What have the AA done for us?

[Quickthorn]

I agree, saying it was averted! try saying that to the sods who went out of businsess! because they coud'nt afford the insurance and wouldn't break the law..

 

And I'm one of them, for the climbing, any way. Mine went from £1k to £5k, and that's when I had to throw in the towel; years of AA and ISA membership didn't help me.

 

Also: Rightly or wrongly, I got the impression, from a discussion on UKTC, that my AA membership fee was helping to fund the AA contractors scheme, something I doubt I would have been accepted on because my little operation was too small. If that was true, I'd have been subsidising a scheme that was squeezing up and coming businesses out of the most lucrative areas.!

[Lee Winger]

And I'm one of them, for the climbing, any way. Mine went from £1k to £5k, and that's when I had to throw in the towel; years of AA and ISA membership didn't help me.

 

Also: Rightly or wrongly, I got the impression, from a discussion on UKTC, that my AA membership fee was helping to fund the AA contractors scheme, something I doubt I would have been accepted on because my little operation was too small. If that was true, I'd have been subsidising a scheme that was squeezing up and coming businesses out of the most lucrative areas.!

 

 

Wonder what Jon will have to say about that..

[High Scale]

My old bosses premium went from around 6K to near 16k, it nearly did for him, he had to downsize pretty quickly, he was pretty disappointed with the lack of help from the AA but hey, he's still in business and doing OK.

[Log-ologist]

The AA have towed my car home lots of times but I never tried the insurance.

[Log-ologist]

errr just read post 33. and then read post 1.

 

wrong AA.

[bob]

made me smile i am a member of the aa may use this on side of my pickup nice one

[Ironman]

The AA were instrumental in averting an insurance crisis about 5 years ago. They worked with others to set up the Arboricultural Liaison Group, with reps from all the main industry bodies plus Lantra, NTPC, the HSE and the main insurers and worked hard to ensure that premiums didn't shoot up to a point that priced all the small contractors out of the market. It was a lot of behind the scenes work, but had it not happened I suspect that an awful lot of the smaller operators who complain about the AA wouldn't be trading now, or not legally anyway.

 

They actively promote higher standards of tree care and in my experience work hard for their members. I'm a member of both the AA and the ICF and have to say that though it's nice to have the letters after my name that being an ICF member brings, they do very little else for me. OK, you've probably guessed from that that I no longer lug saws up and down trees, so my interests may differ from many here. But something that might relate a bit more to others needs is this:

 

I'm trying to pull together a directory of accredited tree surgeons that combines AA approved and ISA certified. The AA have been extremely helpful, and as a result all the AAACs are listed at http://www.findtreesurgeons.com/. Getting anything out of the ISA, even if it has clear benefits to their members, seems to be like getting blood out of a stone.

 

So is "FINDTREESURGEONS.COM" another thing for hard working arb companies to subscribe to? No return, no teeth, no bloody use? bit like ISA membership !

 

The AA now seem to offer everything a working arborist needs from cradle to grave. They do need to instigate and police their membership and approved contrators listing to ensure quality is maintained and they need to instigate their own goverment recognised kite mark then they will offer everything the UK arb industry needs.

[Lee Winger]

Can we start a thread called '''what haven't the AA done for us'' ?

[Andy Collins]

As you stated elsewhere Lee, you are not a member of any arb-related groups. So to be-moan the fact that they doing nothing for you is futile, you do nothing for them! If everyone sat on their hands (and wallet) there would be no such organisations representing us. Join an least one organisation, and let your voice be heard!! Or alternatively, if unsatified with those already there, start your own asoociation, and see how hard it all is, to please all the people all the time.

[Lee Winger]

If the government got in with less than 10% of the population voting for them, would you be happy about them being in power, point made!