Big Horn Towing

Review: My wife's vehicle became stuck on the 1-90 in the snow just east of Billings during the recent storm. She contacted the State Patrol, who then forwarded her the contact of Big Horn Body Shop and Towing. Big Horn charged the following, demanding payment upfront, despite having clearance from our insurance company to provide services.Hook up--$85Mileage--$120 (did not tow)Winch----$150Signs----$100Total $455.00For the service provided this is an extremely high price, and in my opinion, is price gouging.Desired Settlement: Our insurance company paid $235.00 of the bill--that amount of which they considered to be reasonable. We would like to be refunded the difference of $220.00.

Business

Response:

We were call by Montana Highway Patrol on 1/6/15 to winch out Mrs. [redacted] 2008 Nissan Pathfinder. They gave me her phone number and I called her. We discussed her situation and told her how much it would cost and that it would have to be prepaid before we would respond. She stated that she had insurance and would call them. I told her we would not bill her insurance company, and that she would have to prepay if she wanted our services, in the amount of $455.00, and not a penny less. We quoted her our rate so she would have the option of saying yes or no. She called her insurance company. They then called us and we gave them the same price. They were also given the option also to prepay with a credit card. They did not. Mrs. [redacted] then called us back and requested our services at our commercial rate, the same rate that is registered with the State of Montana, the same rate we charge everyone, the same rate we have been charging for 10 years. She prepaid and we responded. The interstate was solid ice in both the driving lane and the passing lane. I had to work in the passing lane of the interstate, at the risk of my own life, with $125,000 dollars worth of equipment to winch her 30 feet in three feet of snow in the median of the interstate. In the United States one wrecker driver is killed every week doing the exact same thing, helping people. I set up signs, cones, and strobes to direct the traffic into the driving lane to manage and protect the accident scene. There are approximately 30 tow companies in this area and her insurance company could not get any tow company to respond for the amount of money they were willing to pay. This is a form of price fixing, and racketeering. I will not be a part of it. My insurance and most peoples insurance will reimburse the full amount because that is what the customer is owed. I am not responsible for what a cut rate insurance company will not pay. You buy cheap insurance you get cheap coverage. She was quoted a price for being 5 feet of the road (that is what she told me) and I did not raise the price even though she was 30 feet off the road. The snow was very deep because the snow plow had plowed the snow into the median where her 4X4 Nissan Pathfinder was stuck. I had to winch, and then move the truck ahead, then winch, and then move the truck ahead, then winch, then move the truck ahead 3 times to get it back in to the passing lane of the interstate. If what the rate the insurance company was willing to pay was so reasonable then how come they could not get any tow company to show up for that rate. Your insurance company, as of July 29, 2014, according to San Antonio Express News, their profit doubled the first half of 2014 to 2.1 billion dollars, making the company worth 24.2 billion. It would seem that they could afford to reimburse you the full amount of your bill.