While we like to continue to assert that most tow truck drivers are honest, hard-working people who enjoy saving stranded drivers and getting both them and their cars to safety, there is still a percentage of tow truck drivers performing less-then-ethical actions. If you’ve ever had your car towed, then you’re aware of the high price tag connected to the necessity of getting your car back, and probably aware that anytime your car gets towed, you’ll feel like you’ve been scammed. However, while some people do park illegally and do deserve to get towed, often times drivers wind up getting their cars towed when they’ve done everything legally as well.

What’s the reason for getting a car towed even if you’ve acted legally? Unfortunately, the reason for the tow might boil down to the car you are driving, and loopholes in laws that allow unethical companies to haul your car off. In fact, you’re more in danger of having your car towed if you own a car that would be considered middle-of-the-road, and that’s honestly what most of us in the general population drive.

Average Car Profiling

One method used by less-than-ethical towing companies to profile vehicles because it increases the likelihood of making some fast cash. The type of car that the two truck can pick up can often dictate the likelihood of whether or not your car gets towed because many unethical companies focus in on a certain type of car prior to making their tow.

Avoiding Older Cars

These types of tow truck drivers don’t want to tow off older cars because the people that own those older cars most likely don’t make much money, and probably can’t afford to pay the fines if their cars are impounded. If fines aren’t paid by the vehicle owner, then the towing company might have to interact with the cops as well as tow the vehicle before they can legally get rid of it, meaning the car takes up space and costs money.

Avoiding Expensive Cars

On the other hand, towing companies also tend to avoid cars that are very expensive, like BMW and Lexus model cars, because they could cause damage to the car during the tows. While most people don’t usually get reimbursed even if their car is damaged during a tow, there is still lawsuit potential if a more expensive car is damaged. Plus, owners of more expensive cars have the money to file lawsuits, so it could create potential future problems for the towing company.

So, this scam relies on grabbing the more average car, say Toyotas and Hondas, that look like they are owned by a hard-working, middle-class person with enough income to afford the impound fees. Plus, even if the owner of an average car that gets towed can’t afford those impound fees, the lot winds up with a car that it could probably move quickly via a sale and still make money quickly without having to worry about the cost of storing the car.