Didn't know better at the time especially since they were smart enough not to make any direct threats
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Tow Truck Operators descend on Queens Park
- Thread starter Dresden
- Start date
Didn't know better at the time especially since they were smart enough not to make any direct threats
Koval_68
Well-known member
You have to look back 20-30 years, to fully understand what is going on in insurance/body repair/towing industries! Years ago, when you needed your car fixed after collision, you had it towed to a shop/dealer you knew and trusted. Your insurance company payed the bill and everyone was happy. But some insurance companies started to demand deep cuts/discounts from your favorite body shop.....That shop owner refused, because he prides himself for work he does and wants you to come back one day.....Your insurance company in return for his refusal, started convincing his repeated customers to go somewhere else.....That's how chasing was born! That shop owner, in pursuit of his own survival bought tow trucks, so he could bring some work to his shop or started paying commissions to towing companies for work they brought him.
You, as a car owner, need to be more informed, and have a plan B, like someone has mentioned in earlier post. You have to know beforehand, where you want your car fixed and you're the one telling the tow truck driver, police officer on scene and your insurance company where you want to go!
You, as a car owner, need to be more informed, and have a plan B, like someone has mentioned in earlier post. You have to know beforehand, where you want your car fixed and you're the one telling the tow truck driver, police officer on scene and your insurance company where you want to go!
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I was about to say that I think I'm the odd man out in that I haven't really had any bad experiences with tow truck drivers (even with one time I paid cash out of pocket for a tow, and actually got a receipt for it)
...then I remembered the guy that tried pulling a CAA trick on me. I don't think I'd even called CAA yet and he said he could bill CAA, I thought OK whatever... he was banking on the fact that since the tow was more than 10km he would still be getting cash out of me. When we arrive he tries to bill me but I told him I had CAA+ and he was not happy, lol
...then I remembered the guy that tried pulling a CAA trick on me. I don't think I'd even called CAA yet and he said he could bill CAA, I thought OK whatever... he was banking on the fact that since the tow was more than 10km he would still be getting cash out of me. When we arrive he tries to bill me but I told him I had CAA+ and he was not happy, lol
I've used CAA a couple of times over the years, and have no complaints about their service. The last CAA tow ended up being a tough one ... seized parking brake with the car stuck in a parking garage at Pearson, and it was a proper nuisance for him (actually, us) to get the car out of there. I handed him a $20 bill.
The vultures that are scouting for business for collision shops are another matter. Thankfully, the few times that I've had a little bump on the road over the years, I've always been able to drive the car away.
The vultures that are scouting for business for collision shops are another matter. Thankfully, the few times that I've had a little bump on the road over the years, I've always been able to drive the car away.
Koval_68
Well-known member
You've made his day, by showing some generosity and appreciation! Only owners under contract to CAA make some money. That poor driver probably takes home $500/week, after all the deductions, and working at least 60 hours that week! There is a good reason, why CAA doesn't own and operate any of their own tow trucks.....
That is what I was referring to... and that people are talking about the tow truck drivers.... and not what they really should be concerned about with this bill.
I was in stuck in a ditch in the sault and a CAA truck driver spent an hour with me digging out the rental car. I had reported to CAA that I had slid off the road, but really I was 500m up a snowmobile trail (I needed to get to a site to do a job). The driver could have walked away when he saw where the vehicle was but he helped me out so I slipped him what I had (40 or 60). His boss showed up right at the end and chewed him out, hopefully he thought it was worth it.
PS SSM has no 4-wheel drive tow trucks, all of the companies buy the used/worn-out trucks from the GTA and use them until they die.
They'll just have some of their buddies steal police communication equipment and keep each other in the loop.
Koval_68
Well-known member
Their "friends" in uniform call them on their private cell phone, that's what happens! Of course, nothing is for nothing....Geez, people are so naive to think Police is there to always "Serve and Protect" you....
By the way, Peel radios have been fully encrypted for a while now...
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Sure, except when all the driver wants to do is funnel you to the shop he gets a kickba..., sorry, a 'finders fee' from.
You always have the option of going to a shop other than one that is 'authorized' by your insurer. They just won't warranty the work. Given the way that my Dodge Dakota rusted out a few years after having aftermarket body parts put into at an 'authorized shop' I don't really think that warranty counts for a heap of goose dung.
Koval_68
Well-known member
They(your insurer) never do anyway! It's not your insurer that warranties the work, it's the shop that did repairs on your vehicle. When you have a problem with repairs, they always tell you to go back to that shop...all they do is make a phone call and shop owner is told to fix the problem! How, they don't care! Most people trade or sell their car within couple of years after the repair, your insurer knows that and that is where the story ends. Now your problem(their problem-your insurer) has become somebody else's problem.
Good dealership/body shop will always stand by their work!
Btw,if someone tells you you have a lifetime warranty on rust, they're simply lying to you!
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I believe the actual expression used by the insurer was "stand behind the work of the approved shop and go to bat for you", when I was dealing with that particular claim. As to a rust warranty no one made any such representations, nor did I mention any. I was simply pointing out that what was a brand new truck began rusting heavily in 4 years of ownership, in the areas that had been repaired with aftermarket (and I maintain sub standard) parts, which were therefore not covered by the manufacturer's warranty. Nowhere else on the vehicle did this occur.
Koval_68
Well-known member
Sounds like just another "quality"repair by a "preferred" shop...
And yes, sub standard aftermarket parts are very real! So is poor workmanship.
The only insurance company that will fix your car right is Chubb, but unfortunately for the 99% of us, we can't afford their rates. I guess you get what you pay for...
And yes, sub standard aftermarket parts are very real! So is poor workmanship.
The only insurance company that will fix your car right is Chubb, but unfortunately for the 99% of us, we can't afford their rates. I guess you get what you pay for...
Actually, any insurance company can fix your car "right" ... you can take the car to the shop of your choice to get it fixed. You don't have to use their "preferred" shops.
When I got tapped from behind on the 401 last year, there was no way I was taking my car to anyone other than the dealer. The dealer was not one of their "preferred" shops, but I didn't care. Took longer to get the paperwork done, but they fixed it right.
When I got tapped from behind on the 401 last year, there was no way I was taking my car to anyone other than the dealer. The dealer was not one of their "preferred" shops, but I didn't care. Took longer to get the paperwork done, but they fixed it right.
N3WMAN
Well-known member
Most CAA drivers aren't going to try and screw you around in my experience, but their personalities seem on par with most drivers. Had one who seemed like a genuinely nice guy, and another who showed up intoxicated.
Any time I've needed a tow, which has not been often, I call a garage owned by a long time family friend and let him arrange the tow. Never had a bad experience going this route.
I also had a friend who was running a chase truck for a while covering for his buddy who was in the hospital. I was offered $60 cash if I called him to an accident and he got a tow out of it.
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