ComplaintsforAutoWorks Towing & Recovery

• Initial Complaint

  05/08/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  My fathers truck was towed out of our driveway on May 6th at 12:15 am. The truck was not in the road nor behind on any payments. The business has posted a disconnected number for contact and once we found out through the Sheriff’s office who had the truck. The business could not or would not provide pictures of why it was towed. Owner of the company said “you can pay the fine or you can take me to court and I will keep the truck until the court orders me to release the truck.”

• Initial Complaint

  03/21/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  TOW TRUCK TOWED MY VEHICLE AT 12:30 ON FRIDAY 17TH OF MARCH 2023. THE TOW TOOK APPROX 3-5 MIN. I CALLED THE TOW COMPANY AT 6:00 AM AS MY GUEST WAS TO LEAVE AND CAME OUT AND SAW THE CAR WAS GONE. IT WAS OUR FAULT THE TAG WAS NOT IN THE WINDOW. THIS WAS NOT THE PROBLEM. THEY WOULD NOT ALLOW US TO GET THE CAR UNTIL IT WAS 8 WHEN THEY OPEN. FLORIDA LAW SAYS AN HOUR WITHIN THE CALL THEY HAVE TO PERMIT ME TO GET MY CAR. WHEN WE ARRIVE, THE CHARGE WAS $398. OUR HOA SAID THE CHARGE WAS $175. BUT THEY DID NOT CHARGE ME THIS. THE CAR WAS THERE ONLY A FEW HOURS. THEY CHARGED ME AN ADDITIONAL $120 LABOR. I CALLED ANOTHER TOW COMPANY CALLED DESTIN TOWING. THEY SAID IT ILLEGAL TO CHARGE ME THIS LABOR. WHEN I CALLED AUTOWORKS THEY SAID IT TOOK "ADDITIONAL EQUIP " TO TOW THE CAR. HOWEVER, THEY TOLD MY HOA CONTACT THAT THEY TOWED ME OUT OF THE 9 THAT COULD HAVE BEEN TOWED BC IT WAS THE EASIEST TO GET. ON THE VIDEO THEY TOOK APPROX 3-5 MIN TO TOW THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, THEY CHARGED ME $75 FOR A FULL DAY OF STORAGE. THEY TOOK THE CAR AT 12:30 AM AND I PICKED UP PROMPTLY AT 8AM . THEY ADDITIONALLY WANTED ONLY CASH. SO MY FINAL TOW COST WAS $398. I TRIED TO CALL THE OWNER WHO WAS LESS THAT WILLING TO WORK WITH ME ON THE COST. ALSO, MY HOA AT HENDERSON BEACH VILLAS HAS ON FILE $175 TO TOW. THEY HAVE TO STICK TO THE AMOUNT THEY ISSUE. THEY ARE LOCATED LESS THAN 10 MILES FROM MY BUILDING. I WAS IN BETWEEN MGT COMPANIES. MY SON WAS TOLD TO HANG A TAG. NOTHING WAS PROVIDED TO HIM WHICH IS THE FAULT OF THE NEW COMPANY JUST HAVING HAD TAKEN POSSESSION OF MY UNIT THE WEEK PRIOR. I THINK THEY ASSUMED BC IT WAS MY FAMILY STAYING THAT IF I STAYED IN MY SPOT IT WAS OK. I TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR MY $175. IT IS THE OVERCHARGE I HAVE AN ISSUE WITH BC THEY DID NOT POST THIS WITH THE HOA OR ALLOW ME ACCESS TO MY CAR WITHIN THE HOUR THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO. I HAVE PROVIDED A COPY OF THE HOA DOC PROVIDED BY THE TOW COMPANY. NOT ONE PERSON AUTHORIZED THIS TOW ON THIS LIST. IN ADDITION I HAVE A RECEIPT THAT IT IS NOT ALLOWING ME TO UPLOAD OF WHAT I PAID. IN ADDITION FL LAW STATES THE HOA SHOULD HAVE THE PRICE THEY WILL CHARGE - WHICH IS VERBAL TO MY PRESIDENT OF THE HOA BUDDY HIMMEL, OF $175. THE PRICE ON THE CONTRACT SHOULD MATCH SIGNAGE AT THE TOW LOCATION WHICH IS NOT HAPPENING. THEY ARE BREAKING SEVERAL LAWS. PLS READ FL LAW STATUTE 715.07 NO 6. AND NO 9 WHICH STATES I SHOULD BE ABLE TO ACCESS AND RETRIEVE MY VEHICLE WITHIN AN HOUR. PLS LET ME KNOW HOW I CAN EMAIL YOU RING VIDEO FOOTAGE AND THE RECEIPT.

