Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Automobile Club of Southern California's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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  Automobile Club of Southern California

  PO Box 25001 Santa Ana, CA 92799-5001

• 

  Automobile Club of Southern California

  499 N El Camino Real Encinitas, CA 92024

• 

  Automobile Club of Southern California

  137 S Las Posas Blvd #154 San Marcos, CA 92078

• 

  Automobile Club of Southern California

  2987 Jamacha Rd #A El Cajon, CA 92019

• 

  Automobile Club of Southern California

  PO Box 25430 Santa Ana, CA 92799

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/20/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Companys client rear ended my car And damages are not fixed , they sent me to a place and told the place it was a bumper cover on** that was damaged Company called crash colission did not know and or if the aaa adjuster knew which she should have and many text were sent that this needed a full inspection not just a picture damages to electrical frame trunk area muffler is loose now noises coming from back and transmission is now slipping due to being pushed and hit while brakes were on applied at stop light ..adjuster seems like a rookie and is responsible for the damage to my car 2013 equess Dealer could not do an estamate on ** partial and does not have time others are to able to touch it cause its a salvage ****** but was working fine before the crash , adjuster Sent me into a fraudulent premeditated stipulation and is responsible for damage that needs a full estamate from bodywork , electrical to mechanical

  Business Response

  Date: 10/02/2023

  We had the opportunity to review your claim file. The repair facility completed a preliminary estimate based on the damages they could see at the time of inspection. Once your vehicle is in the repair facility for repairs any additional damage found that is related to the accident of August 28, 2023,will be submitted under the claim as a supplement. I understand your concern regarding the transmission of your vehicle slipping. Based on the damages and the facts of loss, we are unable to relate the transmission to the rear end collision of August 28, 2023. Claims Service Representative, *****************************,informed you and your attorney that should you decide to take your vehicle to a dealer for a diagnosis and they relate it to the accident, we will review it further. Claims Manager, ***************************, contacted ******* and ******, LLP on September 25th to ensure there was an understanding on how to move forward. Mr. ******************* confirmed there appeared to be an understanding. Once your vehicle is in for repairs any additional damage found will be submitted to AAA to review as supplemental damage. Should you have any questions or would like to discuss the matter further, please feel free to contact Claims Manager *************************** at **************.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/04/2023

  Car was never 

  took inside any auto body or auto repair shop and was only looked at it on street parking by person who seemed like she did not know anything about auto body work and my car is occurring more damage as it is only car I have this company should have found a place who works on salvage titled car as result I cannot fix all the damage done to my car and sounds are coming from back and has not been checked for safty to see if it is safe to drive, we should not be paying for any estimates as it is clear this company fraudulently tried to get away with fixing issues and all damage to the car as you can see by dash cam from other drive impact  bent my frame even more , electrical issues .trunk issues .muffler issues 

  bumper issues and possible transmission issues as when held on brakes or hear a strip sound after the band as I was pushed forward , then I noticed transmission slipping 

  Business Response

  Date: 10/05/2023

  Again, our claims service representative informed you and your attorney that should you decide to take your vehicle to a dealer for a diagnosis and they relate it to the accident, we will review it further. Claims Manager, ***************************,contacted ******* and ******, LLP on September 25th to ensure there was an understanding on how to move forward. Mr. ******************* confirmed there appeared to be an understanding. Once your vehicle is in for repairs any additional damage found will be submitted to AAA to review as supplemental damage. Should you have any questions or would like to discuss the matter further, please feel free to contact Claims Manager *************************** at **************.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/15/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  this goes back to when I paid my auto ins. IN FULL this was sent to my homeowners not to the auto policy & the homeowners was not even due & I did not even have a bill for that yet. Back in June or July I spent many hours trying to get your incompetent persons to fix the many many issues issue this caused & no one listen to me It looks to me like no knew how to add and subtract. I pay my car and house in FULL every year first it is the car then in a few months later the homeowners is due but because of your incompetent you did everything you could to s**** all things up even sending me money back & now you want it back what you sent me saying I had over paid when I said over and over I had not NOT, I have been a member for what now over 47 yrs and this is how you treat a loyal customer. You hire incompetent people & then instead of taking responsibility for your error. When I trying my very best back then to help them to understand. I am so upset with you. You need to go to the person who did this & have that person take money out of there pocket. what happened to consequence???? just to let you know I do this payment out of duress and I totally disagree that I should not45.24 be held accountable for one or more of your employee's errors the bill that I am looking is asking for another ***** the bill also says the balance was 895 and that I paid 895 so now your are saying no the balance was not 895. it was ****** this is also a ****************** on your part

