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:03/30/2023

  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.

  Got a car insurance qoute from AAA, cancelled my other car insurance and went with them because it was a better rate. A few weeks later they called, and asked me a bunch of questions which i responed no to, since they were not true. I got a revised bill from them saying my insurance was going to be higher. It was obvious the person originally qouting the insurance put false info when qouting, with out my knowledge. It bothered me so much that i eventually cancelled the policy, thinking i would get some money back since i had just paid. They said no, i owed them money because my policy said i had to use them for at least 8 months.(which i did not know) I explained the situation to them multiple times but no one was able to resolve it and i was sent to collections for ******. Now its almost 6 years later and i was given trouble in a ***** trying to use the services that i have paid for yearly ever since the insurance issue happened. I want this resolved and the collection taken off of my record. It is not the small amount of money, it is the principle that i was bait and swithched by their car insurance department and they have never taken responsibility for their actions.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/09/2023

  This policy became effective 3-30-2017, with your signature accepting the quoted annual premium of $1,872.00. Our *********************** reached out to you by phone to verify the accuracy of the information on the signed application. During that discussion it was determined that a rate adjustment was necessary. A notice of Revised Premium Acceptance Form was mailed and was signed by you on 6-13-2017. This allowed the Exchange to continue your insurance coverage at the new agreed upon annual premium of $1,955.00. In your statement to the BBB, you believed that you had not agreed to the adjusted annual premium. We have sent you a copy of the signed application and premium acceptance form for your review. The Exchange made an additional adjustment effective 7-29-2017, that corrected the annual mileage driven which lowered your annual premium to $1,699.00. You chose to cancel this policy effective 8-25-2017, and the service representative advised you of the remaining balance of $134.04. The remaining balance was unpaid and eventually forwarded to our outside collection vendor, AWA ************ The Exchange did provide coverage as agreed and hopes this explanation and documents we sent explains our reasoning. Validation of this balance of $134.04 has been forwarded to AWA *********** as well. We would gladly make an exception and have the negative reporting to the credit bureaus removed once the balance has been cleared with **** Please contact ****** *****************************, the *********** Supervisor, at ************ if you have further questions.

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/29/2023

  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 have been with AAA for over 40 years and now in my senior years. the AAA sent a letter notifying me that my auto insurance has been cancelled because of one minor accident this year and I just want to express my issue to AAA that I have been loyal customer for over 40 years and paid my bills on time but when I had a minor accident then you would just cancel my insurance because you collected enough of my money throughout my life. I will strongly encourage everyone to dump AAA because they do not have your back after so many years. I would highly appreciate if my insurance gets reinstated after all these years.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/28/2023

  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.

  Hello , on March 1, 2023 , I took my car with Auto Clubs permission to a body shop for repairs . it was supposed to take two weeks . So far it has been 28 days . all on account Autoclub doesnt follow through on what they say . They say they will call the shop to approve suppositions but they dont . My car repairs have been finished since March 22 . Autoclub said they were sending the approval that day but havent . I have talked to autoclub several times . I havent got a definative answere . I dont have a clue why they wont follow threw . I want them to contact the Body shop so I can take posession of my car . ************ Colision ***************************************************************** ********** . My Autoclub contact: ********************************* ************ ********* # CAA077674729 claim # *********i 8312 my cell **********

  Business Response

  Date: 04/17/2023

  Your 2022 *** was involved in an auto collision on 12-31-2022. A claim was filed under the collision coverage of your Members Automobile Policy on 1-01-2023. Around January 18th, your vehicle was taken to ************************ and a preliminary repair estimate was completed in the amount of $4,594.13. On February 10th, you informed us that you would be changing repair shops to Kustom Kraft. We subsequently paid them for the repairs less your applicable deductible on February 14th. It appears the vehicle was dropped off for repairs around February 28th. After Kustom ***** completed a comprehensive follow-up review of the damages, they informed us of additional repair costs that were found. We reviewed and concluded the supplemental estimate directly with the shop which brought the new repair total to $5,521.25. Payment was subsequently issued to the shop on March 17th. Kustom Kraft then informed us of additional damages on March 21st which we reviewed and approved on March 30th for a new grand total of $5,657.58. We issued payment to the shop on April 3rd for the difference of $136.33. It was also around this time that your rental coverage was extended to the maximum thirty-day policy benefit. We apologize for the extended repair process timeframe and the frustration the claims process *** have caused you. The shop eventually released your vehicle to you on March 30th.We also understand that because of the repair delays, you paid out-of-pocket rental expenses in the amount of $75.58. Our file notes reflect that our ************** Representative, contacted you on April 13th confirming our reimbursement to you for your out-of-pocket expenses. If you have any questions,please contact ***************************, at **************.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/24/2023

  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.

