How long for the AA to recover a breakdown

[chas_41_uk]

Here is a question for you all.
How long would you expect it to take the AA to recover a car and caravan from the M62 near Huddersfield and deliver it to an address in Manchester 24.5 miles away?

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The answer 8 hours

While travelling back from a long weekend in Linconshire, the gearbox on our car decided to start playing up 24.5 miles from home at 13:25pm.
I phone the AA and they sent an assigned garage recovery out, who arrived 1.5 hours later.

He turned up in a recovery truck with no towbar for the caravan. So we had to limp the car to Birch services 19 miles down the M62 with him escorting us. We got there at 16:15 where he left us telling us an AA vehicle was on its way.

At 17:00 an AA van turns up. When I asked him where the recovery vehicle was he said he had come to access the gearbox He agreed that there was a problem and that we can't drive it any further in case the gearbox packs up completely and that he would arrange for a recovery vehicle to pick us up and take us home. It was now 17:30

The AA recovery vehicle eventually turned up at 20:15 and after dropping the caravan off at the storage facility got us home at 21:30.

I will be making a formal complaint to the AA about their rubbish service :nonono::nonono::nonono:

 

[bellringer]

ye that sound about right

 

[bassethound]

Bloody hell I am not surprised you are making a complaint

 

[rayf6604]

Have you heard of RAC Arrival? It's dedicated recovery service especially for Camping and Caravanning Club members. I was stopped by an AA salesman in a service area once and I asked him what would happen if I was towing a caravan when I broke down. They wouldn't was the answer. The RAC service will recover car and van even if the problem is with the caravan. You have to be members of the Club and it costs less than £90 for roadside and recovery. Other services like homestart can be added.

 

[chas_41_uk]

Have you heard of RAC Arrival? It's dedicated recovery service especially for Camping and Caravanning Club members. I was stopped by an AA salesman in a service area once and I asked him what would happen if I was towing a caravan when I broke down. They wouldn't was the answer. The RAC service will recover car and van even if the problem is with the caravan. You have to be members of the Club and it costs less than £90 for roadside and recovery. Other services like homestart can be added.

That's interesting Ray, something to think about
Only downside is, we are in the Caravan Club not C&CC. My AA membership is £99 a year

 

[Buckeye]

That's interesting Ray, something to think about
Only downside is, we are in the Caravan Club not C&CC. My AA membership is £99 a year

Tell them you want a free years membership or you are switching, see if they come up with something better.

Peter

 

[rayf6604]

That's interesting Ray, something to think about
Only downside is, we are in the Caravan Club not C&CC. My AA membership is £99 a year

I've heard of people being members of both. you'd get the benefits of both clubs then.

 

[Jim]

That is bad, and they claim to be 'Britain's Fourth Emergency Service' yeah right ..

 

[silver]

That is bad, and they claim to be 'Britain's Fourth Emergency Service' yeah right ..

All because they do a crap job of it doesn't mean they are NOT the fourth emergency service Jim

Sad time I know bu t I have never been a member of the AA as my father was always a member of the RAC and I have continued, used them twice in the last 15 years and got great service from them.

I bet you don't get much, if anything out of them.. its just the way of the world now, poor service, so what. that's what they think.

 

[rayf6604]

the aa simply don't have a service in place for people towing caravans in the same way the rac does. they are not able to recover a caravan in the event of a breakdown. why i have no idea when there are so many caravanners these days and there's more likely hood of something going wrong with the van than the car.

 

[Dalboy]

When I was a member of the Caravan Club they use to use Green Flag can't say how good they were as I never broke down.

 

[Grump]

I am not sure if it still stands but the RAC cover the person not the vehicle, irrespective of the means of travel.
I put this theory to test some years ago while travelling in the local scout bus (literally a single decker ex London bus), it broke down on the way home from the Black mountain while bringing the kids home from DOE awards.
As a premium member I contacted them and true to their word, they got got all of us home safely and retrieved the bus back to its depot at no extra cost to me the only member on the trip.
My no claims bonus was affected but at the time I think full membership was about £30.00.
When I had my business I tried all the other services, both commercial and domestic but always kept RAC cover for myself and family.
None of the others could hold a candle to the service of the RAC, I proved this on many occasions when the company vehicles broke down.
I dare say that has diminished like everything else and costs more than it is worth but I still have RAC cover at whatever cost, you only need to use them once and they have paid for themselves.

 

[chas_41_uk]

When I was a member of the Caravan Club they use to use Green Flag can't say how good they were as I never broke down.

Just been looking at the Caravan Club website and yes they have a service called "Mayday" run by Green Flag

 

[chas_41_uk]

I am not sure if it still stands but the RAC cover the person not the vehicle, irrespective of the means of travel.
I put this theory to test some years ago while travelling in the local scout bus (literally a single decker ex London bus), it broke down on the way home from the Black mountain while bringing the kids home from DOE awards.
As a premium member I contacted them and true to their word, they got got all of us home safely and retrieved the bus back to its depot at no extra cost to me the only member on the trip.
My no claims bonus was affected but at the time I think full membership was about £30.00.
When I had my business I tried all the other services, both commercial and domestic but always kept RAC cover for myself and family.
None of the others could hold a candle to the service of the RAC, I proved this on many occasions when the company vehicles broke down.
I dare say that has diminished like everything else and costs more than it is worth but I still have RAC cover at whatever cost, you only need to use them once and they have paid for themselves.

I think most of them do various covers for the person and any car, or the car and any driver etc. We have it on the car as we only have one and both me and "Her in doors" drive it, It's just a tad under £100 for the year.

 

[paulm]

It annoys the sh one t out of me when you're sold something and you buy it in good faith only to be disappointed when the service is required. I feel for you.

 

[Grump]

I think my renewal was about £130 this year for Drain and myself, although she don't drive any more she might be in someone else's car when it breaks down.
When the kids were at home and driving old bangers I paid for a family membership, worth it's weight in gold, always getting used.
I think nowadays they have a limit on how many break downs you're allowed, I never read their bumf just pay the bill init?

 

[Kardav]

Have you heard of RAC Arrival? It's dedicated recovery service especially for Camping and Caravanning Club members. I was stopped by an AA salesman in a service area once and I asked him what would happen if I was towing a caravan when I broke down. They wouldn't was the answer. The RAC service will recover car and van even if the problem is with the caravan. You have to be members of the Club and it costs less than £90 for roadside and recovery. Other services like homestart can be added.

I agree with Ray, I'm in both clubs but would always opt for RAC Arrival over the AA, used them a couple of times over the past 30 odd years without any issues whatsoever. My last renewal seemed a bit steep so haggled with them and got 15 months instead of 12, although I believe they've streamlined the pricing to take into account loyalty etc. Full cover, inc Homestart for less than a ton!

 

[Walter]

Bloody things should all be left by the side of the motorway. Oops! sorry did I say that out loud. Must have had a Clarkson moment.

 

[glenpen]

I've heard of people being members of both. you'd get the benefits of both clubs then.

Been a member of GREEN FLAG ( recommended by the CC Club) for over 6 years,used them twice one with caravan. attended to me within an hour. Recommended
Glen

 

[chas_41_uk]

Bloody things should all be left by the side of the motorway. Oops! sorry did I say that out loud. Must have had a Clarkson moment.

Walter Clarkson? Nope it doesn't sound right