  Business Response

  Date: 10/02/2023

  ************************* contacted you and addressed all concerns. Our records reflect as of this date, the auto policy is paid as we as your home policy. If you have any questions, please contact ************************* at ************.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/28/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My husband and I are AAA ********* Members (member # ****************). On 8/23/2023 we got a flat tire on the 73 Tollway. We pulled over to the side of the road. My husband *************************** tried to use our **** to remove the tire and he was initially unable to do this as the tire was rusted on the wheel base. He called AAA at 2:00pm and we were told that a tow truck driver driver would be coming to assist us at 2:24PM. No one arrived at that time and my husband was able to get the tire off the rim but in the process the **** got bent and he was unable to remove the tire because the car sank into the sand. He called AAA again at he was told a driver would arrive at 2:53PM. No one arrived at that time either and my husband called AAA again at 3:00PM. Then we got a call from a ****** Tow Truck driver who stated he would be arriving at 3:30PM however again no one showed up. We waited on the side of the 73 Tollway in 80 degree heat for 2 hours after placing our first call to AAA. My husband was finally able to bend the **** back into shape and he was able to **** the car up and replace the tire. We finally drove away at 4:00PM and received no assistance from AAA. I am a psychologist and had two patients in my office that I was unable to see due to being stuck on the road.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/19/2023

  We extend our sincerest apologies to you as we were unable to provide you with a totally satisfying member experience. As a gesture of goodwill, we will be providing you with a complimentary Classic membership on your next renewal period. If you have any questions, please contact *************************************, at **************.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/22/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Automobile club of Southern California (AAA) - I was in a small accident in June of 2021 and when AAA inputed the information. They mistakenly put down that I had 2 separate accidents on the same day. Therefore Ive been paying an absurd about for car insurance for the past year and a half. I didnt realize the mistake until I recently got a new truck and they wanted to charge me 800 dollars a month for a ***** Silverado. After looking into it the mistake they made and asked them to fix it because I cant pay 800 dollars a month. After agreeing and admitting they made a mistake, they told me that they would put my truck on the insurance temporarily until the issue was solved and they will have it fixed the following week. 2 weeks went by with no call so after reaching out to ********************************* a claims manager, I found out that no actions have been made to begin corrections. I was assured it would be fixed the following week. After another week with no call, the issue was fixed after 4 weeks after the initial call. After asking for them to pay me back for the year and a half of being overcharged they explained that all that money I was going to get back was going to be used for the month and a half of my truck being on the insurance. After explaining to them that no terms were agreed on and this was supposed to be temporary coverage while a mistake was being fixed and the fact that it took so long was through no fault of my own, they explained that because they sent me a proof of insurance card over email, that is somehow equivalent to me agreeing to pay the high price and previously quoted. I am currently trying to find new insurance but am racking up a tan with them everyday I wait. AAA has been nothing but inconsistent and shady in this situation telling me any documentation detailing the mistake made to my account is confidential and unable to be shared. I should be receiving money back but instead theyre asking for an absurd amount more that I never agreed to.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/21/2023

  According to our records you were involved in an accident on July 24, 2021, and were found to be at fault. Please know that when an insured is involved in an accident that causes the premium to increase, we do not apply that increase in the middle of a policy period but rather the premium is affected at the following renewal.  However, in your particular case, when your policy renewed on December 24, 2022, unfortunately, due to our error, the accident was processed twice on your policy. We would like to take this opportunity to apologize on behalf of the organization for this error. We assure you that lapses in member service of this nature are not indicative of the importance we place on providing our member insureds with outstanding service. We have since corrected this error and backdated the correction to the beginning of the 2022 policy renewal which is when the loss initially began affecting the premium. You also mentioned that you were under the impression the Silverado would be added to your policy on a temporary basis. Our records indicate that, on June 16, 2023, the **** Lexus was replaced with the 2023 Silverado, effective June 8, 2023. A policy change confirmation, detailing the changes to the premium as well as proof insurance cards, were emailed to you. We were unable to locate any information indicating that you were advised that the vehicle would be added to the policy on a temporary basis, with no impact to premium. Please understand that, upon adding a vehicle to the policy, the premium is subject to change, and it cannot be added without potentially affecting the premium. *********************** called and spoke to you August 29, 2023. ******* was able to discuss these concerns with you. While speaking to her you requested to receive an itemized statement to better understand the changes in pricing on your policy. As such, an itemized statement was sent to you. If you have any questions, please contact ***************************** at ************.
  
