One customer had a great amount of trouble with AA Accident Assist. They were frustrated about how the company charged and stored the car after an accident. The customer was consequently left with a total bill from the service of almost £1,000, which they say is unreasonable and marked-up.
Things started to snowball when the customer’s vehicle was placed into storage after the accident. At first Accident Assist charged £254.50 to move the car to a garage, calling it a storage fee. Secondly, they charged the customer £76 for keeping the car over the weekend. It’s these last charges that have raised eyebrows, and for good reason.
Accident Assist has now consented to refund the incorrect storage charge and the £150 administrative Charge. However, even with this concession, the customer’s experience illustrates some frustrating complexities in the process. Soon, the vehicle’s repair costs skyrocketed up to £1,200! Accident Assist charged clients just a little less than that whopping amount for their services.
The chronology of events is further complicating the matter. Or that the seriously damaged car didn’t arrive at the specified garage until four days after the crash happened. A number of things contributed to the long delay. The biggest problem was that the insurer didn’t start communicating until the vehicle was at a repair location. This meant that no courtesy car could be issued until we notified the insurance company.
After the car was kept over the weekend, racking up charges that most people find shocking. Storage costs for vehicles typically run £20 – £45 per week. Accident Assist, by contrast, is taking a lot more. The inflated charges have drawn criticism, particularly since it took up to four days just to assess the vehicle’s damage.
Accident Assist told the customer that as much time as needed would be honorably provided for the cancellation. They stated that to withdraw from the claim would incur cancellation fees of £991.71, encompassing the disputed storage fees.
“When the customer chose to withdraw from making a claim, we instigated the cancellation process, which the customer was advised of on the initial call.” – AA Accident Assist