Annoyed – roadside assistance ‘rip off’

Maybe charging for the bulbs meant no call out fee which is normally about £100, just a thought.

No call out charge on our policy, something about fair usage rather. Yes, I guess we’ve wasted a call out on a blown bulbs, but we didn’t know that at the time of course

Wow, tough crowd, but thanks for your thoughts. Because there is a lot of confusion and misreading/ misunderstanding a summary

I was with you 100% until

I’d still say it smells to me like some wool has been pulled over some eyes.

To gain what exactly? To take a young woman for £40 of which he’ll see none of and recover the three inches of boot space that a couple of truck bulbs were taking up?

Hanlon’s Razor applies here I fear.

Fair comment, you’re probably right

As for fair usage, I think Jon did the right thing because

Just changed a headlight bulb on my 05 Jazz- involves removing the plastic lining in front of the wheel and then using contortionist skills or child labour to get to the fitting, what kind of designer does that? A sadist?

I’ve told this tale before.  A work colleague drafted my assistance after failing to fit a headlight bulb in an Astra van.  After me initially going “WTF is wrong with you?” it turned out, I couldn’t work out how to do it either.  A quick hop into Halfords to cheekily skim the Haynes manual, “step 1: drain and remove radiator”…

That was maybe 20 years ago.  It’s easy to take the high horse but cars are increasingly user-hostile when it comes to DIY.

And also to reiterate, at that point we didn’t know, even think, it was blown bulbs. It was trying to diagnose from 120 miles distance and I didn’t ask the right questions.

I’d probably do it myself but it is one of the remove wheel arch trim and have three elbow efforts

No judgement for having someone else change bulbs, some vehicles are a real pig. A little judgement for not noticing one light was out and getting it sorted before the other blew.

I think it might be fair to expect a refund on the incorrect parts used, and I’m not sure anyone would disagree. I just think some of the frustration is misplaced.

If you thought it was a potentially complex electrical fault, that is more reason to take it to a garage. Roadside assistance isn’t there to diagnose such things. It’s there to get you going, or get you to a garage, when you get stuck. Which again, they did, even if they made a mistake.

Should you be refunded for the incorrect part? Maybe, yes, at least partially.

Should they claim responsibility for the garage bill that should have been the first port of call anyway? I’m not sure how anyone can reach that conclusion. The whole situation seems to have transpired from poor maintenance, and calling out roadside assistance for a routine maintenance task just seems to be an extension of that problem.

Using the wrong tool for the job in favour of convenience, and responding with anger because it’s resulted in inconvenience.

Very few bulbs I’ve ever changed have been a 5 minute job, some have fangled clips, no room to move hands etc

Singletrack crowd are tough if you are ever looking for pals to side with you especially when it’s a motoring issue and they’re behind the keyboard

Also fair. We don’t use the roadside assistance in place of maintenance – far from, I have a local and it’s checked and maintained annually or as needed, when she’s at home. In fact we have two, one mech and another electrical specialist. We had front suspension done in the summer for example. And all comments about a lesson and doing a walk around every now and then have been passed on (for all the good it’ll do…..do any of you have kids!)

I don’t necessarily think we thought it was a complex electrical issue, I can’t say again that I overlooked bulbs and that is a/ obvious in hindsight and b/ my fault. Fast Googling suggested other stuff, eg alternator. If he’d said it was an alternator, of course it would have been a garage job.

I’m not angry, just disappointed 😉

all comments about a lesson and doing a walk around every now and then have been passed on

I’d like to think I’m above average in terms of things like mechanical sympathy and keeping abreast of updates to THC, and I couldn’t tell you the last time I did a ‘walk-around’ of the car but I doubt it’s in the last 30 years (aside from when buying a used vehicle).  I’d further posit that anyone suggesting that they get a pal to help check their brake lights are functional on a weekly basis is telling porky pies.

That said, having a headlight out should be readily apparent the first time you go out at night.

Should be. Which is partly why the obvious got overlooked

In future I’ll view everything with the mechanical nous of a 19 year old girl

I’m surprised a 2009 car doesn’t tell you when a light is out.

My 2014 van will get upset if any rear bulbs are out or front indicators/sidelights.  However it won’t warn me about front dipped/full/fogs.

Suspect this is because it’s canbus at the rear only which is presumably how the bulb failure monitoring works.  Suspect many cars are the same.

The guy got her vehicle to a relatively safe condition to drive.

