Once in a while, everyone has benefitted from a towing company. Every towing company is working overtime to earn decent wages and stay afloat in this economy. They tow your track from your location and transfer to the location you specified. This business is very saturated nowadays. Due to this, towing companies have developed that also commit fraud. It is impossible to think that towing companies can also commit scams, but it is true. More often than not, you become a victim of fraud, and you do not even notice.
Best towing service providers are those that stay away from committing any crime such as fraud. However, some companies do not think twice before scamming you out of your money. The customers should be aware of such firms and should recognize them immediately. It is difficult to recognize such towing service but not impossible.
Below are some tips that will help you avoid towing company fraud:
Not All Towing Trucks are Good Omen
Most of the time, when your car breaks down on the side of the road, and you see a tow truck coming your way, you feel relieved. This is not a good thing. If the tow truck reaches you immediately, there is a chance that the company is a fraud. There are two reasons for this:
- First, many fake companies plant nails on the road that might damage your tires and leave you stranded on the road. After that, they arrive at the accident spot and help you by towing your car.
- There are roads where cars are prone to accidents. They have placed their spotters on those roads that inform them when there is an accident
You should be wary of any towing company that reaches you within minutes of the accidents because they might be scammers.
Unlimited Fees
Real towing companies have only two fees; towing fees and storage fees, but the scammers will add additional fees such as late fees, release fees, and other fees that are illegal. Their towing and storage fee will also be high, which is a good indicator that the company is scamming you.
Moreover, there will be customers that do not know what fee they should or shouldn’t pay. So, they will pay whatever fee the towing company asked them to pay without a thought. That is why all citizens should know their rights so they will not be scammed.
Parking Lot Fraud
There will be certain parking lots that will always remain in the eye of such fake companies. They will tow your car from those parking spots, and you wouldn’t even know what happened. This is the most common type of towing company fraud. You will be parked at a shopping mall or outside a restaurant, and they will tow the car right in front of your eyes, stating that the car was parked illegally. Then they will charge all kinds of fees and taxes so that you can get back your vehicle.
If you are parking at a shopping mall or a restaurant, make sure that you have parked legally; it might save you the hassle. Try to park the car right where you can see it so that you can apprehend the bandit before he tows your car away.
Don’t Forget that You Are the Boss
Never forget that it is your vehicle. Nobody has the authority to take the vehicle anywhere without your permission unless the government is involved. The real and good towing company will let you tell them about the garage where you want the vehicle to be stored and will only tell you about their preferred garage if prompted.
It is also best that you know about your rights and the average towing and storage fee of your area so that the chances of you getting scammed get low.
Expensive Vehicle
The towing companies will also avoid cars that are high ends, such as Porsche and Audi, as damage to these vehicles might get the scammers in front of a judge. They will also avoid cars that are literal junkyards because it might not earn them a good profit. Their target will be the cars that are new models and are neither expensive nor cheap.
The owner of a new car will also be desperate enough to save their vehicle that they will pay any money demanded by the towing company to get their car in one piece and as soon as physically possible. You should stand your ground and do not let these companies persuade you to empty your pockets.
Collect Information about the Towing Companies
Collect all the information about the towing companies of the area you are residing in or traveling through. For example, suppose you are living in Duluth. In that case, you should have information on the companies that are towing in Duluth MN. This will help you in a time of crisis as you wouldn’t have to discriminate between real and fraud towing companies.
Conclusion
You cannot differentiate between real and fake unless and until you know about your rights. This means that you should always remain on alert and not let the scammers get to you, or they will make you empty your pockets sooner rather than later.
Also read about: Top 8 Internet Security Rules That You Should Follow
