Terms of Service

About Snap

Snap Car Recovery (snapcarrecovery.co.uk) is a vehicle recovery marketplace operating across the United Kingdom. We connect people who need vehicle recovery with independent recovery operators.

Recovery work is carried out by independent operators, not by Snap Car Recovery. Our role is coordination: we take your request, approach operators on your behalf, come back to you with a price, and manage the booking. We charge a booking fee for that coordination.

Snap Car Recovery currently trades as a sole trader rather than a registered company.

Definitions

• “We”, “us”, “Snap” — Snap Car Recovery.
• “You” — the customer submitting a request or using this website.
• “Operator” — an independent recovery business that carries out the recovery work.
• “Booking fee” — our coordination charge, payable to Snap.
• “Balance”— the operator's charge for the recovery itself, payable directly to the operator.
• “Coordination services” — what Snap provides: sourcing, matching, quoting, and managing the booking.

Accepting these terms

By submitting a quote request or otherwise using Snap Car Recovery, you confirm you have read, understood, and agreed to these terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the service.

You must be at least 18 years old, and you must be the owner of the vehicle or otherwise authorised to arrange its recovery.

Marketplace — not a provider

This is the most important section of these terms. Snap is an intermediary:

• We do not provide vehicle recovery, towing, or breakdown services, and we own no recovery vehicles.
• Recovery work is carried out by independent operators. They are separate businesses — not our employees, agents, or subcontractors — and we do not direct or control how they work.
• The contract for the recovery itself is between you and the operator. Your contract with Snap covers only the coordination services and the booking fee.
• We do not operate a public directory you browse yourself. You tell us what you need, we approach operators on your behalf, and we come back to you with a price.

How coordination works

When you submit a request, we:

• Assess what the job actually needs — vehicle type, condition, access, and distance
• Contact suitable operators covering your area from our network
• Obtain prices and availability from them
• Come back to you with a price, broken down so you can see the booking fee separately
• Once you accept, arrange the job and keep you updated until it is done

You do not choose the operator yourself

• You do not select operators directly, and there is no list for you to browse.
• We use our network and judgement to match you with an operator suited to the job.
• You are told the price and the operator's details before you commit, and you are free to accept or decline any option we put to you.
• We monitor the coordination, but we do not control how an operator carries out the work.

Not an emergency service

Snap is not an emergency service. If anyone is injured, if there is a fire, or if a vehicle is in a position that puts people in immediate danger, call 999 first.

If you are broken down on a motorway, leave the vehicle by the nearside door where it is safe to do so, get behind the barrier, and call National Highways on 0300 123 5000 before arranging recovery. Do not wait in a vehicle in a live lane.

Recovery operators

Operators we work with are required to:

• Hold a valid UK driving licence for the category of vehicle they operate
• Hold valid public liability and goods-in-transit or vehicle recovery insurance
• Give accurate information about their vehicles, capabilities, and availability
• Tell us promptly of any change to their licences, insurance, or legal status

Operators set their own prices, their own schedules, and their own terms for the recovery work. Where an operator has its own terms and conditions, those govern the recovery service itself.

Insurance & operator checks

What we do

Before an operator takes work through us, we ask them to confirm, and we check, that they:

• Hold valid public liability insurance
• Hold the appropriate vehicle recovery licences and permits
• Are capable of providing the type of service being requested

We do not work with operators who have not been through this check.

What we do not do

Our check is a confirmation at the point an operator joins our network. It is not a formal audit. We do not:

• Retain copies of insurance certificates or licences, or record policy numbers and expiry dates
• Independently validate documents with insurers or licensing authorities
• Continuously monitor whether cover or licensing remains valid or adequate
• Inspect equipment condition or maintenance records
• Carry out driver qualification checks or criminal record checks

So while we check credentials before an operator takes work through us, we cannot and do not warrant that any operator's insurance or licensing is valid, adequate, or in force at the time of your job. Operators are independent businesses and remain solely responsible for their own insurance and compliance.

What you should do

Whatever checks we have made, you are strongly encouraged to:

• Ask the operator for their insurance details and check them
• Ask for identification and credentials when they arrive
• Look over the vehicle and equipment before work begins
• Photograph your vehicle before loading if you have any concern about its condition
• Tell us immediately at info@snapcarrecovery.co.uk or 078 3333 9309 if anything concerns you

This matters most for a high-value, classic, or modified vehicle — ask for evidence of cover before the work starts.

