Automobile Club of Southern California

A review of our
records reflects that on February 20, 2016, your wife, [redacted],
requested assistance while traveling in Washington. You indicated in your
complaint that your wife, being unfamiliar with the area, was forced to make
several phone calls to request service. Regrettably, when a technician finally
arrived on scene, they were unable to provide adequate service and your wife
was left to walk home alone. Furthermore, you note what should have been two
tows (first to a residence and another to a repair facility) turned into
several visits spanning three days. Unfortunately, this also resulted in
several calls being erroneously charged against your membership and a bill in
the amount of $120.00 for excessive usage. In your inquiry, you also note a
lack of response to both your written and email correspondence, which we failed
to respond to in a timely manner. Based on your experience, we have reviewed
these events with all parties involved. We have forwarded the details of this
incident to AAA Washington so it can be addressed with their agents for
coaching and to prevent recurrence. We have stressed the importance of our
member’s safety and the urgency of providing assistance as quickly as possible.
AAA Washington has indicated they are currently working towards system
enhancements which will help to improve their response time. Additionally, we
have counselled our staff, reiterating the importance of reviewing all of our
member’s concerns in a timely manner and the necessity of providing a prompt
response and resolution. Our member’s feedback is of the utmost importance to
us and is a crucial source of information to improve our service quality. On
behalf of our entire organization, we would like to extend our sincerest
apologies to you as we were unable to provide you with a totally satisfying
member experience.  We highly value your
membership and find it disappointing that your experience fell short of our
goal and your expectations. As discussed with Mr. [redacted] on April 22,
2016, all service calls associated with this issue have been removed from your
wife’s portion of the membership usage. Additionally, I have authorized a reimbursement
of $120.00, representing a refund of the service charge payment you made via
check and which will arrive in a separate mailing. If you have any questions,
please contact [redacted], at (562) 377-[redacted].

In your request for assistance you are
asking for the following:
1.   
Remove
account from collections
2.   
Remove
any negative reporting from credit bureau
3.   
Send
you an itemized statement explaining balance...

owed
4.   
Letter
of apology
5.   
Pay
you $500 for your inconvenience
 
We have reviewed your past policy and
find no reason to remove it from our collection efforts nor to have any
negative reporting removed. Attached you will find the itemized statement
showing the dates of coverage for your last term and the unpaid balance explanation.
Coverage was provided from your January 8, 2013 renewal date as we processed
your $152.20 required payment. You called in to report a new mailing address on
January 22, 2013 as you were preparing to move to [redacted]. That mailing address
was used on all mailings going forward. Your February payment of $152.20 was
processed February 21, 2013 and no more payments were received. We billed for
your next March installment as there was no request to stop coverage from you.
Your coverage ended when the policy was cancelled for non-payment effective
April 10, 2013 with an unpaid balance of $85.60, which represents the unpaid
coverage of insurance from March 8, 2013 through April 10, 2013. If you had
insurance coverage on the vehicles we insured with another carrier prior to our
cancellation date of April 10, 2013 there may be a possible credit that could
be applied to your balance. You may provide us with a declaration page or ID
cards showing coverage dates and vehicle identification numbers for that to be
reviewed for possible adjustment. As for your request for an apology for no
response by our Executive staff we can find no correspondence from you asking
for assistance directed to any of our Executives. We do apologize if this was
an oversight on our part and never wish our past or present members to have
unresolved frustrations. Your request to be paid $500 for your inconvenience
does not meet with AAA business practices and can’t be honored. The unpaid
balance of $85.60 remains valid per our review. If you have any questions, please
contact [redacted], Collections Supervisor at [redacted].

We understand you have been speaking with Mr. [redacted], team manager at our Damage Assessment Center. We are pleased to find out your concerns have been addressed, progression has been made on your claim and we were able to arrive at an agreed settlement on your vehicle and rental expenses. We...

would like to thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention and apologize for any confusion you have experienced with the claims process. If we may be of further assistance please contact Mr. [redacted] directly at 310-217-5299.

Thank  you very much for all your help.  Three of my issues with different companies had been resolved and I am left with this issue.  I sincerely appreciate your time and effort.

It is our understanding you
reached out to the [redacted] branch last year to have the payment date on your
auto policy changed. Our guidelines state that a policy must be valid for
exactly one year; therefore, the system sets the payment due date to default to
the date the policy was originally...

written. This is done to provide our policy
holder with exactly a full year of coverage. You may change the payment due
date to one that is more convenient; however, you will need to make that
request every year at renewal. We understand that [redacted], Insurance
Manager, has discussed this with you and has confirmed that your due date is
now correct and he is also working on reimbursing you for your overdraft
expenses. We apologize for any inconvenience this situation has caused you. If you have any further
questions or concerns, please contact [redacted] or [redacted], Regional
Manager, at [redacted].

