Author Topic: Mostly hacked (Read 1857 times)

williamlayton · « **on:** December 28, 2004, 01:57:41 AM »

Friday the 24th, while traveling to my home from my sons home after a family dinner, I lost control of my truck when I hit a patch of ice on beltway 8 here in Houston and tried to remove the concrete median. No one hurt and only one vehicle involved, therefore no tears are elicited.
The gripe comes from the aftermath. I called a wrecker, truck was undriveable. police officer said he would require the truck moved sooner than the wrecker I called could arrive. I have no complaints here, and understand the concern. There were 5 accidents on this beltway within seeing distance from my position and it was 10pm, snow falling, as well as temperatures.
The wrecker driver picked up the vehicle at 11pm and towed it to his storage lot. Monday I morning made arrangements to have the vehicle towed to a repair facility. The truck arrived at 9:30am.
The wrecker service is charging my Insurance company $710.00 for towing and storage. Not all the way across Houston, the same side of town, maybe 20 miles.
Now I am happy I have insurance to pay this charge, but I am hacked that BUBBA'S towing had the audacity to charge this amount. I did not have to pay for it but I do have to pay for it in the form of increased insurance cost.
It was a comical side-note that the owner of the repair facility an the wrecker diver almost came to blows when the owner of the repair facility called the tow truck driver a thief.
Rant ended.
Blessings

Mikey · « **Reply #1 on:** December 28, 2004, 02:50:01 AM »

William - that's why I have a Triple A gold card. We have a few bandit tow truck operators around here too, but not as bad as yours sound, and when they see that they have to bill Triple A instead of my credit card it sometimes takes the wind outta their sails. Glad nobody was hurt. Did you leave flowers for the median?

Mikey.

bullet maker · « **Reply #2 on:** December 28, 2004, 03:09:22 AM »

I hope the insurance company files a suit against this creep, or at least has him investigated, and his license gets revoked. I know of a lot of tow drivers, and there all swell, but it only takes one bad apple to ruin the whole barrel. I also have AAA and its worth every dime.
Maybe if you went to your local news station and they did a report on that, then it would be the end of that guy`s buisnes. :lol:

bullet maker

williamlayton · « **Reply #3 on:** December 28, 2004, 08:16:59 PM »

Well the good news is the Insurance company, State Farm btw, was sympathetic but exclaimed that my bill was on the low end of of most bills they see.
Towing companies in Texas are unregulated. There is a local ordnance regulating cost but when you assign your vehicle to one for the billing of the cost to the insurance company, in other words not paying cash on the spot, they get out from under this ordnance.
We wonder why our cost for insurance are so high.
No, State Farm said they would not contest it. They said they would pay as they really had no legal backing to fight these charges.
I was most amused and appreciative of the attitude by Mr Goodbody, the repairer I took the vehicle too. He was really hacked.
Bent frame but this is repairable, $7500 but under the limits of being totaled. The frame work does not concern me as much as it would have a number of years ago. They send it to a business that specializes in this work. They said the frame was not kinked.
OH WELL.
Blessings

williamlayton · « **Reply #4 on:** December 28, 2004, 08:19:59 PM »

Mikey-
Should have answered you. I doan think I even shuttered that median. Fords may be built Texas Tough but that median had the truck by several tons.
Did leave a red mark on it though.
Blessings

Dali Llama · « **Reply #5 on:** December 29, 2004, 01:30:42 AM »

Quote from: bullet maker

Maybe if you went to your local news station and they did a report on that, then it would be the end of that guy`s buisnes.

Dali Llama suggest that what williamlayton should do.

Wlscott · « **Reply #6 on:** December 29, 2004, 06:41:19 AM »

WilliamLayton, I grew up in the automotive repair business. My pop had a body shop and a towing business.

The frame machine he uses now has a laser that uses a series of targets that hang down under the frame of the vehicle. The laser bouncing off of these targets measures points in the frame. This info is transmitted to a computer that tells you exactly where to pull, and how much to pull. I wouldn't worry too much about the frame damage. There's not much that my old man can't fix under a car (or anywhere else for that matter). I would assume that if the repair shop took your truck to a shop that specializes in frame work that they have something similar to this set up.

As far as the towing charges go.......$710.00 does seem a little high to me. But I haven't driven a tow truck in about 15 years.

Here in OK we are regulated on what we can charge, and we charged accordingly. We had a competing towing service who got pretty creative with his charges though. He lost his license and got a pretty hefty fine eventually.

Anyway.....hope you get your truck back soon.

Dali Llama · « **Reply #7 on:** December 29, 2004, 08:28:59 AM »

Quote from: Wlscott

As far as the towing charges go.......$710.00 does seem a little high to me.

