You’ve got into an accident and after you’ve dealt with the police, a tow-truck is picking up your damaged car. The driver of the truck is a nice guy and, after he mumbles things like “too bad, this was a beauty”, or “I know what you are going through”, he comes up with the best solution for fixing the car.
He hands you a card with a shop’s name saying, “These guys are just amazing. They will fix your car in no time and they are not even expensive. Believe me, I have been in this industry long enough to know that these guys are your best bet”.
These shops pay tow truck drivers to refer them to people. Since the number of customers they get though this method is huge, they can then charge an arm and a leg for the damage repair. That “not expensive” statement was just a bait to get you hooked.
How to avoid: go to your usual shop or use your friends for referrals, not somebody who you‘ll never meet again.