism.
if the car is not road taxed it should be on the road sorry I think the AA is right
It is the responsibility of the AA and drivers to ensure that they comply with the law as the failure to do so could be dire. If the AA had repaired the car and the driver then had an accident he would be driving a car with neither tax nor insurance with serious consequences to himself and any third parties. Would you expect the AA to get a drunken or uninsured driver back on the road? I wouldn’t.
Spot-on!
Do not lose sight of the original purpose of the AA. I am informed that the AA was formed to campaign against the legislation requiring the man walking in front of a car with a red flag.
Now look carefully at the training provider sub contracted by the Police authorities but carry out speed awareness courses.
Green Flag is no better. I was refused assistance after a car that I had just bought broke down on the M6 motorway. Admittedly it was a “jobsworth” from the recovery company Mansfield’s of Stoke on Trent who caused the problem. Green Flag assistance was activated as soon as I posted the tax disc to their depot.
While on the subject of Green Flag (and no doubt others) do check the wording of their European Breakdown cover. It states expressly that you should take the V5 with you “as proof of ownership”.. The “12 year old” lawyer who wrote that obviously had not read the statement on the front page of the V5! Furthermore, because the V5 also contains the means of transferring the registered keeper details there is a security risk in having the V5 in the car. However I do carry a colour copy of pages 1 & 2 defaced with the legend COPY. When required both the French and Spanish police have accepted this. The DVLA were made aware of this security problem about 25 years ago and have failed to act upon the information.
I’m sorry I think the AA were correct. An untaxed car is an illegal car. By fixing it to carry on its journey is allowed an illegal car on the road. Untaxed probably means their insurance is invalid with all the implications of that if they have an accident.
If the RAC and Green Flag tell you that they would still attend a breakdown regardless of whether the vehicle is taxed or not I think you should start a public campaign warning people of the AA’s atempt to be traffic cops and get people to switch companies hopefully bankrupting the AA in the process.
I think they are to big for there boots have had hassle with the AA twice this year and I am a gold member with them. Have tried contacting to let them know my feelings but never get a answer so don’t think they care anymore about members
extract from RAC Ts&Cs:
Keep your vehicle roadworthy. You’ll need valid tax, insurance and MOT or we won’t be able to help if you break down. Keep your vehicle roadworthy. You’ll need valid tax, insurance and MOT or we won’t be able to help if you break down.
Been RAC member for years but earlier this year they refused to come out because they do not attend road traffic accidents. My wife had caught a jutting out kerb at speed and damaged 2 tyres, no other vehicle or person involved. I feel this was extremely petty and based on semantics. I will not be renewing next year.
That’s absurd. Quite standard for the roads to be not in a perfect usable condition. But if your vehicle it broken because of this they should recover you . Isn’t that why we pay for their service. AA have poor reviews lately so the RAC are a better company in my opinion
No Pay No Fee. Make them pay all your cost’s
Although I am not in the AA.
He should have paid his Road Tax.
There are all manners of things going on here legally as well as morally.
The AA could be culpable in aiding him to drive a non taxed vehicle on the road, and imagine if he was then further involved in an accident after the AA had got it going again?
It is very clear in the t&c that the vehicle needs to be taxed. Any vehicle not taxed should not be on the road as it also invalidates the insurance so I agree with the AA. Why should I have to subsidise those people who don’t pay what they should
To add to my post several months ago I called the AA to my broken down Motorhome which had been sorned for several months but broke down when I used it after taxing it on line. The AA asked me for details of the transaction from my confirmation email from the dvla and when they checked again they came out straight away to attend
The best answer is to see what the AA’s Ts&Cs say. I can’t find any reference specifically requiring the car to be taxed (I confess as I’m not a member I didn’t read them in great detail) – but the Ts&Cs do state that they won’t attend vehicles that are: “Unsafe, unroadworthy, unlawful vehicles: that is where in the AA’s reasonable opinion,
immediately before the relevant breakdown or accident, Your Vehicle was dangerous,
overladen, unroadworthy or otherwise unlawful to use on a public road”. As it is a legal requirement to pay VED then it is reasonable for the AA to say the car was unlawful and refuse to attend.
I also struggle with the idea that someone would not know the on-line payment of VED ‘did not work’ – since you get an acknowledgement by e-mail.
Sorry, but not sympathetic in this case.
