AA "SMART"care....

[pp1600]

Anyone with experience of this.... ive just had a BL....Y nightmare...

[MikeyH]

What is it? something for Smart Car members?

[TitanTim]

What is it? something for Smart Car members?

Assume it's this, https://www.theaa.com/car-care/book/membermotservice

Tim.

[pp1600]

What is it? something for Smart Car members?

Assume it's this, https://www.theaa.com/car-care/book/membermotservice

Tim.

Thats the one...

ok. Im away for 5 days and need to put in some long days of hard graft and in the back of my mind the daily long haul run around needs an MOT and the service light is on...Up pops an e-mail from the AA (im a gold member! oh yes ) about smartcare.... have a service(£144) and get your MOT free...pick up car for free and bring back, approved AA garage, no charge taken until approved.Local garage 10mins away looks good and everything ticks the boxes...
Right... book online press book MOT and add the service...happy days.
The confirmation states ive only booked the service! ring the AA ..sorry well sort that..happy days.
Next day chap turns up in a fiat 500 abarth with courtesy car and garage logos etc.. ooh I get a courtesy car Sorry , this is just so i can collect your car and then get back later! nice enough chap but proceeds to open a can of coca cola and puts it in my car and drives off taking the fiat keys... okay, not the end of the world...
Next confirmation the car failed on a track rod end and a bulb (£60+£3) all inclusive! Advisories were front discs and pads and another bulb for the sum of £260 + £0.00 for the bulb!!! I confirm the £69 online to get the MOT and ill do the rest at a considerable saving (£80 tops)
Car comes back today!! Nope. I get another email stating addition work needed for the MOT!!!! the bulb for £0 was considered an MOT failure and I have to pay extra.. WHAT!!
To be continued...

[pp1600]

What is it? something for Smart Car members?

Assume it's this, https://www.theaa.com/car-care/book/membermotservice

Tim.

Thats the one...

ok. Im away for 5 days and need to put in some long days of hard graft and in the back of my mind the daily long haul run around needs an MOT and the service light is on...Up pops an e-mail from the AA (im a gold member! oh yes ) about smartcare.... have a service(£144) and get your MOT free...pick up car for free and bring back, approved AA garage, no charge taken until approved.Local garage 10mins away looks good and everything ticks the boxes...
Right... book online press book MOT and add the service...happy days.
The confirmation states ive only booked the service! ring the AA ..sorry well sort that..happy days.
Next day chap turns up in a fiat 500 abarth with courtesy car and garage logos etc.. ooh I get a courtesy car Sorry , this is just so i can collect your car and then get back later! nice enough chap but proceeds to open a can of coca cola and puts it in my car and drives off taking the fiat keys... okay, not the end of the world...
Next confirmation the car failed on a track rod end and a bulb (£60+£3) all inclusive! Advisories were front discs and pads and another bulb for the sum of £260 + £0.00 for the bulb!!! I confirm the £69 online to get the MOT and ill do the rest at a considerable saving (£80 tops)
Car comes back today!! Nope. I get another email stating addition work needed for the MOT!!!! the bulb for £0 was considered an MOT failure and I have to pay extra.. WHAT!!
To be continued...

Ok.. phone call and the AA say we made a mistake but we cant give you an MOT until you pay extra for the bulb ... I say ive agreed the price and pressed ok for payment . Sorry NO mot...
I say how did this happen!! ooo ill get my manager.. I know now alarm bells are ringing with this whole set up (I received an e-mail from the AA stating the next day my car is due its MOT... and book now!!!) I know the garage must be thinking what im thinking because all the AA correspondence has been with want of a better word "clueless" individuals... Still there
The manager states well take payment and deliver your car back but with no MOT... Or would you like us to take the parts of the car !!!
OK.. whats the bulb price as it was free last time.... Ill receive an e-mail with a quote.... I get two e-mails one for £11.99 and then another for £39.98!!! oh joy of joys.... priceless...
Another phone call...im not happy by this time... I say what do i pay to get the MOT...I have two quotes... Well we cant give you an MOT until you pay... pay what!!! I say jokingly the first quote was a gesture of good will I suppose... Yes,thats correct he says..... But dont worry I will offer the £11.99 price again (£39.98 came 5mins later on the e-mail) ... Thats great but ive already accepted the initial quote and accepted clearence of payment.....sorry, no MOT!!!
I phone the garage ... We are both on the same page and we agree an outcome....
Next i receive an MOT failure and a bill for the service and parts and labour from the AA....
To Be Continued...

[MikeyH]

I think I’ll stick with the nice little honest place I usually use

[TitanTim]

All seems an unnecessary faff to me, I would drop the car off to a reputable indy that will service and MoT and job done.

With my Hyundai Kona, Hyundai are really good. I have the service and MOT done at the same time. Dealer collects the car from home and they email me a service link so I can check the progress of the work and where they upload a video of work in progress. If they find any additional work needed they upload the work required and cost for your approval and you get notified by email and text so you can approve or decline the work or postpone. If you approve the work its done there and then. They then call me, I pay and the car is dropped back with the paperwork and copy of MOT. Can't fault Hyundai to be honest.

With my M140i the BMW dealer is just a few hundred metres from home so again have the service and MOT done together and just drop the car off and collect when done.

Tim.

[pp1600]

Agree with you both.... Im away, otherwise I would of used my local trusted garage for the run-around and I use my trusted indie for the z4.
I should of sorted it sooner... its just the way I was constantly lied to..every conversation was "the quote is right" when a blind man could see it so clearly wasnt and it was bare faced lying!!! Just a grumpy rant but it got to me... Modern life is goodish...

[MikeyH]

You are not alone, we have all used sh***y garages and it’s very difficult to prove any wrong doings. We have to suck it up and move on. You’re lucky you have this forum to vent you anger on.

[TitanTim]

Useful to know about experiences with these things, live and learn and all of that.

Never been a member of the AA althought used them the other week when I thought I had battery issues with the M140 and they were very helpful.

Tim.

[MikeyH]

We are with the AA, not cheap but very good, got my Transit going with a new battery within an hour and the wife's Focus buggered tyre changed and on the way before I could get to her to help My Mother-in-Law recommends Green Flag are as good and a lot cheaper. Who knows.

[TitanTim]

We are with the AA, not cheap but very good, got my Transit going with a new battery within an hour and the wife's Focus buggered tyre changed and on the way before I could get to her to help My Mother-in-Law recommends Green Flag are as good and a lot cheaper. Who knows.

I was with the RAC for years but called them out when the battery on the Z3 gave up and they replaced it but then next years premium virtually doubled so jumped ship to GEM Motoring Assist, never had to call them out yet though.

Tim.

[pp1600]

Been with the AA 15yrs and they've been great thats why I was baffled by this 'Smartcare' episode and a bit stunned... i was talking to complete uninformed staff and then the managers were abusive and blatantly lying when looking at things that were duplicated in black and white... was so out of character...

Done some digging... AA acquired 'Prestige Fleet Services' in 2019 and by all accounts didn't get involved and looks like its had a free rein... The amount of bad feedback accounts for it all... garages and customers all saying the same... I wouldn't normally grumble but it was BAD..

Recovery and the like excellent ....'Smartcare' needs a visit from the top brass...