   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/17/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I got an auto quote and paid my insurance. The insurance company switched me to a 12 month payment plan and charged me a 10% premium for this "benefit" without me choosing this. I am unable to log in to their phone or web services to switch back from this extra payment charge.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/21/2023

  As a follow up to your conversation with *************************, it is with regret that we must decline your request to reimburse you the finance charges paid for the policy effective September 27, 2022, to September 27, 2023. While we understand your concerns, during our review, we confirmed that since the inception date of your policy in 2018 to current, we have notified you in the New Business Declarations as well as the Truth-in-Lending statement included in each renewal offer, that you must pay the outstanding balance in full to avoid paying any finance charges. In addition, the Truth-in-Lending statement also reflects that after the first renewal payment, each subsequent billing will include a finance charge. Our records reflected that your premium for the above-mentioned policy period, was not paid in full to avoid paying the finance charges. If you have any questions, please contact ************************* at **************.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/15/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Not a great experience. After you purchase memberships and auto policies, make sure you verify everything again the following week. I found out months later, agent did a mix up with the way auto policies and memberships were created. When my family members who I got policy and membership for when in to use their membership privileges, they were told they were never in the system. Inconvenience to be paying month to month for them to be told they are not members. Job incorrectly done, to top it off I consider canceling my own, *********************** wants to alter her ego and threaten my credit score will be affected. *********************** was the one who set up auto policy and memberships. I still cant log into my account online. If you work in a customer service setting you should help clients. my family member did not have a good experience with this individual either when they were in the office to clarify. Thank you ********************* for helping them. Five stars for him.***********************, agent at AAA ************, ** Jess ***** location

  Business Response

  Date: 09/21/2023

  
  You worked with our sales agent to start a new membership and a new auto insurance policy for yourself effective February 21, 2023. Additionally, you started a new auto insurance policy for your parents **** and ***************************, also effective February 21, 2023. For clarity, our Emergency Roadside Assistance Membership and our insurance products are separate and independent of each other. As a member-based organization, an Emergency Roadside Assistance Membership is required to take advantage of our insurance products. This means at least one named insured must be a member of the Automobile Club, however, drivers on an auto insurance policy are not automatically members. A membership must be purchased for each driver on a policy if each driver would like full membership benefits. You authorized a $74 payment to start your Emergency Roadside Assistance Membership, a $284 payment to start your auto insurance policy, and an $89 payment to start your parent's auto insurance policy. To clarify, a new Emergency Roadside Assistance Membership was not initiated for your parents, however, your mother was added to your membership as an Adult Associate, which provided use of all applicable membership benefits. Your parents visited our ******************* and were unable to use any membership benefits because our representatives could not locate an active membership for them. As a result, you spoke with **************** because you considered cancelling your auto insurance. **************** recalls explaining a short rate cancellation fee would be assessed if you were to cancel your auto insurance policies within the first year. Please be assured ******************** explanation was not intended to be a threat to your credit score. The short rate cancellation fee would not affect your credit history unless you had a remaining balance after cancelling your policy that remained unpaid. On July 27, 2023, our sales agent initiated a new membership for your father. At this time, your mother was removed from your Emergency Roadside Assistance Membership and added to his membership as an Adult Associate which allowed use of all applicable membership benefits for both. Insurance Manager, ********************************************** advised he attempted to contact you to address the concerns outlined in your correspondence to the Better Business Bureau directly. Since *************************************** was unable to reach you, he left a voicemail providing his direct contact information. If you require further assistance, please contact *************************************** directly to work toward an amicable resolution for any future policy inquiries you may have. Regarding our AAA ****** Services, you must enter your sixteen-digit membership number as it appears on your membership card and zip code when creating your account. If you have already created an account, you can login by entering the username and password you chose when you created your account. If you are unsure of your login information you can click on the "Forgot username or password?" hyperlink which will allow you to obtain the appropriate information to log in to your account. If you have any other questions or concerns, please contact *************************************** at **************.
  
