Need help/advice: Car accident/ tow trucker nightmare

[graciax452]

I was involved in a car accident on Tuesday morn, bumped into the lady in front of me who braked suddenly and I couldn't avoid her. So we ignored the trucker guys who appear, for about an hour whist we wait for the police to arrive, exchange details etc because we know we cant use them if they are not authorised by our insurance. Unfortunately I finished my airtime calling for police and trying to get through to my insurance. So after a while the trucker offers to help me call the insurance, I give him the number and I talk to someone on his phone from "my insurance", go through checks etc. and get "permission" for the trucker to tow my car to an assessor, and be dropped off at work as they sort out my rental car and confirmed insurance would pay for the tow, twice.

After a while when I'm at work waiting for a call on the rental, I call the insurance to confirm the time when a car will come, only to be told there is no record of my claim, no call has been received logged etc, in other words whoever I talked to earlier was not my insurance. The tow company, Central Tow Assist is charging R6500 to get my car back and the insurance say they will only pay R2000 of that so I will have to pay the rest or they can take it up with legal for me. They did say though that is no guarantee I still wont have to pay the R4500, and it can take over 30 days to get it sorted out. They asked me to call Central auto Assist to see if they would accept the R2000 before going to legal, they refused and said the release fee was R6500 and the insurance can take it up if they want to, when I asked who the trucker had called they said they were not at the scene and have no idea, when I asked for the truckers contact details they said they do not keep any details on their truckers.

Should I go and also open a case with the police, because I feel this is fraudulent behaviour, or just let the insurance handle it? Or do I just leave it as a lesson learned from being conned. From the insurance side it seems their case will be based on the charges being too high and they are only willing to pay R2000 and may not tackle the conning i was put through... what should I do?

[D3x!]

holy crap this world is full of cnuts

[scudsucker]

I would lay charges of fraud and theft against the tow company.

Fraud: representing themselves as an insurance agency when they are not. Theft: holding your possessions against your will, and under false pretences.

This is how the tow operators make money- a friend "agreed" to have a car he had borrowed towed (agreed = he was drunk and got arrested, tow truck guy took the vehicle) and including "storage" fees the tow company wanted over R20 000 to release the car.

Luckily the owner of the car had a lawyer who had it released, immediately and for no charge.

[iAmThePope]

Go legal on their asses. That is ridiculous and any decent claims lawyer would tell you the same. I agree with scudsucker said about fraud and theft.

[xrapidx]

Typical...scum.

But how did they verify your details?

[Mystic Twilight]

Problem is you don't have any evidence, its your word against his. While you claim this story in court, all he will simply say is you agreed after getting tired of waiting after an hour. Phone call? He lost his phone, so no record. Or you simply didn't use his phone.

I'm not saying you shouldn't pursue this, but just be aware of the pitfalls and plan ahead otherwise this just becomes a war of attrition.

@xRapidzx: They simply asked the OP to confirm details, such as simply asking the OP for their name, address, etc, etc. Since the OP didn't suspect anything, probably anything but the most sensitive questions like the color of their panties would have been answered without hesitation. If the OP wanted to verify that the operator worked at the insurance company, then he/she should purposely answer one question with incorrect information such as physical address.

[FNfal]

Your word against their word unfortunately,school fees.

[seanyp00h]

Typical...scum.

But how did they verify your details?

I'm guessing they asked you to verify your details?

This is a common stunt pulled by the tow companies..Never ever let a tow truck driver dial a number for you.

*****ing scum of the earth

[R13...]

Your word against their word unfortunately,school fees.

No school fees here. He was scammed and must get his own back. The tow truck company claim thru don't keep trucker details so who or how did the OP's car get booked in.

[cbrunsdonza]

Sorry to hear about you misfortune.

Insurance companies have been warning people about this. I'm no legal head but I understand that if you have a "do-not-tow" sticker from your insurance then you might have some recourse.

[R13...]

In fact the OP must fight to pay nothing.

[graciax452]

Typical...scum.

But how did they verify your details?

Well he asked for my name, I gave it then he confirmed the car insured, which means trucker probably told him all that, then the rest I'm assuming he overheard me exchange with the other lady, and relayed to "fake insurance guy". And yes the rest "I verified" when asked... sigh.

[graciax452]

Problem is you don't have any evidence, its your word against his. While you claim this story in court, all he will simply say is you agreed after getting tired of waiting after an hour. Phone call? He lost his phone, so no record. Or you simply didn't use his phone.

I'm not saying you shouldn't pursue this, but just be aware of the pitfalls and plan ahead otherwise this just becomes a war of attrition.

I'm hoping the other lady will also attest to it as the same was done to her as well, and she had a different insurance co, and they took both our cars to the same place, thing is she was driving an expensive car and can probably afford to pay and avoid a hassle, there was no scratch on her car but they told her, her air-bags may deploy at any time so it also had to get towed and checked out before she could drive it. well the "fake insurance on her side" said that...

[Brenden_E]

I would rain down hellfire on them! That is fraud to the max.

[lcbxx]

How shocking to hear of this misguidance being purportrated by the upstanding Tow-Truck community.

OP, you are not the 1st victim. It almost happened to me as well when a "helpful" tow-truck driver offered his phone for a call to my insurance for towing approval. After I gave my ID number to the "agent" on the other end, I asked for my policy number to give to the person who collided with me, which she could not give "at this moment in time due to system difficulties". I immediately grew suspicious and when I took the phone from my ear to look at the screen, the number displayed was a 011673****, as opposed to the 0800 214 763 I gave to the trucker from my insurance disc.

The problem is at that moment you are pretty flustered with the noise of the passing traffic, etc, that you do not pay as good attention as you normally would. After I told the tow-trucker to fsck off & used the guys phone who ran into me to call Vantage, I got hassled by police later because my car needed to be moved as it was blocking traffic, with the tow truckers backing him up big time. I just stood my ground until my phone rang with details on which towing company will arrive, together with his licence plate number. Ironically, the truck was a flat-bed, not a zooped up Courier bakkie.