Horrible Tow Truck/Auto Body Shop!!!

[nivek_x]

This is really off topic, but this is my personal experience, a dumb one. I just hope no one will fall into the same trap again, that's why I am posting here now. If you have accidents in downtown toronto, make sure you get your own CAA tow truck, or contract your insurance company. Otherwise, you may end up like me, almost getting ripped off.

This auto repair shop tried to scam me (tried because its uncertain pending on the court decision) by telling me to sign a form that I thought it was for the towing and storage service when my car was towed there after my accident. The tow truck was linked to the shop, and I was not careful enough to realize there's something suspicious. Turned out, they told my insurance company that I signed a work order form, and they filled in the blanks in the form I signed to overcharge me.

Since I let my insurance company to handle it, they decided to take the shop into court in order to get my car out from them because they claimed that I signed the work order, so they would not release my car even though I asked them to numerous times. After I finally got my car out, they took away the loosen parts of my car from the accident including my front license plate. Not all the loosen parts are broken, but they would not return to my new repair shop.

The owner is extremely rude, and several times on the phone, he lied to me, and some words he said could be interpreted as a threat. I am just glad now I got my car back safely, but the court process is still going on. This link below shows some other victims like me, but I guess they did not try to go through their insurance company, and they settled to get ripped off.

http://toronto.ibegin.com/misc/franks-auto-collision

[BartBandy]

There are a lot of similar scam operations. They prey on drivers in distress. Insurance companies, good towing operators and good auto body shops hate these scammers as much as you do. When I was waiting to pick up my car from an Oakville body shop, the owner was explaining that he just picked up a car from a similar operation. He had to pay $800 CASH to secure the car. The charge was about $500 for the tow an $100/day for parking for 3 days, iirc.

If you don't know where to tow your car, have it towed to your house or a dealership (the one you bought from or the same manufacturer). At least have it towed somewhere where they will help you.


Edit: I know that area. Real crappy area. Ontario Redimix has a plant around the corner on Wade Ave.

[nivek_x]

thanks for your reply and advice. this happened 2 months ago, and I got my car back safely mid-feb. I learned my lesson the hard way.

I just want to share my experiences so that no one will fall in the same trap because it is painful. I just hope those scammers will run out of business eventually.

[MP3_SKY]

Towing company is always rip off, depends how bad they are. They rip you, because you have no choice to get your car towed.

I recommend any drivers to have road side assistance coverage, no matter CAA, Costco, the one from your dealer or anyone....

[ES_Revenge]

Yeah scams like this are far too common. Also the less-severe driver "kickback program" is almost always in effect, lol.

Seems every tow truck operator or company has certain body shops they have agreements with, so they always "default" to tow your car there. Usually they will tell you about how there is a great body shop nearby and that you should have them tow it there. This of course, is where they get the kickbacks from. When they tow cars there the shop gives them money I'm pretty sure. Sometimes there's actually no problem in this as the shop could well be a very good one; however, it's still kind of underhanded if they prompt you to have it towed there without you even asking.

Other times it can be a mediocre shop you get towed to that you wouldn't otherwise have went to; or, it can become as bad as the OPs situation.

A few tips to remember... When you get in an accident or a situation that requires a tow truck you do have the right to select what tow truck company tows your car, and where they tow it to. If you don't have a tow truck company in mind or an auto club service that will send an approved company, then you're going to be stuck with whomever arrives at the scene.

You won't have much time to choose as police will want to clear the road ASAP. Therefore it's always a good idea to either have a company in mind or at least have an auto club service that will be able to help you out in some way. Note that auto club tows come from all kinds of companies as well, and you can still get screwed, but it may at least mitigate this possibility.

A tow truck driver/company that refuses to tow your car where you want it to be towed should not be allowed to "hook up" their truck to your vehicle. Once they have your car hooked up to their truck you're on the hook for paying them something, and even if they hook it up and let it down again it's going to be probably ~$100 just for that. Therefore be sure to negotiate the tow (where it's going to go) before the vehicle is connected to the tow truck.

If you want your car towed to a specific shop, don't give into the pressures of the tow truck driver to tow you elsewhere. They may tell you how you should go to whatever shop they are recommending but as long as you say "this is where I want it towed to", that's where they have to take it.

In accidents involving an insurance claim, the towing fee will often be covered under the claim so don't worry too much about if the shop you want to go to is 25km away when another shop is just around the corner. If you're in an accident where you require collision insurance to cover it when you don't have collision (and are therefore not covered) then you'll likely be paying for the tow yourself, so either an auto club tow or a shorter-distance tow might be a good idea.

[nivek_x]

Yeah scams like this are far too common. Also the less-severe driver "kickback program" is almost always in effect, lol.

