Why did I receive an invoice for a towing service?
The towing of a Poppy vehicle is, in most cases, done at the request of the police. These situations require quick action to ensure safety and proper vehicle management.
When the police request a towing, an official police report is always drawn up. Usually, we receive the towing invoice first — the police report often follows later. As soon as we receive the report, we’ll send it to you by email.
How does payment of a towing invoice go?
We handle the invoice directly with the towing service. Afterwards, the amount of the towing invoice will be charged to your Poppy account. The amount, including an administrative fee, will be automatically deducted from your account 7 days later.
💡 Possible extra costs in case of towing:
Up to 3 days of storage fees (if the vehicle remains at the towing company’s depot)
€50 if an employee had to retrieve the vehicle from the depot (not always applicable)
What should I do if I want to dispute the towing invoice?
Since towing is typically requested by the police, it is rarely done incorrectly. Disputes can only be considered after receiving and linking the police report to the towing.
You can dispute the fine yourself by contacting the relevant authority directly. You’ll find their contact details on the fine notice.
Not working out? Just send us a message via the live chat in the app and share all the necessary information and supporting documents.
💡 Additional Information:
Temporary signs (e.g. for roadworks, around schools or on market days): If a ban starts within 48h after you parked and a fine is issued, you’re responsible.
Even after 48 hours, any fines (and towing fees) are your responsibility if the car hasn’t been moved.
Permanent parking bans (fixed signs): These are always active. Even fines after 48h are your responsibility as long as the car stays parked there. Poppy isn’t liable for for moving wrongly parked vehicles. We also can’t guarantee another user will move the car within 48 hours.
When a vehicle is towed, it is not always taken to a depot. If possible, the car is placed in a legal parking spot after being towed, but this is still considered a towing.
When a vehicle is towed after an accident or breakdown and then needs to be moved from the depot to a garage for repairs, both towing invoices will be charged.
It's important to take a look at our parking policy as outlined in our FAQ articles. Knowing where you can and cannot park can help prevent future towing!