Payout Reimbursement

[SURRYTOWER]

On Wednesday January 19, 2022 I took a tow call for Agero-Swoop with what I consider a sizable payout and a credit card for reimbursement. I paid the other tower, did the tow, then ran the card for reimbursement (my bad, should have run the card first). CARD DECLINED.

Called and got another authorization, DECLINED. For 7 days got at least one new authorization each day, DECLINED. On Wednesday January 26, 2022 I was told that they have authorized a direct deposit to my account which has not arrived as of today January 28,2022.

When I called about this today I was transferred to a division that has nothing to do with this issue and put on terminal hold.

 

My hope by posting here is that someone at Agero-Swoop is looking at this site and will reply with a good useable call-back # because I would like to have my money back SOON.

 

Thanks.

[Chuckud]

I occasionally handle payouts/tows for Agero & our policy is & has been as follows: 1. Get vcc & auth for charges BEFORE even dispatching the call.  2.  Run vcc for FULL AMOUNT (tow + payout + cc fees) before dispatching call.

Once vcc has been processed, proceed with the assignment, complete, then: 3. email all documents to Agero.  

They have ALWAYS been good as long as We follow these procedures.  

 

[SURRYTOWER]

Thanks Chuck. I realize that I did wrong and will NEVER do one again without running the card first.

[MTtow]

Think of how much time you have spent just trying to collect on this one job the next time they call and charge accordingly. If you choose to work for them at all.

[SURRYTOWER]

They finally sent a direct deposit.  Will definitely consider BOTH issues.

[thtdon]

I have never done a payout for any motor club.  Agero has asked.  Nations Safe Drivers has asked.  QuestX has asked.  And the answer is always no.  Although I deal with Agero every day, I don't trust them.  I always think back to the day years ago when the ERS Motor Club went belly up unexpectedly.  I did a lot of business with them.  They were my highest paying motor club.  I billed them regularly, and they always paid me on time.  Until one day they didn't.  In the end, I think that they beat me out of about a grand.  We were notified of their bankruptcy.  But we were unsecured creditors.  So there was no money left to pay us. 

 

Any time that Agero wanted me to do a call out of my area, they would offer extra money.  When I consented, I billed them the higher price.  And when I reconciled my statement the following week, I discovered that the extra money was scraped away.  When I complained about that, I was told that the extra payment was never properly approved, and the extra payment was denied.  And there was nothing that could be done.  They did that to me two or three times.  So I never agreed to handle an out-of-area call for them again.  Agero cheating us out of money is just a sport to them.  I try never to put myself in a position that they can cheat me anymore.  I have had situations that I was to pick up a secondary tow at a tow company.  The call sheet indicated that the charges were already paid.  I always call the tow company to verify that the charges have been paid before I go there.  So one day, the tow company said that the charges were not paid.  I called Agero to address that.  I was told to pay the charges myself, and they would reimburse me.  I refused.  And I declined to handle the call.  I am suspicious that they refused to pay the charges with their credit card like they said that they did, and like they always do.  Just remember that if the day ever comes that Agero goes belly-up, you will never see a dime of any money that you have paid out.  If I did payouts, I estimate that I would have about 5 grand in the pipeline at all times.  Maybe a check would drop out of the pipeline every business day.  But there would always be 5 grand in the pipeline.  I do not want to be Agero's line of credit.  I used to have a line of credit at a bank years ago.  I paid interest every month on any money that I was using.  My use of the bank's money wasn't free. 

 

I had a call last night.  I think that the guy hit a huge pothole.  He broke the lower ball joint on the left front, the tire was jammed up into the fender.  And the car plowed into a snowbank.  The guy didn't want me to haul the car on the flatbed because he feared that the tire would damage the fender more than it was already damaged, which was a real possibility.  He wanted a wrecker.  Currently I only operate flatbeds.  So I told him that I would call dispatch and have them send someone else out with a wheel-lift. I called the Agero Vendor Hotline.  After 45 minutes of rotting on hold, I told the customer that I was unable to talk to dispatch.  And I suggested that he try calling himself.  It has been my experience that the customers get answered faster than we do.  So I left.  Finally, someone picked up the phone, after I rotted on hold for 56 minutes.  I explained the situation to the dispatcher.  She promised me that she would send someone out with a wheel-lift.  So I called the customer back, and told her that they finally answered me, and I set up the second tow.  The woman thanked me.  She said that she called USAA back herself, and they answered right away.  They also said that they would send a wheel-lift.  Evidently, no one sent anything.  I assume that the customer got sick of waiting, and went home.  The car was left sticking out in the road (it was a side street with no traffic), so the police towed it.  They are very difficult to communicate with.  They just don't care about their client's customers.  And they sure as hell don't care about us. 

[ESC]

We dont do anything for clubs on PO anymore, except some with NSD.  But i will not do any advanced payouts without being paid up front via card.  We still have alot of yards around us that only accept cash for payouts and when they are large payout amounts alot of the typical road club towers cant afford to put that money out there.  I quote a BIIIIIGG number for the job if they want me to use my money.  I also get paid that up front and charge an added 5% to cover my credit card processing fees.   Just last week we did a $3900 cash pay out for a club.  I charged an added 5% fee plus $1500 for the job.  It was a tow from a yard near us going about 35 miles back to a rental co in Phila.   They paid it up front with no issue at all.