ComplaintsforPacific Towing & Recovery

• Initial Complaint

  01/18/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I left my car parked at Jersey Mikes, I went into Jersey ***** and then continued to walk around after. I came back to my car being towed by this company with no warning or ticket and being charged $450. I was gone for less than an hour.

• Initial Complaint

  12/11/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On Saturday, Dec. 9th my husband and I parked in a parking lot of ****************. that is a business park with a shared parking lot. There were posted signs (that I have attached) that stated no public parking and no parking 11pm - 5am. We were not Public, we were patrons. We were not within the 11pm-5am time period. Paramount Gaskets considers those spots in the photo to be designated only for them. However, there is no information to suggest as much. They called Pacific Towing & Recovery to have 4 vehicles towed at around 7:45 pm. Mine was one of them. Apparently, there has been a feud over parking between Paramoutn Gaskets and ***** for some time. Innocent patrons are getting caught in the crossfire. I believe that Pacific Towing is illegally removing vehicles from this lot. There is no way for anyone to know which spots are off-limits. I feel these are predatory parking practices and wonder if Parmount is getting a kickback from Pacific Towing - which is illegal. I have contacted the ***************** to report them. However, I wanted to file a formal complaint against Pacific Towing with the BBB. They made $2000 in one night and this apparently happens often. I would love a refund, and recognize that will not likely happen. So I will settle for making a formal complaint. ****************. ***************************************************** ************** Pacific Towing (************) ******************************************************* ************ **************************************************** ***************** ***************************************************** **************

  Business response

  12/11/2023

  Just like in our email. there are zero kickbacks to any vendor. At this point  this is considered slander, youre not even stating facts. You even stated in your complaint that the proper sign is up on the property. It states no public parking. You didnt park at Helia you parked at the gasket shop. The feud between the two businesses has nothing to do with Pacific Towing. We get hired to tow vehicles, which is what we do.Once again Im sorry for any inconvenience these may have caused. We followed the law and towed your vehicles in accordance to such.

• Initial Complaint

  11/06/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I got towed by the Pacific Towing Company last night. I went to pick up my car and they told me someone asked to tow it because I was in an assigned parking spot. However, I have parked in that spot dozens of times without a single issue. There is also no requirement to show any proof of parking via permit in that specific lot. They had my car for only a few hours and charged me nearly $500. They wouldnt let me see the cost breakdown, they hide behind a glass window that you cant see through, they were incredibly late to my appointment time, and they were BEYOND disrespectful to me. Getting your car towed is never a fun experience, however this company pushes that to the next level. Theyre shady and scary and have TONS of complaints online saying this exact same thing about them and nothing has been done. I truly believe they are scamming people. They have been accused of predatory towing and I truly believe that is what is going on there. It also just feels very unsafe! And they dont talk to you like a human being! Ive never experienced anything like this before.

  Business response

  11/13/2023

  You parked in a numbered reserved space. The person that owned that space called out Pacific Towing to tow vehicle out of such space, and showed identification to prove that they own that space. The full breakdown is on your receipt. Also all prices are posted on the front door before you walk in the building. I understand that you were towed, but it has nothing to do with Pacific Towing. The location where you parked had you towed we are just the tow company.

• Initial Complaint

  06/29/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  The sign displayed cars will be towed was not completely visible unless I had to look for it. The sign was located behind other cars, and when I returned to my car, all cars parked in that area, including mine, were gone. It was at that time I saw the no parking sign. I understand that I did park in a tow zone, however I was unaware at the time I parked my car in a tow area since the sign was not visible.When I showed up the next morning to pick up my car, no one was at the business and I had to wait about 20 minutes for them to return. They ************* is open between 8-5pm, however they might not be there between 8-5. The whole experience was frustrating, however dealing with the employees made things even more frustrating. I feel like this business relies heavily on the you shouldnt have parked here response, but I think they should take some responsibility and make sure their signs are posted a bit more obvious so people know better. But then again, they are a business and they need to make their money. God bless these employees and I hope they sleep well at night. I know I couldnt. I hope they disappoint their families just as much as they disappoint their customers.

  Business response

  06/30/2023

  All signs are hung at all entrance and there are multiple signs on the property. Per **************** law thats what they require. The signs are not hidden and are in plain sight. Not sure what property you were towed from but all signs are huge and theyre red and white so they are 100% visible. Sorry that you had a bad experience. Most people that get towed are not happy that they got towed . We understand that.

