Haha, thats fair comment about the charges.
Any idea why the facilitated charges were dropped? I seem to recall that if the driver asked for assistance, i.e facilitated, then the VRO could only charge commercials rates inline with AVRO but in any event these rates could not exceed their statutory counterpart.
Couldn’t tell you why it was changed, I’m bottom of the food chain so I don’t know what decisions were made to stop it.
had a truck break down with trailer at Magor on M4 traffic police were desperate for Walls to pull it off one wonders “why”…used a company from Newport …Hillcroft garage who did the job at a realy reasonable price …
If ever asked - “will your recovery be here in 30 mins?” the answer is YES! If it then takes 45 mins or an hour they must have got held up or something on the way…
A whole load cheaper!
cliffystephens:
had a truck break down with trailer at Magor on M4 traffic police were desperate for Walls to pull it off one wonders “why”…used a company from Newport …Hillcroft garage who did the job at a realy reasonable price …
Putting any connotations of backhanders aside, for the minute, the police would have wanted Walls to come out because they are the approved Police Recovery Operator for that part of the country.
Race Trucker:
If ever asked - “will your recovery be here in 30 mins?” the answer is YES! If it then takes 45 mins or an hour they must have got held up or something on the way…A whole load cheaper!
This is great advice and works as a great stalling tactic 
With hindsight I should have told them it would be cleared within the half hour !
To return to who has categorised this incedent as ‘substantial’…(not considerable as I have previously posted)
I have just spoken to Burrows Recovery in Derby
They told me most definitely that I had to discuss this with the Highways Agency, they are the body that categorises what the damage is and the tariff to go with it
I spoke to the HA at length…
Their man was adamant that it would be the attending recovery company that would decide
Round and round and round…and I don’t believe for a minute that the Burrows wrecker driver made that decision…he told my driver that I had been overcharged
Next call FMG…
They have told me that they are totally bound by HA and the payments they take off us poor unfortunates go straight to HA entirely (really ?) then presumably the contractors bill HA for their services
The man took my number for his supervisor to ring me back
After half an hour he rang back himself asking me to make an ‘official’ complaint…
Write to them with an official complaint, with a copy of the HA tariff, and a current link to it. Explain the situation of your vehicle and how you feel it should be categorized and why. Explain that you want this dealt with immediately, and regardless of who ‘they say you need to deal with’, it is the person who took the payment who is ultimately responsible for any refund due.
Explain that you expect a written response withing 10 working days (2 weeks) which they are legally required to do for a written complaint. If they don’t, or the result is not satisfactory then raise a small claims court claim. The first stage of this will be ‘mitigation’ between you and them, provided by the court, where 90% of cases are solved. If your case sounds ‘reasonable’ to a magistrate then its not worth their risk to go to court.
These rip off merchants get by on the basis most people don’t fight them too hard. I decided to never roll over when being ripped off about a year ago- its amazing how many people back right off when official papers hit the desk, as loads of people threaten court, but very few ever do it.
mark j robinson:
With hindsight I should have told them it would be cleared within the half hour !
Hindsight is a wonderful thing but you were not to know. Maybe,if there is a next time…
mark j robinson:
To return to who has categorised this incedent as ‘substantial’…(not considerable as I have previously posted)
I have just spoken to Burrows Recovery in Derby
They told me most definitely that I had to discuss this with the Highways Agency, they are the body that categorises what the damage is and the tariff to go with it
I would argue that the amount of damage sustained to a vehicle who’s wheels have come off could be classed as substantial. Driving a truck into a bridge parapet would sustain substantial damage.
Whilst the HA may have originally set up the tarif’s, this is not what the argument is. The argument is that you have been charged the wrong tariff.
mark j robinson:
I spoke to the HA at length…
Their man was adamant that it would be the attending recovery company that would decide
Round and round and round…and I don’t believe for a minute that the Burrows wrecker driver made that decision…he told my driver that I had been overcharged
I dont think you will find that any one person sets the tariff. Ok, so if the vehicle is off the road, upside down blah blah blah then it is a clear case of what to charge. However, in these situations there are instances whereby the rate IS discussed between the HA and the Recovery driver. Consider this: if you get a switched on recovery driver who knows how the scheme works AND who is on a percentage of what the lorry earns, I would strongly suspect that they are going to try to get away with a higher tariff. What you rather have 10% (estimated figure) of £350 or of £4500?
mark j robinson:
Next call FMG…
They have told me that they are totally bound by HA and the payments they take off us poor unfortunates go straight to HA entirely (really ?) then presumably the contractors bill HA for their services
The man took my number for his supervisor to ring me back
After half an hour he rang back himself asking me to make an ‘official’ complaint…
Yes, they are bound by statute so this part is true…but this is irrelevant, it is the tariff which you have been charged which is in question.