  Date issue occurred - 03/23/2023 Problem : My 2015 ***** Accord will not start.Details. Mt friend, ***** and I had dinner at ****'s Restaurant in ***********. We were going home and I started my car. The lights on the dashboard flickered and the car didn't start. I waited for about 5 minutes and started the engine again, but same thing. I checked my battery invoice , it is a little over 3 years, so I figured it is the battery. My friend called h r husband for assistance, while I called AAA ********* to request for Roadside Assistance. I told the AAA Rep., on the other end of the line to tell the Tech to bring a battery because the battery is over 3 years old, may need a new battery. We waited for almost 1 hour. The Tech, ******, of Untied Towing arrives after we waited for almost an hour to tell us that he cannot change the battery because he is very busy and many customers are waiting. I am so disappointed with this because we patiently and hopefully waited for help and that's what we got. Because ****** saw that the car's engine is running, he told me to just drive the car home and call AAA for a battery replacement. ****** said he has the battery but he has not time to change it. That was a total waste of time. I told him why then did he make us wait? He said we are not the only customers. That is not an acceptable reply and treatment of a loyal customer. I am totally unhappy with the treatment I got, especially it was already getting late and i will be driving drive home alone. ****** didn't care at all. AAA must step up in situations like this one. I am paying for the membership for my peace of mind, but instead, I got this kind of attitude and cold treatment. I DEMAND A REPLY FROM BOTH AAA AUTOCLUB & UNITED TOWING ASAP!

  Business Response

  Date: 04/21/2023

  
  We extend our sincerest apologies to you as we were unable to provide you with a totally satisfying service experience. As such, please be assured that both service calls from the March 23 and March 24, 2023, were not counted as one of your (4) allotted service usages for the current membership term. If you have any questions, please contact *****************************, at **************.
  
   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/23/2023

  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 came on vacation to ****************. Unfortunately, our vehicle died the day after we arrived at the hotel. We've had AAA membership for 9 years. We haven't used the membership in many years. On Tuesday 3/21/23 AAA scheduled a tow truck to tow our vehicle to the nearest dealership *********** as the vehicle doesn't start. Shortly after, the tow truck company canceled. On Wednesday, AAA scheduled another tow truck. The new tow truck company canceled the service. On Thursday, AAA scheduled a tow truck. The tow truck said it will come at 11:59 because they Had other calls. We called to find the status of the tow truck. The tow truck company gal said that her guy was doing a call but will be here in 2 hrs. After 2 Hrs dispatch called saying they will not make it Today maybe tomorrow around 12:00 pm. She cancel for Wednesday. The past 3 days, tow trucks have been canceling the tow service. AAA said to get a private tow truck and they'll reimburse. The private tow trucks we've found charge $500 cash or $600 to $625 with credit card. We called AAA to ensure they will reimburse for the private tow. AAA only reimburses $100. We've spent our vacation arranging tows for hour vehicle and not able to enjoy our family vacation waiting for supposedly confirmed tow trucks to arrive. Dealership does not work on vehicles on weekends. We are supposed to check out in 2 days. But we don't have a vehicle to get back home. No tow truck to tow our vehicle ************************************* home about 500 miles. Today, we expressed to AAA our concerns. we are traveling with my 9 yrs old son he's worried how we are going to go back home. Another tow truck has been scheduled for tomorrow Friday but I'm afraid it will be canceled again, the car will not be towed to be repaired, and if towed it won't be fixed in time to check out from the hotel to get back home. It's so frustrating that AAA has not come through.! Lack of tow service will cost us private towing, extended stay and meals.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/21/2023

  Based on our findings, it was noted that the Lake Tahoe area was experiencing severe weather conditions which resulted in the delays during the course of these days that you contacted AAA for assistance. During these periods of severe weather conditions, service may not be readily available, and it is recommended that you seek our own commercial service as to avoid long delays in receiving assistance. As a member benefit, you can submit for towing reimbursement up to 7 miles covered under your Classic membership benefit. We extend our sincerest apologies to you as we were unable to provide you with a totally satisfying member experience. If you have any questions or require assistance with towing reimbursement, please contact Ms. ******************************** at **************.
  
