I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
The above respondent misconstrued many things. My rental vehicle reservation was indeed mad by AAA and I know for a fact it WAS NOT A WALK IN. I myself called [redacted] in the past to try and get the name of the person who made my reservation in hopes that that would solve this but [redacted] couldn't give me a name. Debbie G. told me I would be reimbursed over the phone, not through email. I never said it was in the email so again a misconstrue. I was told in the past all of the recordings were lost and suddenly they are now found but they can't seem to find the one where my girlfriend called the [redacted] office regarding needing a rental vehicle and then AAA made the reservation. Like I said before, I was NEVER sent books or information from AAA. The only thing I went by was the fact I was told I would be reimbursed when I upgraded my membership, when my girlfriend called the [redacted] AAA regarding needing a rental vehicle and by Debbie G. OVER THE PHONE. AAA has made several mistakes but seems to leave out every one and won't take ownership of those faults. WHY ON EARTH WOULD I EVER RENT A VEHICLE MYSELF IF I KNEW IT WOULDNT BE REIMBURSED? Until I get my reimbursement that I was told I would get when the call was made to the [redacted] Office, this will not be settled. What AAA has put my family through is horrendous and the financial hardship they have caused by their lack of accountability is inexcusable.
[redacted]
As per the member’s request, AAA Western & Central New York has cancelled his AAA membership account and issued a refund in the amount of $71.50 to his payment card. For his reference, I have attached a screen shot of the member’s receipt verifying the amount collected for his membership dues in October 2015. If the member has documentation indicating he paid an amount other than $71.50, he can forward it to me directly for consideration. Sincerely, Katie G. Senior Member Relations Analyst AAA Western & Central New York
Thank you for
taking the time to share the member’s concern regarding the annual membership
review, the types of vehicles that are covered under our Emergency Road Service
benefit, our process for resolving complaints, and our membership refund
policy. I appreciate her feedback and...
hope I can clarify our policies and
procedures.
Annual
Membership Review
As an
organization driven by membership, AAA Western and Central New York is
dedicated to serving the needs and interests of our members while maintaining
fiscal responsibility with the dues our members have entrusted with us. AAA is
a not-for-profit organization, where all of our members’ dues go right back
into the organization to pay the expenses, particularly those related to
Emergency Road Service. As stated in our AAA Terms & Conditions Guide, it
is the responsibility of the organization to periodically review individual
member expenses in order to maintain reasonable membership dues for all
members. During review, memberships that have service expenses
significantly exceeding generated revenue could be reduced to the Basic level
of membership the next membership year. In addition to the Member Review
information, the number of service calls included in AAA membership is also
listed.
In October of
2010, a letter was mailed to the Primary member to advise that the membership
would be restricted to the Basic level for the upcoming membership year
beginning January 1, 2011. Our records indicate that on December 15,
2010, the associate member contacted our Member
Service Center regarding the upcoming Plus level restriction and to discuss the
annual membership review process. After discussing the individual usage
of each member on the account, our associate offered to renew the Primary
member at the Plus level while moving the associate, who had incurred the
questionable cost, to her own Basic level membership. Both members allowed
their membership account to expire on December 31, 2011.
Eligible
Vehicles
Under the terms of AAA membership, service
applies to all properly licensed four-wheeled motor vehicles of the passenger,
pleasure or recreational type (including vans, campers and motor homes), if
those services can be safely delivered. In addition, dual-wheeled unloaded
pickup trucks are eligible for all services. These terms are explained more fully
in the AAA Terms & Conditions guide, provided
upon enrollment, accessible via [redacted].com, and available upon request.
While AAA would like to cover all vehicles a
member owns, such as a dual-wheeled flatbed
vehicle, certain considerations preclude that. Many of the vehicles and
trailers that we will not cover are typically loaded with work equipment or
very expensive items which would also require transportation. As you can imagine,
the cost of providing such coverage would necessarily make membership rates
prohibitively expensive. Excluding those
vehicles from AAA coverage does not mean that AAA cannot cover them; it means
that as an organization we have made the decision not to cover them for
service. These coverage standards are the foundation for roadside
assistance across the United States, so we are obligated to maintain that
coverage.