• Initial Complaint

  10/18/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Date of tow: 10/17/2022 I paid $75 for not having the keys for the tow truck operator, along with another $11.25 in gratuity that I removed prior to checkout. Poorly equipped tow truck company does not have proper equipment nor training to be towing vehicles. My wives car broke down and she had to leave the car on the road and took keys with her. She tells the company this ahead of time and they do not inform of secret $75 until after they get to the car. While dropping the car, the operator did not have dollies to allow the car to roll freely resulting in him shaking my car off the back of his truck for 15 minutes while damaging my driveway. Also, the cars emergency brake was engaged for the first half of the unloading so I am sure there is damage to that. In addition, upon clicking the payment link sent by the company, there is automatically a gratuity set for 15%. I am extremely disappointed in the service provided, so I made sure to remove the gratuity completely. After completing checkout, my confirmation shows the gratuity was placed on there anyway and my card was charged. I have contacted my bank and will try and dispute once the charge posts. I have documentation of work done to my emergency brake as well as rear brakes on 4/4/2022 of this year. I am going to have insurance look at the damage done to the brakes as well as alignment during the violent shaking with my emergency brake engaged. I want this business to pay for any damage found caused by them and I want money refunded for not knowing about the secret no key fee that was not stated during the initial call. Also, I want an explanation as to how I was still charged a gratuity after manually entering 0.00 and applying. I have never experienced this "glitch" in my life and believe it needs to be investigated. This business should also be required to have towing equipment to be considered a towing business. To prevent further issues, they need to buy dollies. With the secret fees, they can afford

  Business response

  11/04/2022

  We apologize your recent service was not as expected.  We spoke with this customer regarding the above.  We have since returned the gratuity as requested and explained procedures and how this is proper procedure when the vehicle will not go into neutral and we do not have keys.  The 75.00 was a wait time fee for waiting over an hour for the keys, as we were not informed the keys were not with the vehicle.  We called the number on the tow ticket only to be informed we needed to call a different number to speak to husband, whom did not answer the phone.  We then called back the original number.  Upon being notified after we were on scene, we were advised the keys were on the way.  After an hour we were told that there was no way the keys were getting there anytime soon.  Both the driver and the office explained the procedure when we do not have keys, and we were told to go ahead with the tow.  There was no damage to the vehicle during this procedure.  Dollies are used when towing vehicles on wheel lifts to prevent the two tires on the wheel lift from rolling on the ground.  Flatbed/Rollback trucks are not usually equipped with this equipment in day to day operations. 

  Customer response

  11/08/2022

   
  Complaint: 18234838
  
  I am rejecting this response because: Tow company was never told keys were on the way, they were told they were not there. They were called as soon as their information was sent from the insurance company and informed nobody would be at the car and keys would not be there, while the driver was still enroute to the car. Not once was the keys being on the way mentioned, and the driver did not wait at all. Originally I was told the fee was for not having the keys and the for the extra "effort" needed to load and unload the car, but this response clearly states the fee was for the hour wait for the keys. This is not true, the driver did not wait an hour for keys, and now I am requesting a refund of this $75 "wait fee" for a wait that never occurred. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Christopher Byrd

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