travel help
when you need it
where you need it
on the ground there and then
on the ground there and then
Frequently asked questions
| How do I update or change my details on the Assist Abroad website? |
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| Is it instant? | Yes! Once you have saved your changes you will receive an acknowledgement on the screen and will be able to view the updated details straight away |
| How many miles is a kilometre? | The best way to convert miles to kilometres is to multiply by 1.609. |
| When do I get my membership pack? | You should receive your membership pack within 7 days. However, you don’t need to wait until then to use the website or assistance helpline or begin using the data storage facility. You will find a temporary electronic membership card in your members section. |
| How much does membership cost? | Basic membership is £3 per year. Extended Membership is £18 per year for individual membership and £36 per year for family membership Please refer to the website for details on corporate memberships |
| I’m lost – what do I do? Where exactly am I? |
As an Assist Abroad Member, this is where our unique ‘Pinpoint’ facility can be invaluable. Once installed on your mobile, it not only automatically dials the Assist Abroad call centre but also sends your location to our sophisticated mapping system automatically. Your exact position is displayed on a map in front of the operator you are talking to. (Requires compatible GPS enabled phones or compatible phone and GPS Dongle –see ‘What do I need below for details) With ‘Pinpoint’ we will know exactly where you are, including showing your proximity to local support services and can provide directions on where to find the service you require quickly and effectively. This service is provided as part of the full membership package. All you have to do is download a small application to your phone and you are ready to use the service from anywhere in Europe, it couldn’t be easier or simpler to use. |
| Where is the nearest train station? Public transport? | This information can be accessed from the Assist Abroad website. If you are presented with an emergency and are unable to access the website, please phone our emergency hotline |
| Do I get a refund if I cancel my membership? | No. Memberships are paid for a 12 month period. Should you wish to cancel your membership during that 12 month period, you will not receive a refund or pro rata reimbursement. You may, however, choose not to renew your membership for an additional 12 month period in accordance with the terms and conditions |
| I have been robbed – what do I do? | Firstly, seek medical attention if you so require. You will then need to report the robbery to the police (access the Assist Abroad website for the nearest police station) and take actions to replace stolen/damaged posessions. The Website tells you how to report lost or stolen cards or you can call the Helpline for them to do this for you. |
| Can I get some more luggage tags? | Yes, please just contact us and we will send you some |
| How do I cancel my membership? | You will not receive a refund if you wish to cancel your membership during the year. However, if you do not wish to renew your membership, all you need to do is let us know in writing 30 days prior to the date at which your membership is due to be renewed. |
| Can I make more than one enquiry phone call to the emergency helpline? | That all depends… Sometimes the nature of your emergency may mean you need to make several enquiries or even several phone calls to the helpline. If the calls and enquiries are relating to the same emergency then this is included in your annual membership fee.. However Assist Abroad operates a fair usage policy to reduce unnecessary pressure on the Helpline. If you have a more than average propensity to use the Helpline Assist Abroad reserve the right to charge a reset fee. The Emergency Services Coordinator will advise you off this whilst on the phone to you though. |
| How much information do I need to store on the database on the Assist Abroad website? | You can store up to 5.00MB of data on the Assist Abroad website. We recommend you store as much information as possible that you may need to access whilst abroad. You may apply for the storage capacity to be increased, in which case, depending upon your requirement, we may need to ask for an additional fee. |
| How do I recommend a service provider? | Just go to the Members Area of our Website and enter the details of the service provider you wish to recommend |
| What am I covered for ? | The 24/7 Helpline Emergency Service Finder Emergency Service Map Emergency Service Profile Emergency Service Route Finder |
| Can I speak to the same agent when I call back? | The agent will log in your details and call you back whenever possible or pass information on to another Assist Abroad operator. |
| Will you contact me when my membership expires? | If membership fees are paid by Direct Debit, Continuous Credit Card, or other means AA will automatically renew membership at the end of the membership year and will advise the member 60 days prior to the renewal date by e-mail of any changes to the membership fee. Members not wishing to renew on these terms should notify AA at least 30 days prior to the renewal date |
