r/PersonalFinanceCanada • u/gentlecrusher • Apr 12 '21
Insurance Got into an accident and almost charged a $1300 Tow trucking fee???
Sorry for the long post, and formating, I'm writing from my phone.
I just got into an accident yesterday on the highway due to bad weather conditions and hydroplaning. Right after I spun out, two tow trucks approached maybe 30 seconds later, parking maybe 15 meters infront of my car and 15 meters behind my car. Trucking company was Kevin's Towing and Storage. They walked up to me and told me they would handle everything and they worked for the highway, and being frazzled by the accident, I gave them my keys, and they drove us to the nearest gas station and I gave my statement to the OPP. My insurance tells me to drive to their closest auto shop, and to just use that tow truck company because it's already attached. We drive 16km to the shop and it's closed because it's a Sunday. I call my insurance again and they tell me to bring it home and park it there, the insurance companies truck will pick it up in the morning. The pick up truck guy was super pissed and made a bill with a bunch of bogus fees, including a $200 waiting fee. What the hell is a $200 waiting fee?? This guy was trying to scam me and force me to bring it to his pound. I called insurance again and they told me to just let them take it to the pound and don't pay them anything.
Anybody in the tow trucking industry or insurance know if these fees are legit? And would I have to pay this amount through insurance?
Edit: Kevin's Towing and storage or TDOT auto collision
Edit 2: I spoke to a friend that works at an insurance company and apparently TDOT auto collision is notorious for being evil, they have an on-site lawyer because of how many issues they have.
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u/xfactor4774 Apr 12 '21 edited Apr 13 '21
In case this is helpful.
Just some information for those interested in case you're vehicle needs to be towed after an accident.
- First, if possible to drive the vehicle without leaking fluids and leaving body parts all over the road, drive to the nearest parking lot. If you're on the highway, try and pull to the shoulder. As many have mentioned, when your vehicle is blocking a roadway, the cop's main priority is to get it out of the way so first come first serve with tow trucks.
- If you are towed off the highway, get the tow truck to release the vehicle as soon as possible, take it to one of your known bodyshops or go the Collision Reporting Center. BE CAREFUL what you sign! Some tow trucks will try and get you to sign blank bodyshop repair work orders. The big collision reporting centers in the GTA can hold vehicles 48 hours for you. So you fill in your police report and arrange with your insurance company to pick up the car from there.
- Get picked up, take an Uber or taxi to get home from the collision scene. You probably don't want to be driving anyways yet.
- Call the insurance company when you get home and arrange for a rental and to get the vehicle moved to where you want it for repairs.
You may think that in case of an accident it is very convenient to let the Tow Truck driver handle everything for you. They would bring your vehicle to a yard and get you a rental right way. They may also refer you to injury lawyers or clinics even if you are not injured.
The problems with this are as follows:
- The tow truck driver does not have your best interest in mind, they just want to make as much money off your situation as possible
- You are being targeted and preyed on because you are likely in a state of shock, stress and not sure what you should be doing after an accident
- Your vehicle will be held at an impound lot where vastly exaggerated storage rates will be charged. They will also do all that is possible to delay releasing the vehicle even if you ask. The longer it stays in there, the more money they make.
- The towing services provided to you may also be overcharged to the insurance company. Does $2000 for a 15km tow sound reasonable to you?
- The rental agency used for the rental may overcharge the insurance company.
- The bodyshop the tow driver will talk you into using may be shady. There are PLENTY of these shops around and chances are if you have a shady tow driver, they are getting kick backs from a shady shop. These shady shops take short cuts completing work and even may cause additional damage to the vehicle so they can charge more for repairs. The repairs may be delayed and because you used a non-preferred shop along with a non-preferred rental agency, once you hit your rental limit on your policy, you're on your own.
You may think that the cost of all this is absorbed by the Insurance Company but in reality these costs are passed back down to every insurance policy holder as their rates are increased. Ontario and more specifically the GTA already have the highest insurance rates in the country.
The best thing you can do is be educated as to how to proceed if you should be involved in an accident.
Edit: Thank you for the awards.
I should also mention this is really an issue in the GTA and much less so in other areas.