On April 10,
2016, you reported being involved in a traffic accident with another vehicle
insured by Access General. On April 11, 2016, we confirmed that you do not
carry rental coverage and would need to seek reimbursement for rental expenses
directly from Access General. In an effort to...

assist you with this, we filed a
claim on your behalf with Access General and provided you with their contact
information. We reminded you that you would need to pursue the rental
reimbursement through Access General on April 18, 2016 and April 19, 2016. On
May 21, 2016, we received a copy of your rental bill and assisted you by
forwarding a copy of it to Access General, requesting reimbursement be made
directly to you. On June 3, 2016, we left a message with the adjuster from
Access General requesting a call back with the status of your rental
reimbursement. As you are aware, your policy does not include rental coverage. Therefore,
we are unable to pay the rental charges incurred as a result of the above dated
loss. Since we are unable to make any rental payments, we do not have a right
of recovery to seek reimbursement directly. We understand you are dissatisfied
with the handling of this claim and sincerely apologize that we are unable to
reimburse you. We will continue to follow up with Access General and ask them
to reimburse you; however, they have no legal obligation to respond to our
inquiries. If you desire, you can sue their insured in small claims court to
recover your expenses. We will assist you in navigating that process. If you
have any additional information or need further assistance, please contact
[redacted] Claims Team Manager, at (562) 497-7060.

Upon review of the insurance policy we do see that Mr. [redacted]
Tran requested that we add you on; his spouse as a driver along with your 2002
Honda Accord. Per our company guidelines we completed this transaction with an
effective date of 8-21-2015. On 10-12-2015 [redacted] Tran visited the...

Huntington
Beach office and requested to remove you and the vehicle from the policy. Per
our company guidelines, we cannot remove a spouse from a policy without their
own verbal or written confirmation. As you were not in the office and could not
be reached by phone, [redacted] then requested that he be removed from the policy
along with his 2005 Honda. This transaction was completed as requested. The
policy remained in effect until it cancelled for non-payment in December 2015;
however, per your requests and upon receipt of proof of insurance elsewhere we
back-dated the cancellation date of this policy. There is still a remaining
balance of $496.06 for coverage provided prior to the cancellation. If you have
any questions or concerns, please contact [redacted] at 714-424-[redacted].

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.
Regards,
[redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
[The only thing I know that I have insurance with State Farm and [redacted] from 2/25/2015. I am not AAA policyholder because I never request for insurance from AAA after that day. One more thing is that how could AAA make up the amount due with different numbers of $617.09, $470.09, $496.09, $396.87 while I don't buy insurance with AAA, (please see the attached files)]
Regards,
[redacted]

Our file
reflects that this loss was reported by you on October 6, 2016. You stated that
you left [redacted] and traveled to [redacted] sometime in June of 2016
and left your 2012 [redacted] parked on the street near your residence in [redacted]...


 
The
information we have been able to ascertain indicates that your vehicle was
impounded and eventually lien sold. We are investigating the facts to determine
if a theft, as defined by the insurance policy, has occurred. Based upon the information
currently available, the facts do not support a theft of your vehicle.
 
Your policy
states in part:
 
PART III –
PHYSICAL DAMAGE
DEFINITIONS
– PART III
Theft – means theft or larceny.
 
If you have any
additional information, including a police theft report, please provide it to
us for consideration. Team Manager [redacted] is aware of your concerns and is
evaluating the claim for coverage. Please feel free to contact [redacted] directly at
telephone number [redacted].

We extend our
apologies for the frustration you have experienced with the insurance staff in
our [redacted] branch. It is our understanding that you have attempted to contact
us several times about correcting your address and it has not been corrected in
a timely matter. Please allow us to...

assure you that these delays do not meet
our corporate standards as we strive to provide our members and insureds with
products and service of the highest possible quality at all times. [redacted], Insurance Business Manager, has made several attempts to reach you at
[redacted] and [redacted] but did not have the pleasure of speaking with
you regarding your customer service concerns. In addition he emailed you at [redacted] and included his
contact information. He has assured us that he will personally provide
additional coaching to these employees to ensure these service failures are
rectified. We appreciate you bringing this situation to our attention as this
provides us with the opportunity to review our internal processes and improve
overall member service. If you should have any questions or concerns, please contact
[redacted], Regional Manager directly at [redacted].

