On Nov. 19 last year, Baoxian Lan was on his way back home to Markham after driving his son to the University of Waterloo when he got a flat tire.

What happened next, he says, was just the start of a two-and-a-half month nightmare that culminated in a $12,000 repair bill.

Lan was in the Guelph area on Highway 401 when it happened. He called the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) for help.

"The lady answered the phone and she asked me to stay in the car, don't move, to be safe," Lan told CBC Toronto.

He says the woman then told him a tow truck would be sent.

When a tow truck driver stopped by and offered to assist him, Lan said he mistakenly thought he had been sent by the OPP.

As his car was being towed, Lan who was now sitting in the truck with the driver said he became suspicious and asked him if he worked with the OPP, to which he said the driver responded, "Yes, we work together."

But then, he says, the tow Truck driver took him to Lotus Auto Repairs Inc., located at 3239 Wolfedale Road in Mississauga, who he says is charging him more than $10,000 for repairs he didn't authorize.

Lan says the towing company kept his car for several weeks and finally sent him a notice advising him that they were about to sell it to recover their money.

The notice includes $10,023 for repairs/claimants costs; $675 for vehicle rental, $900 for storage fees; $600 for bailiff fees; and taxes amounting to $282.

Baoxian Lan is adamant that he will not be paying this bill from a towing company. (CBC News)

The company refused to do an interview but told CBC Toronto that Lan signed for the work.

He says he signed papers the night the tow truck came to get him, but admits he didn't know what he was signing for.

"They never told me what was damaged to the vehicle and how much it was supposed to be," Lan told CBC Toronto.

"I was shocked ... that much money."

Lan said he is the victim of an "organized" scam and he is hoping someone will take this matter seriously so other drivers will not fall victim to the scammers.

But the president of the Provincial Towing Association of Ontario, Joey Gagne, does not have much sympathy for Lan.

"The owner of the car has to take some ownership," he told CBC Toronto. "You wouldn't take your car into a garage without getting a quote . . . and trying to keep an eye on what the cost should be."

He does admit that tow truck drivers have a responsibility to get would-be customers to sign authorizations for service.

Joey Gagne, the president of the Provincial Towing Association of Ontario, says tow truck drivers have a responsibility to get would-be customers to sign an authorization for service. (Sue Goodspeed/CBC )

"The cost has to be included on there. They have to provide you with a rate sheet, rate card, before you even agree to it so you can make an informed decision," he said.

"Just be well informed. Never buy any product or service, I don't care what it is, without reading the price tag."

Noting that people panic on the side of the road when their car breaks down, Gagne said a lot of people "draw a blank" instead of being reasonably informed about what they are going to do with their car and who they are going to allow to assist them.

Lan is adamant that he will not be paying the $12,000 bill. He is calling on fellow motorists to be vigilant and not to fall into the same trap.

"I will not pay that much money. I will not pay for sure. I'm hoping either the police or the provincial government will look into this [and] help me out."