Tip #53: New Jersey has a predatory towing law, and you can file a complaint
New Jersey has a Predatory Towing Prevention Act, and drivers who think they were overcharged or treated unfairly by a tow company can file a complaint with the NJ Division of Consumer Affairs. Gather your paperwork first.
Tip #53 in one line
New Jersey has a Predatory Towing Prevention Act, and drivers who think they were overcharged or treated unfairly by a tow company can file a complaint with the NJ Division of Consumer Affairs. Gather your paperwork first.
Stuck right now? Skip the reading and call.
Call nowThe law exists for a reason
New Jersey passed the Predatory Towing Prevention Act to deal with towing practices that took advantage of drivers, most often in tows the driver never asked for. The law gives the state rules for how towing companies operate and charge, and it gives consumers a place to go when they believe those rules were broken: the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs.
We are not lawyers and this is not legal advice. The specifics of what is and is not allowed can change, and the Division's own website is the place to read the current rules. What every driver should know is the simple part: a complaint process exists, and you can use it.
A complaint is most useful when it is specific. Saying a tow was too expensive is hard to act on. Saying you were charged for a line item you were never told about, or were refused an itemized bill, or could not get your car back during posted hours, gives the Division something concrete to look at.
One call, one flat quote, 24/7.
Call nowWhat to gather before you file
**The itemized bill or receipt.** Every charge, as written. If you were not given one, write down that you asked and were refused.
**The company's name, the truck's markings and the yard address.** Photos of the truck and the yard sign help.
**Dates and times.** When the car was towed, when you found out, when you paid, when you got it back.
**Any written quote, text or email**, and a note of anything said on the phone that differs from what you were charged.
**Proof of payment**, whether that is a card statement or a cash receipt.
One call, one flat quote, 24/7.
Call nowPrevention beats a complaint
The easiest dispute is the one that never starts. When you call for a tow yourself, get the total before the truck is dispatched, insist on the destination you want, and ask for an itemized receipt at the end. Our own pricing is built so there is nothing to argue about: a flat hook fee plus mileage, quoted on the phone, with no night, weekend, holiday or fuel surcharges. How we price a tow shows each part.
If you are unsure whether a charge you received was normal, our towing answers cover the common line items, and a dispatcher at (908) 444-0129 will tell you how we would have priced the same job.
One call, one flat quote, 24/7.
Call nowMore on towing rules & pricing
Keep reading, or go back to every post on the blog.
- Flatbed vs wheel-lift towing: which does your car need?
- What happens to your car after a police-ordered tow in New Jersey
- Towed from private property in New Jersey: your rights
- Towing pricing red flags in New Jersey
- Local tow company vs national roadside network: who actually shows up?
- Moving a car long distance from New Jersey: towing vs car carrier
- Tip #34: Choose the destination before the truck arrives: home, shop or dealer
- Tip #35: Ask the destination about storage charges before you pick it
- All posts
Need towing and roadside assistance right now? One call, truck on the way.
Real dispatcher, 24 hours a day. Quoted price before we roll.