...more than "a little," comment Dali Llama! :shock: :shock:

Wlscott · « **Reply #8 on:** December 29, 2004, 09:32:59 AM »

Dali, it all depends on what they had to do to get the vehicle out of there.

Did they have to dolly it? Did they disconnect the drive line? There are a lot of things that are extra. A bent frame can play hell with trying to tow a vehicle. Add that to the charge for milage, and towing fee and things can get pretty expensive.

I'm not defending the towing company that hauled WL's truck off, I'm just saying that there are a lot of things that can happen.

The most I ever made on a run was around $650.00. It was around 8:00 at night, and I had to dolly the vehicle and disconnect the air brakes on the trailer of a semi rig. The truck T-Boned a Buick. The truck had a triple decker sheep trailer on it, and we had to wait five hours for the company to bring another trailer to unload the sheep onto. That five hours cost the trucking company more than half of the cost of the run.

So, yeah......710 for a run like that seems "a little high" to me :wink:

williamlayton · « **Reply #9 on:** December 31, 2004, 12:12:21 AM »

The driver of the tow truck had to only back up to the truck and attach to it. There was no other incidential work performed.
Recieved a registered letter from the towing operation on Monday, after the incident, with a breakdown of charges:
storage rate: $15 day
Tow fee: $80
Impound fee: $20
Notification fee:$25
That did not add up to the fee charged. I called the adjuster and was told that when I assigned the company the right too bill the insurance company I had gotten them out from under the ordnance which regulated cost.
I am repeating the charges given to the repair facility from memory as I did not get a copy of the charges. The repair facility passes on all charges too State Farm for disposition and payment.
Storage fee: $120 day
tow fee:$80 X 2.
any way they charged $710 which State Farm said was high but on the low end of most they recieved.
Yes, WLSCOTT, I am trusting that the repair facility does to the frame as you stated.
The only good out of this is that the Hen and I are OK.
I am still hacked.
Blessings

Dali Llama · « **Reply #10 on:** December 31, 2004, 01:16:24 AM »

Quote from: Wlscott

I'm not defending the towing company that hauled WL's truck off

:roll: :roll: :roll:

ironglow · « **Reply #11 on:** December 31, 2004, 03:50:47 AM »

Not too surprised....
I can recall a situation a couple of decades ago, where if the sherriff's dept. were first on the scene...they always called the same towing operator, even if it were halfway across the county.
There were plenty of other operators around that were fully qualified and often very nearby the wreck....

Guess we don't have to be a rocket scientist....

Glanceblamm · « **Reply #12 on:** December 31, 2004, 06:05:29 AM »

William,
Amen on you guys being ok, that is the important part as those vehicals can be replaced.

Tell you what's really scary though. Would be the out of pocket expense for even a short hospital stay :eek: :eek: :eek:
Who Is The Thief Now :evil:
Sorry, I know about lawsuits & malpractice insurance but it would seem that SOMEONE is still making some serious money. Dont know if it is the Insurance company or Hospital or both.

One thing is for sure. If the Hospital owned the wrecker company, it would have taken at least five people to put out road flares, chalk tires, hookup chain for towing, operate the winch and so forth. Each of these people would then send a bill.
What really burns me is that they will turn you in to the creditors in the blink of an eye.
Am Done Complaining Now. Glad You Are Ok.

Wlscott · « **Reply #13 on:** December 31, 2004, 07:27:59 AM »

Man how things have changed :grin:

When I was driving a tow truck we got $19.50 for hookup, then something like $20.00 an hour while on scene. If we dollied the vehicle we got another $19.50. The milage fee was something like $2.00 per mile ONE WAY. Storage was around $2.00 per day.

But we're talking about Oklahoma vs Texas....I guess football isn't the only thing better in Oklahoma :-D

Dali I'm ignoring you :lol:

williamlayton · « **Reply #14 on:** December 31, 2004, 09:38:54 PM »

I am calling it greed.
Ah- the eb and flow of football. Time was when you were not right and that too will change, sumday.
Great game Sattidy tween Boise and the Cardinals, best I have seen in a long time.
Boys I am tired of greed, makes my bones weary, takes the luster outta living.
Blessings

Dali Llama · « **Reply #15 on:** January 01, 2005, 04:07:41 AM »

Quote from: Wlscott

Dali I'm ignoring you

Dali Llama say that, not surprisingly, such quite frequently be path selected by those who have no meaningful response to commentary of another. :grin:

Wlscott · « **Reply #16 on:** January 01, 2005, 01:48:30 PM »

Dali, you can't help but try to pick a fight can you?

Mr. Layton, I guess I should just say sorry about your accident and I'm glad you're both OK.

Quote

Time was when you were not right and that too will change, sumday.

I'm sorry to say for your boys down at big T that it doesn't appear to be changing too quickly :wink:

Dali Llama · « **Reply #17 on:** January 01, 2005, 02:07:26 PM »

Quote from: Wlscott

Dali, you can't help but try to pick a fight can you?