No warranties for operators' work

We make no representation, warranty, or guarantee about any operator's:

• Performance, quality, or timeliness
• Safety practices or equipment condition
• Professionalism or conduct
• Compliance with laws or regulations
• Insurance adequacy or how they handle a claim

Quotes & bookings

• Submitting a request is a request to be quoted. It is not a booking and does not commit either side until you accept a price.
• Quotes are based on the information you give us. If that information turns out to be wrong — the wrong vehicle, an inaccessible location, a vehicle that will not roll or steer, extra weight or a load on board — the price may change, or the operator may be unable to do the job.
• Quotes are valid for a limited period and are subject to an operator still being available when you accept.
• Arrival times are estimates given in good faith. They are not guarantees, and traffic, weather, and demand all affect them.
• Availability cannot always be guaranteed, particularly in remote areas, overnight, or at times of high demand.

You will be told the operator's details and an estimated arrival time by SMS or WhatsApp once the job is assigned.

Payment

Every quote is made up of two clearly separated parts:

• Booking fee — our coordination charge, paid to Snap by bank transfer to secure the job. Bank details are shown on your tracking page once your quote is ready.
• Balance— the operator's charge for the recovery, paid directly to the operator on completion, by whatever method they accept.

Both parts are shown to you before you commit. There are no hidden charges — the total you are shown is the total you pay, unless the job changes for the reasons set out above.

We do not take card payments on this website and we never ask for your card details. If anyone claiming to be from Snap asks you for card or PIN details, do not give them, and report it to us.

We do not process, hold, or handle the operator's balance at any point. A dispute about the balance is a matter between you and the operator, though we will help you raise it.

Cancellations & refunds

Your statutory right to cancel (distance contracts)

Because you book with us online, by phone, or by messaging rather than in person, your booking is a distance contract. Under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, consumers normally have 14 days to cancel such a contract and receive a refund.

Recovery started at your request. Vehicle recovery is normally needed urgently. When you confirm a booking, you are expressly asking us to begin arranging your recovery immediately — within that 14-day period — and you acknowledge that:

• Once the recovery has been fully performed, you lose the right to cancel under these Regulations. This is provided for by Regulation 36.
• If you cancel before the recovery is complete, you may still do so, but we may charge you an amount in proportion to the work already carried out — calculated using the stages set out below.

If you do not want us to begin arranging your recovery immediately, tell us before you confirm your booking and we will arrange a scheduled service date instead.

Nothing in this section removes your statutory rights. Where any part of this cancellation policy conflicts with your rights under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 or the Consumer Rights Act 2015, your statutory rights take precedence.

How cancellation charges are calculated

Most recoveries are urgent and there is no meaningful notice period, so charges are based on how far your job has progressed rather than on a fixed number of hours' notice. This reflects the work actually carried out at the point you cancel. Different rules apply to planned bookings — see below.

Cancellation stages (urgent and same-day jobs)

Checking your stage. Your tracking page shows whether we are still finding you an operator or whether one has been assigned. If you are unsure which stage your job has reached, call 078 3333 9309 before cancelling and we will tell you.

How to cancel

• Call 078 3333 9309 — fastest, and recommended for urgent jobs
• Reply to your booking message on WhatsApp or SMS
• Email info@snapcarrecovery.co.uk

Your cancellation takes effect from the time we receive it, so contact us as soon as you know. We will confirm the cancellation and any charges by phone or message.

Planned and scheduled bookings

Where you book for a future date — vehicle transport, a non-runner move, or scrap collection, for instance — the following applies instead of the stages above:

• More than 24 hours before the scheduled time — full refund of the booking fee
• Within 24 hours of the scheduled time — 50% of the booking fee retained
• If the operator is already travelling to you, Stage 3 applies
• The operator's own charges follow their own cancellation policy

No-show

If you are not present at the agreed location and have not cancelled beforehand, the full booking fee is retained, and the operator may charge their full fee or a cancellation penalty. This applies even where the operator attended but could not complete the job because you were not there.

If the operator cancels

• We will try to source an alternative operator immediately.
• If we cannot arrange an alternative, you receive a full refund of the booking fee.
• If the alternative costs more, you may accept it, decline it, or ask for a refund of the difference.
• We are not liable for consequential losses caused by an operator cancelling.