Our membership records indicate that the
member requested roadside assistance for her dual-wheeled 2000 [redacted]
flatbed vehicle on April 22, 2013. As this vehicle was not eligible for
emergency roadside assistance, service was not rendered for this vehicle.
AAA has no record that another tow truck was sent to provide service to the
vehicle, nor any record that service was provided to this vehicle at any time
in 2013 or 2014.
As per the member’s complaint, our retention specialist contacted
the member in June following her membership expiry date of April 30,
2013. The member was offered a complimentary membership extension through
July 31, 2014 upon renewal as a gesture of goodwill. As this conversation
took place more than one year ago, AAA does not have access to the call
recording to verify if the member was erroneously advised that her dual-wheeled
flatbed vehicle was eligible for service under the AAA emergency roadside
assistance benefit. I sincerely
apologize if the conversation with our Retention Specialist resulted in any
confusion regarding the types of vehicle covered under the AAA Emergency
Roadside Assistance benefit.
Complaint Procedures
Our AAA associates are well equipped to
resolve a variety of concerns that our members may bring to their
attention. In addition, AAA Western and Central New York employs a Member
Relations Department, dedicated solely to addressing member concerns that
require additional research and review.
On March 16, 2015, the member contacted AAA
to request emergency roadside assistance for a dual-wheeled flatbed
truck. The member was advised that this vehicle is not covered under her
AAA membership account. Subsequently, the member requested a refund, but
was advised that she is not eligible as the cost of services used exceeds the
membership dues paid by the member for the current membership year. As the
member was dissatisfied with the associate’s response, a complaint form was
completed as per our standard operating procedure.
The complaint form was transferred to the
Member Relations Department for response to the member within three business
days; however, in the meantime, our Member Relations Department received the
member’s complaint filed with the Revdex.com. Accordingly,
AAA will direct all future correspondence regarding the member’s concern to the
Revdex.com.
Membership
Refund
I sincerely apologize if the conversation
with our Retention Specialist resulted in any confusion regarding the types
of vehicle covered under the AAA Emergency Roadside Assistance benefit.
Furthermore, I recognize the frustration and inconvenience the member
experienced when she learned that her vehicle was not eligible for emergency
roadside assistance benefits.
With that being said, however, we do see that AAA membership was
still quite valuable for the member. Though the vehicle in question is
not covered by AAA service, members on this account also sought and received
service for a 2011 [redacted] and [redacted] and a 2010 [redacted] for
services like tire changes and no-starts. In addition, the member found
value in using our discount at a local gasoline provider, where the card was
used at the pump for special AAA savings on
gasoline.
When considering if a refund should be,
we must evaluate how much was received in membership dues versus how much money
was paid out for services rendered. Our records show that the member
utilized her emergency roadside assistance benefit on December 9, 2014 and
received reimbursement for covered services obtained on January 6, 2015, the
cost of which exceed her annual membership dues. In accordance with the
AAA Terms & Conditions, the cost of
services used must be deducted from the refund provided, and since the cost
of providing service to this membership exceeded any money received, the member is not eligible for a refund
of her annual AAA membership dues.
In conclusion, I would like to thank you again for allowing AAA an
opportunity to address the member’s concerns.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me directly, and I’ll be
happy to speak with you.
Sincerely,
[redacted]
Senior Member Relations Analyst
AAA Western & Central New York
Thank you for sharing our member’s concern regarding his request for emergency roadside assistance on December 31, 2016. On December 31, 2016, our Western Region Fleet responded to the member’s request for emergency roadside assistance. Upon arriving on site, our driver found that the...