Actually, further to my above, there are two sets of Ts&Cs, there is a more comprehensive set too. This second set DOES make specific the need for a car to be taxed. Apologies if anyone got over excited at the first post.
l am with RAC
I dumped the AA years ago and I’m with RAC
I have come across this when declared one of my motorcycles ‘off road’ for the winter. Come spring I arranged a mot test but when I was getting it ready to go I had trouble starting it so I called the AA only to have this policy explained to me. It could have been worse – I might have broken down on the way to the MOT test ! I can understand them not wanting to be guilty of aiding and abetting the illegal use of an untaxed vehicle but they should make an exception of journeys to and from an arranged MOT – after all, the law does.
hi, everyone there is a way around it and that is instead of covering your car for breakdown cover, you cover yourself which covers any car your with at the time. Its abit more expensive but well worth it i was with green flag till recently only because ive bought a new hybrid and breakdown is included, try GREEN FLAG as an option it cost me more as a person covered but only by £15 which is worth it.
I am looking to leave the AA which I have been a member of for many years. Why? Due to the length of time it takes them to attend… Fleet 4 policy which is quite expensive but a 3 hour wait, I think is very poor service.
Whilst I do not condone not taxing a vehicle, although there may be extenuating circumstances for this, whether a vehicle is taxed or not has nothing to do with a rescue service for which you have paid in advance. In saying that, if the road tax was spent on the roads we would have the best roads in the world. Instead we have the worst of any developed country! For that reason I object to paying but have no choice but to comply.
just joined the AA by phone last week and they could not have been clearer about the terms of road worthiness. MOT and tax.
Think about it from their perspective if giving a tow to a vehicle with 2 bald back tyres etc.
How do they know it’s untaxed? Did they check when they contracted to provide the service? I don’t expect they did.
Whilst I I don’t agree with tax evasion it is no part of a commercial organisations job to refuse to provide a service which has been paid for due to the vehicle being untaxed
I would not use their services until this condition is removed or stated clearly on the application form, not tucked away in terms and conditions
Surly an exemption should be in place to fix a drive a car without tax and an mot of its being driven to an mot station as this is completely legal!
I can understand not fixing an untaxed in any other circumstance but they should tow the car off the road to a garage or private road rather than leave an untaxed car broken down on a road.
People who drive around on our roads illegally,not paying road tax, should be prosecuted. I have to pay over £600 per year, so why should they be allowed to pay nothing. I have reported non paying road tax evaders several times to DVLA but nothing seems to come of it. Not displaying a valid road fund licence often leads to other offences coming to light and was easily spotted by the police or wardens. Now we don’t display anything at all, it opens up the opportunity for these low lives to continue not paying.
Hi all, I used to be an AA patrol and the reason they don’t work on an untaxed vehicle is the patrol would be deemed to be aiding and abetting in an offence. On saying that we just looked at the tax disc on passing and advised the driver his tax was due, and most times they didn’t realize. But by what you’re saying now they (AA) are checking with DVLA or an app to see if it is taxed. That sounds more as if they are looking for a reason not to attend the job.
Yes i totally agree, i have vehicles for which no mot or tax is relevant[ as deemed by the DVLA, government ] and i know of several people who with similar vehicles have fallen foul of this. absurd such actvity is allowed when they accept payment for a service
Obviously there are people who know their Tax is outstanding, but a couple of years ago had been driving my work car on the M42 for a week without realising that our administrator had confused Free car tax with No car tax. Even if there is no charge, it still has to be applied for.
Now I know anyway.
The damage though that legislative offences can cause people, (which are not law, only lobbied interests transferred to Bills/Paper) is criminal in its own right.
Not only is the AA a private company, but so is the DVLA:
DRIVER & VEHICLE LICENSING AGENCY
D-U-N-S® number: 21-327-6297
Julie Lennard C.E.O
Longview Road
Morriston
Swansea
SA6 7JL
DRIVER & VEHICLE LICENSING AGENCY
D-U-N-S® number: 21-327-6297
Company information
Address:
Longview Road Clase
SA6 7JL SWANSEA
THE DEPARTMENT FOR TRANSPORT
D-U-N-S® number: 23-319-3429
Company information
Address:
Rosb Building Sandringham Park, Swansea Vale
SA7 0EE SWANSEA
Drivers are people who engage in commerce on the road. Vehicles are the method of transport they use to engage in that commerce. No one else needs a license, or to pay road tax or be forced to pay this criminal organisation, to pay them for an MOT test.
