A MOTORIST has accused a garage of cashing in on the recent snow chaos after she was quoted £150 for having her car towed out of a ditch.
Athene Voisey’s Volvo was one of dozens of cars left stranded at the side of the road after it slid into a hedge on Long Lane, Broadbottom, while she was on her way to work at the Trafford Centre.
Athene, 25, of Charlestown, Glossop, rang police for help and they contacted Glossop Motors – one of their approved garages – who sent out two men in a 4x4 tow truck.
"I was trying not to hit the car in front which was parked so went near the hedge. The back end was sticking out into the road so I phoned the police. It’s bad enough and scary enough to be stuck in a large snow drift after a car slides but then to be faced with a big bill. I called my mum and she managed to get it down to £115." She added: "I’m in the RAC and they would have done it for free."
Her dad Chris, of Hadfield Road, Hadfield, said: "They’re just cashing in on people’s misfortune. A local garage told me they would have charged £40 plus VAT."
Paul Goddard, owner of Glossop Motors – based on Dinting Vale Business Park – said their rate reflects the cost of running an around-the-clock, 365-day-a-year recovery service with trained operatives and a sizeable recovery fleet which is fit for purpose.
"The fee is the national rate for the job and is the same whether the job is at 2pm or 2am, uses one or two people, takes half-an-hour or two hours. We use tow chains which have to be certified. Our operatives go on eight-day training courses which cost us £1,000. It costs us £500 a week to pay two men to man our phones 7pm to 7am, as the police insist on one number to call when they ring us. And they charge a £15 administration fee every time they radio us to give us a job."
The mishap happened at around 2pm on Tuesday 22 December, when all 11 phone lines into Glossop Motors were red hot with calls for assistance due to the snow.
Mr Goddard added: "The lady hadn’t the confidence to drive on so after we pulled her car out, we towed her to a better stretch of road. I was not at the scene but she seemed to think that the police would pay or the service should be free and come out of her council tax. We had two men there for about an hour and a quarter and as a goodwill gesture, she was actually charged £100 plus VAT for the job."
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pat voisey (02/01/2010 at 17:04)
On no occasion did i suggest in any way shape or form that i thought the police or anyone else should pay for the 'service' , both Athene and i were upset that we had not been allowed to use the RAC of which we are members, the police have since confirmed that this should not have happened.
I did complain about the cost of the 'service' .
As to the reduction in the cost, this reduction was offered when I said that I was going to inform the papers of the treatment we had from Glossop Motors, refusing to release the car until payment had been made, trying to take the keys of the car from athene and 'escorting' us to my car at the top of long lane, one gentleman in Athenes car,in case we made 'a get-away' the other following in the truck, and staying in the car until payment had been made. we felt very intimidated , it was like being held to ramdsom, pay the money for a 'service' we neither wanted or asked for, or have your car impounded. what a wonderful 'service' to provide to people . Mr. Goddards attitude and the actions of his emplyees, on his direction, is what took the time, certainly not the towing of the vehicle, which took no more than 10 minutes in all.
Mr Goddard also told me they have to charge so much because the police charge them £50 for every recovery they send them to.
As to the course they send their drivers to, the rope attached to the car (not chain) came undone on the first attempt !
as i said. i think Mr. Goddard has remembered the wrong converstion.
regards Pat Voisey