Tam & Toby ~~Hunting Zorba

Northernraider said:
I know I must sound like a moaning git but honestly the service AA has provided is shit.

So because I have the dental appointment I phoned AA again for an update because it would be too sensible and considerate for them to actually phone me with an update

So the only number I have is emergency breakdown ...you get 3 minutes of covid advice etc before getting any automated options ....you then get 2 choices
Have you been In an accident or in a dangerous location press 1
Anything else press 2

So 2 is the only choice

Then more automated speech lasts 1 minute 10 seconds
2 choices again
Are you an existing member press 1
Are you looking to join us press 2

So I press one

You then get information about standing on other side of barrier and respecting social distance etc

Then a speech about the quickest way to get help is through their app ...press one to receive a text message
If you prefer to speak to a person press 2

So I press 2

We are experiencing high call volumes your patience is appreciated etc etc etc

Another 3 minutes before someone answers

I then go through the name registration number rigmarole again ....

Then I get the same crap it's on a lorry

So I ask for update ...he says I'll put you on hold and phone driver ...

Phone cuts me off


I then go through all the above again

Finally get through and told it's now in Annandale services waiting on yet another truck

No idea when it's arriving


I'm off to dentist and I'm bloody raging
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Always press the option for new business or you want to buy,,never a delay and then explain your frustration that you have been trying for hours,,,it usually gets you put straight through to the correct person.. BUSBY.
 
Latest update

I went to dentist at 15.30 by 15.45 my excellent dentist had removed the loose crown ,recenter it and refitted it all hassle free ...I was back at mums by 4pm

That's what I call good service ....and not even a charge for it despite the crown originally being fitted 14 years ago.


So back to the van

I've just had a call from cannon truck services ....they are leaving carluke now to collect my van that's apparently just arrived at Annandale services.
So now expected around 8pm
The AA told me at 14.30 it was already at Annandale services ....they just talk bullcrap constantly it seems

Anyway when it finally gets there I will meet it there and stay in van overnight so I'm there for garage opening in the morning
 
You would have been better off taking it to a garage down where it broke down, you would most likely be on your way now.:(
 
My heart bleeds when I read the horror story that has become unfolded on here.

I know there will a few on here that the following is Hard wired into their brains but, for those non Bobbies, (ex and current) here is something to remember.
The word is "Contemporaneous." I'd never heard it either until I joined 'The Job'. For those who don't know, it means, in this case "existing at or occurring in the same period of time."
In the Police it explains notes and evidence of an incident or occurrence.
Notes made, "At the time" carry a lot of weight when it comes to complaints, legal proceedings and the like.

If you find that you have an incident that with ease could turn into a nightmare, (just like this), record your timing of phone calls AND (very Important,) make sure the person at the other end knows that YOU KNOW their name.

People who know that they are traceable and contactable when the manure hits the fan are less likely to BS you. You may find that you receive better service.
 
We had this palaver about 2 years ago :(

Took about 4 days (from memory) to get the van from Devon to North Wales. With us in it.

Broken promise after broken promise. On one truck to next services, unload and wait.

Hope it arrives this time and all is well (y)
 
Emmit said:
My heart bleeds when I read the horror story that has become unfolded on here.

I know there will a few on here that the following is Hard wired into their brains but, for those non Bobbies, (ex and current) here is something to remember.
The word is "Contemporaneous." I'd never heard it either until I joined 'The Job'. For those who don't know, it means, in this case "existing at or occurring in the same period of time."
In the Police it explains notes and evidence of an incident or occurrence.
Notes made, "At the time" carry a lot of weight when it comes to complaints, legal proceedings and the like.

If you find that you have an incident that with ease could turn into a nightmare, (just like this), record your timing of phone calls AND (very Important,) make sure the person at the other end knows that YOU KNOW their name.

