When you are in a state of emergency, and you need your car to be towed, things can get a little hectic. You might be confused and a little shaken, so you are not in the right state of mind. Some people might end up preying on you because of this.
Of course, not everyone knows what signs to look out for when it comes to a towing scam. After all, who is truly prepared for getting into vehicular accidents? However, it is still good to be vigilant and to know what is going on in times of crisis.
In this article, you will find common signs that you should look out for that may indicate that you are being scammed by a towing company.
Read down below and find out what these red flags are.
Outrageous Tow Fees
The first sign that should tell you that something may be fishy is the towing fee. If you find that it costs you an arm and a leg to pay the tow company, then something is definitely wrong. It should not have to be too much of a financial burden on you.
Usually, there is a base fee depending on the weight of the car, as well as a predetermined distance from the impounding area. Then, additional fees are added based on the cumulative distance excess from the base distance indicated.
Other fees are added based on other mechanical issues that your car may have. However, this should be sanctioned by a licensed mechanic.
Make sure that before you sign any paperwork, you check the breakdown of costs as well as the total. Also, do not forget your copy of the document.
Bad Review Online
A simple way to know if the towing company is legitimate or is trustworthy is through the online reviews you can read about them. It should be relatively easy for you to look up a company and check what others have to say about them.
What better way to know the work ethic and reliability of a company than through the people who used their services before? Look into the company name, as well as the license plate of their tow truck, and see if someone has encountered them before.
You should know right away that there is something wrong with them based on customer feedback if there is an issue.
Bait and Switch Tactics
Sometimes, there is no saving your vehicle, and you want to arrange for it to get junked. In this situation, you call a junkyard first to see how much money you can get for your vehicle.
You have to provide as accurate an account of your vehicle as possible so that you can get your money’s worth for the vehicle. However, in this case, even junkyards can scam you.
In some cases, junkyards will tell you how much your car is worth. Then, once you arrange for a towing company to pick up your vehicle, they will then tell you that your car is not worth what the junkyard first told you it would be.
This is a scam that you need to be vigilant of so you can avoid it.
Delayed Payment
Another major sign that you are being scammed is if you do not get the payment for a vehicle you had towed and sent away immediately. With the vehicle no longer with you, you are on the losing end if they do not keep up on their promise.
Thus, the rule here is that you never give your vehicle until after they have given you the full payment.
According to https://www.korutow.co.nz/, it is usually paid in cold hard cash anyway. So if you are waiting for a check to arrive in the mail, then it is highly likely you are getting scammed.
Handles All the Paperwork
When you are handing off your car to be towed, you should make sure that you personally handle all of the paperwork. That way, you are in control of the transfer of ownership of the vehicle. Also, you are sure that you will not be held responsible for anything the new vehicle owner might get themselves into.
If the junkyard crew offer to do the paperwork for you, there is a chance that they do not actually do it. Instead, they will send a bill over to you after a long while for storing your vehicle for you.
Pushy Attitude
One other indicator that there is something suspicious going on is if the tow driver or other staff are aggressive with you.
Customer service is still an integral part of the towing service. So if it seems like they are pushing you to agree to their tow service, as well as pushing away any inquiries about their business, then something is wrong.
When getting your car towed, make sure that you are dealing with true professionals. Do not get scammed by looking out for the warning signs listed above. This should help reduce the likelihood of you getting scammed during a potentially vulnerable and stressful moment for you.