Seems every tow truck operator or company has certain body shops they have agreements with, so they always "default" to tow your car there. Usually they will tell you about how there is a great body shop nearby and that you should have them tow it there. This of course, is where they get the kickbacks from. When they tow cars there the shop gives them money I'm pretty sure. Sometimes there's actually no problem in this as the shop could well be a very good one; however, it's still kind of underhanded if they prompt you to have it towed there without you even asking.

Other times it can be a mediocre shop you get towed to that you wouldn't otherwise have went to; or, it can become as bad as the OPs situation.

A few tips to remember... When you get in an accident or a situation that requires a tow truck you do have the right to select what tow truck company tows your car, and where they tow it to. If you don't have a tow truck company in mind or an auto club service that will send an approved company, then you're going to be stuck with whomever arrives at the scene.

You won't have much time to choose as police will want to clear the road ASAP. Therefore it's always a good idea to either have a company in mind or at least have an auto club service that will be able to help you out in some way. Note that auto club tows come from all kinds of companies as well, and you can still get screwed, but it may at least mitigate this possibility.

A tow truck driver/company that refuses to tow your car where you want it to be towed should not be allowed to "hook up" their truck to your vehicle. Once they have your car hooked up to their truck you're on the hook for paying them something, and even if they hook it up and let it down again it's going to be probably ~$100 just for that. Therefore be sure to negotiate the tow (where it's going to go) before the vehicle is connected to the tow truck.

If you want your car towed to a specific shop, don't give into the pressures of the tow truck driver to tow you elsewhere. They may tell you how you should go to whatever shop they are recommending but as long as you say "this is where I want it towed to", that's where they have to take it.

In accidents involving an insurance claim, the towing fee will often be covered under the claim so don't worry too much about if the shop you want to go to is 25km away when another shop is just around the corner. If you're in an accident where you require collision insurance to cover it when you don't have collision (and are therefore not covered) then you'll likely be paying for the tow yourself, so either an auto club tow or a shorter-distance tow might be a good idea.

wow...this is very educational, hopefully more people will get to read this thread. unfortunate things happen, but getting onto the wrong tow truck will definitely make it a lot worse. thanks!

[kleptodathief]

just curious, how fast will CAA come to tow ur car when u get into a fender bender? i've only been a +PLUS member since dec2006 and so far have NEVER had to use CAA, i got it incase my tranny blowz

[Crisqo]

These tow trucks & body shops make this industry look worst than it is...

- most of the time when your vehicle is in a collision, it will still be drivable, so drive it to the closest parking lot (or off the road) and wait for a tow truck of YOUR CHOICE. If you don't have a tow company, contact your insurance company and see if they have one they recommend.

- If you have no where to bring your vehicle for storage, or if the shop is closed during the weekend. Have your car brought to the closest collision reporting centre in the area your accident happened.

- Do not sign anything unless you have read the fine print.

[stryder1587]

WOW, can't believe such a useful thread was up. Just yesterday I got into the first accident ever. A Williams towing company truck pulled up and started hooking it up, and right then I told them "Wait I have CAA coverage, you don't have to do this". Then the guy pretty much lied to my face and said "We have a contract with the police to clear the roads, don't worry it's completely covered, you won't have to pay a thing". To which, my naivety gave in to. I DID NOT sign a single thing, they just moved it out of the way without my actual consent.
Next day, my dad calls the insurance company and luckily they told us to go release the vehicle immediately because these guys charge $100/day. The accident happened at around 9:30 pm, so we made sure to get there at around 7 so we wouldn't have to pay for the 2nd day....Apparently, midnight is considered a day, so we got charged $200 for parking alone. Then they stacked on some environmental fee (WTF is this? Someone please explain what this has to do with anything). Then they claimed we used a dolly...which we clearly watched them, and they DID NOT use at all....$275 right there. Altogether, with taxes it came to $920.

I feel sooo scammed, especially knowing that I was in a position to say NO, and could've used CAA which I am covered for to prevent it. We also wanted to dispute all these charges, but their manager had already gone home and if we wanted to talk to him, we'd have to come in the next day, and suffer another $100 on top of it with no guarantee that talking to him will do anything.

My car is practically worthless and is less than the $920 I paid to release it. I've heard of cases where people just leave the vehicle and don't pay anything and gotten away with it. THe guy working there claimed that they would take my car within 60 days, then the collection agency would come after me anyways and by then, the bill would be in the tens of thousands, and it would also affect my license renewal etc. Is this true? What should I have done?

All that saving through rfd....all gone in one fell swoop. If only I had seen this thread earlier!

[MP3_SKY]

I would say solve the issue with the company and not just go away with it. Once collection agency involve, it may affect your credit rating.

[at1212b]

Wouldn't you have to take it to a collision center?