   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/23/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore 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.

  On February 20, 2023 I purchased driving lessons for my 18 yr old son I bought 10 hours in car training only from AAA driving school, I booked his first driving lesson for March 1 2023 because they had nothing available prior to that date, The driving lesson went great, they told us to book his next appointment when we got home we tried doing that , The next available appointment was until 3 week later because everything was booked so I called and asked if they had anything else available and they indicated that it usu**** takes them about six months to teach anybody how to drive because they are fully booked, I spoke with *****, and I asked if I can cancel the driving school because it insane that they can only teach my son for an 1 hr a month, she indicated that it takes about 30 days for them to process the cancelation an to refund me my money in addition to that they charge a fee for processing more than $100 I asked if the fee can be waived and she said she will call me back, two week later I had not hear from ***** I spoke with ****** and he said ***** had not called me because she had not heard anything back if they were going to waive the fee, and I called today its been almost a month and I tried speaking with ***** but she was off the clock and could not speak to me, **** from AAA indicated that she will let her know and they will call me tomorrow, I asked to speak with a supervisor or a manager and she said they have no one that I can talk to, so I aske who there can help me get my refund and how long do I have to wait for my refund and she said *****, I told her ***** does not call back who else can I talk to that can help me, and again she said *****, so in conclusion AAA does not want to refund me my money my son only did one driving lesson for one hour and nobody there seems to know who can help me get my refund for a service that are not prepared to provide.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/23/2023

  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.

  I called at 742am for fuel.***** ever came.Called and they said someone came and that they called. I have cameras in front of my house and no one ever came, nor dis I receive a call nor text from anyone at AAA. I suggested they text since they never called.I requested fuel again, ****** stated he'd be here at ****am. I've been waiting it's 11am and ***** has been here and no calls.It's been nearly 4 mf hours of waiting and still noone is here to help me. Why are we paying for a service that is horrible?!

  Business Response

  Date: 04/21/2023

  We have counseled both our staff and contracted service providers alike of the importance of this mission, along with ensuring that our members are provided with alternate service options should there be a delay or service unavailability. Please be assured that the necessary corrective actions have taken place. We extend our sincerest apologies to you as we were unable to provide you with a totally satisfying member experience. As such, the service call from 3-23-2023, was not counted as one of your (4) allotted service usages for the current membership term. If you have any questions, please contact ***************************, at **************.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/22/2023

  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 accident- other party at fault- Insured by AAA. I contacted AAA and filed a claim 11/2022. Party at fault admitted liability- assigned adjuster Adjust ***************************. ******** never contacted me nor responded to multiple emails and multiple phone calls. AAA representative advised the adjuster was on leave of absence and no they could not help me. I was forced to go manage claim via my insurance carrier- Connect. AAA did not respond to my insurance Connect. AAA has not responded to auto body shop or Enterprise car rental. I have paid out of pocket and seeking reimbursement.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/04/2023

  We want to assure you that we make every effort to resolve all claims promptly and fairly. This claim was filed by you on 12-15-2022 indicating our insured backed into your vehicle while you were traveling down an aisle, causing damage to the left side of your vehicle. On 1-31-2022 we were able to speak with our insured and accepted responsibility for this loss. On 3-06-2023 we inspected your vehicle. On 3-16-2023 we issued payments to you and Carstar Autobody for ************ and to you directly for loss of use to cover your rental expenses while your vehicle is being repaired. Claims Manager **************** advised you on 3-20-2023 of the payments that were made. Should you have any further questions,************ can be reached at **************.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/22/2023

  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.

  Hello,I recently spoke with ****** from Claims. There was a claim filed 02/14/2023. ****** was the claims specialist. ****** has not called, reach out or anything until I spoke with the manager ******. I asked that ****** be replaced as he has shown us extremely poor customer service. ****** pushed it aside and di not fulfill my request. When speaking with ****** she was not patient, not getting the full story and already deeming us at fault for the accident when it was a 3 car accident. We were the last car. ****** did not even request our photos, she just went with the middle car photos. I had to request to add the photo's. We were supposed to be represented by our insurance that we pay every month and I just feel like I was thrown in the dirt by ******. I requested to speak to her superior in which she refused. I requested to speak to her superior several times. Still have not heard back or anything. AAA is supposed to be big on customer service and I am appalled of your actions.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/13/2023