member’s vehicle was stuck on a raised concrete barrier approximately two feet off the ground. The two driver-side wheels were suspended in the air and the two passenger-side wheels were on the ground, as the vehicle was stuck atop this curb. Photographs of the curb and vehicle position are attached for your reference. As the member made an unsuccessful attempt to back down the driveway, the vehicle had scraped along the raised curb, causing damage to the undercarriage. At the time of service, however, the vehicle could not be completely inspected to determine every aspect of damage caused by the accident. The vehicle was in a precarious position, and lighting was poor being the middle of the night. The responding AAA driver was able to photograph a broken carrier bearing supporting the drive shaft that required replacement. Accordingly, our driver advised the member that damage had already occurred and informed our member that extricating the vehicle had the potential to cause additional damage. The member signed a damage release as part of this process. The member’s vehicle was subsequently retrieved from its position on the ledge. Upon extrication, the driver noted additional damage to the carrier bearing mount and indicated the vehicle could not be driven safely. At the member’s request, we towed the vehicle to a repair facility in [redacted], NY. On January 3, 2017 the member contacted AAA Western and Central New York to express concerns about damage to his vehicle. AAA began its investigation immediately and a voice message was left for the member on January 6, 2017. Upon speaking with our member regarding his concern on January 9, 2017, our damage investigator was advised that repairs had already been completed. As such, our damage investigator was unable to inspect the damaged parts in question. Nonetheless, AAA completed a thorough investigation by speaking with the vehicle repair facility and reviewing the member’s invoice (attached), along with photographs from the scene and documentation from the driver. The results of the investigation did not reveal any evidence that the repairs provided to the member’s vehicle were required as a result of the service provided by AAA on December 31, 2016. In regards to the drive shaft, however, AAA recognized that the investigation was incomplete as the damaged components had already been repaired. Accordingly, as a gesture of goodwill, AAA issued a check to the member in the amount of $996.95, the cost of re-manufacturing and installing the drive shaft. With the evidence available, AAA cannot conclude that the additional repairs were required as a result of damage caused by AAA services. However, as a good-faith effort to resolve this concern, AAA has agreed to issue an additional gesture of goodwill in the amount of $1,220.84, which includes: · $48.50 The cost of labor required to check the drive shaft. · $500.00 Crossmember repair. · $493.90 Installation of new fuel lines. · $178.44 All taxes incurred on the parts and labor reimbursed by AAA. Before a check can be issued, AAA will require the member to complete and return the attached Release of Liability to: AAA Western and Central New York Attn: Member Relations [redacted], NY [redacted]. Thank you again for sharing our member’s feedback. If you have any additional questions or if would like to discuss this matter further, please feel free to contact me directly, and I’ll be happy to speak with you. Sincerely, Katie G. Member Relations Supervisor AAA Western & Central New York
We would like to thank our customer for taking the time to share his feedback about his recent experience at our AAA Car Care Plus vehicle maintenance and repair facility. We apologize that he was not satisfied with the services he received. Please be assured that we take customer service...
issues very seriously and have thoroughly reviewed the matter. In response to the member’s concerns, AAA finds the following: • The repair delay was a direct result of a shipping error by the supplier requested by the customer. While our facility typically orders these parts from the dealer, the customer requested that the parts be ordered through the supplier of his choosing. Upon learning of the shipping error, our manager acted as an advocate for the customer, ensuring that the parts were shipped overnight with no additional shipping fees. The parts were ordered on December 2, 2016, they arrived on December 8, 2016, and the repair was completed on December 9, 2016. • The shipping error made it difficult to provide the member with an accurate estimated day of completion. Nonetheless, AAA apologizes that the customer was incorrectly advised of the vehicle’s anticipated completion date. • In some instances, our software may not be able to successfully reprogram the sensors. AAA apologizes that the customer was not advised beforehand that additional services at a dealership may be needed. As the customer has already disputed the cost incurred for the services provided by the dealer with his bank in the amount $125.01, AAA cannot issue a refund check to the customer. Accordingly, to resolve the matter, the customer’s chargeback to the payment card company will not be disputed by AAA. I would like to thank the customer for sharing his concern. His opinions and feedback are essential to helping us provide the quality service that we are known for and is expected by our members. I would like to stress that his experience is not consistent with the standards of AAA. He can be assured that we will take appropriate steps to address his concerns internally. If you have any questions regarding this matter, please feel free to contact me directly, and I’ll be happy to speak with you. Sincerely, Katie G. Senior Member Relations Analyst AAA Western & Central New York
