Image: public/assets/11.jpg
The tow itself is not always where predatory operators make their money. The real profit often comes from what happens next: storage fees. A vague agreement at the roadside can lead to your car being held hostage in a private yard, with the bill climbing every single day.
The Storage Trap: A Deliberate Strategy
This is how it works. A tow operator pressures you into an immediate tow after an accident, often with no clear destination discussed. Instead of taking your car to your mechanic or a neutral assessment centre, they take it to their own holding yard. This is intentional.
Once your car is on their property, the clock starts ticking. They begin charging a daily storage fee, which can range from $35 to $75 per day in Western Australia.
How the Costs Escalate
The operator then sends an inflated invoice to your insurer. The insurer, seeing the excessive charges, disputes the bill. This negotiation process can take days or even weeks. All the while, your car is sitting in their yard, and the storage fees are compounding.
A simple tow can quickly escalate:
- Inflated Towing Fee: $800
- Daily Storage Fee: $50/day
- After 14 days of dispute: $700 in storage fees
- Admin & Release Fees: $250
Your bill is now $1,750, and it continues to grow. The tow company has no incentive to resolve the dispute quickly. The longer it takes, the more money they make.
You Lose All Control
The operator can refuse to release your vehicle to you, your mechanic, or your insurer’s assessor until the entire bill is paid. Your car is effectively held hostage. Drivers are often forced to pay the exorbitant bill themselves just to get their vehicle back and stop the financial bleeding.
How to Avoid the Storage Trap
The only way to avoid this is to stay in control of the destination from the very beginning.
Before you agree to any tow, you must say:
“I want my car taken directly to [Your Mechanic’s Address] or [Your Home Address]. Do not take it to a holding yard.”
If the operator is evasive or insists on taking it to their yard “for assessment,” it is a massive red flag. Refuse the service. A legitimate operator will take your vehicle wherever you direct them.
InstaTow always asks for your preferred destination upfront. We give you control. That is the only way to ensure your car ends up where you want it, without the nightmare of escalating storage fees.
Be the first to like this.
Need a Tow Now?
Get Perth's fastest towing and roadside assistance with live tracking and upfront pricing.