A review of our records reflects that on May 5, 2017, you spoke to our representative regarding our Driving School program for your daughter [redacted]. Based on your inquiry, our representative provided you the option of enrolling [redacted] in our 30 hour online and a 10 hour in-car (30/10) course....

We informed you, this would cost $499.00.  However, at the time you called we were offering a promotional discount of $50.00 for this package. In accordance with your choice to enroll [redacted] in our 30/10 course, we emailed you the details which included information on the cancellation fees. For your records, enclosed is a copy of your signed acceptance of the program which included our policy on cancellation of classes and the applicable fees. Having received the signed document from you, we processed your payment in the amount of $449.00. ($499.00 - $50.00 promotional discount = $449.00). We explained, the 30 hour online course cost $49.95, and the 10 hour In-Car driving instruction cost, $399.05. Cancelling the online course would result in a refund of $49.95. However, choosing the In-Car only course as a Premier member this course would cost $474.00. As a result, while you would receive the $49.95 refund, you would owe an additional $74.95, plus you would be subject to the $75.00 cancellation fee. ($474.00 - $399.05 = $74.95 + $75.00 cancellation fee). As you had concerns regarding the additional amount owed, your concerns were escalated to our management staff for additional review. After a detailed review, as a courtesy an exception was approved to waive the $75.00 cancellation fee.  As a result, we explained that by converting the currently enrolled course to the In-Car only course, you would owe an additional $74.95. As the option of receiving the $49.95 refund and paying an additional $74.95 was unacceptable, we made several attempts to speak to you regarding the cancellation of [redacted]’s enrollment in the program without incurring any applicable fees. Unfortunately, our attempts to speak to you over the phone or receive correspondence via emails have been unsuccessful. As a result, without having received your authorization, we were unable to make any changes to [redacted]’s enrollment in our driving school program. Your suggestion that our goal was to collect “a large amount of money” was unfortunate as our Auto Club Driving School is an excellent training program that helps persons become responsible, safe drivers. We believed that our program would help [redacted], and it was offered to you as her parent, with discounts. When you became dissatisfied with the program, we attempted to accommodate you. It is now apparent that our Auto Club Driving School program did not meet your expectations. Accordingly, we have cancelled [redacted]’s enrollment in the program and will send you a refund of your entire $449.00 tuition payment. Please accept our apologies for your disappointment with our program. Be assured, as an organization, we take great consideration to meet the needs of our members and provide quality service. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact [redacted] at (714) 850-5184.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.
You may close Complaint ID [redacted] as resolved.  I was contacted by the company and received the gift card I was entitled to earlier this week.Thank you for your help!---[redacted]

Again, August 5, 2017, a photo inspection was
completed of your home. During the inspection it was discovered that tree
branches and vines were touching the roofline of the home. There was also a
washer and dryer located in the backyard. According to our underwriting
guidelines, the home cannot have any direct contact with live vegetation. Also,
any appliances on the exterior of the home are unacceptable. The agent, Ms.
[redacted], notified you of the concerning issues. You were able to remove the
branches and vines from touching the home. However, you did not remove the
washer and dryer from your yard. The policy was cancelled and a refund check of
$529.00 was sent to you on October 24, 2017 and cashed on October 30, 2017. If you
have any questions, we encourage you to contact. [redacted] at 714-885-5755.

Again, prior to the expiration of the 2015-2016 policy term, the Exchange’s Underwriting Department reviewed your insurance file, including its loss history, to determine if an unacceptable increase in the risk of loss had arisen since the previous review. During our review, the Underwriter assigned to your policy, noted that you had sustained two water-related losses in the five years immediately preceding your policy expiration date. 
 
The Exchange’s current underwriting renewal acceptability guidelines state:
 
“A policy may be considered for non-renewal if more than one paid loss (open or closed) has occurred in the last five years.  In deciding whether to non-renew for prior loss(es), consideration should be given to the entire loss experience or to whether the exposure has changed in such a way that there is now an increased risk of future loss(es).  Consideration should also be given as to whether the insured has taken adequate steps to remedy the risk of a similar loss from re-occurring.”
 
