$57,800 tow charge? Driver outraged with another AP Towing and Recovery scam
CHICAGO (CBS) -- There are new details on a towing scam CBS 2 first told you about on Thursday.
Car owners receiving outrageous charges after their cars were towed, and now, we're seeing just how bad it got. Charges for a single bill amounting to more than $50,000!
This victim is not alone. CBS 2's Sabrina Franza digs deeper into this story you'll see Only on 2.
The original bill is $57,800. For a tow. And the insurance company paid most of it.
It's the latest case in a tow company scam CBS 2's been covering -- and one victim is speaking out.
Dash cam video shows a truck getting stuck under an overpass. Its owner had no idea they'd eventually get stuck with the a massive and unbelievable $57,800 tow truck bill.
"The bill came over, and it was $57,800 dollars. and we just went 'what?!' Why?! What's going on?"
Melody Majkut's trucking company moves fright all over the country. They're in Chicago delivering three times a week. Her truck was headed to the South Loop -- but it ended up at AP Towing and Recovery.
Just like all the other victims of the scam, they never called AP Towing and Recovery to pick it up. The company just showed up. They gave Majkut's driver a fake estimate.
"I can do this for $495 an hour and it'll take me four to five hours."
More than $5,000. What they thought they'd pay is on par with normal rates, according to an expert.
"A lot of these fees can go from the low $4,000 to high $7,000s depending on damage," said Nabor Romo, manager of Logan Square Auto.
The bill is more than 11 times that amount CBS 2 showed it to him.
"I'm shocked. The amount is insane. It's astronomical," Romo said, adding that some of the fees are made up and some are duplicates with different titles.
"I mean, you look at the winching fee for almost $3,000. That fee is normally just about $80 for a particular car," Romo said.
Majkut's insurance company paid $50,000. She said AP Towing and Recovery knew that would happen.
"I get on the phone and say 'I'm not going to pay this.' He says 'your insurance company will. Give me your insurance company information.'"
Complaints like hers got the company shut down on Monday. Chicago's Department of Business and Consumer Protection, along with other agencies, arrested the owner and towed 150 remaining cars to a city owed lot.
After an accident, it took two and a half weeks for Majkut to get her property back.
"This is criminal. These people are criminals. They're holding people hostage and extorting money," lamented Majkut.
The owner and tow truck driver of AP Towing and Recovery were charged and released. Their tow trucks were also towed. Still, more than 100 cars are at a city owned lot waiting to be claimed.
The expert said if you're ever in this situation, call for a second quote and don't accept a tow from the first person that shows up.