This is my protracted conversation today. Takes some getting to the facts. AA Call centre 17.02.2014. 11:09:18 : System: Josh has joined this session! 11:09:18 : System: Connected with Josh. Your reference number for this chat session is *******. 11:09:23 : Josh: Hello. This is Josh, How can I help you today? 11:10:46 : Customer: Hi if my bike is involved in a crash will AA bring the bike back to UK if not drivable or I'm injured? 11:12:08 : Josh: Yes, If the vehicle cannot be repaired within time for your planned return home, we will recover the vehicle back to the UK (provided this is no more than the vehicle’s current market value), this will be back to your home address. 11:12:38 : Josh: We also offer a compassionate recovery if you are injured and unable to drive your vehicle back to the UK. 11:13:31 : Customer: Is compassionate recovery an extra? 11:14:48 : Josh: No, it's not an extra we would take into account what has happened and then arrange recovery accordingly. 11:16:48 : Customer: I was told that after an accident the AA won't touch the vehicle for legal reasons and only recover it back to UK if it has broken down ... Is this wrong? 11:19:17 : Josh: If you have a road traffic accident, you must supply your motor vehicle insurance details to us when we ask for this information. You must report the accident to your insurer as instructions for the repair or recovery of the vehicle can only be taken from them. If you do not supply us with the details of valid motor vehicle insurance when we ask you for this information, we reserve the right not to arrange assistance for you 11:22:34 : Customer: If I only have third party insurance the insurers won't pay for recovery, but if they say its okay by them to recover it you will do that... Is that correct? 11:24:14 : Customer: I mean at your cost 11:25:21 : Josh: As with any accident, you would need to contact your insurers first. We would only take recovery instructions from your insurance company, so if your policy does not cover you for vehicle recovery, then I'm afraid we would not recover your vehicle as a result of an accident. 11:27:39 : Customer: so I have purchased recovery from you but after an accident you won't recover the bike unless my insurers pay... is that what you are saying? 11:29:05 : Josh: Yes that's correct. 11:30:17 : Customer: that's not what you had me to believe in answer 11:12:08. 11:32:59 : Josh: Before you purchase the cover you are presented with the full terms and conditions to read and accept. There is a check list at the start that advises you to contact your Motor Insurance before travel, this would give them the opportunity to discuss your third party insurance with you. 11:35:35 : Customer: So we are not in doubt, AA only recovers in the event of a breakdown and will not recover after an accident unless someone pays you. 11:37:58 : Josh: Our cover is for breakdown assistance, it will extend to road traffic accidents provided the vehicles insurer is notified and they give us instructions for the recovery of the vehicle. 11:40:56 : Customer: You are not fully answering my question after an accident do you recover with no extra payment from me or my insurer? 11:42:27 : Josh: If in the event of an accident, your insurance company has approved the recovery of your vehicle, then there would be no charge to recover your vehicle. 11:44:06 : Customer: So answer 11:29:05 was wrong? 11:45:26 : Josh: The information I have provided you with is from our Terms and Conditions. Is there anything else I can help you with today? 11:46:08 : Customer: Yes was 11:29:05 wrong? 11:48:50 : Josh: All the information I have provided you with is from the Terms and Conditions of the policy. I can send you a link to the Terms and Conditions if you would like to read through them? 11:50:49 : Customer: I hoped that was what you could do. and put it into terms simply so I can understand. Can you put me through to your senior Thanks. 11:51:50 : Josh: Sure, please hold. 11:54:19 : System: Sam M has joined this session! 11:54:30 : Customer: Hi 11:54:42 : Sam M: Hello, you are speaking with Samantha, Josh's manager. How may I help? 11:55:52 : Customer: I'm confused, can you read the conversation and tell me what I need to know? 11:56:34 : Sam M: Of course, please hold one moment whilst I read this information. 12:01:23 : Sam M: I have read the transcript above and can confirm the information provided is correct. It may help you to contact your insurer in advance of travelling as it is them who will be able to answer your question about whether we will or will not recover the vehicle after an accident. As Josh explained, we rely on the insurer to approve this, it is unfortunately not something we can guarantee. 12:05:20 : Customer: It's not the insurance company agreeing the recovery I'm worried about. I'm sure they will be happy for you to recover as it will save them paying for it. The question is after an accident will you recover without more charge 12:07:12 : Sam M: I will find out for you now. 12:12:26 : Sam M: We are unable to answer this question as there are many different factors to take into account depending on the scale of the accident. We cannot advise where the cost will be recovered from, as this is something which will be arranged at the time. 12:15:19 : Customer: To put it simply, I ring you 'I have had an accident in Germany can you bring my bike home for me ... My insurer will not pay as im only insured third party and the accident is my fault no one else involved.... will you recover without more charges? surely this must happen all the time? 12:16:37 : Sam M: Are you currently in this situation or is this example theoretical? 