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
The above respondent misconstrued many things. My rental vehicle reservation was indeed mad by AAA and I know for a fact it WAS NOT A WALK IN. I myself called [redacted] in the past to try and get the name of the person who made my reservation in hopes that that would solve this but [redacted] couldn't give me a name. Debbie G. told me I would be reimbursed over the phone, not through email. I never said it was in the email so again a misconstrue. I was told in the past all of the recordings were lost and suddenly they are now found but they can't seem to find the one where my girlfriend called the [redacted] office regarding needing a rental vehicle and then AAA made the reservation. Like I said before, I was NEVER sent books or information from AAA. The only thing I went by was the fact I was told I would be reimbursed when I upgraded my membership, when my girlfriend called the [redacted] AAA regarding needing a rental vehicle and by Debbie G. OVER THE PHONE. AAA has made several mistakes but seems to leave out every one and won't take ownership of those faults. WHY ON EARTH WOULD I EVER RENT A VEHICLE MYSELF IF I KNEW IT WOULDNT BE REIMBURSED? Until I get my reimbursement that I was told I would get when the call was made to the [redacted] Office, this will not be settled. What AAA has put my family through is horrendous and the financial hardship they have caused by their lack of accountability is inexcusable.
[redacted]
As per the member’s request, AAA Western & Central New York has cancelled his AAA membership account and issued a refund in the amount of $71.50 to his payment card. For his reference, I have attached a screen shot of the member’s receipt verifying the amount collected for his membership dues in October 2015. If the member has documentation indicating he paid an amount other than $71.50, he can forward it to me directly for consideration. Sincerely, Katie G. Senior Member Relations Analyst AAA Western & Central New York
Thank you for
taking the time to share the member’s concern regarding the annual membership
review, the types of vehicles that are covered under our Emergency Road Service
benefit, our process for resolving complaints, and our membership refund
policy. I appreciate her feedback and...
hope I can clarify our policies and
procedures.
Annual
Membership Review
As an
organization driven by membership, AAA Western and Central New York is
dedicated to serving the needs and interests of our members while maintaining
fiscal responsibility with the dues our members have entrusted with us. AAA is
a not-for-profit organization, where all of our members’ dues go right back
into the organization to pay the expenses, particularly those related to
Emergency Road Service. As stated in our AAA Terms & Conditions Guide, it
is the responsibility of the organization to periodically review individual
member expenses in order to maintain reasonable membership dues for all
members. During review, memberships that have service expenses
significantly exceeding generated revenue could be reduced to the Basic level
of membership the next membership year. In addition to the Member Review
information, the number of service calls included in AAA membership is also
listed.
In October of
2010, a letter was mailed to the Primary member to advise that the membership
would be restricted to the Basic level for the upcoming membership year
beginning January 1, 2011. Our records indicate that on December 15,
2010, the associate member contacted our Member
Service Center regarding the upcoming Plus level restriction and to discuss the
annual membership review process. After discussing the individual usage
of each member on the account, our associate offered to renew the Primary
member at the Plus level while moving the associate, who had incurred the
questionable cost, to her own Basic level membership. Both members allowed
their membership account to expire on December 31, 2011.
Eligible
Vehicles
Under the terms of AAA membership, service
applies to all properly licensed four-wheeled motor vehicles of the passenger,
pleasure or recreational type (including vans, campers and motor homes), if
those services can be safely delivered. In addition, dual-wheeled unloaded
pickup trucks are eligible for all services. These terms are explained more fully
in the AAA Terms & Conditions guide, provided
upon enrollment, accessible via [redacted].com, and available upon request.
While AAA would like to cover all vehicles a
member owns, such as a dual-wheeled flatbed
vehicle, certain considerations preclude that. Many of the vehicles and
trailers that we will not cover are typically loaded with work equipment or
very expensive items which would also require transportation. As you can imagine,
the cost of providing such coverage would necessarily make membership rates
prohibitively expensive. Excluding those
vehicles from AAA coverage does not mean that AAA cannot cover them; it means
that as an organization we have made the decision not to cover them for
service. These coverage standards are the foundation for roadside
assistance across the United States, so we are obligated to maintain that
coverage.
