There have multiple reports of vehicles being towed and towing services charging victims thousands of dollars to retrieve their cars, the Insurance Council of Texas reported. One insurance special investigator called Houston “the wild west” when it comes to what some tow services and body shops are charging consumers, the ICT said.
Local and state law enforcement, along with insurance fraud groups, have now started to crack down on these bad actors.
Sam Lynch, senior investigator with the Texas Department of Licensing and Registration which oversees towing companies, offered this advice if stuck in a situation where you might be confronted with a fraudulent tow truck driver in Houston:
- If your vehicle has broken down on a Houston freeway, a tow truck service that is authorized by the city of Houston Safe-Clear program will tow your vehicle for $50 to a safe location off the roadway for repair. You won’t be asked to sign anything.
- If your vehicle must be towed because of a traffic accident in Houston or Harris County, don’t sign anything a tow driver gives you. If you need assistance, seek the help of a Houston or Harris County law enforcement officer.
- If broken down or involved in an accident anywhere in the state and need towed, don’t sign a blank ticket offered by a tow truck driver. Look at all charges listed on a document so that you understand the total cost of the towing.
- To ensure that your vehicle does not wind up in a body shop, ask that your vehicle be taken to a licensed vehicle storage facility.
- To file a complaint against a towing service in Texas, go to: https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/Complaints/ComplaintForm.aspx?strRadiobutton=Vehicle%20Towing
Source: Insurance Council of Texas
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