AA recovery of broken down bike?

**cleverchap** · 31st December 2013, 13:03

Hey all,
I've come up against a bit of issue with my AA plus membership and was wondering if anyone else has had the same issues.

I was doing a tour of the North Island and my bike shit itself (reg/rec has died so battery isn't charging).
No dramas, I have full AA plus cover so all will be well. I phoned the AA and the local towie came out and recommend I have the bike relayed back to my home address in Wellington where I can do the work myself.

After MANY hours sat at the side of the road the bike was finally recovered to a local panel beaters. As the bike was dead the AA said that they would sort out recovery to my home address but it would take 3 weeks and I could book a flight back home with my luggage etc.
I was originally told (by the chick from the AA) that I would be able to claim the cost of flights back.

All cool, right? Wrong.....
The AA are now saying they will only cover $800 worth of expenses, and I have to pay the rest.
The quote for the tow back to Wellington is $800 + GST, and I'm $500 out of pocket for the flights.

Has anyone ever heard of this $800 limit before? I have read the terms and conditions on the AA website and can't see any mention of it.

I'm concerned that my bike is stuck up north, I'm back in Wellington and the AA will just walk away from this and say its my issue.
Not the best end to the year.....

**nzspokes** · 31st December 2013, 13:49

You shudda had an Ultrabatt.

**tigertim20** · 31st December 2013, 14:44

the squeaky wheel gets the oil.

ring the cunts every day. do everything you can, short of abusing them or calling them cunts, and sooner or later theyll probably sort it out, if for no other reason than to get you to fuck off!

**BMWST?** · 31st December 2013, 15:11

"Each AA Plus claim is to a maximum of $800 (incl. GST) with an overall maximum annual subscription claim of $1,500 (incl. GST)"

at the bottom of this page

http://www.aa.co.nz/membership/perso...tions/aa-plus/

on the actual terms and conditions page its halfway down under "LIMITS"

bit of a bummer tho

**jasonu** · 31st December 2013, 15:24

Originally Posted by BMWST?

"Each AA Plus claim is to a maximum of $800 (incl. GST) with an overall maximum annual subscription claim of $1,500 (incl. GST)"

at the bottom of this page

http://www.aa.co.nz/membership/perso...tions/aa-plus/

on the actual terms and conditions page its halfway down under "LIMITS"

bit of a bummer tho

Looks like you're fucked.
Happy new year.

**Oakie** · 31st December 2013, 15:42

Yep, 8 hundy limit. Just renewed my daughter's membership a couple of days ago and happened to read the conditions.

Still not bad for the $120 odd that your membership would have cost you.

**Flip** · 31st December 2013, 18:05

Yep 800 limit.

They took my landrover back from Wanaka and it cost me $100

**gammaguy** · 31st December 2013, 20:27

the AA hate bikes

**Oakie** · 31st December 2013, 21:49

Originally Posted by gammaguy

the AA hate bikes

They've always done right by me ... the three times I've needed them they were more than obliging.

**oneofsix** · 31st December 2013, 21:59

Originally Posted by Oakie

They've always done right by me ... the three times I've needed them they were more than obliging.

yep - same. Had to convince one guy that you could jump start the bike and that they were 12V systems but otherwise fine.

$800 limit; I guess that means they get you home ($500 air fairs) or the bike, plus I assume they have already covered the cost of getting the bike to the local garage where you can pick it up if you choose.

**cleverchap** · 31st December 2013, 23:50

Originally Posted by oneofsix

$800 limit; I guess that means they get you home ($500 air fairs) or the bike

Exactly.
Its either you OR the bike, so the whole sales pitch of the AA getting you and the vehicle home and everything being sweet is a crock.
Basically as I live in Wellington I can write off any form of recovery north of Taupo.

**Flip** · 1st January 2014, 10:13

AA have always looked after us very very well.

If you are one of those folk who cant fix a puncher or make basic repairs you are probably not going to be happy with any breakdown service.

A few years ago we ran over a bit of tin that put a 2" slash in the side wall of a rear tubeless tyre. Queens birthday weekend Central Otago black stumpsville. We were stuffed as we did not have the gear to repair tyre damage of this type.

Called the AA, they called back about 30 min later with several options. The problem was the Ranfurly garage would not help, they could pick up the bike and get it to Palmerston where the farm bike shop might have a new tyre that would get us home, they could pick up the bike and take it to Dunedin, but both these options would mean at least one overnight stay. The final option was get the bike to Naseby garage who thought he could patch the tyre and get us home which was Wellington, but he did not have a vehicle that would pick up the bike. We simply pulled off the wheel and took it to Naseby where the mechanic who was a great guy bonded a large reinforced patch inside the tyre and fitted a tube. We were back on the road and caught our ferry.

On another trip we ran a big end on the R71 side car, burkes pass brass monkey friday, the AA picked the bike up and took it back to home, with us in the cab. We got home lateish, got a few hours sleep, picked up the harley and made it to the brass on Saturday just after lunch.

On the Easter Bunny hunt we broke a landrover axle towing half a tonne of rabbits in a army trailer up a very steep dozer track. The AA picked the landy and the trailer up from Wanaka and took it back home with us again in the cab. They did it on the end of the weekend so we still did the bunny hunt. I think it cost me $100, because the trailer took the space of two cars. It was cheaper to take the trailer with us than return after the truck was fixed to pick it up.

IMHO the AA have provided me with outstanding service.

**Gremlin** · 1st January 2014, 12:44

BMWST has posted the fine print, and yes, I was aware of the limits. Better than nothing, and cheap to have at $120 a year (just got my renewal notice for end of Jan). Used it once so far to find a local towie to assist (not a breakdown), and a breakdown where they got a local mechanic to assist and effect a repair. He got there in under 30min, but it was handy breaking down in the middle of Cambridge

**Phreak** · 1st January 2014, 12:53

Okay, so AA have an $800 limit, but my question is this: How hard would it have been to replace the blown reg/rec...? I've done a couple through work in the last month or so, and they've always been readily available (if you know which supplier to ask) and not exactly a difficult job to swap out the old one for a new one... Throw in a new battery from any bike shop and you'd have been back on the road in less than a few hours!

Unless of course, you were out in the middle of nowhere, then I could understand it being a bit of a mission... still, plenty of people on KB that would've been more than keen to help out, surely?

**BMWST?** · 1st January 2014, 13:11

Originally Posted by Phreak

Okay, so AA have an $800 limit, but my question is this: How hard would it have been to replace the blown reg/rec...? I've done a couple through work in the last month or so, and they've always been readily available (if you know which supplier to ask) and not exactly a difficult job to swap out the old one for a new one... Throw in a new battery from any bike shop and you'd have been back on the road in less than a few hours!

Unless of course, you were out in the middle of nowhere, then I could understand it being a bit of a mission... still, plenty of people on KB that would've been more than keen to help out, surely?

whats your point?Save the 120 and do it your self.?Thats another argument entirely isnt it?