THE Automobile Association (AA) has confirmed it debited annual fees from the accounts of hundreds or possibly thousands of customers without informing them, the Sunday Tribune has learned.

A systems glitch meant that subscribers to the roadside repair service did not receive the usual membership card renewal with a notice that the following year's fee was to be deducted from their accounts.

While the company has apologised for the mistake, it claims the deduction of fees from members was not in breach of any laws or contractual obligations and that such an oversight was not in keeping with the level of customer service usually associated with the AA.

However, one angry customer has complained that his repeated requests for money to be refunded to his account were met with a delayed response by the company.

A letter sent out to affected customers said: "We have recently become aware that there was a delay with some members receiving their cards and payment notification ahead of the collection of direct debits. We apologise for this delay and if it has caused you any trouble."

In a letter to the company, the irate customer, who asked to be identified only as Richard from Kildare, wrote: "Could you please refund or credit the unauthorised payment for membership of €139 which was taken from my credit card? I instructed your colleague to discontinue cover in early February. My credit card bill included the above unauthorised charge.

"I did not renew my membership for 2009, and was disgusted that you went ahead with the deduction. This is very poor practice."

The AA insists the man's charges were refunded in 20 days, which is within the policy time frame of 28 days, although the customer maintains the time taken to refund him was more along the lines of 40 days.

"It definitely wasn't 20 days. I asked them at the beginning of February, on the 5th or 6th. They said they were going to refund it straight away," he said. The AA maintains he was refunded on 25 March.

AA spokesman Conor Faughnan said the mistake affected a relatively small number of AA customers but claimed the association was under no legal obligation to inform subscribers to the service ahead of fee deductions and that this was simply their policy.

"There is no obligation on us to inform them that the money is going to be taken but it is normal practice for us to contact customers ahead so that they can make any changes they may want," he said.

"In terms of legalities, the authority to take payment is there until a member says stop. We have apologised for that [error] and if anyone ever wants a refund from the AA, of course we will do that."