kOrE

iTrader: (1)

Hi everyone! So long story short my car got towed last night which sucks. When I went to pick it up last night I was sure to inspect it before I left the tow company and i noticed a small gash/scratch on the front bumper. I have the clear protector over the front of the car and the gash appears to be mostly on the clear protector. I asked the lady to make it on my receipt and she said she would not. The tow driver came out and said that it was there before and that he towed it from the back and blah blah. I simply said I am pretty sure it wasn't there before, next thing I know the driver was in my face telling me to do something. . . . .I was like "Uhh, I am not trying to fight you, Im just trying to figure out what happened to my car." He continued to swear and act aggressive.

So long story short. . . .what can I do about this? I guess there is no legit way for my to prove the scratch wasn't there. Also any recommendations on fixing this? I am guessing its not worth it to get a police report and go from there.

pdpMIATA

Ahh. The power of Insurance.

kOrE

iTrader: (1)

Yea but my deductible is $250. . . . . I can't imagine it would cost more than that to fix this so that might be pointless.

connoisseurr

iTrader: (5)

You should be able to get your whole bumper repainted for no more than $250.

pdpMIATA

^say whaaaaaat?

guy from norcal

iTrader: (2)

that sucks.

dirtbag tow companies

kOrE

iTrader: (1)

Any ideas on how to fix the gash?

dkmura

There is no way to repair damage like that. You'll need to either pay for it to be recovered, or just change your own expectations of having no damage in that particular area.

blnewt

iTrader: (13)

Is that a clear bra attached to the bumper, if so and it didn't penetrate the paint you may just get it removed and another clear bra applied. It looks like it may have gotten to the paint though, and the bumper is the most expensive part to clear bra so it may be over $250

STownSaint

WOW it's sad how that's an acceptable way to conduct a business, it really is frustrating how tow companies get away with this type of stuff, they know the game inside and out and likely 0% of drivers have any respect for others property. Sad but true. I refuse to park in the city just to avoid the possibility, but I know for others it's unavoidable

any way you can match the damage to the equipment on the tow truck? Could go civil suit if you can, otherwise just have to take your lumps unfortunately

mathnerd88

iTrader: (1)

The car was improperly towed regardless if it was towed from the front or back. The OP has an AWD vehicle. Only proper way to tow the vehicle is using a flatbed or use dollies so none of the wheels touch the ground.

If there was any damage to the powertrain the towing company would be held responsible. As for the gash, there's no way you can prove the tow company did it unless you have hard evidence. One way is to have a dashboard camera constantly recording the incident.

You can tell the towing company that they are held liable for any powertrain issue since it was improperly towed. You should've had them note on the receipt that it was towed from the back.

As for the gash, I don't see it as that big of a deal. My car doesn't even have a clear bra and has all these chips from rocks on the highway. It will happen sooner or later. I would forget about it. When it gets really bad you can probably have the whole thing repainted down the road. Wait for another accident or something. It isn't worth getting it fixed.

Next time, don't park illegally lol...Towing costs are outrageously expensive.

mathnerd88

iTrader: (1)

A proper bumper repaint does not cost only $250. If you can get it that cheap that means the shop won't be doing a good job of it. They're probably going to end up just spraying over it, and not sanding it/priming it correctly and probably use cheap paint that will chip or in all-in-one paint. Maaco cheap paint jobs are notorious for this.

At least it should be $350-$450 depending on shop location/prices. Some places will even charge $700 or more (too high IMO.) A proper repaint would also mean blending with the surrounding panels, but it usually is not necessary if the paint can be closely matched.

pdpMIATA

I think he point was that save the $250 now, and get yourself a complete job for the $450~ when the time comes...which I somewhat agree as well. Had her for three years and the amount of rock chips i have are a joke. Im awaiting a big scratch to pull the trigger on the same project lol

connoisseurr

iTrader: (5)

Where I live, there are many body shops around, most being very reputable. When I say painted for $250, I mean sanded, prepped and painted. Of course there are places around that charge more because the advertise to higher end cars and that's where I could understand the $450 price point.

mathnerd88

iTrader: (1)

You must have very cheap labor rates. In Boston area, prices range from $350-$500 for similar work, and $700 or more with blending with other panels.