Disappointing car breakdown/recovery service in Orlando

[Mr Tom Morrow]

Originally Posted by PPM

Like leaving sidelights or interior lights on, I ve been there done it ... at Disney, where the white SUV came to our rescue.

I found the USA site also mention it as an extra...edited my original post.

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PPM. Or coming back to the car in the MK car park and opening the door to find the car freezing cold. Son had got out and left the engine on. All day!
That was 3/4 of a tank of fuel gone.

[mickey house]

Originally Posted by Mr Tom Morrow

PPM. Or coming back to the car in the MK car park and opening the door to find the car freezing cold. Son had got out and left the engine on. All day!
That was 3/4 of a tank of fuel gone.

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Oh dear, but at least the car was cold inside

I take the point that the RAC or AA could take just as long, but they wouldn't normally promise you a time one specific driver would arrive to give a jump start and an hour and a quarter after that he still hasn't arrived and they don't assign another driver especially in a busy place like Orlando. At least disney security would have likely had a battery pack that would have started the car without even needing to call a breakdown.

[duchy]

Originally Posted by mickey house

Oh dear, but at least the car was cold inside

I take the point that the RAC or AA could take just as long, but they wouldn't normally promise you a time one specific driver would arrive to give a jump start and an hour and a quarter after that he still hasn't arrived and they don't assign another driver especially in a busy place like Orlando. At least disney security would have likely had a battery pack that would have started the car without even needing to call a breakdown.

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I've had very similar experiences with both the RAC and AA over here as well as excellent experiences. I wonder if some breakdown trucks have been deployed to other areas in Florida still cleaning up now the tourist areas are sorted first.

[PPM]

Originally Posted by Mr Tom Morrow

PPM. Or coming back to the car in the MK car park and opening the door to find the car freezing cold. Son had got out and left the engine on. All day!
That was 3/4 of a tank of fuel gone.

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Was that on a Caddy? The 300c we rented previously had remote starting and keyless ignition.
If you didn't go into the car within a short period ( could have been 15mins, can't remember ) it would shut down itself. If you left the car and locked it with the engine running it would stay running until you got out of range with the key, then it shut down.
I find it surprising that the car you had would run all day unchecked, I don't doubt that it happened, but not an accessory I would want on my own car if it didn't shut down, you could easily end up totally out of fuel

[Mr Tom Morrow]

Originally Posted by PPM

Was that on a Caddy? The 300c we rented previously had remote starting and keyless ignition.
If you didn't go into the car within a short period ( could have been 15mins, can't remember ) it would shut down itself. If you left the car and locked it with the engine running it would stay running until you got out of range with the key, then it shut down.
I find it surprising that the car you had would run all day unchecked, I don't doubt that it happened, but not an accessory I would want on my own car if it didn't shut down, you could easily end up totally out of fuel

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You are right, a Caddy. It was a nice car but it wouldn't shut off like the 300

[Bobbins]

I don't know the details of the cover - it's described as basic - but if you're an AA member you can call AAA in the US.

[TEL N KEL]

The problem you had here was a flat battery and that is why they said you were not covered.
As mentioned by others they provide an extra cover for this which you would not have had.
As for the security i would say he did a great job he came to your rescue and tried to get your car started, the only problem was he did not succeed that was not his fault.

As for the recovery that can be hit and miss with times, take the roads for instance.one day it can take you 20 minutes to get from A to B the next day it may take you 1 hours, then as you were told he was delayed at the job he went to before you did, this can happen very easy.

I would say you had a very bad day but you got average service all round from all involved.

[ChrisS]

Originally Posted by Mr Tom Morrow

What a pain and not great service.
However you would not have been billed as a mechanical issue is the responsibility of the supplier not you.
If you need them to change a wheel then that is your responsibility but not anything mechanical. The only exception being is if they can prove you left your lights on thus causing a flat battery. How they would prove that I don't know.

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Alamo billed me for breakdown (battery) in 2006 MrT. We were ill and hadn't gone out for a day or so, needed to buy more meds, turned over motor, totally dead. Told we'd left the lights on, no, set to auto, no matter, charge put on account, told to argue the toss when we returned the motor. Breakdown jump started motor. Back from chemist run, medicated up, didn't go out for a couple of days, and here we are again, car won't start! Breakdown rather sheepishly admitted it was the car (no **** Sherlock), sent out another motor, took away the pup and removed the breakdown charge.