If You’ve Already Been Towed, Read This First

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The tow truck has driven away with your car. You are no longer at the roadside, but the problem is just beginning. If you agreed to a tow without a clear price or destination, you are likely in the first stage of a towing scam. Acting quickly can help you mitigate the damage.

Step 1: Immediately Contact Your Insurer

This is your most urgent priority. Call your insurance company, tell them you have been in an accident, and explain the situation with the tow. Give them the name of the tow company if you have it. Your insurer needs to be aware of the situation before they receive an inflated invoice. They are your strongest ally in disputing unreasonable costs.

Step 2: Find Out Where Your Car Is

If you do not have the address of the holding yard, call the tow company and demand it. Do not accept vague answers. You have a right to know the physical location of your property.

Say this:

“I require the full street address of the yard where my vehicle is being stored.”

Step 3: Demand an Itemised Invoice Immediately

Do not wait for them to send it in a week. Call them and demand they email you a fully itemised invoice right away. This invoice should break down the costs for:

• The tow itself.
• Any recovery or salvage charges.
• The daily storage rate.
• Any other administration fees.

Forward this invoice to your insurer the moment you receive it. The clock is ticking on storage fees, and your insurer cannot act until they have the bill.

Step 4: Do Not Communicate Further With the Tow Company

Once your insurer is involved, let them handle the negotiation. Predatory operators will often call you to apply pressure, claiming your insurer is delaying payment and that storage fees are racking up. This is a tactic to get you to pay the bill yourself.

Direct all their calls to your insurance company’s claims department. Say this:

“My insurance company is handling this matter. Please direct all communication to them.”

Step 5: Contact Consumer Protection WA

If you believe you have been scammed, you should lodge a complaint with Consumer Protection WA. They are the government body responsible for investigating and regulating the towing industry. While they may not be able to solve your individual case immediately, reporting the incident helps them build a case against predatory operators.

The Hard Reality

Once your car is in their yard, you are in a difficult position. The best outcome is that your insurer negotiates the bill down. The worst is that you become liable for a multi-thousand-dollar bill to get your car back.

This is why the initial decision at the roadside is so critical. Preventing the scam is infinitely easier than fighting it afterwards.

Always get a price and choose the destination before your car moves. It’s the only way to stay in control.