Under current regulations set by the Carrboro Board of Aldermen, towing companies can charge up to $100 for the towing of illegally parked vehicles. In a future meeting, the board will decide if this cap will rise as well as whether towing companies should be required to accept credit cards in addition to cash, a matter currently at the discretion of towing companies.
Towing companies should be required to accept payment in the form of credit cards. This isn’t simply a matter of convenience, but one of practicality as well. Many people do not carry this sum of cash with them on a regular basis, and this amount of cash is not always readily available for the average person. The requirement to pay in cash is merely another unnecessary hindrance to regaining one’s car.
Tow truck operators have requested that if they were required to accept credit cards, that they be allowed to charge $25 more than if the customer had the cash on hand. This request is unreasonable and unjust. These arguments are often backed by the argument that businesses must pay a fee to accept credit cards. However, these fees do not even come close to amounting to $25.
There should be restrictions on the price towing companies can charge when they are in possession of vehicles because drivers don’t have any option but to pay up if they are to recapture possession of their car.
When deciding on the future of towing regulation, it is important that the Board of Aldermen require tow truck companies to accept credit cards as a form of payment. It makes sense if the Board of Aldermen decide to raise the maximum amount of money that towing companies can charge to $125, a price comparable to Chapel Hill, but drivers should not face a higher fee if they lack the cash at hand.
