Have you ever entrusted your valuable car to a recovery service, only to find out they left it unattended with the keys left in an unsafe place? That’s precisely what happened to Wade Hassan when he called the AA to take away his £20,000 BMW for a faulty turbo. To his shock, he discovered that the recovery company had left his high-performance motor for two nights at a service station, with the keys placed on the tyre.
Safety Concerns Ignored
Wade, who runs his own performance parts car company, was understandably furious. This expensive show car, which had extensive work done on it, attracts attention wherever it goes. Leaving it overnight with the key fob unprotected seemed like a recipe for disaster. Wade confirmed the incident through the tracker installed in his car and even reached out to service station employees, who confirmed the vehicle had been unloaded and left standing.
Unacceptable Procedure
Not wanting to compromise on safety, Wade complained about the risk to his beloved BMW. He was shocked to learn that leaving the car unattended with the keys under the wheel arch was actually considered “correct procedure” by the AA. While the AA sub-contracted the delivery to other companies, Wade did not expect such negligence from a well-known recovery service.
Apology and Compensation
The AA acknowledged their mistake and apologized to Wade for the communication issues during the recovery process. They offered him compensation as a gesture of goodwill. According to an AA spokeswoman, it is standard practice in the recovery industry to give drivers the choice of traveling with their vehicle or having it recovered unaccompanied with the keys left in an agreed location. In this case, Wade opted for his car to be left unattended, and it was recovered within the agreed timeframe.
Prioritize Car Security
This incident highlights the importance of being vigilant about car security. It is crucial to ensure that recovery services follow proper safety procedures and handle your vehicle with the utmost care. As Edmund King, the President of the AA, previously warned, vehicle owners should consider keeping keyless car fobs inside a secure pouch, locked in a box, and placed inside a microwave to prevent key hackers from gaining unauthorized access.
The AA’s mishap with Wade’s BMW serves as a reminder for all car owners to be cautious and take extra precautions to protect their vehicles from potential theft or damage.
Source link: F5mag.com