If it was FMG who took your payment (which it was), then the VRO will bill FMG for an amount lower than the £4500 taken from your card.
I am glad that you have made these calls and it’s a good move forward. You could also ask to speak to the area manager for the H.A Contract - this will be somebody at FMG.
Its all a bit depressing but so symptematic of the rip-off Britain culture…
If I can confidentley pass this on to the tyre company then why should I give a rats ■■■ what they have charged or if it was just part of an insurance claim it wouldn’t be so significant
But it has opened my eyes as to how these companies and bodies are funded
Like VOSA…Got a PG9 at Liverpool for an air leak on a trailer…fair play…but then they put a ‘cordon’ round it that costs 85 quid to remove
Have they now turned into the equivalent of dodgy wheelclampers up and down the country ?
Every year when I meet the accountant and he tells me I’ve turned over a quarter of a million quid…every year…WHERE’S IT ALL GONE ? ? ?
I’ve just had a thought… Have you received an invoice from FMG yet?
a few years ago, i had a truck break down on the A34 just north of oxford, he was heading back to the yard on a saturday morning, the problem was the fuel filter casing had a crack in it
i was as good as threatened by the HA that it MUST be moved by their recovery company at a cost of over £1000 to move the truck less than half a mile in to the nearest layby, the truck was partially blocking the nearside lane
i told them, in no uncertain terms, that they will NOT touch the truck with their recovery operator, as i would not be held to ransom for the money, they then stated that i would be fined by the police for causing an obstruction, he was a little bit ■■■■■■ when i told him that would be fine, as it would be a ■■■■ sight cheaper than paying for their recovery in to the layby
Got the invoice staight away soon after making the payment ? ?
OK.
what have the tyre company said ?
But now to the defence of the HA and Police…
As far as I am aware, this graduated charging system was brought into effect because there were some recovery companies who were taking the ■■■■ when it came to charging for vehicles which had been involved in an RTA. The insurance companies were having to pay massive and unreasonable charges which of course has an adverse effect on ALL of our premiums.
So yes, the idea is a good one but unfortunately, the OP has highlighted an instance where it would appear that legs can still possibly be lifted.
I had Crouch recovery (top bloke) move a max weight artic from Coleshill to Nuneaton for £300 through Renault as the turbo blew.
How these thieving bleeders can justify what you were charged is beyond me, it’s criminal.
You were clearly charged in the wrong bracket!!!
Silver_Surfer:
I had Crouch recovery (top bloke) move a max weight artic from Coleshill to Nuneaton for £300 through Renault as the turbo blew.How these thieving bleeders can justify what you were charged is beyond me, it’s criminal.
You were clearly charged in the wrong bracket!!!
Do you know where Crouch came from?
I am afraid that it was parliment who decided about the stat recovery pricing tariff…oh, wait a minute, you did say thieving bleeders 
Back to the OP now, have you had any luck at all?
Crouch are based in Leicester, wether he came from there or after another job, I don’t know.
You wouldn’t mind paying 4 grand if he’d have dragged it out of a field & righted it but the job was a piece if ■■■■ by the sound of it.
Silver_Surfer:
Crouch are based in Leicester, wether he came from there or after another job, I don’t know.You wouldn’t mind paying 4 grand if he’d have dragged it out of a field & righted it but the job was a piece if ■■■■ by the sound of it.
That may well have been the £6K tariff
Silver_Surfer:
I had Crouch recovery (top bloke) move a max weight artic from Coleshill to Nuneaton for £300 through Renault as the turbo blew.How these thieving bleeders can justify what you were charged is beyond me, it’s criminal.
You were clearly charged in the wrong bracket!!!
i tend to use Richford Motors from Alfreton, with a couple of other depots
last time i needed recovery, the nearest DAF dealer wanted £350 +VAT to send a fitter out 4.3 miles just to look at it and confirm that the turbo was fubar’d
Richfords came out from Alfreton to Derby, hooked up and dragged me back to Nailstone, Leicestershire, dropped the fully freighted trailer in the yard, and reversed the unit in to the workshop, all for £390 INC VAT
and, i know he came from Alfreton straight to me, because i spoke to the driver who came out to me on his landline phone number when i called them 
top quality service at a reasonable price