MiWay Insurance Accredited Panel Towing Operator

My experience following an accident has raised serious concerns about the conduct of a towing operator accredited on the panel of MiWay Insurance.

On 2 March 2026, I was involved in a serious accident where another vehicle struck my car directly at the driver’s door. I was in shock and not in a good mental state when the towing operators from First Help Towing arrived at the scene.

I clearly informed them that I do **not have insurance** and that I would be claiming from the third party’s insurance (the driver who caused the accident). Despite this, they repeatedly assured me that “insurance will cover everything” and insisted that my vehicle had to be towed for an assessment. They referenced MiWay Insurance while speaking to me, which made me believe that the process was legitimate and aligned with insurer procedures.

In my vulnerable state after a traumatic accident, I was asked to sign documents that I now believe were misleading. I trusted what I was told at the time.

The following day, when I contacted the repair assessment centre where my vehicle was supposedly taken, I was told that my car was **not there**. The towing operators had already blocked my number and the additional contact number provided to me was incorrect. At that point I had no idea where my vehicle was.

Only the following day did I receive a call from their storage facility in Roodepoort informing me that my vehicle was there.

When I later contacted MiWay Insurance, I was informed that they **do not cover towing and storage fees in this type of third-party situation**. This means the towing operators misrepresented the situation at the accident scene when they assured me that “insurance will cover everything” and referenced MiWay while convincing me to have my vehicle towed. Had I been given the correct information at the time, I would have made a different decision about where my vehicle was taken.

When I eventually went to collect my vehicle, which is still drivable, I was told I had to pay **R12,133**, less than 48 hours after the accident. It had not even been a full 24 hours before these charges supposedly began accumulating. I was given no clear explanation for how the amount reached this level in such a short time.

What concerns me most is that this towing company is **listed as an accredited towing operator on the MiWay Insurance panel**, yet they appear to use the insurer’s name to pressure accident victims into signing documents and accepting services under misleading information.

My concern is not only about the charges, but about the **misrepresentation of an insurer’s processes to vulnerable accident victims**. If accredited operators are telling people inaccurate information about insurance coverage, it reflects poorly on the insurer whose name is being used.

I believe insurers should ensure that companies on their accredited panels act ethically, communicate honestly with clients, and do not take advantage of people who are in shock immediately after an accident.

I would therefore appreciate it if MiWay Insurance could investigate the conduct of this accredited towing operator clarify whether this behaviour is acceptable under their panel standards, and assist in reviewing the charges I was forced to pay under these circumstances. If the towing company misrepresented MiWay’s processes in order to secure the tow, I believe this matter deserves serious attention and a fair resolution.