The government is also a private company. The police forces are all private companies as are the local councils and the courts. They have no authority over us whatsoever. They get their authority from us, if we consent. We do this if we believe that these criminals have authority and give in to their demands. That’s when they gain our ‘consent’ to shaft us. But that consent was gained fraudulently since they did not provide full disclosure.
You should also know that we don’t own our cars. DVLA do. When you register it, you hand it over to them. So you buy the car from your hard earned money, register it with them, because we were led to believe that we had to, and in return, they ALLOW us, as the registered KEEPER only, to use it on OUR roads. That is, if we pay them road tax for the privilege.
Do a bit of digging, you’ll be surprised at what you find. It’s a deep rabbit hole of lies, deception and fraud. The world is not as it seems.
IMO. One pays a fee to cover an event. The fee has been paid; The service is due. Unless there is a condition made abundantly plain in the signature area, to be confirmed as read before you sign. Burying in the microprint terms is a legal way out for the provider. NO REFUND. What would happen in the event that a driver 5mins from home has a breakdown at 10 minutes to 12 pm, and his insurance or VED runs out by the time a recovery vehicle arrives?
Recently I was parked in a hospital park. The car failed to start. My Breakdown Rescue vehicle arrived. The driver having run my heavy-duty Battery down acknowledged that the car would not start and that the dashboard advised – Visit Workshop! Holding a conference with his controller, I am told -no-can-do. I pay a holding fee contract. in the event of requiring service the holding Company arranges service. I then pay another £40.00 then I get the necessary help. They trade as rescuers. But attempt to get away from this 4 wheels off the ground situ. With gently applied logic I get the car home. they in turn refuse to insure the car again. Crankshaft sensors are a contentious issue it seems
I note one of the comments was that the AA said they would be ‘aiding and abetting the offence’. Utter nonsense. There role, as paid for by their members, is to resolve breakdown problems, and nothing else. Setting themselves up as vigilante police is at the least arrogant. I will refrain from further comments to avoid going into a rant, suffice to say, such an attitude leaves a bad taste towards the organisation
Perhaps it’s time we all voted with our feet, I get sick of these kind of gestures. I’m seriously considering my membership, I have been a member for over 20 years, maybe it’s time to go elsewhere.
Sorry. I agree with the AA. all vehicles should be road legal. But they should refund the person who they would not help in full. They are like insurance companies. Very keen to take our money but very reluctant to pay anything out.
The RTA is not law. It’s an act of parliament. It does not apply to living men and women. It applies to PERSONS. We are not PERSONS. TESCO is a PERSON. Companies are PERSONS. Much of the fraud is in the language. Take some of these words and look up their definitions in law dictionaries.
Anything RTA related, regardless of where it comes from, should be returned to the sender. I cover the address, write ‘Return to sender’ ‘No such addressee’ across the envelope at around a 45 degree angle, in blue ink, and pop it back in a post box.
You’ll notice that most times, your name will be written in block capitals, i.e.
JOE BLOGGS
It will usually also say on the envelope:
‘Private and confidential. To be opened by the addressee only.’
Or something similar.
This is not you. This is an attempt to get you to accept that you are JOE BLOGGS, when you are not. You are Joe Bloggs.
English cannot be written in block capitals unless it’s an acronym. JOE BLOGGS is what they use to commit fraud against us. Notice TESCO is written in capitals. Most company names are written in capitals. Try some out on the Companies House website. It’s too much to explain it all here, but it’s all fraud against us. Only those with an open mind to think for themselves will get anywhere with this.
People posting keep mentioning the law, and things being illegal and referring to their private cars as vehicles. Do some research please. It’s all a massive con!!
I was taking my car to have its MOT which had expired the previous day, when it suffered a flat. The AA refused to attend as it had no MOT.
A complete waste of space.
Hi,I bought a Willeys Jeep in Newcastle back in 1980. it had been stood for years but started and ran fine and I was driving it down the A1 back to London when the big end went. I had private RAC membership and the RAC came out. They asked if the vehicle was taxed and when they saw it wasn’t they said I had no cover. They said that untaxed cars tend not to be properly maintained or old or have not been used for a long time (as was the case with this jeep actually) so are more likely to break down than cars that are taxed. So like your other chats I was pissed off. I had to pay several hundred pounds (back in 1980) to recover the car back to London on a lorry.
