Those bloody towies damaged my car!

It’s one of the most common claims we hear, damage or theft after a tow.

Welcome back to our short series, You Asked, We Answered: Towology 101. In this video, I want to address the damage and complaint allegations we regularly receive.

First up: we don’t need your fuel. One of the biggest things to consider is that your vehicle has often been sitting for an extended period. In certain weather conditions, especially intense Queensland heat, fuel can evaporate surprisingly quickly. In fact, fuel can evaporate even at room temperature, particularly if the tank isn’t airtight. So before getting angry at the towing company, it’s worth keeping that in mind.

When it comes to damage complaints, our experience is that more often than not, the damage was already there before the tow truck even arrived.

Just this week, for example, we received a complaint alleging that we’d damaged the motor of a vehicle (which now apparently needs replacing) and also damaged the front bar and underside with a forklift. Keep in mind, the vehicle was being towed because it wouldn’t start. When our operator arrived, he found a rod and piston sitting on the front floor of the car along with a very obvious hole in the engine block where they’d exited. I’m no mechanic, but that might explain why it wouldn’t start.

After receiving the complaint, we arranged at our own expense to collect the vehicle and assess the allegations. It didn’t take long for the mechanics to confirm the engine failure. They then inspected the underside of the vehicle, where it was claimed our forklift had caused damage. Instead, they found multiple impact points consistent with hitting kerbs and gutters, along with scrape marks from bottoming out.

Now, to be clear, this isn’t the case every time. And yes, on occasion, accidents do happen. If one of our operators causes damage, it is never intentional. But just because someone’s a towie doesn’t mean they’re a scumbag even though we hear that more often than you’d believe.

Our operators genuinely do their best to look after your vehicle, and our admin team works hard to thoroughly investigate every complaint. The process is detailed and often involves many unpaid hours to ensure matters are handled properly. Our goal is always to deal with complaints fairly, efficiently and transparently.

To help both yourself and us, we strongly recommend taking as many photos as possible before your vehicle is towed. Clear photos can make a huge difference during any investigation.

And honestly you might be surprised how many minor scratches and scrapes you notice when you take a closer look.

So please help us help you. Report any concerns directly via message, through our Facebook page, or via our reports email (linked below). Chasing false allegations pulls us away from doing what we do best being your knight in a shiny truck.

We’ll catch you next time on Towology 101. In the meantime, if you’ve got questions you’d like answered, send me a message on Messenger and I’ll cover them in an upcoming video.