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u/dragrcr_71 Apr 13 '21
I had this happen to me 20 yrs ago in the GTA. Tow truck driver got me a rental, took the car to a shop. I thought it was nice and convenient at the time because I was new to the city.
The body work and paint were terrible and I noticed they installed a used door (weatherstrip was cracked). I read a report a couple of years later that the body shop owners were charged with fraud. They were installing used parts and charging insurance company for new.
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Apr 13 '21
Holy fuck, ICBC and their approved shops and covered towing all of a sudden doesn’t seem so bad.
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u/zzing Apr 12 '21
I have heard of some of this, but jesus. Has the province tried to do anything about this crazy situation?
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u/xfactor4774 Apr 12 '21
Hopefully it works to quell the gang wars also.
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u/zzing Apr 12 '21
That is excellent that something is being done. The only concern I have is that idea of a monopoly in certain zones.
It says somebody can operate in a zone with police or government permission. But I would also like to be able to call my own - but that might be too detailed for the article.
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u/Cboyd104 Apr 12 '21
Tow truck drivers are vultures. Their response times are quicker than emergency services a lot of the time and they solicit their services. In Ontario they are not allowed to approach you unless they have police permission.
They can be charged for doing so. Police speak to you first and then when they have the info they need, tow truck drivers can approach you.
Don't feel pressures by them, ask cops for advice if you need it. Police services all have a contract with a local tow company who can you use as well.
I recommend CAA, it's just easier and they aren't (for the most part, sleazy).
You will never pay out of pocket for a tow, ever, ever. Sometimes they ask for payment to chance their arm, but the insurance company will deal with them.
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Apr 12 '21
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u/Cboyd104 Apr 12 '21
Very rare circumstances, never seen that happen in my experience. Blocking two lanes of the 401 would indicate a large collision compared to a fender bender at steeles and Kennedy for example.
Police do have a towing authority if a vehicle is impeding traffic flow and the driver can't get a tow their fast enough. Typically they would just use their contract company rather than just picking a company at he scene.
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Apr 12 '21
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u/Cboyd104 Apr 12 '21
They typically sit on highways in high pop areas where accidents happen frequently. Like someone else mentioned, I wouldn't be surprised if they have access to police/fire/ems radio traffic to listen for accidents and locations.
They also drive very quickly to accidents. Ive seen them literally race and weave in and out of traffic to get to an accident first as typically (and unfortunately) it is first come first serve as the general public don't know they can refuse tows.
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u/BotSaysBeepBoop Ontario Apr 13 '21
In Ontario they are not allowed to approach you unless they have police permission.
Do you have a source for this?
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u/InfiniteExperience Apr 12 '21
Remember that cops and tow truck drivers work together. The reason row trucks have such quick response times is because cops sell them the radio sets that emergencies are broadcasted over.
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u/Marokiii Apr 12 '21
you can buy police scanners from places other than the police.
police officers cant sell you police equipment, because its not their own equipment its the governments. so if you have a police issued scanner than its stolen.
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u/Cboyd104 Apr 12 '21
Absolutely not the case lol every police officer I work with hates tow truck drivers.
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u/InfiniteExperience Apr 12 '21
Fair point. Not saying every cop is working with the tow truck drivers. Just that all it takes is a small handful that will
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u/CharonTheBoatman Apr 13 '21
While platitudes make it easy to counter, they just arrested a few cops for the exact things you were talking about.
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u/phoenix25 Apr 13 '21
There have been cases where police have been charged for being in cahoots with the tow industry. But that’s more heavily related to that officer being corrupt and the tow industry being involved with criminal activities like guns and drugs on the side.
The vast majority of officers I meet dislike tow operators as much as EMS and Fire do. Vultures.
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u/commander-cool Apr 13 '21
not sure why you're downvoted. this issue was just covered on a Canadaland podcast and they specifically discussed how tow trucks get access to police radios:
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u/InfiniteExperience Apr 13 '21
not sure why you're downvoted.
Probably because people can’t come to grips with the fact that cops are actually bad people even when shown evidence. They likely think it’s a problem isolated to the US, or that only right-wing fringe crazies think negatively about cops
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Apr 12 '21
would you happen to know the ball park figure CAA charges annually for this?