People who know that they are traceable and contactable when the manure hits the fan are less likely to BS you. You may find that you receive better service.
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Yes great advice and all true but hindsight is great ...I never expected any of this grief
 
chaser said:
You would have been better off taking it to a garage down where it broke down, you would most likely be on your way now.:(
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Possibly but not knowing the area , not knowing what's wrong with it , recieving two very different assessment from the AA guys , having 2 dogs with me etc etc doesn't make that decision easy .the AA won't recover twice for the same breakdown so had I taken to a local garage and they had said unable to look at it for several days etc I'd have been obligated ...if it turns out to be something simple then yes that would have been the best option ....BUT if it turns out to be a head off engine valves replaced etc etc that could be in garage for days or weeks then it's best it's a garage I know and I've somewhere to stay with the dogs etc

There's just no knowing till it gets here

Till then any speculation about level of damage is pointless as it's hard to diagnose without seeing it ....
 
Northernraider said:
Yes great advice and all true but hindsight is great ...I never expected any of this grief
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Hi and sorry that for you it was" Hindsight".

I had a much less harrowing event (The breakdown truck used the 'Wrong' towball) which eventually caused the handbrake of our caravan to become engaged whilst it was being towed. It burned the brakes out to destruction.

However I could recall and demonstrate that I knew that the wrong towball had been fitted.

I didn't pay for the repair.

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Langtoftlad said:
Take a torch to check for obvious signs of damage - be a miracle if Toby made all those transfers on & off low loaders without a scratch...
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Yeah I'll be giving it a good check over ....as best I can but if I've to sign anything which is doubtful with the covid stuff I'll be signing it as " dark unchecked"

I'm not replacing the fuel in the hire car at the minute either because when I complain about this I'll be putting that point In that the hire car was the patrol man's suggestion and not my request
 
Emmit said:
Hi and sorry that for you it was" Hindsight".

Hopefully it will be read by others BEFORE it becomes that.
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Yes I hope so too hence me posting the issues on here ..

It's best to be forewarned and all that ....

I still plan to lodge a complaint with safeguard too with respect to the leaving the vehicle with keys etc ...I can't believe they know of and approve of that practice

Everything I own is in that van
 
It would have been less hassle all round if one truck had gone all the way, yes I know the drivers have to respect driving hours and they have their regions, but the number of drivers who have spent time loading, unloading, waiting in service stations etc is ridiculous, all that would have been needed to cover would have been a little massaging of territory boundaries.
 
AA is dreadful
we reluctantly let our ADAC lapse because of the dreadful service we had trying to get our van home- AA being their UK partner
 
Tam,I feel your pain! What a dreadful start and rather soul destroying I guess.
However, I think the worst is now over,the damage may not be too bad,and as others have said it’s better that you are here than over there. And you got to see your own dentist.........you can’t put a price on that!
I guess you need to have your blood pressure checked now...... maybe joking,but never a bad idea actually.
In my opinion,which may be worth bugger all,but you’re getting it whether you want it or not........Once Toby is mended,take a couple of “days off” before you set off again,it will be a chance to reflect and a chance to relax body and soul before the challenge of the journey. Good luck.
 
Emmit said:
My heart bleeds when I read the horror story that has become unfolded on here.

I know there will a few on here that the following is Hard wired into their brains but, for those non Bobbies, (ex and current) here is something to remember.
The word is "Contemporaneous." I'd never heard it either until I joined 'The Job'. For those who don't know, it means, in this case "existing at or occurring in the same period of time."
In the Police it explains notes and evidence of an incident or occurrence.
Notes made, "At the time" carry a lot of weight when it comes to complaints, legal proceedings and the like.

If you find that you have an incident that with ease could turn into a nightmare, (just like this), record your timing of phone calls AND (very Important,) make sure the person at the other end knows that YOU KNOW their name.

People who know that they are traceable and contactable when the manure hits the fan are less likely to BS you. You may find that you receive better service.
Click to expand...
Think horror is a bit of an extreme comment..No one has been injured,,a motorhome has just taken a couple of days to be transported from the south coast of England to Glasgow,,bit later than promised but that's the problem with AA Relay,,it involves numerous driver's and vehicles and of course during this time period some
of these recovery vehicles would have been recovering other motorists..Tams vehicle unfortunately would have been one of many in their system...My grumble would have been the lack of communication but that happens in most industries today..Sounds as if the van wi be arriving this evening which when you think it only broke down on Saturday and today is Monday isn't that traumatic..Let's just hope Tams garage can sort it out quickly and get him on the road again..BUSBY.
 