Our membership records indicate that the
member requested roadside assistance for her dual-wheeled 2000 [redacted]
flatbed vehicle on April 22, 2013. As this vehicle was not eligible for
emergency roadside assistance, service was not rendered for this vehicle.
AAA has no record that another tow truck was sent to provide service to the
vehicle, nor any record that service was provided to this vehicle at any time
in 2013 or 2014.
As per the member’s complaint, our retention specialist contacted
the member in June following her membership expiry date of April 30,
2013. The member was offered a complimentary membership extension through
July 31, 2014 upon renewal as a gesture of goodwill. As this conversation
took place more than one year ago, AAA does not have access to the call
recording to verify if the member was erroneously advised that her dual-wheeled
flatbed vehicle was eligible for service under the AAA emergency roadside
assistance benefit. I sincerely
apologize if the conversation with our Retention Specialist resulted in any
confusion regarding the types of vehicle covered under the AAA Emergency
Roadside Assistance benefit.
Complaint Procedures
Our AAA associates are well equipped to
resolve a variety of concerns that our members may bring to their
attention. In addition, AAA Western and Central New York employs a Member
Relations Department, dedicated solely to addressing member concerns that
require additional research and review.
On March 16, 2015, the member contacted AAA
to request emergency roadside assistance for a dual-wheeled flatbed
truck. The member was advised that this vehicle is not covered under her
AAA membership account. Subsequently, the member requested a refund, but
was advised that she is not eligible as the cost of services used exceeds the
membership dues paid by the member for the current membership year. As the
member was dissatisfied with the associate’s response, a complaint form was
completed as per our standard operating procedure.
The complaint form was transferred to the
Member Relations Department for response to the member within three business
days; however, in the meantime, our Member Relations Department received the
member’s complaint filed with the Revdex.com. Accordingly,
AAA will direct all future correspondence regarding the member’s concern to the
Revdex.com.
Membership
Refund
I sincerely apologize if the conversation
with our Retention Specialist resulted in any confusion regarding the types
of vehicle covered under the AAA Emergency Roadside Assistance benefit.
Furthermore, I recognize the frustration and inconvenience the member
experienced when she learned that her vehicle was not eligible for emergency
roadside assistance benefits.
With that being said, however, we do see that AAA membership was
still quite valuable for the member. Though the vehicle in question is
not covered by AAA service, members on this account also sought and received
service for a 2011 [redacted] and [redacted] and a 2010 [redacted] for
services like tire changes and no-starts. In addition, the member found
value in using our discount at a local gasoline provider, where the card was
used at the pump for special AAA savings on
gasoline.
When considering if a refund should be,
we must evaluate how much was received in membership dues versus how much money
was paid out for services rendered. Our records show that the member
utilized her emergency roadside assistance benefit on December 9, 2014 and
received reimbursement for covered services obtained on January 6, 2015, the
cost of which exceed her annual membership dues. In accordance with the
AAA Terms & Conditions, the cost of
services used must be deducted from the refund provided, and since the cost
of providing service to this membership exceeded any money received, the member is not eligible for a refund
of her annual AAA membership dues.
In conclusion, I would like to thank you again for allowing AAA an
opportunity to address the member’s concerns.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me directly, and I’ll be
happy to speak with you.
Sincerely,
[redacted]
Senior Member Relations Analyst
AAA Western & Central New York
Thank you for sharing our member’s concern regarding his request for emergency roadside assistance on December 31, 2016. On December 31, 2016, our Western Region Fleet responded to the member’s request for emergency roadside assistance. Upon arriving on site, our driver found that the...