  Our records indicate that this loss occurred on 2-14-2023, and after we received notice of loss from the other party involved, our claims team attempted to contact you to begin the investigation. On 3-17-2023, you spoke with *************************, who was able to assist in moving the claim forward and addressed the issues of coverage and permissive use for the driver. During the conversation, you confirmed that the driver of your vehicle, *********************, had permission to drive your vehicle and as such, was able to confirm that coverage would be extended for the loss. We were also able to speak to ************** and confirm his version of the loss. He relayed to her that he was stopped at a traffic light when the light phased to green. He advised that he looked down momentarily and when he looked up, he suddenly saw the other vehicle ahead. He confirmed that he was unable to stop before the front of the vehicle collided with the rear of the other vehicle. We have confirmed that this vehicle was not pushed forward into any other vehicles. Based on the details of his statement,it was explained that he would be principally at fault for the incident. The coverage and benefits were communicated and the process of inspection for the other partys damage would ensue. You inquired as to whether ************** would be able to forward scene photos and **************** confirmed that she would be able to text the photos via our *************** texting platform and explained the opt-in process.Our records indicate that ************** forwarded photos on 3-19-2023. You have spoken with our claims management team regarding your concerns and acknowledgement of your letter. At this time, we have secured a written estimate of damage to the other partys vehicle and have reached out to conclude the claim within your policy limits. Upon receipt of the properly executed release, payment will made to the other party. If you have any questions, please contact ************************* at **************.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/15/2023

  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.

  Having filed a claim with AAA a few weeks ago, I went to my AAA account page to check how much coverage I had for rental insurance. It said No Coverage. I called my agent, *********************, and asked him to advise me. He told me that I had declined it and that he had been doing this for 15 years and that there is no way that he made a mistake and that I was out of luck, there was nothing AAA could do. I was able to reach out to his boss *********************************. After calling several times over a few days, I finally got in touch with ********************** who told me that he would look into the matter and get back to me the following Monday. Monday came and went and I did not hear from **********************. *** called and emailed his manager, *******************, several times requesting a call back to no avail.A few days later, ********************** called me and left a voice message telling me that he would call me at 9 oclock the next morning. He never called. At 10am I called him and left a V/M asking him to call me, but I did not hear anything until a few days later when he sent me an email requesting that I call him at 1 PM the next day because he had a resolution for me. I called him at 1 PM and once again I got his voicemail. I left him a voicemail and responded to his email, and after 5 days I have as yet to hear from him.Over the course of this situation, I have reached out to AAA at various levels to try to get some satisfaction. I have left dozens of voicemails with various individuals because I was told they would be the ones to help me in this situation. None of them have returned my calls.I am frankly shocked and dismayed at the level of poor customer service I have experienced with **********************. The most frustrating point part is that there doesnt seem to be any way to reach out to any corporate administrators. I called the corporate office and for the most part I was told to stuff it.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/04/2023

  When your policy was initiated, the agent reviewed the coverages afforded by your policy, and in agreement with the terms and conditions of the policy, you authorized a down payment and electronically signed your insurance application. In compliance with state mandated guidelines, we mailed your new business declaration page on 11-14-2021. The declaration page mailed disclosed important policy information and outlined the specific coverages afforded by your policy. In September 2022, we mailed your renewal offer and renewal declaration page for your upcoming renewal term,which you accepted by authorizing a payment to renew your policy. We have confirmed the New Business Declaration Page, and the Renewal Declaration Page mailed to you did not have Rental Car Coverage included on your policy. The purpose of mailing the Declarations to you are that they are available to be read for a complete validation of the coverages selected. We did not receive any requests to add and additional coverages after you received your declarations nor any reply that any errors were noticed. On 2-15-2023, you contacted our ***************** to file a claim for damages to your vehicle from an auto accident. Our claims representative explained that your policy did not include Car Rental Expense Coverage. Based on the coverage afforded under your policy,we determined we are unable to provide coverage to pay a rental vehicle while your vehicle is being repaired. If you have any questions, please contact *************************** at ************.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/18/2023

  The message from the company says to contact **********************, but ********************** DOES NOT return phone calls. Frankly, it is nearly impossible to get a call return from a AAA representative. ********************** had promised that AAA was going to "work something out," but then just refused to acknowledge my voice messages, or returned my calls. During this fiasco, I have discovered that there is a culture within AAA that is dishonest, disingenuous, and and passive aggressive. This company has absolutely no regard for its customers.