Help guide

Roadside and towing scams: how not to get overcharged

Updated October 8, 2026

Never accept a tow or a repair from a truck you did not call. And never pay a stranger up front over the phone. The rest of this page is what state and city officials say to watch for, and what to ask before anyone touches your car.

We are a roadside company, so judge us by this list too.

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The scams officials warn about

The truck nobody called. You break down or have a crash, and a tow truck shows up in minutes. The driver says your insurance or the police sent him. The City of Chicago's consumer office says it plainly: never accept a tow from a tow truck you did not call. The National Insurance Crime Bureau gives the same advice. California's insurance department calls a truck that arrives within minutes and picks the repair shop for you a red flag.

The fake listing. You search for a tow on your phone and call the first number. It is not a tow company at all. In early 2026 a Michigan sheriff's office was looking into scammers who posed as tow companies in search results and asked for hundreds of dollars by card before sending anyone. One driver paid more than $300 and waited six hours. No truck came.

The bill that explodes. The price sounded fine on the phone. Then the invoice shows up with fees nobody mentioned. In one Pennsylvania case the attorney general's office said a tow of about a third of a mile was billed at $9,805. The operator was ordered to pay back more than $379,000.

Seven things to do before you agree to anything

Call for help yourself. Do not use whoever just shows up.
Get the company's name and make sure the name on the truck matches.
Get the full price before work starts. Ask what is included and what could be added. A text message with the price is even better.
Ask where the car is going, if it is being towed, and get that in writing.
Do not sign a form with blank spaces where the price should be.
Do not pay a stranger up front by phone. Pay when the person is there and the price is settled. A card gives you a record. Ask for a receipt.
Check what you already have. Your car insurance, a car club, your car's warranty or a credit card may cover roadside help. Consumer Reports also suggests asking your insurer whether a roadside call counts as a claim.

Is there a law against surprise towing fees?

It depends on your state and city. The federal junk fee rule that came out in December 2024 covers event tickets and short-term lodging. It does not cover towing. So the protection you have comes from state and local law, and from asking the right questions first.

What drivers complain about most

These are the everyday complaints, and they are fair ones:

The wait was far longer than promised. Nobody should quote an arrival time they cannot keep. We do not post one on this site for that reason.
Nobody showed up. If we cannot find someone to reach you, we tell you on the phone so you can call someone else.
The price changed at the car. Ask for the full price up front. If it changes when the tech sees the job, you should hear the new number before any work starts, and you can say no.
The fix did not hold. A tire plug with no patch is a short-term repair. See tire plug vs patch.

If it happens to you

Take pictures of the truck, the license plate and any paperwork. Pay by card if you have to pay to get your car back, and keep every receipt. Then file a complaint with your state attorney general or your city's consumer office. In Chicago that is 311. Chicago drivers can also see our Chicago page.

Where these facts come from

Checked on October 8, 2026.

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