member’s vehicle was stuck on a raised concrete barrier approximately two feet off the ground. The two driver-side wheels were suspended in the air and the two passenger-side wheels were on the ground, as the vehicle was stuck atop this curb. Photographs of the curb and vehicle position are attached for your reference. As the member made an unsuccessful attempt to back down the driveway, the vehicle had scraped along the raised curb, causing damage to the undercarriage. At the time of service, however, the vehicle could not be completely inspected to determine every aspect of damage caused by the accident. The vehicle was in a precarious position, and lighting was poor being the middle of the night. The responding AAA driver was able to photograph a broken carrier bearing supporting the drive shaft that required replacement. Accordingly, our driver advised the member that damage had already occurred and informed our member that extricating the vehicle had the potential to cause additional damage. The member signed a damage release as part of this process. The member’s vehicle was subsequently retrieved from its position on the ledge. Upon extrication, the driver noted additional damage to the carrier bearing mount and indicated the vehicle could not be driven safely. At the member’s request, we towed the vehicle to a repair facility in [redacted], NY. On January 3, 2017 the member contacted AAA Western and Central New York to express concerns about damage to his vehicle. AAA began its investigation immediately and a voice message was left for the member on January 6, 2017. Upon speaking with our member regarding his concern on January 9, 2017, our damage investigator was advised that repairs had already been completed. As such, our damage investigator was unable to inspect the damaged parts in question. Nonetheless, AAA completed a thorough investigation by speaking with the vehicle repair facility and reviewing the member’s invoice (attached), along with photographs from the scene and documentation from the driver. The results of the investigation did not reveal any evidence that the repairs provided to the member’s vehicle were required as a result of the service provided by AAA on December 31, 2016. In regards to the drive shaft, however, AAA recognized that the investigation was incomplete as the damaged components had already been repaired. Accordingly, as a gesture of goodwill, AAA issued a check to the member in the amount of $996.95, the cost of re-manufacturing and installing the drive shaft. With the evidence available, AAA cannot conclude that the additional repairs were required as a result of damage caused by AAA services. However, as a good-faith effort to resolve this concern, AAA has agreed to issue an additional gesture of goodwill in the amount of $1,220.84, which includes: · $48.50 The cost of labor required to check the drive shaft. · $500.00 Crossmember repair. · $493.90 Installation of new fuel lines. · $178.44 All taxes incurred on the parts and labor reimbursed by AAA. Before a check can be issued, AAA will require the member to complete and return the attached Release of Liability to: AAA Western and Central New York Attn: Member Relations [redacted], NY [redacted]. Thank you again for sharing our member’s feedback. If you have any additional questions or if would like to discuss this matter further, please feel free to contact me directly, and I’ll be happy to speak with you. Sincerely, Katie G. Member Relations Supervisor AAA Western & Central New York
We would like to thank our customer for taking the time to share his feedback about his recent experience at our AAA Car Care Plus vehicle maintenance and repair facility. We apologize that he was not satisfied with the services he received. Please be assured that we take customer service...
issues very seriously and have thoroughly reviewed the matter. In response to the member’s concerns, AAA finds the following: • The repair delay was a direct result of a shipping error by the supplier requested by the customer. While our facility typically orders these parts from the dealer, the customer requested that the parts be ordered through the supplier of his choosing. Upon learning of the shipping error, our manager acted as an advocate for the customer, ensuring that the parts were shipped overnight with no additional shipping fees. The parts were ordered on December 2, 2016, they arrived on December 8, 2016, and the repair was completed on December 9, 2016. • The shipping error made it difficult to provide the member with an accurate estimated day of completion. Nonetheless, AAA apologizes that the customer was incorrectly advised of the vehicle’s anticipated completion date. • In some instances, our software may not be able to successfully reprogram the sensors. AAA apologizes that the customer was not advised beforehand that additional services at a dealership may be needed. As the customer has already disputed the cost incurred for the services provided by the dealer with his bank in the amount $125.01, AAA cannot issue a refund check to the customer. Accordingly, to resolve the matter, the customer’s chargeback to the payment card company will not be disputed by AAA. I would like to thank the customer for sharing his concern. His opinions and feedback are essential to helping us provide the quality service that we are known for and is expected by our members. I would like to stress that his experience is not consistent with the standards of AAA. He can be assured that we will take appropriate steps to address his concerns internally. If you have any questions regarding this matter, please feel free to contact me directly, and I’ll be happy to speak with you. Sincerely, Katie G. Senior Member Relations Analyst AAA Western & Central New York