Since you had two losses within the experience period, we considered not only the number of losses you had sustained, but also their type and whether they were indicative of future similar losses. In view of your two water-related losses in less than five years, which are indicative of plumbing-related issues with an increased likelihood of future losses, your policy was not eligible for renewal. Consequently, since you did not meet the Exchange’s renewal criteria, we sent you a “Notice of Nonrenewal and Termination of Insurance” on June 7, 2016. The notice advised you of the reason for the nonrenewal and stated your policy would expire in its entirety at 12:01 a.m., Pacific Standard Time, on July 24, 2016.
 
Also, we stated the Exchange was willing to offer renewal of your policy if during the course of the 2016-2017 policy period, you agreed to increase your policy deductible to $5,000, and either:
 
Completely replace both the hot and cold water pipes throughout your dwelling; OR                                       ...⇄                                         ...⇄
Apply an epoxy treatment to your entire plumbing system.
 
The California Insurance Code (“CIC”) requires us to apply our underwriting renewal criteria in a fair and equitable manner to all insureds. The Exchange offers the above option to all qualifying policyholders and we cannot modify or tailor it to accommodate individual circumstances or conditions. As we did not hear back from you regarding increasing your deductible or receive any proof of repiping or applying an epoxy treatment, your policy did not renew and all coverage ceased on July 24, 2016.
 
You also mention that you are dissatisfied with the repair work completed after your most recent loss. Our research indicates payment was made to you to complete the repairs to your home.  The Exchange offered the assistance of [redacted] Construction (“[redacted]”), which was accepted. We understand [redacted] agreed to complete the work at your home. We were unaware of any concerns regarding ‘sloppy work’; and we will contact [redacted] on your behalf and request [redacted] address the claim-related repair work. We encourage you to contact [redacted] at[redacted], or [redacted], Manager, Underwriting Department, at[redacted] with any further questions.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
Regards,
[redacted]
I don't agree to what AAA was saying that there was no communication made with them when their representative advised me that I don't owe them anything and that what I previously paid will cover me until Dec. 14, 2014.  I have an e-mail as a proof to support this.  I actually requested that he gives me something in writing but he said I can only e-mail you that your next payment should be on Dec. 14.  I repeatedly double checked with him if there is anything I should pay if ever I cancel on or before Dec. 14 and he clearly mentioned there is none.  Now, I think the integrity of the company is questionable.Thank you.

We apologize
this accident occurred and appreciate the time you took to share your concerns.
In this loss you have stated that our insured backed into your car in a
shopping center parking lot. Our insured driver states that he was stopped in
this parking lot when you rear ended him. We...

certainly appreciate that this is
a very frustrating circumstance given your strong conviction in the version you
have put forward. Unfortunately no witnesses are available to support or deny
either driver’s version. Also there is no physical evidence available that
resolves this situation. Absent any compelling evidence to the contrary, we
must accept our insured’s version of events. We understand you have had your
vehicle repaired under your physical damage coverage through your carrier. Your
carrier can submit the liability dispute to an intercompany arbitration panel
for review. The Auto Club would accept any decision from that forum that is
within our coverage limits. You also have the option of Small Claims Court
where you could appear in front of a judge and tell your version of the loss
and ask the court to decide liability. Absent any additional information, we
have concluded that [redacted] was not responsible for the loss.  We regret this decision could not be more
favorable to your interests and if you have any further information or
questions, please contact Claims Manager [redacted] at [redacted].

Our review of the call
recording reflects that we were not informed the vehicle was purchased inoperatble.
As a result, our telephone representative was not given the opportunity to
inform the you of this service limitation, as it was not discussed over the
phone. Upon the service technician’s arrival, he proceeded to inspect your
vehicle along with asking several questions to determine with his dispatch
center if towing would be covered under membership. Unfortunately, the service
technician determined that the vehicle had been purchased in an inoperable
condition and correctly informed you that service would not be covered under
membership. He then proceeded to offer commercial service at a cost of $120.00
to tow the vehicle, which you declined. In regards to your covered Emergency
Roadside Assistance benefit, we suggest you please visit our website at www.aaa-calif.com for additional
information. Please search the keywords, “Online Member Kit” for access to our
Member Resources section that includes, the Member Guide where Service
Limitation can be found on page five. Additionally, in regards to your request
for reimbursement, please reference page five which states reimbursements will
only be considered for those membership services which the Auto Club provides
without charge. As such, your request for reimbursement is unwarranted as a
result of the service you requested not being a benefit under your membership. If
you should have any additional questions, we encourage you to please contact [redacted]

We investigated your damage claim which you
believed was a result of the tow service. We consulted with both independent
contractors, as well as the repair facility where your car was inspected. As
such, your damage claims were thoroughly reviewed and explained in the
following. The radiator...