Hi Tam. Saw your exciting trip, also that you were going to my favourite country, Greece, also that I would be able to track you on Polar so whipped over to Polar signed up put my trip on there, came back to your post. Could not believe what I was reading. What a bummer. Gutted for you. Still looking forward to your posts and pictures when you finally get rolling. Good luck for the rest of your trip. Sending you some crossed fingers and shamrock to help.🤞🤞🤞🤞☘☘☘☘☘
 
Onemanandhisdog said:
It would have been less hassle all round if one truck had gone all the way, yes I know the drivers have to respect driving hours and they have their regions, but the number of drivers who have spent time loading, unloading, waiting in service stations etc is ridiculous, all that would have been needed to cover would have been a little massaging of territory boundaries.
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That's why it's called Relay😁
 
Northernraider said:
Yes great advice and all true but hindsight is great ...I never expected any of this grief
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The thing is this thread could quite easily be construed as contemporaneous notes which were made "as soon as was practicable" after the event. They are time stamped.
 
busby said:
Think horror is a bit of an extreme comment..No one has been injured,,a motorhome has just taken a couple of days to be transported from the south coast of England to Glasgow,,bit later than promised but that's the problem with AA Relay,,it involves numerous driver's and vehicles and of course during this time period some
of these recovery vehicles would have been recovering other motorists..Tams vehicle unfortunately would have been one of many in their system...My grumble would have been the lack of communication but that happens in most industries today..Sounds as if the van wi be arriving this evening which when you think it only broke down on Saturday and today is Monday isn't that traumatic..Let's just hope Tams garage can sort it out quickly and get him on the road again..BUSBY.
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We will have to disagree.
 
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Onemanandhisdog said:
It would have been less hassle all round if one truck had gone all the way, yes I know the drivers have to respect driving hours and they have their regions, but the number of drivers who have spent time loading, unloading, waiting in service stations etc is ridiculous, all that would have been needed to cover would have been a little massaging of territory boundaries.
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I agree ...I mean it is a long way but even with stops one truck could have delivered it by yesterday morning ...it's now been 57 hours since I broke down.
Langtoftlad said:
This thread is pretty "contemporaneous"... if you need it
Posts all neatly timestamped.
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Yes I was saying that to mum earlier as I had posted all the events on here so I will use the thread to jog my memory when contacting them later.
busby said:
Think horror is a bit of an extreme comment..No one has been injured,,a motorhome has just taken a couple of days to be transported from the south coast of England to Glasgow,,bit later than promised but that's the problem with AA Relay,,it involves numerous driver's and vehicles and of course during this time period some
of these recovery vehicles would have been recovering other motorists..Tams vehicle unfortunately would have been one of many in their system...My grumble would have been the lack of communication but that happens in most industries today..Sounds as if the van wi be arriving this evening which when you think it only broke down on Saturday and today is Monday isn't that traumatic..Let's just hope Tams garage can sort it out quickly and get him on the road again..BUSBY.
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It better not be going to Glasgow as that's the other side of the country.
suavecarve said:
The thing is this thread could quite easily be construed as contemporaneous notes which were made "as soon as was practicable" after the event. They are time stamped.
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Yep I said that to mum earlier after reading Emmit post
 
Northernraider said:
Oi ...it's never broken down before.

It's 16 years old with 109000 miles it needs maintenance the same as any other van
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Yes mine is 16 years old as well which is what worries me...still haven’t sorted out the starting problem...I now have to keep the key turned whilst pressing the accelerator until it starts...it’s disconcerting as you think will it start this time....went onto fiatcamper website and put in Italy which came up with two ORAF fiat garages....Near Pisa...trawled around trying to find them and they weren’t interested ....sent me on a wild goose chase to other garages...Which I couldn’t find ☹....and now the sensors on both my fresh water take don’t seem to work....fresh water says 50% even when it is full and grey water says 100% with a ? ....even when it’s empty...makes me think about going back to a tent...so in a lot of ways you were lucky it happened in UK....maybe lucky is not the word.
 