:shock: Dali Llama say that not be his intent at all.

Dali say he merely respond to comment directed to him personally.

Graybeard · « **Reply #18 on:** January 01, 2005, 02:42:53 PM »

Graybeard say Dali started it in the first place and ask do Dali need Graybeard to END IT?

Dali Llama · « **Reply #19 on:** January 02, 2005, 04:21:05 AM »

Quote from: Graybeard

Graybeard ask do Dali need Graybeard to END IT?

Dali Llama say no, he think WIscott understand from whence Dali come. :grin:

Wlscott · « **Reply #20 on:** January 02, 2005, 10:13:53 AM »

Quote

Dali Llama say no, he think WIscott understand from whence Dali come.

Yeah, I do. My responses were supposed to be "tongue in cheek" but it's hard to convey that in print, even with smilies.

Dali Llama · « **Reply #21 on:** January 03, 2005, 01:15:07 AM »

Quote from: Wlscott

Quote
Dali Llama say no, he think WIscott understand from whence Dali come.

Yeah, I do. My responses were supposed to be "tongue in cheek" but it's hard to convey that in print, even with smilies.

Dali Llama say he appreciate explanation. :grin: :grin: :grin:

williamlayton · « **Reply #22 on:** February 01, 2005, 01:37:29 AM »

Well, now boys I doan know what to tell you or what to think,
I just got rear ended, in my wifes car, Thursday night.
Me and tha Hen is ok. I doan know what to do, I aint got no more cars to wreck, both of em in tha shop. Luckily, tha lady what done this deed has insurance, I am gettin good at this accident reportin. Got tha Hen a renter and got pieces of the truck outta tha shop today, they still got the back seat over at tha upholsterers shop.
Dang boys, when it rains it pours. I should not complain, the Lord protected all of us and nobody got hurt.
Blessings

Dali Llama · « **Reply #23 on:** February 01, 2005, 01:51:45 AM »

Quote from: williamlayton

Well, now boys I doan know what to tell you or what to think,
I just got rear ended, in my wifes car, Thursday night.
Me and tha Hen is ok. I doan know what to do, I aint got no more cars to wreck, both of em in tha shop. Luckily, tha lady what done this deed has insurance, I am gettin good at this accident reportin. Got tha Hen a renter and got pieces of the truck outta tha shop today, they still got the back seat over at tha upholsterers shop.
Dang boys, when it rains it pours. I should not complain, the Lord protected all of us and nobody got hurt.
Blessings

Dali Llama say he sorry to hear of misfortune that seem to abide with williamlayton lately.

Dali say he just glad william and tha Hen be safe and sound. :grin:

Brett · « **Reply #24 on:** February 01, 2005, 01:54:42 AM »

Frustrating I'm sure, but the importing thing like you said is that everyone is okay praise God. I pray that better days are ahead for you and 'the Hen'. Although if you keep calling her that there is no guarantee. :wink:

williamlayton · « **Reply #25 on:** February 02, 2005, 01:46:40 AM »

WELL. things come in three's---Was time for an oilin and since I wanted to drive it to check it out I figgered it was a good opportunity.
Heard a whine in the rear end while goin to tha Ford place to get the oil changed. Told em to check it out, sure enough, sumthin wrong with tha rear end, no charge, not wreck related, but they will need it fer three days.
Lord thankee for keepin us safe, helpin us out.
This too, shall pass.
Blessings

Dali Llama · « **Reply #26 on:** February 02, 2005, 01:40:50 PM »

Quote from: williamlayton

WELL. things come in three's---Was time for an oilin and since I wanted to drive it to check it out I figgered it was a good opportunity.
Heard a whine in the rear end while goin to tha Ford place to get the oil changed. Told em to check it out, sure enough, sumthin wrong with tha rear end, no charge, not wreck related, but they will need it fer three days.
Lord thankee for keepin us safe, helpin us out.
This too, shall pass.
Blessings

You and tha Hen hang in there, say Dali Llama, as every cloud have a silver lining. :-) Let us know if we may be of assistance. :-)

williamlayton · « **Reply #27 on:** February 02, 2005, 11:16:46 PM »

I am the only one frustrated---tha Lord is not.
Blessings

williamlayton · « **Reply #28 on:** February 02, 2005, 11:35:28 PM »

Brett-
Tha Hen and I been married 40 plus year, over 2/3's of my life. Now she shoulda killed me a couple of times. No jury would have convicted her,
She comes by the monicker honestly haveing taught since before she was old enough to vote, took a few years off when tha kids were young. we all laugh and ignore her clucking, guess she is just used to having to round up all them kids at school.
She is a goodun and I am fortunate that she kept me.
Blessings