Why Did My $500 Tow Turn Into A $2,000 Impound Bill?

Because The Tow May Be Only The Beginning Of The Bill.

When your car gets towed and you're initially told the tow is going to cost somewhere around $400 or $500, that's bad enough. It's an unexpected expense, it's inconvenient and it's probably money you weren't planning to spend. But at least it still sounds like a problem you might be able to handle.

Then a few days pass. You call the impound yard to find out what it will actually cost to get your vehicle back, and suddenly you're hearing numbers like $1,200, $1,600 or even $2,000.

What happened? The original tow didn't magically quadruple in price. The problem is that once a vehicle enters an impound facility, the towing charge may be only the beginning of the bill. Depending on where the vehicle was impounded and the rules that apply, storage and other authorized charges can continue adding to the total while the vehicle sits there.

The Meter May Keep Running While Your Car Sits

This is where an expensive inconvenience can turn into a serious financial problem. You may be waiting until payday before you can retrieve the vehicle. Maybe you're trying to straighten things out with your insurance company, contesting the tow, dealing with an accident or simply trying to figure out where you're going to get the money.

Unfortunately, your financial situation doesn't necessarily stop the charges from accumulating. Depending on the facility and local regulations, the total amount due can include the original towing charge, daily storage charges, administrative or processing fees and other authorized expenses associated with the impound.

The longer the vehicle remains there, the more important it becomes to understand exactly what you're being charged and whether additional costs are continuing to accumulate.

How A $500 Tow Can Become A $2,000 Problem

Here's a simplified example of how a relatively manageable towing expense can turn into a much larger bill:

This is an illustration only. Actual towing, storage and other authorized charges vary significantly by location, facility and circumstances.

That's why focusing only on the original towing charge can be a costly mistake. The real question may no longer be “Can I afford the tow?” It may quickly become “Can I afford everything that's accumulating after the tow?”

Waiting For The Problem To Fix Itself Can Get Expensive

Ignoring an impounded vehicle generally doesn't make the financial problem disappear. If you intend to recover the vehicle, contact the facility promptly and find out exactly what is required, what you currently owe and whether additional charges are accumulating.

If insurance may be responsible for some or all of the costs, contact your insurer as soon as possible. Don't simply assume the insurance company and impound facility are handling everything behind the scenes while you wait. Most importantly, look at the numbers before automatically deciding that getting the vehicle back is your only option.

If your car is worth approximately $3,500 and you're already facing a $2,000 impound bill, the economics may be getting ugly very quickly. Add accident damage, mechanical problems, registration issues or an outstanding loan balance, and recovering the vehicle could mean spending thousands of dollars just to regain possession of something you were already considering selling.

Before You Throw More Money At The Car, Call OUTPOUND

There comes a point when you have to stop looking at what you've already spent and start looking at what the vehicle is actually worth.

If the impound bill is climbing and recovering the vehicle no longer makes financial sense, OUTPOUND may be able to buy your vehicle directly from impound.

Vehicle value, ownership documentation, existing liens, the impound facility and local requirements can all affect what options are available, so every situation is different. But before automatically paying thousands of dollars to recover a vehicle you may not even want anymore, find out whether selling it directly from impound is possible.

And don't wait until a bad bill becomes an even worse one.

If your $500 tow has already turned into a $2,000 impound bill, contact OUTPOUND.com and find out what options you have before putting even more money into getting the vehicle back.