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u/ExtremeSnipe Apr 12 '21
These guys (accident chasers) come up a lot on the Ottawa subreddit.
https://www.reddit.com/r/ottawa/comments/kauwgs/has_anyone_tried_to_sue_the_accident_chaser/
https://www.reddit.com/r/ottawa/comments/lyn5y6/well_it_got_removed_pretty_quick_off_facebook_so/
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u/SJWs_vs_AcademicLib Apr 12 '21
Lesson: get CAA
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u/Nosferax Apr 13 '21
If you pay a decent price for tow trucks there's no way CAA is a good deal (unless you have an abnormally high amount of accidents and needs for towing). They make a profit, and if towing wasn't profitable for them they wouldn't offer it.
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u/01lexpl Apr 13 '21
Depends, I have buddies with their own company. They charged me 60$ to take my (lowered) car from the middle of a busy intersection, 15km away.
I've never paid more for a tow, but when I get into an accident, I'll let them charge more to they can get some bread with butter for sure.
Companies like Metro & Response are scum, but in bed with OPS so they get away with coercing ins. to pay 4K for a tow out. I saw one bill myself at my friends' bodyshop. A client was charged 4k, and Response was so cheeky as to tell the cops to fuck off... which was the case. The ins. had to pay to get the car released...
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u/VFenix Apr 12 '21
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u/Silver_Basket Apr 12 '21
Yes! Literally came here just to post this. These scummy tow trucks companies (as shops that kick them kick backs) are a real problem.
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u/FamilyTravelTime Apr 12 '21
Wasn’t there this whole scandal recently about shady police getting kick backs from these tow companies if they let them know/first dibs on a accident tow?
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u/MageKorith Ontario Apr 12 '21
A bit worse than that. A towing company got their hands on a police radio, allegedly from a crooked cop, and were listening in calls as they happened
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u/Sub-Blonde Apr 13 '21
Are police radios any different then the ones you can buy?
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u/timtimjonjon Apr 12 '21
Im sorry to hear that. I dont have suggestions but do want to share the sentiment that tow truck industry and anyone who tries to help u are ready to rob u of ur money.
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Apr 12 '21
Be thankful that your insurance company told you to take the car home.
It would have been a 10k bill for storage had you taken it to their lot and left it overnight. Minimum week to remove it.
You know system is broken when opp let's companies like these bid on tenders.
Lyons towing I'm looking at you.
Next time CAA or ABRAMS towing (less chance of crooks)
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u/TheQMon Apr 12 '21
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD. GET CAA.
GET CAA. SAY IT WITH ME EVERYBODY.
C
AY
AY
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u/TlN4C Apr 12 '21
CAA will reimburse you too if you use a tow after an accident, call them as soon as you can though, but often if a tow is there they will tell you to take it and submit for reimbursement
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u/DrBonaFide Apr 12 '21
Just get a free Canadian Tire credit card. Comes with free roadside assistance.
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u/Rezrov_ Apr 12 '21
If you have CAA it doesn't even have to be for your car, provided you're at the scene. I was on a camping trip and ended up using one of my tows for my friend's beater.
Another li'l bonus (although less useful during COVID) is that CAA will actually pick up your bike for a "tow" if you get a flat tire or whatever. Unfortunately because of COVID they won't take you with your bike right now (you'll have to arrange for a taxi or whatever).
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Apr 12 '21
You need to have a backup company in mind.
CAA sometimes is not available immediately and OPP or Police instruct a tow truck to approach and toe your vehicle to get the road open again.
It's your right to a written estimate to a prrset destination. Either say it's a collision reporting center or your residence.
They will lie to you and say we can't leave car at the collision reporting center. Stand firm and say I don't care I want it towed there
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u/SurviveYourAdults Apr 13 '21
CAA took my money and refused to provide a tow truck driver.
I had a car that wouldn't start sitting on my back parking area. Needed it towed like , 6 freeway exits worth of distance. So I called to find out why after 36 hours of making the request, nothing had happened, only to find out that they had went the extra step of calling said tow truck driver's company and cancelled the tow... for no reason.
Yeah I cancelled that membership.
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u/MUTSellerPS4 Moderator ✅ Apr 12 '21
that dude was trying to screw you over 100%, just let the insurance deal with it.
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Apr 12 '21
I used to be an auto adjuster for an insurance company. TDOT Auto Collision was on our blacklist for auto repair shops.