12:16:56 : Customer: theoretical 12:20:22 : Sam M: I will see if I can get this information for you, I would need to ask you to hold for a few minutes, is this ok? 12:21:57 : Customer: yes, I'm not being difficult, I'm trying to decide if I need full comp ins or I will go with TP/Ft 12:22:47 : Sam M: ok, please hold. 12:31:42 : Sam M: It the bike has been in an accident, and the damage is cosmetic but the bike is still ridable, we will not recover. If the bike has been in an accident and repairing the damage will cost under £400, we will not recover. If the bike is a write-ff (beyond economic repair) we will not recover. Apart from these specific instances, we will be able to consider repatriation. Providing the bike is not ridable and will be costly to repair (over £400), the European Cover will apply. There will be no cost to yourself. 12:32:20 : Sam M: If the police are involved, we do have to work with the police to make sure they are happy for us to remove the vehicle as in some cases they may wish to use the vehicle as evidence. 12:35:40 : Customer: Thanks, I am not looking for a club to hit you with, I'm just attempting to make a sensible decision, its very expensive to insure my bike f/comp.... Thanks I can make a sensible decision based on the information .... Mike. 12:36:07 : Sam M: Thank you for contacting the AA, goodbye. 12:36:17 : System: Sam M has left this session! 12:36:17 : System: The session has ended! I now understand why people set themselves on Fire... Mike.
Whilst very frustrating for you, that has been the exact question I was wondering. I am fully comp insurance in the UK I am taken out AA breakdown cover, my question was... If I come off on a bend, no one else involved, and my bike is not ridable, would I be able to get my bike / me home under "cover" and not cost extra. From your transcript I would have to check with my insurance, but it looks phesable that, using the above, I call my insurance company, explain facts, call AA. AA collect and reapair / repatriate my bike, and send costs to my insurer.
Ha I have never gone into this as much as you. I have RAC cover and it covers me and not the bike. it will recover the bike and car to the UK in the event of a mechanical problem. I always thought it was my insurance who deals with a accident. IE I crash in Europe then tney recover the bike/car as I have 60/90 day euro cover to use the bike over there.
That was what I suspected to but getting to the bottom of it was hard...... The implication is not so bad for Fully comp riders, but for those of us poor or daft enough to go To the foreign with Third party insurance. This is the AA supposedly a reputable company (and I have no reason to doubt it) what is the situation with cheap insurance add-ons and five quid internet deals. It's the first time I have been able to get to the bottom of it, with just one company. Two of us had a long European journey last year and I changed my insurance on the strength of my uncertainty! I hope this puts a question in a few minds and perhaps saves a lot of heartache. Maybe someone has first hand experience of problems, and could do a what to do piece. I think if you can afford it Comprehensive cover abroad is recommended. Mike. PS. Some insurances I've seen have Comp in the UK but the European extension is Third party... read the fine Print.
Sort of had 3rd hand experience last year....it was messy One of our party bike broke down, he had AA type cover, the bike couldnt be fixed until parts arrived, a couple of days later. So the tit took their offer of a loan bike, caught us up the next day and promptly binned it half way up a mountain pass nr lake como. The AA didn't cover the hire bike, the loan company didn't want to know, he was stuck on the side of a mountain at 4:30pm! We managed to get it going sans front brake and got to our destination at 7pm that evening (our normal arrival time is roughly 4:30-5:30) He had to pay the excess for the damage on the bike, which he didn't have so had to leave his (now fixed) bike as safety, so we had to take him and his luggage home!
This sounds a little manipulative, but the rule seems to be ... ''Can be fixed locally before your return date''.... So if you don't request recovery till you are due to return they won't be able to insist you take it to a Honda dealer locally and get a very expensive repair. Depends on severity Etc, you would have to weigh things up at the time.
So from my reading of the transcript, its quite simple A -B * C+(-) E (F)-(E)/A = Go bin it, ring us and you will find out the hard way Its all in the small print, it's just most of the time it has more holes in it than a string vest. (My Dad used to wear them)
Am I the only one to read "we will be able to consider repatriation" @12:31 as vague and giving them an out?
Just leave the disparaging remarks about my string vest out of this, My favourite Sunday afternoon spent watching the cissyball, String vest, gray Y fronts and fried egg sarnie. I'm a Man Icon. Burrrrp, Phhharp.
