Author Topic: AA Breakdown Cover - worth a haggle  (Read 26064 times)

DAN@ADRIAN FLUX

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Re: AA Breakdown Cover - worth a haggle
« Reply #45 on: October 05, 2017, 12:27:39 PM »

Jocko

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Re: AA Breakdown Cover - worth a haggle
« Reply #46 on: October 05, 2017, 01:14:45 PM »
Hi,
Please feel free to take a look at our breakdown offering if you wish.
https://www.adrianflux.co.uk/breakdown/?utm_source=adwords&utm_campaign=breakdown&utm_medium=ppc&gclid=CKa79ICw2dYCFe2_7QodSl8B2w
Regards,
Dan.
Had a look at your site, but every time I click the "Get A Quote" button, it just times out.

guest5079

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Re: AA Breakdown Cover - worth a haggle
« Reply #47 on: October 12, 2017, 04:30:10 PM »
With reference to my AA quote, I wrote to them explaining that I was not impressed by their quote. I wrote that I wanted a reply by 10th October or I would cancel.
Two days later got a reply stating it would take up to eight weeks to reply.
So on the 10th having had no sensible reply, I  Emailed the AA to cancel.
Today, an Email addressed with my name mis spelt and telling me to RING them and perhaps might be able to sort a decent price.
Reply was a bit rude, I merely pointed out that I had told them I cannot use a telephone and a few other little home truths. After all why didn't they respond to my original letter and nothing ticks a person off more when they can't even get that persons name right.
Yesterday had a hearing test and told I was virtually without  reasonable hearing. One ear basically defunct and the other not good. The Audiologist was not surprised I have a problem with the phone, I explained that it is a phobia caused by depression and she was of the opinion even without the phobia I was on a hiding to nothing. WHY can't organisation's realise that not everybody can use a phone. After all most business is done by the internet but no they have a hissy fit if they can't get a phone number to sell.

culzean

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Re: AA Breakdown Cover - worth a haggle
« Reply #48 on: October 12, 2017, 04:56:47 PM »
Just having a bit of a spat with Virgin Media,  we keep getting phone calls from their overseas call centres (by the accents we hear) - these can be any time of day or evening, normally phone rings and you answer there is a delay of anything from 5 to 20 seconds before anyone answers (a sure sign that there is auto-dialing from a call centre going on).  Most of the time no-one in the house can understand what they are trying to say, assume they are trying to sell you extra bells and whistles for your package that will bump up your monthly bill, very often they won't speak to anyone but me (the account holder), even to explain what it is they want.  I eventually wrote to the Virgin complaints department in Bristol explaining that I was not at all amused by their frequent phone calls and would they please stop doing it,  and gave them the option of contacting me by email instead.

Well their reply creased me,  they said they had noted my complaint and someone would contact me within 10 days to discuss things (don't know what needed discussing,  my original letter was specific enough) - but (wait for it) someone would be contacting me by PHONE - I don't think my complaint registered with them at all.

If you look on the Virgin users forum there are lots of people complaining about the rubbish phone calls they keep getting at all times of day and evening.
Some people will only consider you an expert if they agree with your point of view or advice,  when you give them advice they don't like they consider you an idiot

guest5079

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Re: AA Breakdown Cover - worth a haggle
« Reply #49 on: October 13, 2017, 09:29:21 AM »
The problem appears to be that everybody is conditioned to the phone being a MUST HAVE. No matter how many times I tell companies I cannot use a phone please use Email, without exception comes back the reply, If you ring this number we can sort something out.
Yes Culzean I can understand your frustration, it's almost as if they cannot read.
I know I am  an old duffer but I can remember when to have a phone in the home was almost a luxury.
Now, life cannot exist without a mobile. This am on TV and if you are squeamish don't read on was an item about poverty and how young girls can no longer afford sanitary protection. I walked away in disgust as they still had their mobiles. Come on what the h*ll has happened to modern day people?
I am afraid getting militant about my problem, given that if one goes for this or that offer it has to be done on line and yet we must use the phone if there is anything that needs a bit different approach.
Keep at it with Virgin, eventually these firms MIGHT get the message but I am not holding my breath.

culzean

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Re: AA Breakdown Cover - worth a haggle
« Reply #50 on: October 13, 2017, 09:53:52 AM »
Now, life cannot exist without a mobile. This am on TV and if you are squeamish don't read on was an item about poverty and how young girls can no longer afford sanitary protection. I walked away in disgust as they still had their mobiles. Come on what the h*ll has happened to modern day people?