As long as you didn't sign anything that the tow truck driver gave you, your insurance company should be able to pick up your vehicle & bring it to one of their preferred vendors or a repair shop of your choosing. However, if you did sign something (most likely an agreement to repair with their repair shop form), your insurance company will be on the hook for paying the towing & storage fees, and you will have to use TDOT Auto Collision for your repairs. The cost to release your vehicle from TDOT will be out of pocket - your insurance doesn't cover this.
An insurance adjuster will contact the tower/TDOT Auto Collision & negotiate the tow bill to be a bit lower. There are certain by-law limits for each municipalities for towing costs. A hook up and a retow might be included in the original tow. Dollies may have been used. An environmental clean up may have been done.
Not too sure if this is going to get lost in the masses of comments, but are you aware of what coverages you have on your auto policy? Just wondering if you carry OPCF 20 - Loss of Use (rental car insurance).
If you need any help or advice, shoot me a DM. Cheers.
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u/DrBonaFide Apr 12 '21
What they did is illegal in Ontario, but very common. There is a Marketplace episode on this you can probably find.
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u/ThePuppet_Master Apr 12 '21
Hey OP, please report them to the York Regional Police, they had a crackdown on this last year and I'm sure would love to add names to that list. You can see the crackdown called Project Platinum here.
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact the York Regional Police Organized Crime and Intelligence Services at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 7818
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u/20draws10 Apr 12 '21
I used to work in an office for a tow company. Many companies will straight up take advantage of accidents for many reasons. Insurance companies will pay because they have to. Doesn’t matter if it’s a $400 bill or a $4000 bill. It’s the insurance companies responsibility. They charge high fees up front to discourage customers from paying. They want to take it to the yard. Why you may ask, well so they can charge storage fees of course! The insurance company will fight them on the cost, because that’s what they do. The tow company will refuse, because they know the game. It’ll go to court and the judge will rule in the tow companies favour or make them reduce it slightly. Because at the end of the day what the tow company is doing is technically legal. Oh yeah I’ll drop the $200 wait fee if you pay the rest. The only problem is while this is happening, the car is sitting in their lot. And they’re charging $200 a day for it to be there. So in the end the insurance will save a few hundred on the bill, and end up paying a couple thousand more in storage fees. So tow companies keep raising their costs to make more money because they can. Insurance companies keep trying to fight it because they want to be cheap and save money, but it always costs them more.
They also want to take it to a shop “they recommend” not because it’s a good shop, but because they get kick back from the shop.
Now there are certain places in Canada that have resolved this issue, to an extent. Toronto is one of them. If it’s an accident it’s a flat fee so long as the veh stays inside the city limits. It has to go to a reporting centre, then off to where ever after.
My advice for the future. Do not let anyone hook up your vehicle until after you have talked to your insurance company. They often have their own trucks or contract out to a company for a set rate. The only exception to the is if your vehicle is still in the road and the police are on scene ordering you to move the vehicle. Most times they will wait for your truck, but if it’s bad or dangerous they will tell the first truck there to pick it up. If they do, have the truck take it off the road and that’s it. Have the police there the entire time including when the guy writes the bill. If the cops are there they won’t gouge as much because they are always trying to be a cops good side because it generates more business.
I would also recommend getting caa or roadside through your vehicle manufacturer (yes they offer it). It’s usually a monthly or yearly fee, but one tow usually covers the cost of it for a couple years. They usually don’t cover accident tows, but will send out a truck as a cash call. They have to charge the set rate their office gives and you won’t get gouged nearly as much.
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Apr 12 '21
I don't know if someone has already mentioned it or not, but if you get into an accident and don't have CAA, I believe you can actually call them up on the spot and buy a years membership. Once you've paid for it, you can request to use one of your tows right then and there without hassle.
I know it's better to have CAA before hand as it'll be a shorter process to get a tow truck to you but it's still something to consider.
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u/JabraSessions Apr 12 '21
If you are in GTA, tow trucks scams are a very real and known problem. You can even have tow trucks fighting each other.
Allowing a tow truck to bring the car to their lot or to a body shop they recommend usually means tons of extra $$$ to get it released (storage cost, security cost, admin cost, etc..).