Think there are bigger fish to fry. Chalk it up to experience.

genius level removable headlights that should be the default standard

Was pleased to find the Ducato has this when I changed the bulbs recently for some LED Nightbreakers. Unclip the cable, two screws and the whole unit comes away. Remove cover on back of unit change bulb.

When I changed the headlights on the old T5 (previous owner had installed whatever bulbs that had burnt the reflector behind the bulb) I had to jack the van in the air, remove the tray under the engine, drop the bumper and the grill before I could remove the headlight units. Changing a bulb didn’t need all that, but invariably lead to bloody knuckles.

Had chance to reread start to finish. And the bit to comment on is that it’s a clear lesson in how people skim read and pick up on comments, some of which are plain wrong and then expand them. And so they become fact.  I found it interesting at least.

But to make it clear, she didn’t drive a 2009 Aygo 120 miles with no lights in the dark to get home 😉

So we’ve learnt

Mitzibishi Colt -> C1/Aygo -> Cayenne/Xc90

= headlight design by

Erno Rubiks -> Mr Tickle -> The 1946 Manhattan Project team

I’m not sure I’ve done a walk around other than a hire car or professional minibus driver for work. But they’re very different situations. I’ve taught our lads to do this – eldest has refused a couple of rental vans and minibuses at university because of the quick whizz round and look at tyres and lights for example.

What I did do today, and do it all the time, is look at the nearest tyre when I walk towards a car. I pulled into a parking space in front of the supermarket and could see both sidelights on in the reflection. In reversed up to a wall last week and could see both brake lights. In watched youngest_oab pull away last week with the headlights on. By doing this the basics get ‘checked’ every couple of weeks.

d I couldn’t tell you the last time I did a ‘walk-around’ of the car but I doubt it’s in the last 30 years (

And your probably in line with the majority of the general populous these days.

It shows on a winter commute.

The rest is as stated, fitted two wrong parts in daylight.

So why not take it to a proper garage, instead of a roadside assistance van, which will basically carry next to nothing for mechanical or electrical issues, even nipping to halfords would have worked out the problem in a few minutes, for a tenner fitment i believe on each side?

Roadside assistance for me is something that might require towing to a garage, not to be the alternative to a garage.

I still can’t believe you let her drive home from the south of France on side lights, in a gale force blizzard as well, with flat tyres. I thought I was a bad father.

So why not take it to a proper garage, instead of a roadside assistance van,

Save the pixels, please read the thread properly and see if the answer is there?

Save the pixels, please read the thread properly and see if the answer is there?

I’ve read it, both headlights out, you have roadside assistance so used them, but during daylight hours, she could take the car to a local garage and have it properly checked, they’d probably also have stock of most headlamp bulbs to check quickly, it would be the first check for pretty much any garage.

Personally, I’m astonished that a ‘professional’ roadside assistance operative doesn’t know what voltage bulbs go into cars and trucks. The supplies in his van should all be new, in packaging that’s clearly marked from the manufacturer, and to be very clear about the voltage. How many more cars do they get called out for compared to trucks, I wonder? 🤔
My old Octavia was one of the easiest cars to change bulbs on, took at most ten minutes, usually five.

My Mk1 Puma 1.7 Zetec, on the other hand, required a large Torx wrench, when those were very uncommon, and about 45 minutes to actually change a bulb, requiring the removal of the radiator grill, drainage tubes, the entire headlight unit, the wiring connector and finally the back of the headlight unit, to access the bulbs. Then reverse the process.
That was under roadside repair in the handbook. Imagine what that would cost at Halfrauds!
My EcoSport is much easier to change bulbs, but it’s still a bit of a hassle, and takes about twenty minutes, because it’s awkward to get the bulb located in the housing – there’s a noticeable misalignment on my lights, the n/s is a bit low, since I replaced the bulb, but it’s not too much, I just need to find someone to do the adjustment. I’ll probably leave it until the car goes in for a service later in the year, nobody flashes me because the lights are dazzling them, so I can live with it.

you have roadside assistance

No, we pay extra for Home as well. For precisely this reason. Because I’m not there to sort stuff out and it a 17 year old car that things go wrong on

It’s not a case of noticing lights didn’t work, and calling them out. It was driving along, all good, suddenly not (nws whether there was a light out before and 19 yo maintenance regimes, all noted)

I see you disagree with whether it’s a valid call out, all I can offer as fact is that she phoned them up, described what happened and they didn’t tell her to piss off to a garage. What happened next is the point..Guy came, fitted wrong parts. When I noted the lights were dim last week, i didn’t consider that a pro mechanic from one of the major breakdown companies had fitted the wrong bulbs – tbf I didn’t know there was a 24v option, does everyone else – hence paying for someone else to find that out.

