Complaints

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:06/17/2024

  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.

  Date of service 05/31/24 10:56-11:48 Work order #********* Invoice #********* Drivers of auto *****************, and ********************** is supposed to be Oil change and courtesy inspection Cost of Serv. $93.85 Had to return after pulling over to call AAA garage about the car wobbling.Statement Of Responsibility "Not responsible for damage to motor vehicle while on the premises unless an AAA Tire & ************ associate causes the damage" etc.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/08/2022

  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 of transaction: 8/6/2022 This is not SOLELY about being overcharged as the questionnaire asked. That is a very major part of it, but also very bad customer service on many ends. I think it is important to note that AAA will not cover towing away from their shop, therefore you are really at their mercy when you bring your car to their shop, as they expect you to do as a member. I feel that it is abusive and unfair to charge $221.99, PLUS LABOR, for a part that I could have purchased myself for $29 and change. I very gently and very quietly tried to negotiate this and was treated to a very abrupt and rude lecture about how "this is a business", which I did not feel I needed as a trained accountant. I understand how businesses work very well. They did not, as they cannot, quote this price beforehand but I feel this markup is extremely unfair when they have your car on the lot and will not pay to have it removed from the same. They also charged 23 dollars for "shop supplies" to replace one electronic sensor. I would like an explanation of this.I was also subjected to abusive, foul language directed towards me and mysogynistic comments toward my 60 year old mother from the tow truck driver who AAA dispatched from an independent company. I understand "this is a business". I feel that their business practices are very unfair, and the only option would have been to spend hundreds of dollars more to have the car removed when it was already there. I am seeking a FAIR resolution with a FAIR markup on parts, in addition to the $140 an hour they charge for labor when they pay their technicians a fraction of that. I am willing to pay a markup. I am disgusted by paying a nearly 800% markup as the car was held hostage by a company that claims to care about its members, which we pay for the **** Plus" membership, as well as the horrible customer service we have experienced all along the way. There is so much more I would like to share, but this is the "short version".

  Business Response

  Date: 08/17/2022

  SEE ATTACHED

  Dear *** *************** style="margin: 0in 23.75pt 20.25pt 3.55pt; line-height: 111%; text-indent: 36.4pt;">The above-referenced complaint has been forwarded to me for response, Please be advised of the following with respect to ************************ complaint:

        Towing our members are always free to have their vehicle towed to any shop for repairs, not just ***'s company-owned repair facilities.

        It is true that we only cover a tow to the shop and we do not cover a free tow away from a shop under one's membership allotment of tows. The only situation where we would cover this is if the original shop could not perform the repairs for some reason. This limitation is specifically set out in the *** Member Benefits guide, available on our website.

        Cost of Parts while it is sometimes true that parts can be sourced for a lower cost by our members, we cannot honor a warranty on a part that wasn't sourced from one of our vendors as we have no recourse if the part later fails. Therefore, we do not allow customers to order their own parts generally speaking, and we install parts delivered to us by our vendors with whom we can easily exchange parts on a warranty basis. There is a markup on parts, but it is consistent with industry standards. Incidentally, this particular part cost far more than the $29 cited by *********************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/26/2022

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  

  This is, respectfully, a complete crock of.... I'm leaving out the last word there. Out of respect. 

   

  I already addressed all of their points, such as how "they do cover tows, but not away from their own shops when the shops are able to do their work". I already addressed that. They are holding people at their shops, or else they can have a $200+ tow away from their shop if they do not agree with the $200+ markup they are charging on parts.

   

  I still want to see what they actually paid for the part. I do not dispute that they probably paid more than I could for the part - because it is not their money they're spending - but I want to know how much they paid so I can put an accurate amount on it. 

   

  Why has BBB closed this dispute? It is absolutely not resolved - and I again concede that I am essentially looking for a discount - but I seek specific information regarding my claim. I want to know WHAT the markup was on the parts. I want to know WHY they send out a towing company that we SPECIFICALLY requested they did NOT send, because they send the most unprofessional, misogynistic, rudest tow truck drivers. I want to know WHY I should ever use AAA again.

   

  I want something more than the "industry standard". The "industry standard" is why 99% of the general public HATES tow truck drivers and mechanics.

   

  There was one other resolution I suggested besides a billing adjustment. It was very simple. I requested AN APOLOGY for the treatment we received, which was VERY MUCH THE INDUSTRY STANDARD. They instead stonewalled that and suggested they did nothing wrong.

   

  This is complete garbage and I will tell everyone I know that they should never use AAA, and should never use a AAA repair shop, until this is resolved in some kind of way. 

   

  Just say you're sorry "you had a bad experience". How hard is that? How are you so smug that you can't even go that far? ***********************, this is why people see the automotive industry as the biggest crooks and con artists on the planet earth. 

   

  I am 100% not satisfied. 

   

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************************