A1 Towing Service

I’m sharing our personal experience so others can be informed and make their own decisions. My 20-year-old daughter was recently involved in an accident and was understandably distressed. My husband and myself were both at work so her elderly grandparents were there to support her after the accident. A tow truck from A1 Towing Service Perth attended the scene without even being requested.

The towing paperwork was completed by the tow truck driver, my daughters details were added by the tow truck driver, he then asked my daughter’s elderly grandfather to sign the paperwork. Her elderly grandfather was confused and thought it was all just procedure.

According to the company’s own documentation, the authorised persons to approve a tow are the driver, the vehicle owner, or police. My daughter’s grandfather was none of these, yet the vehicle was still towed.

The person we later dealt with, [Name Removed], the owner of A1 Towing Service Perth. [Name Removed] was not present at the accident scene, however his phone number was listed on the paperwork, which is how we were directed to contact him regarding the vehicle and charges.

We were advised the cost of the tow to the company’s yard 35 minutes away was $485, with an additional $25 per day for storage as well as a $85 administration fee. When we question that and asked for the vehicle to be taken back to our home, which is less than 1.5km from the accident site and where it should have been taken initially, we were advised there would be an additional charge of $300. So a total of $870 for a car that was 1.5 km from our house and was not an authorised tow, plus daily storage fees.

The owner of the company told us not to worry as insurance would cover the cost. Once we explained to him that my daughter only had third-party insurance, we were advised that if the charges were not paid, the vehicle would be kept by the company as payment. We were willing to pay the first initial cost of the tow, but wanted our car returned to our house, when he refused unless we paid him an extra $300, we were left feeling we had no practical alternative but to leave the car with him, particularly with the ongoing daily storage fees.

My daughter is a university student and also works to support herself financially. At the time, she held third-party insurance, which was the level of cover she could afford and was in place to ensure others were protected.

I myself sent a text message to A1 Towing, raising concerns that the situation was being handled incorrectly, I received a reply by text from the owner of the company ([Name Removed]) containing the words “bad karma starts with you” and questioning why my daughter did not have full insurance. Receiving this message was upsetting given her circumstances.

This review reflects our personal experience only and is shared to raise awareness for young drivers and families, so others know to ask questions, understand their rights, and seek clarity during what can be a very overwhelming situation.

A1 Towing Service