With our ‘Complete cover’, home start breakdown cover is included. Once you’ve bought your cover, you can call us 24/7 and we’ll send a patrol to your home address.

When we arrive, we’ll try to fix you on the spot to save you a trip to the garage. But if that’s not possible, we’ll offer you

Today I have learned that trucks use 24v lights. I had no idea.

I said drive it home carefully on sidelights

in the dark? 🤔

No, we pay extra for Home as well. For precisely this reason. Because I’m not there to sort stuff out and it a 17 year old car that things go wrong on

It’s not a case of noticing lights didn’t work, and calling them out. It was driving along, all good, suddenly not (nws whether there was a light out before and 19 yo maintenance regimes, all noted)

I have roadside assistance with home cover, we got it for DOA on the driveway, i wouldn’t treat it as a mobile garage though, not that they won’t look, but i wouldn’t have confidence in them.

You’re query is a simple one, put a claim in, i’ve done it when we had the AA out for the car not moving (fuel pump failure), for some reason, he pulled fuzes and put them in the wrong positions, the garage gave us this info and we went back through the AA to claim with our invoice and the mechanics statement about the fuzes. It’s a simple process.

The reason i’m commenting is that your daughter is 120 miles away, reliant on her car and sounds like she doesn’t do the basics to check it’s roadworthy, i’d be pushing her to get that sorted, and to find a reliable local garage to take the car too when there are issues.

I said drive it home carefully on sidelights

in the dark?

Yes, she was already on outskirts of town. And technically ISTR if there are streetlights that is legit anyway, but was little risk in honesty, same as cyclist ‘be seen’ lights.  And if she’d been stopped she’s not the belligerent type so would probably have passed the attitude test and might even have got an escort home.

We do have a local mechanic she can go to, did her fan belt when it went (were we allowed to call them for that, she was in one of the Uni car parks when it frayed and started banging?) – in fact that was a thread for recommendations on here as there are a few residents of Leam

What do the T&Cs say?

Roadside repair costs are usually covered, just not materials, parts, oil, tyres, etc, but you might need to get the repair authorised. If your recovery company doesn’t cover repair costs then look elsewhere

An H7 bulb is <£5 to a garage/recovery operator so I can’t reconcile £40

Roadside screwed up . Should have read the box and he knew what he was going to.  I would whinge at the assistance company. Doubt you’ll get anywhere.

No difference to shoving modern synthetic oil in an elderly mini. It might get you home but it isn’t ok.

I see you disagree with whether it’s a valid call out

I’m a bit puzzled about that myself. If your lights failing while driving your car at night isn’t a breakdown then I don’t know what is.

Granted that if you’d started with only one functional light in the first place it all becomes a bit more dubious but evidently she didn’t know that to be the case when she put the call in.

As an aside though, I’m often surprised at the amount of hand-holding a lot of the parents on here seem to do for their adult children who’ve left home and who I’d expect to be living independent lives.

If the recovery chap fitted them during the day I’m not surprised he didn’t notice they were the wrong voltage on turning them on, I don’t think I could eyeball the lumens coming out of a headlight in daylight.

It was a cock up, and it’s fair to winge to the aa if you still have the parts. I’m surprised an AA truck carries 24v bulbs, maybe the operator didn’t realise he had 24v bulbs either.

£20 per (correct) bulb fitted is entirely fair and pretty much in line with what Halfords charge

If the recovery chap fitted them during the day I’m not surprised he didn’t notice they were the wrong voltage on turning them on

Stated “in the evening”, and if it was light enough to drive without lights, I’d have expected the phone agent to tell them to drive to the nearest garage.

That’s not correct, as I have said a few times, she got back to her Uni digs and called in the am. And they could have said go to Halfords, but at the time we didn’t know it was bulbs – on the basis of what she told them on the phone they sent someone.

As an aside though, I’m often surprised at the amount of hand-holding a lot of the parents on here seem to do for their adult children who’ve left home and who I’d expect to be living independent lives.

I agree. She asked me what to do and I told her, but she does it all. Of course I finance it, she’s a Uni student, if I didn’t pay for it the grant top up would run out and I’d have to pay that instead. Such is life.

You advised your daughter the car was ok to be driven a short distance in the dark to get home with no headlights but the next day when it was daylight you claim the vehicle was brokedown?