   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/15/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  We have had the worst experience with AAA 2 nights in a row trying to get our Tesla towed to a charging station. IT had been sitting for 2 weeks at ****** Train station. We drove there on Sun and Mon night 8/13 and 8/14 Our tesla battery is at "0" and cant be put into "tow mode" We were told by ***** that any towing service needs to bring a wheel lift and dollies in order to successfully tow the car.We told the AAA dispatch on Sunday 8/13 at around 8:30p.m. that the tow truck company must bring the special equipment to execute a successful tow. Apparently the dispatch didnt put the request into the service order because when the contracted towing company called ..they didn't know and told us they didn't have that equipment available and they would call AAA and have them schedule a provider that did have that equipment. The provider didnt call them ..just put it on the notes and sent back to AAA. Apparently no one saw the notes at AAA and never rescheduled another tow truck company and WE PROCEEDED TO SIT THERE FOR HOURS WAITING FOR A TOW! After almost 4 hours we quit and went home.We tried last night 8/14 with the exact same result. The communication is absolutely terrible between towing providers and AAA. The communication and updates is atrocious with AAA and members. We sat for another 3 hours waiting for a tow truck which never came. I have no idea why...apparently no tow truck company has dollies and a wheel lift!?!? They never rescheduled a new company once the first one said they didnt have the right equipment. When we called and asked ********* hours later ....without any updated...we assumed one was coming ...they said...."oh we are trying to locate a provider" That went on for hours ...we left after 3.5 hours. Give AAA a tough problem to fix for their members ...and they fold and ignore you!!Pathetic attempt to help a member!!!!

  Business Response

  Date: 09/18/2023

  We extend our sincerest apologies to you as we were unable to provide you with a totally satisfying member experience. Please be assured that the appropriate corrective actions have taken place with our staff and contracted service provider alike. Our attempts to reach you by phone and email have been unsuccessful, at your earliest convenience please contact, ************************************* to discuss your service experience in greater detail. If you have any additional questions or comments, please contact, *************************************, at **************.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/15/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Hello. My membership number is *******************. Around March or April of this year I hit a flat tire. I called Triple A and they took 5 hours of getting to me. Then the guy came and said that my tire needed to be replaced and he wouldn't be able to patch it. Triple A also rotated me through three different vendors and never kept me properly updated at all.I was in a sketchy area until 2 in the morning with no assistance. And then I had to pay to get my tire replaced / rim as well because when the mechanic came to me and took out the tire he bent the rim. I demand that triple A reimburse me for this.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/21/2023

  
  As an independently owned and operated business, ******* ************** is responsible for any damage resulting from its actions or those of its employees. To assist you with resolution, the ********* has taken the role of mediator and enlisted the assistance of our Member ********************* Based on our review, we found that the damage you reported was not consistent with improper tire service but rather more consistent with the flat tire you sustained while driving on the road. Although we were unable to find ******* ************** responsible for the damage that you reported, we extend our sincerest apologies for any inconvenience you experienced when in need of roadside assistance. If you wish to pursue the matter further, your options are to file an insurance claim or small claims suit against ******* **************. If you have any questions, please contact ***************************, at **************.
  
   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/13/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I have a flat tire in the middle of the forest in ************. I called roadside assistance at 10. 30 pm last night. It is now **** am and no one came to help me yet. Everytime I called them they don't have any updates and the website says that no driver has been contacted yet. So here I am in the middle of nowhere waiting for triple A to (hopefully) show up at a certain point. I have been a member for 18 years and I barely used them. I have been treated very badly by all the people that answered the phone everytime I called for help in the past 4 hours.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/10/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  CONTEXT: On May 25th, I visited the ********* AAA branch to complete my ** Real ID application. The employees who do that are *** employees who are scheduled to work at the AAA office per the contract between AAA and the *** (THIS WAS NOT SHARED WITH ME BEFOREHAND). The 2 *** employees took my information and did not complete my service, and I need to file a fraud report on them. PROBLEM: I reached out to AAA ********* over 15 times from 7/25-7/26/2023, and no one was able to give me the names of the 2 *** employees working in their office. The branch manager, **************, told me they don't keep that information, which is a lie considering other AAA employees I spoke with on the phone told me legally she should have the names of anyone working in her office. She left me a voicemail saying she escalated the problem and someone would reach out, but no one has contacted me. That means 2 *** employees contracted by AAA are being allowed to access personal information (birth certificates, pictures, fingerprints, addresses, etc.) and potentially committing fraud in their office but they don't/can't give me their names? SOLUTION: I need AAA to contact me with the names of those *** employees so I can submit a fraud report with the *** for my potentially stolen information. If they do not keep record of who is in their office, then they need to let customers know that they could interact with non-AAA employees with no records being kept before they complete a transaction at their location. Note: all of my calls with AAA employees have been recorded and noted on their systems

  Business Response

  Date: 08/21/2023

  We understand you felt the *** technicians who assisted did not correctly submit your application for your REAL ID. In response to this inquiry, it was determined that due to connectivity issues encountered during the processing of your REAL ID application, it was unfortunately not completed. The CA *** has reinstated your application and would like to make accommodations with you to complete it. Per the CA ***, the REAL ID mobile technician program manager has attempted to reach you on several occasions, leaving messages requesting a return call. To date, the program manager has not received a response. When ready, you may contact the CA *** program manager directly at ************.