damage you allege was found to have cracks at the
bottom of the radiator where it rests upon the frame. This damage in not
indicative of tow damage, showed no sign of being punctured by an object, and
is atypical to any method that might have been used by technicians who
responded to service you. The damaged windshield, with cracks found on the
upper corner of the windshield, was likely due to the excessive weight of
personal belongings strapped to the roof, or perhaps some other unknown reason,
but unlikely to be associated with the service provided to you by our
independent contractors. We understand you are requesting all damages be
repaired by the towing company. As the damages were not a product of either
tow, we cannot hold our independent contractors responsible for the cost of
repairs. While we believe our investigation to be satisfactory, you have the
option to take the matter up with your home club ([redacted]) for further
mediation. We regret that there is nothing further we can do. If you have any
further questions, please do not hesitate to contact [redacted]

In
reviewing the Emergency Road Service (ERS) phone calls for June 7, 2015 I see
you called in at 11:32 pm explaining persons unknown to you broke the rear
glass and driver’s side window. I am glad to hear you were not physically
injured. The ERS operator explained that your 2007 Cadillac...

STS could either be
towed to your house or to a storage facility as repair shops were closed that
late in the evening. You advised that you would call your fiancé first and then
call back if you wanted the car towed. On June 8th you called ERS
and your car was towed to [redacted]). It is my
understanding that you had a conversation with [redacted] Service Writer, [redacted]
and it was agreed that he was to do a complete inspection of the Cadillac. [redacted]
is a participant in our AAA Member Preferred Repairs (MPR) Program and does not
require an appraiser to be complete the initial inspection. MPR shops are
authorized to complete the initial inspection, write an estimate to repair the
damages and begin the repair with the owner’s authorization. The Exchange would
not have asked you to be present as you had discussed the damages with Mr.
[redacted] on the phone. After Mr. [redacted]’s initial inspection he contacted AAA
Appraiser [redacted] to inspect your Cadillac. Mrs. [redacted]
inspected the vehicle on June 12th and after reviewing the damages
and facts of loss it appeared that there were two separate losses. [redacted]
completed the replacement of the glass and clean up of the broken glass and
returned the vehicle to you. I apologize for Mr. [redacted] not returning your
calls. However, Mrs. [redacted] had advised Mr. [redacted] that she would be
handling your concerns so he assumed that a return call would not be necessary.
On June 29th, Claims Manager, [redacted], had the pleasure of
speaking with you regarding the unrelated damages and additional glass clean up
as [redacted] did not clean the glass completely. You advised that you would contact [redacted] for additional clean up. At your request, Mrs.
[redacted] met with you on July 1st at Selman Chevrolet. She
addressed the following concerns that were brought to her attention.
 
Broken
Glass – Mrs. [redacted] agreed to pay for additional clean up.
 
Glove
Box – You stated that [redacted] broke it when they were working
on the vehicle. Mrs. [redacted] explained that there was no evidence of
this.
 
Suspension
and Transmission – Mrs. [redacted] explained that you would need to have
these items diagnosed to determine the cause of damage.
 
Headlamps
– Does not appear to be related to the loss.
 
Left
Fender – Agreed to cover.
 
On
July 7th, Mrs. [redacted] had a conversation with you in which it was
agreed that the Exchange would cover the repairs to the left fender and glass
clean up and that you would handle the glove box issue directly with Mr. [redacted].
On July 10th you spoke with Mrs. [redacted] and explained there
were more items to be considered. Mrs. [redacted] contacted Mrs. [redacted] and
an inspection was setup for July 15th. AAA Appraiser, [redacted],
met with you on the 15th at [redacted] He addressed your
concerns and wrote an estimate which he provided to Mrs. [redacted]. On July 20th
Mrs. [redacted] received a call from you stating that your fog light had caught
fire. She advised you to have it diagnosed and that if it was determined to be
loss related we would pay for the repair. She also advised that if anything
else is related we can set up another inspection. I have assigned this matter
to Claims Manager, [redacted] and it is my understanding that he had the
pleasure of speaking with you on July 27th and discussed your
concerns. He informed me that he has scheduled a meeting with you at [redacted]
Chevrolet on Thursday, July 30th to attempt to resolve the remaining
issues. We regret any inconvenience
this process may have caused and we appreciate being given the opportunity to
address your concerns. We apologize for any lack of service you feel was received.
If you have any information or
need any further assistance please contact Claims Manager, [redacted] at
([redacted].