AA Rip-Off

[hyperD]

and the moral of the story is...?

Andy McNab's Covert Surveillance Tip #42: Always keep the car topped up with fuel - you'll never know when you need to make a sudden long journey.

[EternalOptimist]

We had a lot of fun coding the AA's despatch system.
We had to put in a specific 'BMW emergency fuel call out' category , which has its very own phone number and operator/despatcher.
One of the conditions of that role is that they have to wear very very large chequered trousers, a red nose, size 19 shoes and a lapel flower that squirts water

[Mich the Tester]

80 quid isn't that much of a rip off if it involves a drive out and a drive back outside office hours; AA men are skilled mechanics, not burger flippers; it costs money to pay them, train them and provide them with tools and vehicles and fuel.

[kandr]

So you pay your yearly fee, then when you need to call the AA, they charge you a call out fee?? WTF.

[Mich the Tester]

So you pay your yearly fee, then when you need to call the AA, they charge you a call out fee?? WTF.

If it's your own fault, yes.

[MarillionFan]

At the weekend, took the family to a halloween party in a remote part of the country, I realised I was running low on petrol, but the party was near a town with a petrol station (the only one for miles though).

To my horror the station was closed, and with my beemer reporting that it could only manage another 4-5 miles I was in trouble.

I called the AA which I am not a member and had to join for a year, which I though was OK, might come in useful and I go the most basic which was £69.

By the time the guy got to the end they had added another £80, which applies if you use the AA within the first 3 days!!!

The AA guy was out within the hour, but he also charged me for the 2 gallon of petrol (£14).

Feckers!

YouTube - Nelson

[kandr]

80 quid isn't that much of a rip off if it involves a drive out and a drive back outside office hours; AA men are skilled mechanics, not burger flippers; it costs money to pay them, train them and provide them with tools and vehicles and fuel.

Well they only need to know enough to get the car going, anything complex and it gets sent to the nearest garage. I don't think the AA hire the best mechanics.

[MarillionFan]

So you pay your yearly fee, then when you need to call the AA, they charge you a call out fee?? WTF.

Not normally. But running out of petrol because you're a dumb **** deserves a call out charge.

[CheeseSlice]

I'm in two minds about doing this. On the one hand it might come in useful one day, but on the other why carry something around that may leak or be dangerous when you have a perfectly good place to store fuel already?

I can't be bothered looking it up, but I always thought you could keep one in your car, but only if kept 'empty'. The idea being that you can walk to a petrol station and bring the fuel back in it.

[Mr.Whippy]

So you pay your yearly fee, then when you need to call the AA, they charge you a call out fee?? WTF.

If your car breaks down, no.... if you're a knob and don't fill your car up with enough fuel then yes.... and rightly so.