How to Avoid Towing Scams

Towing scams come in different shapes and sizes, it may be just that the dispatcher you talk to promises that one of their tow trucks will be arriving within a half-hour (or an hour or however long they say it will take) and then you find you are being left to wait for much longer, it may be a lot worse, you may even find that you’re being asked to pay a much higher price than was stated in the initial quote you were given, you may find that you have no alternative other than pay up if you want your car unloaded.

In this blog post, we’ll give you some pointers as to how to avoid towing scams such as those stated above, but if we can sum it up briefly, all you need to do is make sure the towing company you call in is a highly professional and 100% reliable outfit.

Make Sure To Give All Necessary Details
In order to avoid any chance of the towing company wanting to charge more than they asked for initially and basing this on info, they did not have at the time they gave their quote, make sure you tell them exactly what the circumstances are, for instance, if the car has been damaged in a crash if it’s parked in a challenging position, etc.

Check Out What Others Say About the Towing Company You’re Considering Calling In
If you’re in need of a tow you will probably be searching the web for a towing company to call in. Make sure you read some feedback they got, and not on the company’s own website cause you’ll only find praises there. Look for posts others made regarding the service they got.

Make Sure It’s a Licensed Towing Company You’re Calling In
Unlicensed towing companies are much more likely to try to scam you in one way or another. Make sure the company you call in is a licensed one, there is also a matter of insurance (if your car is damaged during towing operations an unlicensed towing company will probably not have any insurance coverage and so will be much less inclined to reimburse you).

Never Pay In Advance
Do not give the dispatch your credit card details until your car has been delivered safely to the destination you asked it to be delivered to and unloaded, if you can, pay cash and in any case make sure you get a receipt with the actual amount you paid stated on it. If they try to overcharge you do not hesitate to say you’ll take legal action.