Was I Overcharged for a National Highways Recovery?

[Deangtv]

I'm interested to hear if anyone has had a similar experience.

I broke down on the M25 after a brake caliper came loose and jammed against the wheel. I managed to pull into a safe location, and National Highways attended before arranging recovery to Clacket Lane Services.

The vehicle was:

Fully upright
Not involved in a collision
Not substantially damaged
Simply winched onto a flatbed and transported

I was charged £320, but having since reviewed the charging structure, I believe my vehicle may have met the criteria for the lower £192 recovery charge.

What also concerns me is that the National Highways Traffic Officer said the recovery company determined the charge, while the recovery driver told me the charge was set by National Highways.

I've submitted a formal complaint, but I'm keen to hear from others:

Has anyone successfully challenged a recovery charge?
Who actually decides which charging band applies?
Based on the circumstances above, does a £320 charge seem justified?

I have photos and video showing the vehicle was upright and undamaged at the time of recovery.

Any advice or similar experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[66HFM]

It may be helpful to set out what constitutes a £192 recovery and a £320 recovery

[Deangtv]

[Truckosaurus]

They might suggest the jammed wheel mean they couldn't just drive it onto the trailer so that counts as 'damaged'.

How long did it take them to load it? If it was only a few minutes then you could reasonably claim it wasn't a difficult scenario.