If you actually admitted this was wrong then maybe people would have a bit more respect for you.

It doesn’t matter if you thought it was bulbs or an electrical fault it should of been driven to a garage in daylight, maybe remember this next time you complain your daughter is waiting on the hard should for hours for roadside assistant

You should get the money back for the bulbs as you were sold incorrect parts if its listed as 12v bulbs on the invoice?

The fact the van was carrying 24v bulbs means it was most likely a sub contractor, is this kown? And how come the company is not been named?

I don’t know where this lack of respect thing has come from but I’ve never been less than truthful. As I said, I thought best course as she was already on the edge of town and had sidelights and rear lights it was a reasonable risk to take. Technically wrong – I’m not even sure, are headlights mandatory in a BUA with streetlights.

She phoned the assistance people and told them straight what happened. They agreed to send someone. For the umpteenth time, we didn’t know it was bulbs at that point, and we pay enhanced cover for home call out. So no guilt in phoning, after which it’s their choice and actions. In the wrong – I disagree, with respect.

No, I haven’t said who it is deliberately. I don’t see it’s relevant, it’s what they did not who they are.

Also fwiw, yes, I suppose part of get it home and call in the morning was to avoid a roadside wait. She was also clear on that, no rush to get there.

Shirley that’s not an MOT pass and therefore must but a breach of the contract?

what makes you think a breakdown service has any obligation to make your vehicle MOT compliant?  I’m not convinced it would actually be an MoT fail…

If it was my wife or my Dad, I’d still say it smells to me like some wool has been pulled over some eyes.

what if it was you?  I’m not sure in daylight I’d notice if the bulbs were dimmer than I expected?  Admittedly I might be suss next time I was in the dark.  My natural thought would be it was a simple error rather than a scam.

what I don’t understand is how someone smart enough to go to university, who has passed a driving test since the “show me, tell me” questions were added doesn’t seem to know how to check her lights, or replace a bulb; and how parents who have gone to the trouble of organising her breakdown cover haven’t bought a little pack of bulbs (and if necessary shown where to put them).

As I said, I thought best course as she was already on the edge of town and had sidelights and rear lights it was a reasonable risk to take. Technically wrong – I’m not even sure, are headlights mandatory in a BUA with streetlights.

you are correct – those criticising you for this part need to go read their Highway Code – sidelights in build up area with street lights.

Every taxi driver in a city knows that sidelights only in built-up areas with street lights is legal, saves a few pennies on the fuel usage.

“I’m surprised an AA truck carries 24v bulbs, maybe the operator didn’t realise he had 24v bulbs either.”

The AA/RAC etc deal a lot with vehicles over 7.5t, lots which use 24v systems. I’d be amazed if the operator didn’t know the difference. For reference a 24v bulb in a 12v headlight produces a dim yellow light and is easily spotted, even in bright daylight.

“I’d like to think I’m above average in terms of things like mechanical sympathy and keeping abreast of updates to THC, and I couldn’t tell you the last time I did a ‘walk-around’ of the car but I doubt it’s in the last 30 years (aside from when buying a used vehicle). I’d further posit that anyone suggesting that they get a pal to help check their brake lights are functional on a weekly basis is telling porky pies.”

I check my lights regularly. Headlight are checked against the wall I park in front of, brake and tail lights when parking (reflections off parked cars and windows for example) and the indicators self-test on every use (the flash speeds up if one blows on that side). But then I have to do a daily walk-around on my vehicle for that day at work and as part of that I should also do regular checks throughout my working day so I’m rather conditioned to keep things in working order!

“That was under roadside repair in the handbook. Imagine what that would cost at Halfrauds!”

Nothing, it would have been listed as Do Not Fit in their staff guide. A surprising amount of cars are for the stuff they do under their ‘We’ll Fit It’ offer!

OP – just file a complaint with the AA, they’ll deal with this kind of thing all the time. Maybe get your daughter on a Car Maintenance Basics course too, can save a lot of hassle even if all she learns is that when something isn’t right to get it looked at early bed=fore it becomes a journey-stopper.

doesn’t seem to know how to check her lights, or replace a bulb; and how parents who have gone to the trouble of organising her breakdown cover haven’t bought a little pack of bulbs (and if necessary shown where to put them).

My previous car needed half of it dismantling to do one of the headlight bulbs.

For reference a 24v bulb in a 12v headlight produces a dim yellow light and is easily spotted, even in bright daylight.

And yet because mr AA man replaced both left and right matching – it’s advisory not a fail in an mot.