Imagine this scenario:

Your car is parked on the side of the road after a minor accident. Although your car is not totally wrecked, it is also not safely drivable.

However, it turns out that a tow truck is just nearby and offers you some help. You may feel like a lucky person at this point. After all, your car will be towed to a repair shop and in no time, you will be driving on the road again.

Seems great, but there’s a catch.

Once the towing service is completed you are handed a bill of a thousand dollars. All for a simple tow!

Although you may think that this is an unrealistic scenario and that it is not bound to happen. However, it is quite common. While most accredited towing companies can be trusted, it’s these scammer that give our profession a bad name.

In order to help you avoid these predatory towing businesses, we’ve but together a list of things to keep an eye out for if the scenario above ever happens to you.

Is this too good to be true?

Have you ever heard the phrase, “too good to be true”? Well, if something looks way too unrealistic, then it probably is.

Many tow scammers frequently follow the police alerts in order to track real-time accidents. So in case, a tow truck happens to pass by just when you are stranded, beware.

Before you know, you may be asked to sign up a document for authorization, allowing the person to tow your car for an unwarranted and high price.

Before doing that, verify the towing company and the person first by asking for insurance and certifications credentials before committing to any agreement.

Do give your insurance information out

In case a tow man asks you about your insurance information, it is a red flag!

It’s very common for bandit tow men to use the insurance information to further play out a scam.

For instance, they may just call you at a different time as your insurer, or try to get more details about you. This can be quite dangerous for you. Hence, if someone asks you about your insurance information, know that he/she is likely to be a scammer.

Know what insurance covers

Whenever you run into a roadside emergency such as a minor accident, it is important to double-check all the things that your auto insurance provider covers.

While most of the companies do cover jobs such as flat tire changes, battery services, and gas delivery, these services are not always likely to cover tow truck costs.

Finalize the details

Before agreeing to any towing service, understand what you’re paying for.

For example, if the price of towing is dependent on the number of miles a car is towed, it is important to finalize the number of towing miles early on.

If you’re car is in need of repair, is not uncommon for tow assistants to insist on towing the car back to their own repair shop.  If unscrupulous, many towing outfits will will try to scam you for repairs as well.

Unsure?  Ask questions

The prime reason why tow scams occur is that a potential victim happens to be in a great need, with no other options at his/her disposal. After all, anyone who is stuck on the road is not likely to ask the correct questions out of panic.

Stay calm, have your questions answered, and if you’re not satisfied with the answers, move onto another company.

Thanks for reading!