**** Alert – First Help Tow Service Misled Us and Trapped Us With a R7,705 Bill!

On the day of the incident, I was involved in a car accident while driving my friend’s insured vehicle. Fortunately, I was unharmed. Shortly after the accident, a towing company called First Help arrived on the scene claiming to “rescue” the vehicle.

I clearly informed them that the car was insured and that we were waiting for the owner. Despite this, a representative named Joshua insisted that they had been authorized by the insurance company to tow the vehicle. He also had access to my friend’s personal and policy details, which were never provided to him directly. This raised serious concerns about how they obtained that information.

I refused their tow offer multiple times. When my friend arrived, he confirmed that the insurance had not authorized any towing company. However, Joshua persisted and convinced my friend to sign their invoice without giving him a proper opportunity to read or understand the terms and conditions.

We were told the car would be taken to an assessment center (Renew It) in Randburg. They even said we could follow them if we wished. As we got into our vehicle to follow, they immediately drove off at high speed. We took a different route to reach the same destination sooner, but they never arrived.

When we contacted Joshua, he claimed to be at a fuel station near Malibongwe Drive, allegedly heading toward Cosmo City. Minutes later, the insurance company informed us that Joshua had told them the car was already delivered to their yard in Roodepoort, claiming that “no one was available to receive it.”

The distance and time do not align with this explanation. Based on our observations, it appears that they drove directly to their own yard.

Upon reviewing the invoice that my friend was pressured to sign, we discovered a clause stating that if no one is present to receive the car, the client must pay R7,705 (including VAT). This situation gives the impression of a predetermined setup designed to trap vehicle owners into paying excessive release fees.

We later visited the Roodepoort yard and observed that it resembled a s**** yard, where fuel was drained and vehicle parts were being removed. BidGo was also present on-site, suggesting that vehicles might be disposed of if not reclaimed promptly.

This experience has caused unnecessary financial and emotional distress. In my opinion, First Help acted unprofessionally, misleadingly, and without proper authorization. I urge both the public and insurers to exercise caution when dealing with this company, and for relevant authorities to investigate their conduct.