| How many people are covered under the policy? | There are three categories of Subscriber membership as follows: 16.1.1 single membership; 16.1.2 family membership (extending to up to three other nominated persons all living at the Subscriber’s home address); 16.1.3 corporate membership (extending to the persons nominated by the Subscriber member on a list agreed to and accepted in writing by AA). |
| Do I have to be a member to access the service? | Yes |
| How far is it to the nearest town/city/petrol station? | Find information on website or by using GPS phone location |
| Will I be charged a reset fee if I call again for additional information? | Assist Abroad operate a fair usage policy to avoid undue pressure on the Call Centre. In any membership year single member Subscribers are normally allowed no more that 2 telephone calls to the Call Centre and Family member Subscribers no more than 4 telephone calls to the Call Centre. In the event of this limit being reached EA reserve the right to impose a reset charge of an amount equal to the full annual Subscription Charge for the relevant membership category. Payment of the reset charge will allow single member Subscribers a further 2 calls and Family member Subscribers a further 4 calls in that membership year. Further reset charges may be imposed on a similar basis as often as the additional limits are reached. Reset charges will expire at the end of the subscription year in which they are imposed and consequently any entitlement to additional calls will also expire at the end of that subscription year. Reset charges shall be deducted from the Subscribers credit or charge card or by direct debit. The Call centre shall be entitled to refuse to accept calls if reset charges are not paid on first demand..Although it is obviously necessary to have some rules to prevent people continually calling the Help Line when it is not really necessary, which would increase the cost for everybody, Assist Abroad will apply them in a sensitive way. The fact that we can make an additional charge does not imply that a charge will always be made and certainly Assist Abroad will do their utmost to avoid denying service to any member. Generally speaking a reset fee will not normally be charged for several telephone calls arising out of the same incident. |
| What number do I call to contact you? | Your specific helpline number is printed on your membership card |
| With family membership how many cards do I get? | Family membership (extending to up to three other nominated persons all living at the Subscriber’s home address); |
| Is there any hidden charge for this service? | No |
| What do I do if I am lost? | Telephone the Assist Abroad Number |
| What countries do you cover ? | All of Europe. Coverage is less than complete in some areas and not all the data is up to date. Also coverage is being extended to other Continents. Please consult the map as the situation changes on a daily basis. Announcements will be made from time to time on the Website. Assist Abroad accept no responsibility for inaccurate or incomplete data |
| How accurate is your information? | Information comes to Assist Abroad from various sources and it is not possible to immediately verify all of it. Assist Abroad try to correct errors of which they become aware and rely on members feedback as well as other sources to correct misinformation. Geolocation in some areas is to the centre of a village or administrative region rather to an exact location because no auto geolocation service is available in some areas. This is especially true in eastern europe. With more than 2 million service providers and a rapidly growing database it is impossible for us to ensure that the information is accurate and up to date. That is why the helpline is so important. The Helpline will attempt to verify information before passing it on and have considerably greater resources than can be made available on the Website. |
| How do I complain about the service? | Customer Feedback Procedure
Assist Abroad values the comments and opinions of its customers as part of its continual quality improvement process. The following is designed to provide information for customers wishing to give feedback Customer feedback may either be in the form of a suggestion, a comment or a complaint. Please do not hesitate to contact us should you wish to submit any of these. When we do something well… When you wish to make a complaint… All suggestions, comments and complaints can be made via the report form which you will find in the “Contact Us” section of the Website. Please be sure to provide us with as much detail as possible including the date, time and any Assist Abroad staff members who were involved. Please also be as specific as you can with your feedback and advise us what (if anything) you would like us to do about it. The more detail you provide, the better. Your feedback will be submitted directly to the Head of Service Delivery and receipt will be acknowledged by automatic email followed by a written response within 2 working days or via telephone depending on the nature of the feedback received. Generally, appropriate action will be taken as quickly as possible, but this will depend on the nature of the feedback. Should investigation or additional information be required in the case of a complaint we will contact you to advise you of the status of the matter and our intended plan to address the issue. |
