Whilst we were in France last month, an English family arrived at the pitch next to us, in a French hire car...
The family had set off in the 2013 VW Camper with 4 cycles on a tow bar rack & a tent , heading towards the Vendée. Just north of Nantes the stopped for fuel, filled up, van wouldn't start. They had AA European breakdown cover, called them out, a couple of hours later a recovery vehicle turned up, to their surprise there was zero attempt to diagnose the problem, their van was loaded onto the recovery vehicle and taken to the recovery firms yard. By this time it was around 6:00pm and garages had closed, they were left outside the recovery firms premises having grabbed a couple of bags. Another call to the AA and they were sorted out in a hotel in Nantes for the night.
In the morning they were chasing the AA to see what the situation with their van was, the AA didn't know, several calls later, and by now mid afternoon, they were advised by the AA that the recovery firm had dropped their van off at a garage, before the garage opened, but unfortunately because of the bike rack the garage couldn't get their van in the workshop!
Their van was taken to another garage and the AA organised a 2nd night accommodation in Nantes.
The following day, they are waiting for a call from the AA but nothing, so they called the AA and this is where it became apparent that the AA don't proactively manage the repair, they had zero update information, finally a call back from the AA; the second garage had their van, but wouldn't be able to look at it for over a week! The AA offered a hire car which they accepted.
They called into the garage to pick up the tent and other bits of kit, and set up at the pitch. Whilst they had a tent they slept in the van, so had no beds! fortunately Eurocamp were on the site, and they lent them some mattresses, outside table and chairs and a parasol.
In the end it took 10 days for the garage to look at their van and about 10 mins to determine the fault and fix it...a failed fuel pump fuse! something that really should have been fixed at the roadside, but that's not what the European cover guarantee's.
The family have UK AA breakdown cover, and added European cover assuming that it was a similar service i.e. 80% fixed at the roadside, reading the small print of European cover its really not about fixing your problem quickly, the AA don't manage the repair. I suspect there will be instances where a mechanic attends the roadside incident and fixes the problem, however its not what the AA subcontract, they simply arrange recovery, pot luck if you get a mechanic or a recovery person.
Clearly on the positive side the AA did everything that they are obliged to within European cover, arranged recovery, promptly arranged and paid for hotels and hire cars, they are less focused on getting the vehicle fixed, that's disappointing as it beggars belief that there wasn't a garage in Nantes that couldn't have looked at the van in the first 24 hours, this would have save the AA a stack of money and allowed the family to have the holiday they had planned?
I guess the moral of this debacle is to read the small print of any breakdown cover to be clear on what you will and wont get, and don't make assumptions!
The family had set off in the 2013 VW Camper with 4 cycles on a tow bar rack & a tent , heading towards the Vendée. Just north of Nantes the stopped for fuel, filled up, van wouldn't start. They had AA European breakdown cover, called them out, a couple of hours later a recovery vehicle turned up, to their surprise there was zero attempt to diagnose the problem, their van was loaded onto the recovery vehicle and taken to the recovery firms yard. By this time it was around 6:00pm and garages had closed, they were left outside the recovery firms premises having grabbed a couple of bags. Another call to the AA and they were sorted out in a hotel in Nantes for the night.
In the morning they were chasing the AA to see what the situation with their van was, the AA didn't know, several calls later, and by now mid afternoon, they were advised by the AA that the recovery firm had dropped their van off at a garage, before the garage opened, but unfortunately because of the bike rack the garage couldn't get their van in the workshop!
Their van was taken to another garage and the AA organised a 2nd night accommodation in Nantes.
The following day, they are waiting for a call from the AA but nothing, so they called the AA and this is where it became apparent that the AA don't proactively manage the repair, they had zero update information, finally a call back from the AA; the second garage had their van, but wouldn't be able to look at it for over a week! The AA offered a hire car which they accepted.
They called into the garage to pick up the tent and other bits of kit, and set up at the pitch. Whilst they had a tent they slept in the van, so had no beds! fortunately Eurocamp were on the site, and they lent them some mattresses, outside table and chairs and a parasol.
In the end it took 10 days for the garage to look at their van and about 10 mins to determine the fault and fix it...a failed fuel pump fuse! something that really should have been fixed at the roadside, but that's not what the European cover guarantee's.
The family have UK AA breakdown cover, and added European cover assuming that it was a similar service i.e. 80% fixed at the roadside, reading the small print of European cover its really not about fixing your problem quickly, the AA don't manage the repair. I suspect there will be instances where a mechanic attends the roadside incident and fixes the problem, however its not what the AA subcontract, they simply arrange recovery, pot luck if you get a mechanic or a recovery person.
Clearly on the positive side the AA did everything that they are obliged to within European cover, arranged recovery, promptly arranged and paid for hotels and hire cars, they are less focused on getting the vehicle fixed, that's disappointing as it beggars belief that there wasn't a garage in Nantes that couldn't have looked at the van in the first 24 hours, this would have save the AA a stack of money and allowed the family to have the holiday they had planned?
I guess the moral of this debacle is to read the small print of any breakdown cover to be clear on what you will and wont get, and don't make assumptions!
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