Following a traumatic crash, tow truck companies have a notorious reputation of taking vulnerable victims of road accidents for a ride (in more ways than one). Emerging from a stress-inducing collision (hopefully unscathed) you are immediately faced with the tricky logistics of what to do with your written-off car. But finding a reputable tow truck company to whisk away your tattered wheels should not be a concern for you if you make the decision to sell your damaged car.
Let’s unpack 3 considerations before you frantically accept the offer from the first tow truck (of many) that arrives at the accident scene:
#1 How do you know that your car is written-off?
For insured vehicles:
Car owners need to first report the accident at their local police station before sharing the incident’s case number with their respective insurer for assessment.
An assessor from your insurance company will then inspect the extent of the damage on the car before declaring it as a written-off vehicle.
A car is considered to be a ‘write-off’ following an accident when an insurer considers the cost of repairs to exceed the vehicle’s value.
For uninsured vehicles:
Unfortunately, owners of an uninsured vehicle can face financial and legal claims from other persons or vehicles involved in the accident (if they are found to be at fault).
Deciding whether your accident-damaged car is a ‘write-off’ is a matter of weighing up the vehicle’s cost of repair with its potential value to determine whether a repair job is a viable option.
#2 Do you understand your towing rights?
According to the Automobile Association, there are too many motorists who are involved in crashes that have their cars towed from the accident scene without the owner’s permission.
But not all tow truck operators are unethical. Many service providers operate under a strict code of ethics and regulations, preventing them from taking advantage of desperate and traumatised accident victims.
Here are a few tips to ensure you protect yourself when the unscrupulous tow truck vultures begin to descend on the accident scene:
- Be the first to contact your insurer concerning the accident. Some insurers have cover for towing and are aligned with particular tow truck operators, which it is good to be aware of when you are in this unfortunate situation
- Unless you are incapacitated as a result of the accident, you have the right to select who may tow away your written-off vehicle
- Ascertain all relevant information from the tow truck operator before they take your vehicle away, including: The staff member’s name who is at the scene, the company name and registration number, the contact number and physical address of the towing company (and an additional storage yard address, if applicable), the registration number of the tow truck, take photos of your vehicle at the accident scene from various angles.
- Receive upfront quotes from the tow truck operator concerning the cost of the service (including per km rates if applicable) and storage expenses
- Remove all your valuable belongings from your car.
#3 What are your options for selling your written-off vehicle?
- Sell your car to a scrapyard
Scrap depots value your vehicle’s worth based on the weight of scrap metal which they can extract. This is likely an undervaluation of your car’s worth since car parts are not taken into account.
- Sell your car privately
You can market your vehicle either online or through other means in the hope that a mechanic or collector will make you a reasonable offer. It could, however, take months for this offer to materialise. Plus, you need to be wary of online scammers and buyers who may want to return the vehicle due to some or other undisclosed fault.
- Sell your written-off car to a reputable salvage auctioneer
This is probably the wisest option and likely to get you the best offer for your written-off car.
Be sure to find an online platform that ticks all the boxes below:
- An accurate and market-related valuation of your vehicle’s worth
- Free towing (taking an extra hassle out of a stressful accident scene)
- Instant cash
- Handling of all the paperwork involved in the car’s deregistration
- If your car is financed, a bonus would be a salvage auctioneer that welcomes the sale of accident-damaged vehicles still under finance.
At the scene of an accident, make sure you know all your rights and options before allowing a tow truck operator to whisk off your written-off vehicle’s wheels without you feeling 100% comfortable.