I agree, me and my brother were discussing the modern take on what 'poverty' is.  It used to be when you were starving and did not have a roof over your head, these days it seems people are considered to be in poverty when they don't have a 60" HD tv, don't have the latest iPhone and their / single mom / single dad drives a Vauxhall or Ford because they can't afford a BMW.   Kids today with laptops and tablets and mobiles are carrying around more money than my dad earned in a year,  but we always had a comfortable home and were well fed.  Peoples priorities have changed sadly and we have a society dependent on government handouts, and the regulars are very adept at squeezing the last drop of benefit out of the system. where people like my brother who was unemployed for a while could not get a single penny in benefits (despite being a taxpayer for 48 years) because he had 'assets' (the home he had worked hard for).

Also (and I believe New Labour under Tony B Liar started this) to grab peoples attention they always talked about 'child poverty',  we are going to eliminate 'child poverty' - I find it hard to believe a child would be in poverty if its parents weren't - but 'child poverty' is much more emotive than 'family poverty' or 'adult poverty'.
Some people will only consider you an expert if they agree with your point of view or advice,  when you give them advice they don't like they consider you an idiot

guest4871

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Re: AA Breakdown Cover - worth a haggle
« Reply #51 on: October 13, 2017, 11:04:03 AM »
I suspect both auntyneddy and culzean are suffering from the present day use of Artificial Intelligence in Customer Service management.

guest5079

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Re: AA Breakdown Cover - worth a haggle
« Reply #52 on: October 14, 2017, 11:55:29 AM »
We are certainly suffering from something. Culzean's point re his Brother is indicative of the so called thinking people that govern us. Having worked as long as he has there should be no question of him receiving benefits. After all what did he pay a N/I contribution and Income Tax for? Bl**dy morons keep on about building more social housing and yet here is an example of a person trying to keep his end up. Not running to the Social cos Jimmy wants the new I phone. It is no wonder we have three generations never working  receiving benefit.  Sorry Jazzers, after a particular brutal murder, we had to do house to house enquiries on a particularly 'difficult' council estate ( thats what what they were called then). We had to avoid the R/R's and other such common cars parked O/S. Locally we have had social housing foisted on us. The houses have heat recovery units etc etc, their cars are newer than ours and they can't even cut their grass, I have to subscribe to the Parish precept for them to be cut. Steam!!!!!!!!!!!
When I lost my job as a plod, I was so out of it on anti depressants my Wife had to cope with being evicted, yes I was a village bobby. When we asked the local authority for help which we were promised when I became a village bobby, we were told to 'go away'. ALL council property was being prioritised for 16 yr old girls getting them selves pregnant and had to be housed. I was classified by DWP as unemployable. My meagre police pension as I had only done 17yrs  had to be used to buy somewhere to live with the help of family. So we had it hard for a few years because the property we had to buy needed a lot done. So back to Culzean's Brother, a man who has tried and this is how he is treated and here I am on very dangerous ground, a person can walk into the UK and DEMAND help. Yes I have seen plenty of that as well.
As for AI, going back into a section raised on keyless entry. Is this not indicative of these so called experts thinking? I never cease to be amazed that we prosecute a person for hacking, not done any damage but just stepped outside what the government call the law. Why not employ the so called offender, we might just stay one step ahead or even keep pace with the villians. So once again yours truly has lost the plot, but it is all relative to the problems around us. What has happened to that dirty word service and as for common sense, that's like the Tudors long gone. AI yes when all else has been sorted out BUT a computer is only as good as the person that programmed it so in actual fact we are b**gered. Last one I promise, Met office at Exeter, about 40 miles away, do they get the weather forecast right do they heck. All we get is according to the computer model!!!! Kick the model out and employ a bit of seaweed, it can't be any worse. Sorry but as a nut case I am allowed  to go off on one.

Jocko

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Re: AA Breakdown Cover - worth a haggle
« Reply #53 on: October 14, 2017, 02:14:40 PM »
Last bit reminds me of an old joke. "Here is the weather forecast. I have just been up on the Air Ministry roof and it is pi**ing down".

sparky Paul

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Re: AA Breakdown Cover - worth a haggle
« Reply #54 on: October 14, 2017, 04:57:56 PM »
I must admit, I will go to all lengths possible in order to avoid talking to anything that resembles a call centre.

