I just got shafted by AA brake down

[TFU] Thegoon84 · 19 Oct 2011 at 11:23

Long story short:

Took out brake down repair cover which allows up to £500 of repairs. When i took the policy out I was told that if the car broke down and was repaired prior to the AA being contacted the policy would be void (fair enough).

Anyways my car has been over heating and losing water, so i called in my mate’s garage and asked what it could be he said possibly head gasket...

So went home phoned AA and told them the same thing. I was then told that "because it had been assesed by a garage any claim would be void". I cant tell you how gutted i am. I genuinely didn't know that by me saying that on the phone was enough to confirm it had been "assest by a garage".

I've phone back and said that it was a personal friend who spoke to me separate from the garage and there was no appointment booked for it to be looked at….. I cant understand how they can automatically just write it off.

The T&C point to which applies is below:

Void policy:
12. any defects referred to a garage prior to AA attendance under Your AA Membership;

http://www.theaa.com/breakdown-cover/pdfs/breakdown-repair-cover-policy-july-2011.pdf

Any advice? Shall i just give up?

Scarecrow · 19 Oct 2011 at 11:27

I dont suppose its a mini by any chance. I had exactly the same with the garage saying the same thing. It ended up being the thermostat and was about £80

[TFU] Thegoon84 · 19 Oct 2011 at 11:29

Scarecrow said:
I dont suppose its a mini by any chance. I had exactly the same with the garage saying the same thing. It ended up being the thermostat and was about £80

Na Vectra, its defo the head gasket as the water is gunky and and hissing when the cap is removed. Plus the oil looks a little watery.

Scarecrow · 19 Oct 2011 at 11:31

Hope its not too much then and that does sound pretty rough from the AA.

Participant · 19 Oct 2011 at 11:43

Argue that it wasn't assessed in person, but by your mate over the phone in an unofficial capacity. What if your dad had been a mechanic and you'd called him for a chat? Mentioning that your car had broken down would void your policy? Sounds ultra-sneaky, I'd fight it for sure.

[TFU] Thegoon84 · 19 Oct 2011 at 11:50

Robbie G said:
Argue that it wasn't assessed in person, but by your mate over the phone in an unofficial capacity. What if your dad had been a mechanic and you'd called him for a chat? Mentioning that your car had broken down would void your policy? Sounds ultra-sneaky, I'd fight it for sure.

I've said all that, i told them that it my a personal friend of mine who i spoke to on the main road seperate from the garage. However because my first phone call i said i been in to see my mate in the garage and he told me it might be a head gasket is where i'm being stung i think!

To me it sounds absolutely stpuid, i mean if the garage had rung up for me fair enough! I'm gob smacked.

SexyGreyFox · 19 Oct 2011 at 11:51

Did you use the word 'garage' when you rang up?
If so then you lose and the conversation will probably be taped.
However, I would still fight it but you've got to remember exactly what you told them.
Did you say you took it to a garage or asked a mate who works in a garage?

SexyGreyFox · 19 Oct 2011 at 11:54

And while we're here there was something on WATCHDOG last week I had absolutely no idea about and everybody needs to know.

If ever you ring up home/car insurance just to enquire about damage that has been done but then decide to pay for it yourself, it still goes against you.
So be very careful when ringing up insurance firms and what you say.

moon man · 19 Oct 2011 at 12:05

I did the same with warranty direct ,told them my car had just failed an mot on the console bushes ,they told me that as the item caused the failure i was not covered but that the item WAS covered under warranty

[TFU] Thegoon84 · 19 Oct 2011 at 12:08

Well the supervisor has rung me back after listening to the conversation.

Turns out i used the words:

* Went into the garage
* They said it might be a head gasket

And bang goes £470... So advice to every1 in the future. Play dumb and just call out the AA!

Going to call watchdog and see what they say, seems pretty cut and dry tho tbh!

dmpoole i saw that show, they were talking about insurance house claims etc.

Participant · 19 Oct 2011 at 12:16

A garage:

Was this where you went?

[TFU] Thegoon84 · 19 Oct 2011 at 12:37

Robbie G said:
A garage:

Was this where you went?

Wont work... I told them i can prove that i didn't go there as they have security camera's.... Said sorry you've told us you've had it assessed by a garage.