  Customer response

  06/30/2023

  The location was behind ********** along the fence in the back. I wouldnt have parked there if the sign was in plain sight with 100% visibility. 
  

  From what I understood, the actual parking lot in the back was off limits for parking, not along the side of the road. Where I parked along the fence had multiple cars parked along the side and I was in the last spot closest to the parking lot. 
  

  if there had been no cars parked there at all, sure, I wouldve seen the sign. But since there were a row of cars I was unable to see the sign unless I looked for it. 

  If I am able to go back and prove what I am saying is true, can I get a refund? If not a refund, can we agree to put a more visible sign along the fence to prevent this from happening to another victim?

  Business response

  07/01/2023

  Please give me date and time of tow and vehicle information so that I may pull up the photos of your vehicle ? 

  Customer response

  07/13/2023

  The date was Wednesday june 28th, 2023. As for the time, the receipt doesnt clearly show, but it looks like it maybe says 7:35

• Initial Complaint

  05/28/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My vehicle was towed from a lot with no parking between 11pm-5am. I believe it was towed outside those times. Also when I got in touch with the on call manager he requested I meet him that night at 2am with cash. Because I denied him he refused to open the following day even though I called many times and charged me for an extra day. I believe that he just wanted cash on the side to keep.

  Business response

  05/30/2023

  Please give me more information about this tow . Did you get an invoice? 
  what was the total you paid ? 
  whats the date and address you were towed from ? I will be investigating this tow ?

• Initial Complaint

  01/11/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unresolved

  More info

  My vehicle was towed on the night of December 16, 2022. I entered the parking lot where there was no sign present warning that vehicles would be towed at certain hours of the night. The Dominoes in this business complex does not close until 1am, yet I was towed between the hours of *****. I had switched cars with an acquaintance who is an employee of Dominoes, and I had parked where the other employees park around 10:45pm. Dominoes employees are not designated parking passes to park in this lot, as I had made sure of this both before and after the incident. According to ********** posting laws, in public areas, signs must be posted in order towing companies to legally tow a car. To reiterate, the signs posted do not mention time restrictions on parking. I will attach an image below. I called after my car was towed and was informed the earliest I could pick it up would be 4:30am, so I ubered there and waited alone in the darkness of night until 5:15 am, just for no one to show up. The company had stopped answering my calls and later in the day someone claimed that they were there at the same time as I was, which was in fact, not true. The person that had originally answered the phone also expressed confusion as to why my car was even towed in the first place. They said they didnt see any signs posted and even recommended me to escalate the situation to small claims court. After the towing my cars ABS and brake lights keep flashing on and off, an occurrence that has not happened before.

  Business response

  01/12/2023

  Your story has changed now 3 times. The car didnt even belong to you you stated it was your sons car and he parked there .. you stated on the phone that you parked in the dominoes parking lot because you were dropping something off to your daughter across the street in the apartment complex. You have done nothing but make false claims. You were towed in accordance of the law. The parking lot has a sign at every entrance that states NO PUBLIC PARKING AND NO PARKING 11pm-5AM Im the gentleman that spoke with you on the phone .. just take responsibility for where you parked.. 

• Initial Complaint

  07/20/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My vehicle was towed from the parking area behind Jersey ******* Pacific Towing violated multiple codes of AB **** which protects motorists from predatory towing. They towed my vehicle without waiting the mandatory 1 hour after parking. They also towed it over 10 miles away. They also charged an outrageous fee well over the average fee for that distance of a tow.

  Business response

  07/28/2022

  There was no violation of the state law. You pulled in and parked on private property for over 1hr. You werent a customer of the location you parked at . Also the law states you must tow with in a 10 mile radius ( as a crows flight not driving miles) and we are well with in that . You might want to check your facts before making false claims. Next time your in ********* please park in the public parking lots of the business your there for . There are limited parking spaces for the business trying to conduct business in the area.Also juts a 1/2 block away there is a big public parking lot that is for down town ********* to park in . Sorry for any inconvenience this has caused we are not trying to tow people that visit the location of the park lot that you have been towed from . The owners of the property are trying to keep spaces open for there customers and to keep rift raft and unruly people from throwing trash and Loitering on property. 