Not quite so blackand white. The car could not be towed without road tax as the AA then become liable. repairing a car so it could then be driven on the road would be aiding and abetting a crime. If they camto your house and jumpmstarted a car that was fullof all your Christmas presents you might feel badly done to. The extent of the help given to get the car taxed as the mistake was an error becomes important. Borrow my phone/laptop and tax it just now would be helpful.
Not quite so blackand white. The car could not be towed without road tax as the AA then become liable. repairing a car so it could then be driven on the road would be aiding and abetting a crime. If they camto your house and jumpmstarted a car that was fullof all your Christmas presents you might feel badly done to. The extent of the help given to get the car taxed as the mistake was an error becomes important. Borrow my phone/laptop and tax it just now would be helpful.
Taking a car to an MOT does NOT require Car Tax. Why? A car requires an MOT BEFORE Car Tax can be purchased. Legally it is MOT first, then owner buys Tax. AA should have repaired it, or towed or carried it to MOT garage for repair and then Test. AA rule is probably because normally you cannot tow an untaxed car – from memory. AA error.
Totally agree.
They are not “law enforcement” just cos they got the contract for speed awareness courses.
Legally it cant be recovered as its not roadworthy due to no tax.
Simple clause yes, but not tax means its no longer a recovery but is now “transportation” whick brings it into the scope of operator licensing.
What the AA did was aiding and abetting a crime. They’re all in it together and back each other up. Not having road tax is not a crime. Enforcing the payment of road tax from those who don’t have to pay it, is a crime.
RAC have same policy as it happened to me about 5 years back one tyre was just below legal so refused to tow had to pay for wheels off ground recovery.
So didn’t use them for a while so they didn’t get any more money of me for a few years.
I will continue being a member of the AA, they have always done an excellent job for me. I will also continue to tax my car as I understand I am expected to do if I want to continue to drive on our roads.
it happend to my son 2 weeks ago when his car battery went flat because he left the lights on without leaving the engine running,the AA refused to come to his rescue because they said the vehicle was not taxed despite telling them that this vehicle is exempte from road fund license. i immediately cancelled the policy. if the vehicle is not taxed or insured or MOTed ,same thing AA wont come out so its better to shop around and ask any of the breakdown services if they are doing the police job that is clearly what the AA are doing.
Re AA refusal to carry out their contractual obligations, sue ’em !! Boycott them is next best.
There is no excuse for not taxing a vehicle “BUT” accidents happen.
The AA or any similar firm should have turned out and performed the job they were paid for and assisted in the renewal of the road tax. If this could not be done they should have removed the car to an off road position and perhaps notified the authorities.
Why do they have to check that road tax is paid?
Is it a legal requirement for them?
If it is not a legal requirement why are they doing it?
No tax – insurance null and void would / could there be legal repercussions against them.
Hi Adam,I totally agree with your commens however it would be difficult for some people to change as many of us use the service provided by our Bank.
Keep up your good work
Kind regards
Peter King (Aged 91 3 series BMW convertible, light yellow)
Simple. boycott them, there are other breakdown services around and cheaper. The AA will change their terms when it starts to bite them. Gone are the days when there were only two to choose from. They are supposed to provide a service to their customers not the Govt
The same thing happened to me a couple of years ago I was refused help because my mot had expired almost 24 hours before my vehicle broke down I had to drive home over 3 miles with a collapsed suspension. I am a disabled veteran and they refused to help me even when I offered to pay for there help.
Hi re untaxed vehicle and recovery service. This happened to me last October. I broke down on M5. Had green flag thru insurance company. Traffic patrol so helpful. But said they usually exclude helping untaxed vehicles! My car is free of tax so an oversight that I hadn’t renewed however they did help but it was a timely reminder to check on my tax. I’m a female pensioner so maybe that influenced them?
If you have no car tax then you have no insurance no insurance then you are illegally on the road if you are towed by the AA then they are braking the Law also, we know the Law to be on the road you are risking your Licence for a very long time and the fined can be a gut breaking amount as my pale found out he was also warned he could have gone to prison for putting others live at risk not sure were that came from in court but it was said you have to follow the AA rules they do say you must be taxed or no go having said this they could have got him a taxi or gave him a lift home or some other help considering how much we have to pay I think I would have got bloody minded over the situation as well they should not leave people stranded. not at night or in the day.
