ComplaintsforAllied Towing and Transport

• Initial Complaint

  05/18/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Hi I am filing a complaint with Allied Tow and Transport Company.On 4/1/2023 Saturday, I parked my van on an adjacent lot to my car mechanic waiting for an oil change. The lot belongs to an business who is not operating on weekends. Two hours later, when my mechanic came out of his shop to retrieve my **** he saw a few tow trucks there ready to load the vehicles onto the tow truck, mine was one of them. When my mechanic called me, I rushed there within 10mins. The van was on the tow truck because they refused to let me mechanic move the van. When I arrived, I told them I needed the van the next day, and I offered to pay a fee to have the van returned. They refused and handed me a business card. Told me they are not open on the weekend and ask me to call on Monday. After a plea, they said they will return my van on Sunday but must call to arrange.So they drove the tow truck with my van ****** did go back on Sunday to take my van back, I had to pay $300 (tow fee), $125/day x 2days (Saturday 7pm to Sunday 430pm, less than 24hrs, but they considered it as two days) and a $10 credit card fee = $560 total.I did some research online, and found out that a tow yard cannot be over 10miles away from the tow spot, which in this instance it is 15miles.PRIVATE PROPERTY ADDRESS : *********************************************** *** YARD ADDRESS : ********************************************************************** DISTANCE : 15MILES This is what I read : B. Owners are responsible for proper posting as required, and must have the towed vehicles taken to the nearest authorized storage garage as required under ********** Vehicle Code Section 22658(A) which is willing to take the vehicle for storage and in no event more than ten (10) miles from where the tow begins. A property owner or his/her agent may not order a vehicle taken to other than the nearest public garage, without permission of the registered owner. Violation of this chapter by a property owner or agent is a violation per Chapter ****. There are many tow companies and tow yard in ******* within 10miles. Eg Advanced Towing *******, Quick Towing.just to name a few, so I think they violated the 10miles tow distance.Also, since my mechanic is willing to move the **** and I also arrive when the van is still on the private lot, the tow truck must return the van to **, however he refused. I have witness and picture.This is where I read it : What are the predatory towing laws in **********?Under AB ****, if you spot a tow truck driver taking your car, and the tow truck is still on private property, the driver must release your car to you unconditionally. A tow truck operator who violates this law is subject to a civil misdemeanor, a fine of $2,500, and/or three months in jail.THE *** COMPANY ALSO CHARGES ME $10 FOR CREDIT CARD FEE.FOR ALL ABOVE REASONS, I FEEL LIKE THE *** COMPANY HAS VIOLATED RULES AND I SHOULD NOT BE LIABLE TO THE ENTIRE BILL OF $560. AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF MY COMPLAINT IS VALID PER WHAT I HAVE RESEARCHED. THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME. IF MY RESEARCH IS RIGHT, NOT ONLY THEY HAVE TO REFUND ME, THEY HAVE TO PAY 4TIMES OF THE OVER-CHARGE, BUT I WON'T EXPECT THAT, I JUST WANT WHAT I HAVE PAID BACK. I FELT I WAS BULLIED AND HELPLESS THEN. ***************** ************ (M)

  Business response

  05/30/2023

  Caliber collision (**********************************************************) property management contacted ** about 5 vehicles illegally parked on their premises. The vehicles seemed to be parked there by neighboring mechanic shops nearby without caliber collisions consent or vehicle owner consent. Allied towing went out there and loaded the vehicles on the bed. After loading the vehicles on the tow trucks. No vehicle owners were present at the time. Allied towing drivers had to stay on scene once vehicles were loaded until police  gave the clearance for the vehicles to be taken away. Upon waiting for police clearance via telephone. One (alleged)vehicle owner arrived on scene and asked for their vehicle to be dropped. As per policy and law a vehicle may only be dropped if owner was on scene as vehicle was being hooked and if owner pays drop fee and shows proof of vehicle owner papers. In this instance the vehicle had already been loaded for some time and the mechanic shop owner who illegally parked this customers vehicle on private property called the alleged owner and had them arrive as we were waiting for police clearance. The vehicle was supposed to be taken to our ****** storage lot being this address ******************************************************** being within ten miles. *** to that storage lot being full that day and the customer aggressively harassing our phone line we let them know we can do them a favor and release the car to them a day early being a Sunday in which we were closedout of our Hayward lot if they would like. They came that day without any issue, paid the fees and thanked us for letting them get the vehicle on a closed business day and drove off. Unfortunately their mechanic made the mistake of illegally parking their car on someone else private Property ( also not being the first time they did that). If there should be a complaint filed by this person it should be towards their mechanic and his business not our towing company as we followed our knowing rules. We are a small family owned company who are new to PPTO but do our best to abide by any rules and always contact PD to confine us through every PPTO case or tow.
  
  

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