Know Before You Tow Tips from Steve's CARSTAR Auto Body Repair

Know Before You Tow

There is nothing is worse than having an accident around Arnold, Oakville, Imperial, Jefferson County, MO and having to get your car towed away, unless your car is taken to a shop you didn’t select and held hostage until you pay up.

The problem has existed for years, but is getting worse, thanks to trucking and towing industry deregulation that allows private operators lots of leniency in picking up cars and taking them to the highest bidder.

How can you avoid getting taken advantage of when you get a tow? There are some rights you have as a consumer, and some smart things you should know to prevent a towing operator from taking advantage of you.

The St. Louis Area CARSTAR Experts recommend the following:

1. Stay with your vehicle until the tow truck arrives if possible.
2. Get the towing company’s name, address and phone number, driver’s name and tow truck operator license number and license tag number from the truck
3. Ask where the vehicle will be towed, the address, on-site contact person and pickup policies
4. Ask for an estimate on the cost of the tow and any additional charges – in writing and signed by the driver.
5. Remember that you have the right to have your vehicle towed wherever you want. That’s why it’s important to have an accident plan in place ahead of time that details your selected collision repair center.
6. Keep in mind that once your vehicle is delivered to a storage facility or unapproved body shop, you will be liable for daily storage fees, pressured to use their repair facility and will owe delivery fees should you tow it to your selected shop.
7. Make an extra set of your title, registration and insurance papers from your glove box so you can take them with you if your vehicle is towed.
8. Clean all of the electronics, sports equipment, office materials and personal items from the vehicle before it is towed.
9. Double check how your vehicle is hooked up for towing. Typically, if it is a rear-wheel drive vehicle, these should be off the ground to avoid damaging the transmission. For a front-wheel drive car, the front tires should be off of the ground.
10. Call your insurance company immediately to let them know where your vehicle is being towed. They cannot mandate where you have your car towed or repaired, but may have some guidance on quality collision shops if you don’t already have one chosen.
    

If you have your car towed to Steve's CARSTAR Auto Body Repair, you can trust that we will do the work needed, on time and on budget, all backed by a lifetime warranty. You never want to be at the mercy of a tow truck operator who isn’t working with a reputable shop.
Since CARSTAR was founded, it has performed more than 2.5 million repairs. Today they deliver a repaired vehicle every :30 seconds. CARSTAR franchisees deliver an average customer satisfaction rating of 97 percent or better. To learn more visit www.stlcarstar.com.