[iluvmikeharris]

WOW, can't believe such a useful thread was up. Just yesterday I got into the first accident ever. A Williams towing company truck pulled up and started hooking it up, and right then I told them "Wait I have CAA coverage, you don't have to do this". Then the guy pretty much lied to my face and said "We have a contract with the police to clear the roads, don't worry it's completely covered, you won't have to pay a thing". To which, my naivety gave in to. I DID NOT sign a single thing, they just moved it out of the way without my actual consent.
Next day, my dad calls the insurance company and luckily they told us to go release the vehicle immediately because these guys charge $100/day. The accident happened at around 9:30 pm, so we made sure to get there at around 7 so we wouldn't have to pay for the 2nd day....Apparently, midnight is considered a day, so we got charged $200 for parking alone. Then they stacked on some environmental fee (WTF is this? Someone please explain what this has to do with anything). Then they claimed we used a dolly...which we clearly watched them, and they DID NOT use at all....$275 right there. Altogether, with taxes it came to $920.

I feel sooo scammed, especially knowing that I was in a position to say NO, and could've used CAA which I am covered for to prevent it. We also wanted to dispute all these charges, but their manager had already gone home and if we wanted to talk to him, we'd have to come in the next day, and suffer another $100 on top of it with no guarantee that talking to him will do anything.

My car is practically worthless and is less than the $920 I paid to release it. I've heard of cases where people just leave the vehicle and don't pay anything and gotten away with it. THe guy working there claimed that they would take my car within 60 days, then the collection agency would come after me anyways and by then, the bill would be in the tens of thousands, and it would also affect my license renewal etc. Is this true? What should I have done?

All that saving through rfd....all gone in one fell swoop. If only I had seen this thread earlier!

If you didn't sign anything, you shouldn't have paid them a penny.

[ImJJ]

WoW I am lucky I haven't had an accident yet except a flat tire once...

...lied to my face and said "We have a contract with the police to clear the roads, don't worry it's completely covered, you won't have to pay a thing"....

Guess this would be the first sign of a scam...AVOID when someone say it to you!!

I also have the same question as previous post mentioned, how fast does CAA arrive at the scene to take care the car for you? I mean ppl pay monthly payments to avoid this kind of scam. If CAA can't provide adquate response during these situations then I'd consider IT been a scammer as well...

...$275 right there. Altogether, with taxes it came to $920...

Sorry I am bad at math but...HOW does $275 + tax jump to $920???...SCAM!!

...but their manager had already gone home and if we wanted to talk to him, we'd have to come in the next day, and suffer another $100 on top of it with no guarantee that talking to him will do anything...

He doesn't have a cellphone that you can call?...
To me it sounds like a way to extract more money out of you...SCAM!!

......leave the vehicle and don't pay anything and gotten away with it...

As previous posts mentioned it'll affect your credit rating and I'd do what the OP did sue them yourself or have the insurance broker sue them...

Very educational thread and hope I never run into this kind of situation and if I do, I think I know how to avoid it...thanks OP!

[m4gician]

Well the law is on your side believe or not. As you signed a STANDARD FORM CONTRACT without being made aware of what you were signing. That pretty much voids the contract because there was no 'meeting of the mind's' or joint agreement in the contract here. You were just presented a form and signed it.

I understand that they will argue otherwise, and the court will do it's best to uphold the contract (i.e. get the work done at the shop, but at a reasonable price). However, when you're in a situation like this, if the insurance company has a good lawyer (they do) they'll be able to defend you to the point where this most likely will get sorted out in your favour.

This is really off topic, but this is my personal experience, a dumb one. I just hope no one will fall into the same trap again, that's why I am posting here now. If you have accidents in downtown toronto, make sure you get your own CAA tow truck, or contract your insurance company. Otherwise, you may end up like me, almost getting ripped off.

This auto repair shop tried to scam me (tried because its uncertain pending on the court decision) by telling me to sign a form that I thought it was for the towing and storage service when my car was towed there after my accident. The tow truck was linked to the shop, and I was not careful enough to realize there's something suspicious. Turned out, they told my insurance company that I signed a work order form, and they filled in the blanks in the form I signed to overcharge me.

Since I let my insurance company to handle it, they decided to take the shop into court in order to get my car out from them because they claimed that I signed the work order, so they would not release my car even though I asked them to numerous times. After I finally got my car out, they took away the loosen parts of my car from the accident including my front license plate. Not all the loosen parts are broken, but they would not return to my new repair shop.

The owner is extremely rude, and several times on the phone, he lied to me, and some words he said could be interpreted as a threat. I am just glad now I got my car back safely, but the court process is still going on. This link below shows some other victims like me, but I guess they did not try to go through their insurance company, and they settled to get ripped off.

http://toronto.ibegin.com/misc/franks-auto-collision

[stryder1587]

I have decided to take these guys to court. I haven't signed anything so they technically forced their performance of their services without any written/verbal consent. Furthermore, their invoice has a bunch of ridiculous things which they've thrown on, on services NOT performed.

What I need now are tips. Anybody have any experiences, (including the OP) with sueing such companies?