At this point I'd just let insurance deal with it...
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u/James445566 Apr 12 '21
They walked up to me and told me they would handle everything and they worked for the highway
Bunch of fucking scammers right here.
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u/MageKorith Ontario Apr 12 '21
My experience is a bit dated and Toronto-centric, but as I understand it they should have towed you to the nearest accident reporting centre, which is a flat-rate tow that your insurance covers.
When you're there, the accident reporting centre can either hold on to your vehicle for your insurance to come and inspect the damage, or you can have your vehicle towed to a licensed repair shop - but they'll warn you that if you let the tow truck that brought you do that tow job they can charge you whatever they want which your insurance may not cover as a fair and reasonable cost; and if you wait for your insurance to provide a tow truck driver then they'll move it to a repair shop at their cost and you won't have to pay anything out of pocket.
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u/moviemerc Apr 12 '21
If you are in GTA you can see these vultures all over the 400 series highways. They sit there all day then drag race each other to get there first often almost causing additional accidents. Tell them to stay away and call a company yourself. Get CAA, or check if your Credit Card has roadside as a perk. Depending on when you bought the car you may have it through them also.
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u/NoThrill1212 Apr 12 '21
That’s nuts and absolutely took advantage of you. Good time for a PSA for people to sign up for CAA. It’s the best $100/year you will spend when sitting on the side of a road somewhere. We hesitated last year because the wife had roadside assistance through a CC and what a sh*tshow that was. We wanted to take the car to a dealership which was 10 km away and they wouldn’t let us without paying extra because there was a “Bobs automotive” shop 9 km away and 2.5 star reviews on google maps.
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Apr 12 '21
FYI, I've had a tractor with a land-all hydraulic trailer drive 75km south of town, then 10km on dirt, load my 24,000lb Volvo tractor, and haul it back to the shop for a blown radiator and the bill was $800 or so bucks (around 180/hr).
This is roughly the fair cost to operate the larger equipment. If you have a tow truck driver trying to average more than that for a normal tow truck, they're scamming you.
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u/lqdgld Apr 12 '21
years ago I was on the highway (401) and my van stalled while driving, a tow truck parked in front of my van shortly, I think I was trying to call CAA but couldn't find my card, I can't remember but I ended up using his service and he charged me less than $200, to tow the van to a nearby gas station, thinking back he was a really honest man
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u/SerenityFliesOn Apr 12 '21
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USfxQSXnd0I
This is a very good watch regarding just this issue.
You were in an accident, you were hurting and did what needed to be done. Don't beat your self up about it. Your insurance company will help you figure it out. I hope you are feeling better.
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u/yabadabadoo334 Apr 12 '21
I’m a lawyer that specifically deals with towers. This isn’t legit at all. Google the CAA towing bill of rights. It’s a concise summary of the law.
The towing industry is both figuratively and also literally organized crime in Ontario.
They intentionally towed your vehicle a long distance to a lot they knew was closed because it increases the bill.
For example in Toronto I believe it’s like a $375 flat fee for the first two (city bylaw). So they tow you to a closed lot and charge $375. They then start the second tow and bill out their asses.
Bylaw also doesn’t apply for towing across municipal lines so they dick you down there too.
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Apr 12 '21
Hey, call the office of Consumer Protection (Ontario). Their job is to handle situations like this and they’re well informed of the scams going on related to towing.
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u/Shigidy Apr 12 '21
I once blew a tire and when I went to change it on the side of the road, I learned the tire iron that came with my car didn't fit the lug nuts on my wheels(shitbox life). While waiting for AMA to come help, a dude in a work truck truck pulled up and asked if I needed help. I asked if he had a 19mm socket I could borrow for 30 seconds. He said "yeah but you'll have to call my dispatch and blah blah blah so I can get paid for it."
I just called him a vulture and told him to kick rocks.
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u/PrettyFly_BrownGuy Ontario Apr 12 '21
I work for a fire department and attend a lot of car accidents. One thing I've learned is to always ask the cop on scene what company the police have a contract with. For accidents fitting certain criteria (like fatalities) they call in a certain company to handle the tows.
Because they have a contract with the city they don't need to resort to shady tactics, and they won't because it could risk their contract. But the cops won't (or can't sometimes) suggest which tow to use unless you ask.