Refund process and timescales

• Send refund requests to info@snapcarrecovery.co.uk within 14 days of the scheduled service date
• Include your reference number, the reason, and any supporting evidence
• We will review and respond within 5 business days
• Approved refunds are returned by bank transfer to the account you paid from, within 7 to 10 business days
• We will confirm by phone or message once the refund has been processed

The operator's charges

Any refund or dispute about the operator's balance must be claimed directly from the operator. We do not hold that money at any point, and we have no liability for those disputes — though we will help put you in touch and assist where we reasonably can. Operators run their own refund and cancellation policies.

Your obligations

When you use Snap, you agree to:

• Give accurate, truthful, and complete information about the vehicle, its condition, and its location
• Tell us anything that affects the recovery — no keys, seized brakes, a locked steering column, low ground clearance, a modified or non-standard vehicle, restricted access, or an unusual load
• Be present at the pickup location, or have an authorised adult present, when the operator arrives
• Remove valuables and personal belongings from the vehicle before it is recovered
• Make sure you are legally entitled to have the vehicle moved
• Treat operators and our staff with respect — abusive, threatening, or discriminatory behaviour ends the booking immediately with no refund
• Not use the service to make false, fraudulent, or malicious requests
• Not approach an operator directly to arrange a job introduced through us in order to avoid the booking fee

If a job cannot be completed because the information you gave was wrong or you were not there, it is treated as a Stage 3 cancellation, and the operator may charge for the wasted journey.

If these rules are broken

Depending on what has happened, we may:

• Cancel the booking immediately, with no refund of the booking fee
• Refuse to take future requests from you
• Recover from you any costs or losses we or an operator incur as a result
• Report the matter to the police or another authority where the law requires it

Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law:

• Our total liability for the coordination services is limited to the booking fee you paid for the job in question.
• We are not liable for damage to your vehicle, loss of its contents, personal injury, or any loss arising from the recovery work itself. That work is the operator's responsibility and is covered by the operator's insurance. Claims of that kind should be made against the operator.
• We are not liable for delays or failures caused by traffic, weather, road closures, third parties, or anything else outside our reasonable control.
• We are not liable for loss caused by inaccurate or incomplete information you gave us.
• We are not liable for indirect or consequential loss — including lost earnings, missed appointments, hire vehicle costs, or accommodation.

Nothing in these terms limits or excludes our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or for anything else that cannot lawfully be limited. If you are a consumer, your statutory rights are not affected.

Events beyond our control

We are not liable for delay or failure to perform caused by events outside our reasonable control, including:

• Severe weather — storms, flooding, snow, or ice
• Natural disasters and fires
• Pandemics or public health emergencies
• Strikes, labour disputes, or industrial action
• War, terrorism, or civil unrest
• Government restrictions or legal prohibitions
• Failure of telecommunications networks or utilities
• Road closures or accidents blocking access

Where such an event prevents a job going ahead, we will tell you as soon as we can and refund the booking fee if no operator has begun travelling to you.

Complaints

If something goes wrong, tell us. Email info@snapcarrecovery.co.uk or call 078 3333 9309 with your reference number and what happened. Our commitment:

• Acknowledgement — within 1 business day
• Initial response — within 3 business days
• Full resolution — within 5 to 10 business days, depending on complexity

Where the complaint concerns the recovery work rather than our coordination, we will help you raise it with the operator and mediate where we can, but the claim itself lies against the operator.

If we cannot resolve it

• Informal resolution first — most issues are settled by a phone call. Please give us the chance before taking it further.
• Mediation — if that fails, both sides may agree to independent mediation, sharing the cost, before starting court proceedings.
• Your legal rights are unaffected — nothing here stops you from taking a claim to court.

Intellectual property

All content on this website — the Snap Car Recovery name, logo, design, and written content — is owned by or licensed to Snap Car Recovery. You may not reproduce, distribute, or reuse it without our written permission. You may not scrape, copy, or systematically extract content from the site.

Changes to these terms

We may update these terms as the service or the law changes. The current version is always published at this URL with the date it was last revised at the top. The terms that apply to your booking are the ones in force when you submitted your request.

Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales, and disputes fall under the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales. If you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland, you may bring proceedings in your own jurisdiction.

If any part of these terms is found unenforceable, the rest continues to apply. Please contact us to resolve any issue informally before taking legal action.

Contact us

• Email: info@snapcarrecovery.co.uk
• Phone: 078 3333 9309
• Recovery requests: 24/7
• Office and admin enquiries: Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm (UK time)

See also our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.