Game over, head down **** up

Hades · 19 Oct 2011 at 12:37

On the information given in this thread I'm going to have to side with the AA. You bought breakdown insurance (with some repair costs included) but are expecting it to act like a warranty, which it isn't. Unless of course you have indeed broken down and 'went into the garage' without the car just for advice.

[TW]Fox · 19 Oct 2011 at 12:40

I have the same policy. It is fairly clear from the documentation I have that the policy only pays out for repairs identified after your car breaks down, cannot continue its journey safely and the AA attends.

If you've been able to drive it to your mates garage it seems fairly obvious its outside the scope of the policy. You dont need to call the AA out to a car you've had taken to a garage. They'd probably refuse breakdown assistance under these circumstances as well.

It is NOT a car warranty - it is breakdown repair cover.

I've made one claim in the past - the alternator failed, I called the AA, they said 'its the alternator', towed me to my choice of repairer, who replaced the alternator and the AA paid the bill.

I know its harsh but you should have read the details of what you had purchased before trying to use it.

bsoltan · 19 Oct 2011 at 12:41

Is it breakdown repair? If so you call them out because your car has broken down and you don't know how/can't fix it. Not because it is a bit knackered and you want them to pay for it.

ToejaM · 19 Oct 2011 at 12:46

I didnt actually know this was a clause, I think I have it on my car so I shall be watching my words carefully!

"Da car done broked down Meester AA man"

Did you tell a garage?

"A what now?"

What a bunch of pirates.

[TFU] Thegoon84 · 19 Oct 2011 at 12:47

I drove my car home after i saw it leaking water and over heating, i just happen to be passing the garage a mate works at. I didn’t call the AA because the was still working and I wasn’t far from home + needed to get to work ontime.

The line: 12. any defects referred to a garage prior to AA attendance under Your AA Membership;
............. got me confused, I didn’t officially book it in nore was it a documented visit. The car is un safe to drive hence me ringing up. Sadly I agree with what your saying, however I wasn’t sure if the policy would have covered the car initially hence me asking my mate and then mentioned the head gasket.

Bottom line is had I not mentioned the garage the AA would have paid out for it to be fixed! I failed… and now I’m down at least £470 after taking out the policy to cover me for these situations due to me having a young family and a £750/month crèche bill!

Devastated… + I bought a new keyboard this morning DAM, stopping that transaction!

lookitsjonno · 19 Oct 2011 at 12:48

moon man said:
I did the same with warranty direct ,told them my car had just failed an mot on the console bushes ,they told me that as the item caused the failure i was not covered but that the item WAS covered under warranty

i'm with warranty direct and my MOT is next week. Does this mean that items that cause mot failiure yet are covered are not covered? Confused.

[TW]Fox · 19 Oct 2011 at 12:48

ToejaMz0r said:
What a bunch of pirates.

Not at all. It's a £50 addon to a breakdown service - thats all it costs - 50 quid a year. A proper car warranty is often hundreds of pounds per year. It's an emergency-use policy and nothing more. It isn't a car warranty. It's an insurance policy that pays out if your car breaks, you call the AA and they cant fix it and need to send it to a garage. It's not for anything else and this doesnt make The AA a bunch of pirates?

[TW]Fox · 19 Oct 2011 at 12:50

Thegoon84 said:
I didn’t call the AA because the was still working

Which means it isn't covered by the Breakdown Repair Cover. It specifically states it only kicks in if the car is prevented from continuing its journey. You've admitted to us your car wasn't!

Bottom line is had I not mentioned the garage the AA would have paid out for it to be fixed!

Only because they wouldnt have known that you were able to happily drive it home! However you spin this its a non-covered failure, the fact you nearly got away with getting it fixed under the policy is nothing more than bad luck given you were never entitled to claim for it in the first place?

Bottom line is had I not mentioned the garage the AA would have paid out for it to be fixed! I failed… and now I’m down at least £470 after taking out the policy to cover me for these situations due to me having a young family and a £750/month crèche bill!

It sounds like you purchased the wrong product for your needs. You needed a car warranty and you purchased breakdown repair cover instead. This is why Breakdown Repair Cover is only about 50 quid yet a proper car warranty - which WOULD cover your car in these circumstances - is £300-£1200 depending on the car!

It sucks and it's unfortunate your car has broken, nobody wants a big bill, but its unfair of you to blame anyone but yourself for this? I dont get how the AA have 'shafted' you?