I'm sure some of them are very nice people, but it makes me doubly mad when I know exactly what I'm talking about, and they're reading the prompts off a computer screen.

guest5079

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Re: AA Breakdown Cover - worth a haggle
« Reply #55 on: October 19, 2017, 09:37:46 AM »
I do have great difficulty with the general consensus that when I say I can't use a telephone. it is shrugged off as if I am a Martian. Because youngsters have plastic glued to the ears or in can't seen anything cos my phone is in front of me, they have NO concept of disability.
I cancelled the AA because they ppfaffed about. What did I get, If you RING us we might be able to work something out. I approached the RAC and they did come back with a decent quote. However they stated they needed to do it over the phone due to certain information required. A reference number was given and so I asked  my Wife if she would deal. What happened. The 0800 number would not work, She then got hold of a person who refused to take the reference number given, disputed the quote, refused to accept my credit card because she was giving the details and lastly because the original Email stated they needed a blue badge number, when she said we each have one, he told her, I can't deal with this. Best of all, he claimed the writer of the Email was unknown to him. Result. one upset Wife, one pi**ed off deaf old fart ( it's more complicated than that) and who now has to start again. I am so ticked I am taking advice about the Disability Discrimination Act and the Human Rights Act.   Emails are a fact of life and my way of communicating with the outside world. My parameters are pretty restricted without ar*oles who seem to delight in putting people down. SORRY letting off steam

guest1372

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Re: AA Breakdown Cover - worth a haggle
« Reply #56 on: October 19, 2017, 05:47:12 PM »
Sounds like you need an assistant or proxy of some sort. 

I often deal with call centres for my aged mother "Hello, I'm speaking on behalf of / as power of attorney for".  At the office I've had to impersonate the MD for a colleague - "Sorry we can only accept cancellation from the named contact"  Fake MD: "Why am I having to deal with this? I told you to sort it out" before transferring it back to colleague.
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TG

guest5079

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Re: AA Breakdown Cover - worth a haggle
« Reply #57 on: October 20, 2017, 09:20:56 AM »
I do appreciate your points TG but the RAC was a classic example of what we experience. I was asked to get my Wife to do the contact, had everything ready and the plonker at the other end would not just pull up the reference number given. Had he done so all would have been in front of him.
I am getting to the stage of pig headedness over this matter as I fail to see why if they can offer deals on line only why they can't deal with ME online only.
On an online comparison site for car breakdown one stated Discount only given online save X% by not using the phone.
I had a query with GEM, Emailed them answer today.
I had a query with a Rose ( plant) grower informed the supplier of my problem and the Roses!!! Two Emails to clarify points and a comprehensive reply this morning. No fuss about the phone.

guest5079

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Re: AA Breakdown Cover - worth a haggle
« Reply #58 on: October 21, 2017, 01:03:59 PM »
This really is getting to Whitehall farce area.
Today 21/10  two Emails from AA one explaining about their costs of vans and training etc and how much this and that cost. My complaint was upheld!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Typical PR clap trap.  What that meant I know not.
2nd one apologising as it had only just been brought to writers attention that I couldn't use a phone and someone will contact me ONLINE.   Every communication with such as the AA, BT etc has in it I cannot use a telephone, please use my internet address.
Yesterday my copy of Computer Active arrived with my query answered. BT had renewed my Broadband without notifying me. A Big NO NO, trouble is I contacted BT 18/10 and the only answer was an incident number.
In the magazine was a quote that I believe  a member brought up and it is 'Average Revenue Per User'. Those that don't argue just pay what is demanded, those that argue and usually get a concession and those that only take up a new customer offer.
At the moment I cannot establish if the same rules apply to services like the AA BUT Internet Providers must inform you before the contract ends and they MUST NOT JUST renew at a higher rate unless you agree.  This came from the mag. Unfortunately Off Com doesn't cover the car breakdown insurance.

guest1372

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Re: AA Breakdown Cover - worth a haggle
« Reply #59 on: October 21, 2017, 05:10:11 PM »
Two AA call centres came under my remit many years ago and one task was to ensure they could handle the national Textphone and Text Relay calls that might come from deaf customers.  This is something you could explore; the system has evolved over the years and now it's known as Next Generation Text and will handle any combination of speech/mute & hearing/deafness but is no longer reliant on a special typing phone in the customers hands.  Their 'type & read' relay service might be what you are looking for.


If you'd prefer not to have a live interaction but are happy to let someone else be your proxy then the Age UK visiting service might be a better option.
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TG

https://ngts.org.uk/
https://www.hearinglink.org/living/loops-equipment/telephones/next-generation-text-service-ngts/

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