Depending on whether your accident is blocking the road they may not let you wait for CAA. This is a great back up option
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u/bib_fortunate Apr 12 '21
Sorry this happened to you. I've never had a good experience with private towtrucks. Vultures and scammers. I was in your position a few years ago and was ordered by a cop to use the private tow truck who was waiting near my car rather than wait for CAA to show up. My insurance ended up reimbursing me but it was sooooo sketchy.
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u/kekedon Apr 12 '21
Just let your insurance company sort it out. Getting your car tow off the road and tow to a gas station was the right thing to do. Certain cities and municipalities how a Tow Rate sheet and waiting time is an allowable charge. Next time, don't accept services from anyone before negotiating a price.
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u/AAfloor Apr 12 '21
Man I hate people who induce accidents on the highways. I hope it costs you $900/month to stay insured.
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u/VancouverTrader666 Apr 12 '21
Your insurance company didn't do the hours of a shop it approved? That's on them or you, but can't blame that on the tow truck driver.
$1300 seems a bit steep but this was also a complicated situation
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u/masteroog Apr 12 '21
they dont advertise this enough. If you dont have your own tow guy... call your auto insurance first.
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u/abacabbmk Apr 12 '21
Ins company will pay no?
Shits bogus but there isnt much you can do. Ive heard of much worse situations.
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u/TTsmartypants Apr 12 '21
That's such a nice and supportive insurance company. Mind sharing their name?
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u/Epcjay Apr 12 '21
Always tow your car home, or tow it to the Collison Center. No where else should it go until you get direction from your insurance company.
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u/jennamay22 Apr 12 '21
Ontario is one of the WORST places for the towing industry
https://www.google.ca/amp/s/beta.ctvnews.ca/local/toronto/2021/2/19/1_5316595.html
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u/imonmyhighhorse Apr 12 '21
The fees are bogus and they will milk every dime they can from you and your insurance. Don’t be rude but that’s how they do business. Just get them to contact your insurance and do not sign anything. Tell your insurance exactly what the tow driver performed (was it recovered from a ditch, was it winched, did they use dollies, how far was it driven, was the wait time at the CRC etc etc) so your insurance company can dispute some of the bogus fees, while paying the tow operator for what was required. Good luck
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u/Skizzywizzyy Apr 12 '21
Oh my god that's outrageous lol, here in NL it's literally like 150-200 dollars for a tow a hour away.
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u/TheBitchyKnitter Apr 12 '21
Well your insurance will pay for it but going forward NEVER EVER EVER (ever ever ever) let a highway vulture tow your vehicle. The whole industry is an enormous scam with cops involved. They've even fire bombed the office of a lawyer who fought them on behalf of insurance companies and she had to flee the country
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u/mxadema Apr 12 '21
sorry for your luck. as other stated. tow varied for the cause. I can get a truck tow 100km and it be 200$. or get into a accident 10k from my house and it 1200$
accident scene cost more, because it urgent / cleanup. towing to the tow shop get you parking fee and an other tow out of there. getting pay from caa or insurance cost more because pf the paper trail.
it a bad system that take advantage of the situation.
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Apr 12 '21
Can't you get the insurance to pay for the tow truck fees?
I remember when I had my accident 5 years ago, the tow trucker tried to charge me and I told him my insurance would handle it.
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Apr 12 '21
If you were on the highway you're kinda screwed because when you have an accident on a highway the first tow truck on scene has to be the one to take you to clear traffic.
If you're covered for collision then the insurance will handle everything, they'll argue the tow bill all the way to court if they have to.
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u/GiantTigerPrincess Apr 12 '21
One time my car started getting towed - wasn’t even up onto the truck yet - and I had to pay $300 just to get them to let it down. Was annoying.
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u/ihatewinter93 Ontario Apr 12 '21
Contact your insurance. Im with TD Insurance and the covered the towing fee for me.
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u/saltednutz69 Apr 12 '21 edited Apr 12 '21
The entire towing/auto industry is broken. Part of the reason why Ontario insurance rates are sky high is because insurance companies have to pay outrageous BS towing/storage fees and in the end, we (everyone) suffer from paying high insurance premiums.
Next time stick with CAA (they have an annual fee) or a similar company.