Absolute disgrace,They would take the membership fee quick enough. Everyone think twice before you go to AA for cover…BIG NO !!!!
l’d like to know why Barry (not me) had his car on the road when it was not taxed.
Nor taxed and on the road = not insured !
Seems irresponsible to me – as someone who does pay his road tax and who wouldn’t want to be in an accident with his uninsured car…
Had the same problem with the RAC! My vehicle was un-taxed due to a direct debit/renewal failure.Taxed it online and got recovered.
If a vehicle is to be recovered and it is not taxed then it cannot just be recovered. A truck that has an operators license will need to be deployed to ensure that legal requirements are met.
It’s not just the AA, the RAC did it to me last year when I had a burst tyre on the motorway and it was even worse. It wasn’t the tax it was the MOT. It was overdue by a week. I had missed the reminder or something. They said my vehicle was untaxed – even though I pay by DD – because the car wasn’t MOTd. They refused to assist and again offered me the removal to a garage at cost – even though I was a paid up member. The crunch was when they quoted £180 for this service – not including the out of ours tyre replacement at the garage – and said it would take 1.5 hours to get to me, meaning I would be stranded on the hard shoulder for that time. In the end I decided to limp home with my hazards on, on the hard shoulder, doing 40mph because I had run flats. The next day I cancelled my RAC membership and got new tyre. I’ve not had roadside assistance since
Usual pathetic nonsense. If it’s in the T&Cs before you sign up, it’s your responsibility to BE AN ADULT and check that. End of. So many effing whingers about these days. Grow up!
I supposed that the AA are covering themselves from “aiding and abetting” charge Just a thought
My van broke down & I called the AA which I was a member of, no actual AA rescue available so they send a guy from another company who took 2 hours to travel to me from his base just over 20 miles away. He took one look at my van’s engine compartment, remarked I can’t repair that, you don’t have recovery(I did have), I suggest you walk home & get a garage out to it tomorrow. With that said he drove off. I am disabled (they were aware)no way could I walk the three miles back home in the dark on a dual carriageway.
Luckily I do know a genuine recovery form & they very kindly came out & got me home, with the added bonus of giving me the details of a great honest mechanic.
I cancelled my AA membership when it came up for renewal & lodged a complaint about the abortive call out(plus the filthy state the guy who attended was in). I got no satisfactory reply to my complaint
If as stated by the AA that in the very small print of conditions of membership that a vehicle must be taxed then I assume that there is little that the members can do other than not to renew their subscription, there are others who can provide the same or better service. I would suggest that garages local to yourself are likely to provide a service albeit probably more expensive but would also suggest a reliable service is the most important aspect when a vehicle breaks down on a busy motorway or in the middle of the night and finally ask your insurance company if they provide either breakdown cover or reimbursement of costs.
Thieving Bstds ,just trying to get more money for something already paid for.
Never used them , never will.
I have just cancelled my AA membership after disgraceful customer treatment
i cancelled my AA membership a few years ago. I had been a member for 20+ years. During that time i had called them out twice. Once they repaired my car. Second time they took so long i cancelled it and managed to get the car home. The last time was during the bad winter around 2012ish. Car wouldn’t start. Called them and just got a recorded message saying unless i was a woman on my own it would be at least 24 hours before someone could speak to me. Cancelled at the renewal time.
I think this rule should only be applied if they have to drive the vehicle so that their employee doesn’t break the law.
I personally feel AA are so large that we as a customer is of statistical importance to them. My son, his wife and their children were stranded on the A2 just after 6pm. They were informed someone would be there within the next 30 minutes. I picked up the children in my car and brought them home. They called AA one hour later telling them no one had turned up, they were still there at 5:30am the next day. My son finally agreed to allow me to tow them back to my place.
Someone did turn up at about 2:30pm (at my place), temporarily repaired the car in about 20 minutes. It took AA a little over 24 hours to just get to them and this was a fully taxed car. Their excuse, it was Christmas time and we had unusual large volume of calls. It’s common knowledge call outs increase during certain times of the year, every business gears up in advance for such contingencies.
Not getting to Barry using non-payment of vehicle tax was just an excuse, they are useless and not fit for purpose. I believe its better to research a smaller company and go with them.