AA European Recovery Problems

[John Barrett]

My outfit is yet to be delivered. It was promised for last week (three weeks since collection) but that didn't happen. It is now one month since collection. I chased them and they rang me last Friday to tell me it be this week, and I would get two days notice. Not a peep so I hjave little hope of seeing it any time soon.!
They are not answering the telephone, I emailed them yesterday but no response.
Not a happy bunny!

Here's the text from the NW Flex Plus policy booklet:
Average recovery time to the territory - when
vehicle recovery is arranged, delivery of the
vehicle normally takes 8-14 working days
from most countries in Western Europe. At
busy periods, or in other destinations such as,
without restriction, Scandinavia or the Balkan
Peninsula, recovery may take longer.#

 

[Odd-no-more]

Since Covid, when customer service all but disappeared, large firms have left customer service at the bottom of the pile, they realised they could get away with it. No phone calls answered or returned, emails ignored, it seems to be all of the big boys and I doubt it will change until they start to lose a lot of customers. I think you will have to wait out the week then send a letter, again recorded delivery does not work because Royal Mail are rubbish too, so send it tracked to get a record of delivery and threaten them with social media and trading standards then keep fingers crossed.

 

[John Barrett]

I emailed them today to be told that the outfit is going to be picked up today and will be delivered by the end of next week. I'm not holding my breath as they have lied up to now...
A complaint has gone in to the NW CEO.

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

It's been too hot to handle.

 

[pappajohn]

The problem is you went with the worst recovery company of the lot.
Break down in the UK 500 miles from home and it could take days to get home.
The AA work in areas, you get to the edge of one area and get dumped until the next area operatives arrive to take you to the edge of their area, dump you and it all begins again.
I wouldn't pay them in buttons.

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[John Barrett]

I didn't have any choice as they are the NW contractors!

 

[Camdoon]

Since Covid, when customer service all but disappeared, large firms have left customer service at the bottom of the pile, they realised they could get away with it. No phone calls answered or returned, emails ignored, it seems to be all of the big boys and I doubt it will change until they start to lose a lot of customers. I think you will have to wait out the week then send a letter, again recorded delivery does not work because Royal Mail are rubbish too, so send it tracked to get a record of delivery and threaten them with social media and trading standards then keep fingers crossed.

My last years in work were checking that Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Plans were in place. It would appear that every company that I now deal with fails on this requirement.

 

[John Barrett]

Outfit appeared today, without prior notice. Good job we were at home!
Brought direct from Benidorm on a low loader. It left last Wednesday, the driver complaining of horrid delays.
Customs searched the car and caravan thre times!
Our booze cupboards are overflowing...

 

[GAVLAD]

I don’t think it’s just the AA.
I stopped in Chartres last week and a couple in their 70’s had broken down in their car with caravan. They were with the CAMC Red Pennant. You buy that insurance based on your trip to cover personal & vehicle and in my experience, its expensive.
Their car broke down so called for help. Had a nightmare getting through.
Recovery guy came and took them to his industrial estate.
Old boy complained and then recovery guy wanted paying to them take him to a garage. He’s complained to CAMC and they’ve taken him to a site in Chartres (car & caravan) and said they’d be in touch. He was there 3 days waiting. CAMC said they were busy with breakdowns due to the heat.
Maybe it’s a first that a European country has heat in the summer?

 

[Korova]

The problem is you went with the worst recovery company of the lot.
Break down in the UK 500 miles from home and it could take days to get home.
The AA work in areas, you get to the edge of one area and get dumped until the next area operatives arrive to take you to the edge of their area, dump you and it all begins again.
I wouldn't pay them in buttons.

A few years ago it took three different AA low loaders to get us 57 miles as we broke down in Wales, crossed Cheshire and the into Greater Manchester. To be fair they got us to our local garage but it took about 8 hours!

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[Manxcat]

We broke down 2nd May at Avignon. Van May be delivered this week. We are with RAC

 

[Bonsaiman]

The problem is you went with the worst recovery company of the lot.
Break down in the UK 500 miles from home and it could take days to get home.
The AA work in areas, you get to the edge of one area and get dumped until the next area operatives arrive to take you to the edge of their area, dump you and it all begins again.
I wouldn't pay them in buttons.

Open to all

So who is the best European recovery company, asking as I am planning a trip through France and will need cover

Thanks

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

Outfit appeared today, without prior notice. Good job we were at home!
Brought direct from Benidorm on a low loader. It left last Wednesday, the driver complaining of horrid delays.
Customs searched the car and caravan thre times!
Our booze cupboards are overflowing...

So, the driver didn't drink all your booze then?

 

[Rogerwyn]

All breakdown services suffer when times are busy, in my experience their customer controllers have no mechanical knowledge and therefore can’t differentiate between major and minor breakdowns and rely on whoever attends the vehicle for their opinion,
A few years ago on a site in France on returning to site found my neighbour marching up and down in a heated argument with someone on his phone, after he finished I asked him if every thing was ok, he informed me that on going to leave site that morning he had found he had a flat tyre on his Discovery and had been waiting 6 hrs for the breakdown to attend and change his tyre, so I volunteered to do it for him, on removing the tyre found a screw embedded in the centre of the tread on showing him he said that explains why he’s had to pump the tyre up every week for the last few months!!!!!

 

[Reallyretired]

Has anyone been recovered from Europe with dogs, if so how did you get back?

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[John Barrett]

Nationwide BS wouldn't recover our two dogs from Benidorm, even though initially they said they would. We had to find a man with a van, at very short notice.
Just 48 hrs and 600 quid later they were with us...
This is the subject of a complaint.

 

[Rogerwyn]

Has anyone been recovered from Europe with dogs, if so how did you get back?

You’ll need to check the t&c’s or ask the question with whoever your covered by, when we broke down when tugging with red pennant as we had included the dog in the cover they sent a vehicle over from the UK, but some will expect you to repatriate the dog at your expens.

 

[Janine]

Just wondering after reading these awful reports of lengthy delays in repatriation of vehicles/caravans/motorhomes, do you inform your insurances companies that you are no longer with your vehicles?

Would there be an issue if they were involved in an accident or stolen in transit?

 

[Lenny HB]

Just wondering after reading these awful reports of lengthy delays in repatriation of vehicles/caravans/motorhomes, do you inform your insurances companies that you are no longer with your vehicles?

Would there be an issue if they were involved in an accident or stolen in transit?

Good point, it should be covered by the breakdown service but I would think best to inform them.
In our case the breakdown is taken out with our policy so should be OK.

 

[denisejoe]

RAC are just as bad was told ours could take up to 2 weeks to repatriate phoned after 2 weeks to find out it was already here and assessed on repairs ok’d but garage hope it will be ready before September and they stick you in the cheapest hotels miles from any food places

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