• Initial Complaint

  06/17/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  6/17/2022: My car was towed from my apartment complex. I parked my car in a hadicapped parking, it was my fault and accept that responsibility. What I don't accept is the rude treatment from the employees at this business or their business practices. I was required to give my credit card and my license before the invoice was giving to me. The fee in total was $445. When I asked what the $95 gate fee was they explained it was because I was picking up the car before normal business hours. They towed my car at 1:45am and I picked it up at 5:41am. When I told then I would rather wait to pick up my car and avoid the the gate fee, they said that they had already charged my card. Even before I signed the card receipt. Then the person who charged my card, made a rude remark because I was wearing a mask. I was helping my mother who currently has COVID and I was trying to avoid more people getting sick. I would like to dispute the extra $95 that was tacked unto my ****, which was never explained to me before authorizing the payment.

• Initial Complaint

  05/02/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We just moved into a new apt complex, they towed our car even though we have stickers and an assigned spot. I asked them who asked for a tow truck they said apartment maintenance, this a lie I spoke with the manager here, they did not request a tow. This pure and simple stealing.

  Business response

  05/02/2022

  First off you do have a permit.. you just didnt put it in the vehicle. So how is it the management or the tow companys fault that you got towed? The rules of the property are simple. You need a permit to park on property. you did not have a permit displayed is the reason you were towed.

  Customer response

  05/03/2022

  I dont understand we just moved here Saturday night what gives you the right to tow are vehicle? That space is specially assigned to our car we had the sticker in the car. You lied to us stating Management called, I spoke to the Apt mgr. They said no one was called your business is Predatory Towing.  I expect a full refund.

  Business response

  05/03/2022

  First off we were called to the property. Second you must have a permit (sticker/temporary pass) either on the dash /front window/rear view mirror. You did not so thats why you where towed. The whole property is by permit only . You can ask management to show you pictures of your vehicle if need be prior to being towed. Or you can request them from the tow.  company. You admitted to not displaying your permit when you picked up your vehicle . There will be no refund due to the fact that your broke property rules. 

  Customer response

  05/11/2022

  I spoke with the property mgr, ******* said no one was called.  Of course you wont refund unethical businesses never do.  How about you address the improper way of towing a Tesla which on there website states always use a flat bed. You guys are just crooks look at your recent yelp reviews.

• Initial Complaint

  04/01/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On March 31, my vehicle was wrongfully removed from a private parking lot assigned to the restaurants ********************* and Jersey's **** located at ***************************************************************. where my wife and I had dinner (see receipts attached). We stayed at the restaurant for about 40 minutes. At **** (see towing receipt) my car was towed away and had not been notified. I called the towing company asking why they towed the car from the parking lot assigned to a business we were customers of and they said the owners of the restaurants called them. I went to the restaurant and asked the staff if they called the towing company: they said they would not call a tow in on us as customers! However, they said this towing company has usually people to "look" for cars to tow. The bartender at the restaurant said they came around **** pm to ask about our vehicle but my wife and I stepped outside for a moment and did not get the message. Considering the fact the company is deeply involved in such unethical predatory practice we all think it's time to report and STOP this company from a practice that damages people, businesses as well as the entire community. On April 1st I went back to the restaurants and once again managers and owners confirmed this Towing company acted on its own and they were not asked by the owners/employees or managers as the law requires! ***************'s owner was so disappointed that called the company to settle the wrongdoing. The Towing Company did not care and the owner recognized it was wrong and ended up paying 50% of my towing fee. According to the law AB **** Assembly **** this towing company is not just acting unethically, maybe even illegally. They are infringing provisions of the law (for example AB **** - Section 2 (L) (1)(A) among others) and intentionally lied when said they got the authorization from the owners to tow.Thank you for protecting honest businesses and people.

  Business response

  04/02/2022

  You had left the property is the reason you were towed . All signs on the property state once you leave the property you are no longer a customer. So when we get called out to the property to tour vehicle we come in to the bar and to Jersey Mikes just to verify that youre not there as a courtesy not because we have to. You stated on the phone and on this Complaint that you stepped out and left the property. Which makes you no longer a customer. There is limited parking back there for the facilities and for dine in customers only. There are multiple signs on the property that state this . Sorry that you got towed but was per the owners of the property.

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