Another AA thread

[headlight]

My friend was going away Monday morning.
His 2015 Hymer Exis-T parked outside his house wouldn't start.
He rang the AA to be told as the van was outside his house it wasn't an emergency and would take 6-7 hours to get to him.
At 5.30 they rang him to say it would be the following morning.
Following morning AA turned up and couldn't diagnose the problem and said the van would need to go to a Fiat specialist.
The AA guy asked my friend if he knew one in the area so he suggested the Fiat professional garage he used for warranty and servicing work.
A recovery truck turned up early afternoon and took the van away.
Wednesday my friend rang the Fiat professional garage to find out how they were doing.
He was told that they didn't have diagnostics for his van as it was so old, 2015, and their diagnostics only did 2016 and newer so they couldn't touch it.
He then rang the AA who told him that he was only covered to be taken to one garage and that they had taken his van to the garage of his choice so he would have to arrange for the van to be taken somewhere else himself at his expense.
It's now Friday, the AA won't budge, the Fiat professional has said it's nothing to do with them and his insurers have told him that as the AA recovered him to the garage of his choice it's not their problem.
Obviously he assumed that the Fiat professional that had previously done warranty and servicing would be able to diagnose the problem with his7 year old van.

 

[poppycamper]

Not defending anyone here... but no mention if "friend" had Homestart with their AA cover..
If not AA were under no obligation to attend breakdown in first place.

 

[headlight]

Yes he had home start.
The AA's position was that as they had recovered him to a garage of his choice they had fulfilled their obligations.
Even if it did take 24 hours to attend and 36 hours to get the vehicle recovered to the garage.

 

[Grianan]

Yes he had home start.
The AA's position was that as they had recovered him to a garage of his choice they had fulfilled their obligations.
Even if it did take 24 hours to attend and 36 hours to get the vehicle recovered to the garage.

I think the time the AA took was deplorable. I can, however understanding prioritising roadside over homestart - do they state a maximum waiting time?
But the subsequent issue is with Fiat rather than the AA.
You couldn’t expect the AA to cart him from garage to garage until he finds one that can sort the problem out.

 

[chaser]

I think the time the AA took was deplorable. I can, however understanding prioritising roadside over homestart - do they state a maximum waiting time?
But the subsequent issue is with Fiat rather than the AA.
You couldn’t expect the AA to cart him from garage to garage until he finds one that can sort the problem out.

On the contrary, you would think the aa should know whether it can be fixed before leaving it, they might just as well have left it on Tesco carpark for what they have done to get it going.

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[headlight]

Update.
My friend is now home with his motorhome.
The independent mechanic said the problem was with the wiring for the fuel pump.
Below is the "Fiat Professional " garage that said they can't work on vehicles as old as 2015 !

 

[headlight]

 

[headlight]

 

[headlight]

The above are screenshots off their website.

 

[suavecarve]

Looks like I'm on the wrong forum!

I dont think so !

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[suavecarve]

The above are screenshots off their website.

A radical person would wonder what would happen if (after the fiasco) they were inundated with emails, all within the same week, asking for a 2015 Fiat motorhome to have an issue resolved that required diagnostics.

 

[chaser]

View attachment 649362

So in fact it didn't even need plugging in to anything just a standard basic fault, crazy.

 

[headlight]

I think the time the AA took was deplorable. I can, however understanding prioritising roadside over homestart - do they state a maximum waiting time?
But the subsequent issue is with Fiat rather than the AA.
You couldn’t expect the AA to cart him from garage to garage until he finds one that can sort the problem out.

The conclusion must be that if the AA ask you do you know somewhere that can repair your van your answer must be no

 

[Badknee]

The above are screenshots off their website.

Funny how it doesn’t mention
“but only if it was manufactured after 2015”
What a shambles !

 

[Tonks]

On the contrary, you would think the aa should know whether it can be fixed before leaving it, they might just as well have left it on Tesco carpark for what they have done to get it going.

They couldn't diagnose the problem on the driveway, and they asked where the vehicle should be taken, which they were told. So they have fulfilled their obligation. It's not down to the AA to ask a garage on arrival if they can work on a vehicle, and it's not in their T&C to then take it on elsewhere. Their slow recovery of the vehicle is poor service, but otherwise they have done what they were contracted to do. Very frustrating for your friend, but not outside the AAs T&Cs.

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[Grianan]

The conclusion must be that if the AA ask you do you know somewhere that can repair your van your answer must be no

I understand what you’re saying but that garage should have been able to fix the problem, or shouldn’t it? Fiat Unprofessional.

 

[headlight]

Funny how it doesn’t mention
“but only if it was manufactured after 2015”
What a shambles !

I would be very very surprised if the equivalent Ford van/commercial dealer would say they couldn't work on a 2015 transit based vehicle as it was to old.

 

[Riverbankannie]

Update.
My friend is now home with his motorhome.
The independent mechanic said the problem was with the wiring for the fuel pump.
Below is the "Fiat Professional " garage that said they can't work on vehicles as old as 2015 !View attachment 649360

Nanniemate have you come across this shower?

 

[headlight]

I understand what you’re saying but that garage should have been able to fix the problem, or shouldn’t it? Fiat Unprofessional.

Yes it should but if my friend had said he didn't know anywhere (even bearing in mind that 2 years previously this Fiat Professional was able to work on his van) then if the AA had taken his van to them and been told they couldn't work on it then they the AA would have had to take it somewhere else.

 

[poppycamper]

So in fact it didn't even need plugging in to anything just a standard basic fault, crazy.

Reinforces my view that there is now no such thing as main stream mechanic with the cloat to fault find using their own initiative.
They are now "technician's" and if they can't plug it in they can't fix cause they can't tell what is wrong.
God help us when there is no longer "real" mechanics who can fix it..

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[headlight]

Reinforces my view that there is now no such thing as main stream mechanic with the cloat to fault find using their own initiative.
They are now "technician's" and if they can't plug it in they can't fix cause they can't tell what is wrong.
God help us when there is no longer "real" mechanics who can fix it..

They are "fitters" they fit parts not do repairs.

 

[John Barrett]

They are "fitters" they fit parts not do repairs.

I hope this thread doesn't start to involve shoeboxes on the M6...

 

[headlight]

I hope this thread doesn't start to involve shoeboxes on the M6...

Aye, back in my day

 

[Riverbankannie]

I just tried to book a service for my 2015 Ducato on the Fiatprofessional.com website.
I tried nearest locations to both Caerphilly and Newport and Glenside Commercials does not appear at all. I think I will stick to Huttons if I need a Fiat approved place or the independent near Gloucester.

 

[headlight]

That's strange as the say on their website that they are Fiat Professional and also use the Fiat Professional logo ??
They have this sign outside

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[headlight]

I just used Fiat's find a professional and got this

 

[Riverbankannie]

I just used Fiat's find a professional and got this View attachment 649411

I just put Caerphilly not their exact location

 

[headlight]

I just put Caerphilly not their exact location

That's what I put Caerphilly.

 

[Fdhadi]

Maybe they didn’t show on the search because Annie put 2015 Ducato and they have already said they work on 2016 onwards only.
Just a thought.

 

[meanders]

Although it's that old, a call to Fiat camper support may well have yielded fruit. I have twice had Fiat garages say they can't fix something or can't find the fault. Fiat camper soon sorted them both out.

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[chaser]

Although it's that old, a call to Fiat camper support may well have yielded fruit. I have twice had Fiat garages say they can't fix something or can't find the fault. Fiat camper soon sorted them both out.

Actually I have been thinking along those lines, it appears to be a lorry garage ,do they not do vans.