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Northernraider said:
I agree ...I mean it is a long way but even with stops one truck could have delivered it by yesterday morning ...it's now been 57 hours since I broke down.

Yes I was saying that to mum earlier as I had posted all the events on here so I will use the thread to jog my memory when contacting them later.

It better not be going to Glasgow as that's the other side of the country.

Yep I said that to mum earlier after reading Emmit post
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Yes but not at the complainants end.
Obtaining those notes could be problematical..

I would also point out that my comments apply to all circumstances where one is dealing with 'Big Business' not just breakdown Co.s

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Hymerbell said:
Yes mine is 16 years old as well which is what worries me...still haven’t sorted out the starting problem...I now have to keep the key turned whilst pressing the accelerator until it starts...it’s disconcerting as you think will it start this time....went onto fiatcamper website and put in Italy which came up with two ORAF fiat garages....Near Pisa...trawled around trying to find them and they weren’t interested ....sent me on a wild goose chase to other garages...Which I couldn’t find ☹....and now the sensors on both my fresh water take don’t seem to work....fresh water says 50% even when it is full and grey water says 100% with a ? ....even when it’s empty...makes me think about going back to a tent...
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If any consolation it doesn't matter how old it is you get problems with all ages just look at issues others on the forum have had wit much newer and more expensive vehicles ....I think I'd still rather have an older lol less complex vehicle than a new one with more to go wrong ....under the glitz and glam they are all products of human creation and therefore all capable of failing.
 
Northernraider said:
If any consolation it doesn't matter how old it is you get problems with all ages just look at issues others on the forum have had wit much newer and more expensive vehicles ....I think I'd still rather have an older lol less complex vehicle than a new one with more to go wrong ....under the glitz and glam they are all products of human creation and therefore all capable of failing.
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That is very true but I don’t like them failing
 
Northernraider said:
I agree ...I mean it is a long way but even with stops one truck could have delivered it by yesterday morning ...it's now been 57 hours since I broke down.

Yes I was saying that to mum earlier as I had posted all the events on here so I will use the thread to jog my memory when contacting them later.

It better not be going to Glasgow as that's the other side of the country.

Yep I said that to mum earlier after reading Emmit post
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AA recovery doesn't work like that,,Its all organised around transporting broken down vehicles in all directions..Friend of mine broke down in London,,changeover next was in Norwich where the London recovery vehicle picked a car up back for London and the Norwich vehicle transported my friend back to Nottm..They go all over the place with RELAY.Its further from Norwich to Nottm time wise than it is from London to Nottm,,but that's the AA method.BUSBY.
 
busby said:
AA recovery doesn't work like that,,Its all organised around transporting broken down vehicles in all directions..Friend of mine broke down in London,,changeover next was in Norwich where the London recovery vehicle picked a car up back for London and the Norwich vehicle transported my friend back to Nottm..They go all over the place with RELAY.Its further from Norwich to Nottm time wise than it is from London to Nottm,,but that's the AA method.BUSBY.
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Yep I understand how they do it but why lie to customer?
From the off the first patrol turned up on time ...but the second I was given 4 different times ...then he took a stupid route and got us stuck in traffic jam for 4 hours on a road that had been closed since 9am that morning then I was told the other truck was waiting to meet us ...it wasn't ...I then had to leave the van with keys unattended in a service station . The poor guy at the car hire place had to wait 6 hours for me ...they were closed from 6pm
Then I was told it would arrive 6.30pm last night , then this morning , then 1pm , etc etc etc

I've worked in transport ....my last full time job was despatch manager for a busy warehouse ...I'd have been sacked for that nonsense.

Even doing the takeaway deliveries ....bullshitting customers just created frustration and complaints ...people have lived that are affected by incompetence

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