Duo 'swindled' by tow-trucker

Family's car is held to ransom

AN ALLEGED illegal tow-truck operator has been accused of trying to swindle an unsuspecting couple in Westonaria after an accident.

Stuurman Sekile and Nonhlanhla Nono are seeing red because their month-old Mazda 3 is being held to ransom by a "bad boy" of the West Rand - Ricci's Towing - owned by Jaco Ricci.

The couple allege the tow-trucker initially lied about being sent by an insurance company and then demanded R8,500 for moving the car less than 2km from the accident scene to his workplace.

"I left home on Tuesday at about 5.20am for work. Unfortunately, I was involved in an accident. Soon enough there was a tow-truck at the scene.

"I had already called my family and insurance company by then and my wife had warned me to not let anyone except the insurance company to tow the car. I called the insurance company again at about 7am.

"They told me I could not use the company at the scene, and that they were sending their own. The initial tow-trucker left after I told him so.

"At about 7.30am, my insurance company called me and gave me the name of the towing company coming to help me. Then someone from that company called saying he was sending a tow-truck over."

At that point paramedics transported Sekile to hospital. His wife Nono was left at the scene with the impression that a tow service was on the way.

Nono said a tow-truck arrived and she asked the man if he was sent by the insurance company. He said he needed to call his boss and after five minutes another man arrived confirming that they were from the insurance.

"He took the vehicle and we followed him. We then filled in a form. In the space of where the price of the service was to be filled in, he wrote INS - indicating that the insurance company will cover all the costs," said Nono.

She left to join her husband at the hospital. On her way she says a tow-trucker called her wanting to know exactly where they were. She says that confused her and, together with her husband, called the insurance company and discovered that they had been duped.

They contacted Ricci's Towing, who told them that they should not have called the insurance company. "He initially demanded R1950 to hand over our car to the legitimate tow-trucker. We then went to his business premises but could not find him.

"We stopped a passing police vehicle and explained our situation. They said they could not do anything for us. We then called Ricci again but he then said he saw us speaking to the police and for that he was adding R4000 to the initial charge," said Sekile.

"I went to his premises again, but this time he told me he had informed my wife from the onset that R8500 would be needed to tow the vehicle. So we went to the police station and opened a case of theft against him."

Ricci denied the allegations and said the couple should not have signed his document if they were expecting another tow company to arrive.

He said he had spoken to the insurance company and they had agreed on terms. This, however proved to be a lie. Sowetan has confirmed that a case has been opened.