• Planet Antares Scam Solutions | Towing Scams Could Cost You Your Car!

    Date: 2010.10.19 | Category: Planet Antares Scam Alerts | Tags: ,,,,,,,,,,,,,

    Consumers nationwide are being advised to look out for towing scams that could end up costing them their cars.  To address predatory towing practices in Illinois, in 2008 that state passed a “truth in towing” law that established new standards to protect the public from predatory tow truck operators. Planet Antares Scam Solutions has read as of 2010, five Illinois counties have also opted to have the state’s Commerce Commission regulate the removal of vehicles from private property. This move requires towing companies to have additional insurance for liability and property damage, and to notify local law enforcement within one hour that a car has been removed from a property.

    Prior to the law’s inception, unscrupulous tow truck drivers would simply tow vehicles from private properties (like apartment complexes and shopping centers) without securing the permission of the property owner first. Other tow companies would take towed vehicles to their own impound lots, then charge exorbitant towing and storage fees to release the vehicle.

    Tow truck drivers would also take advantage of accident victims by taking their damaged vehicles to someplace other than where the owner requested, by charging inflated towing and storage fees, and in some cases, by illegally selling vehicles to satisfy unpaid towing bills.  Illinois now requires tow truck drivers to provide full contact information to the vehicle owner before towing a vehicle; tow truck drivers must get the owner’s written consent to tow a damaged vehicle; and consent forms are not allowed to contain liability waivers for the tow truck driver. In addition, the law requires background checks for tow truck drivers and drivers convicted of certain felonies cannot work as tow operators.

    To help avoid being taken advantage of by dishonest tow truck drivers, planet antares scam offers a few tips.

    Know the laws that apply to towing and tow operators in your state.  Know you’re your rights are if you arrive on the scene while your car is on the tow truck, and has not yet been towed on public roadways.

    If your car has been towed from private property, contact the property owner to find out which towing company they called. If your car was removed from public property, your local police department should have a removal report on your vehicle. Consumers generally have rights regarding the towing and storage of their vehicles, but prompt action on your part is needed to avoid large storage fees.

    If your car is being towed because it’s been damaged or disabled, find out where the tow operator intends to take the vehicle. Do not agree to the tow if the operator says s/he can only tow the vehicle back to his own lot.  Ask the tow operator for an itemized bill for all charges and be wary of tow operators who will only accept cash payments or payments up-front for service.

    Be wary of tow operators who “volunteer” to help if your car breaks down on the road.  Some tow truck drivers are honest and their offer to help is genuine, but others may be looking for a reason to take advantage of you. Ask questions about where the car will be moved, what the hook-up charge is and what the per-mile costs will be. Planet antares scam advises that if the tow operator wants to tow the car back to his own shop, ask what the storage fees will be and whether these will be waived if the work is done at the shop.  If the operator won’t take the car to your choice of location, look for assistance elsewhere.