Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Stepp's Towing Service, Inc.'s headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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  Stepp's Towing Service, Inc.

  9602 E US Highway 92 Tampa, FL 33610-5928

• 

  Stepp's Towing Service, Inc.

  13132 US Highway 19 Hudson, FL 34667-1749

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  Stepp's Towing Service, Inc.

  4214 W Cayuga St Tampa, FL 33614-6919

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  Stepp's Towing Service, Inc.

  3595 118th Ave N Clearwater, FL 33762-5638

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  Stepp's Towing Service, Inc.

  6133 Cliff Ave Gibsonton, FL 33534

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/08/2025

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  occurred 3/7/2025 they do have phone call recording of me calling the company to confirm for the 4th time the cost.Called them for a tow after a car hit me. They lied about pricing even when i confirmed 3 times to get me to tow it to their lot instead of the repair shop. They told me it would be $150 for the tow to a repair shop but since it was out of traffic the tow to their lot would be just the milage of the tow and $30 a night for storage. About $60. I came the next morning to $280 charge. The most unpleasant and rude man I have ever encountered was running the yard. After hours for them to let me in the yard they held my car hostage for the full payment. I called and talked to 3 managers who were all aggressively rude while i was courteous and respectful. Predatory tow companies like this should be shut down. Its sad that people like this exist and are allowed to stay in business.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/17/2025

  We have been in business for ********************************************************* customer ********************** so when there is an issue or conflict, we address it and find ways to correct any issues or conflicts if they occur. Once we learned of Mr. ****** conflict, we reached out to him immediately to find out what led to his concerns. Mr. ****** agreed to pay the charges of the $160 Tow/Hook Fee and the $6 per mile travel from the accident scene to the repair facility, however we towed Mr. ******* car to our impound yard when it should have been towed to the repair facility destination he requested. By going to our impound yard, it generated 2 days of storage and Stepps Towing offered to refund Mr. ****** the 2 days of storage of $75.25 in which he agreed to. At some point during the refund process, Mr. ****** disputed the entire transaction on his credit card which is now prohibiting Stepps Towing from refunding his card for the 2 days of storage for $75.25 as agreed.
  
  Through text messages on 5/16/2025, Mr. ****** admitted to disputing the charges and said he would remove the BBB complaint and poor ****** review once the refund was completed, however the refund cannot be done until the bank dispute is completed. It is unfortunate that we could not have addressed the issue as both Stepps Towing and Mr. ****** agreed upon because of his credit card dispute which now delays this entire issue of being resolved.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/21/2025

   
  Complaint: 23304492

  I think its important to point out that there was also the double in cost from having to get an additional tow from the yard. However we did agree that refunding the two night stay would be sufficient to close the case. 

  I am rejecting this response because: The credit cared dispute was confirmed closed with provided documentation to Stepps. I have not received any other communication on the refund yet and i don't understand why it isn't able to be processed. 

  Sincerely,
  
  **** ******

  Business Response

  Date: 05/27/2025

  As of Friday we were still unable to access a refund option. We are trying to credit back the agreed amount for storage and continue to wait for ****************** He shows that it is closed on his end but as you can see from the text thread that we highlighted it is not giving us the refund option under bank review and says that the dispute resolution is estimated June 30th. As soon as the bank allows us, we will process the refund.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/07/2025

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Terrible customer ********************** and unethical business practices. Received a notice for payment of a tow for a vehicle I do not own and when I initially called about it, the person in collections said it would be corrected and not to worry about it. I thought problem solved. To my dismay, they then incorrectly applied a Lien in my name to a vehicle that that I do not own and said they would only remove lien for payment even when documentation showing proof from a dealership that someone else owned the vehicle was offered to them. Now Im on my way to *** to seek other remedies. Terrible customer **********************. Unethical business practices. Filing complaint with BBB of *******.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/21/2025

  Stepps Towing has been in business for over 65 years and when a customer claims unethical business practices, we take this very seriously, so we did a deep dive into Mr. ******** complaint.
  
  Stepps Towing received Mr. ******** vehicle on December 31, 2024, at 2:53pm, due to a rotation call from FHP PASCO that the vehicle was abandoned at 75 SB mm 279. At the time of pickup we did take photos of vehicle showing that FDOT did yellow sticker the vehicle indicating that the vehicle has been identified as abandoned and included a specific time frame that the vehicle needed to be moved by owner (we can provide FHP report as well of photos of vehicle if needed) so we towed Mr. ******** vehicle as requested by FHP PASCO to our tow yard.
  
  On January 3, 2025, we sent notice of claim and lien via certified mail, in pursuit of F.S. ******, and that notice was sent to the address on file with the State ******************** (************************************). That notice via certified mail shows it was delivered and received on January 13, 2025. The Auction date for this vehicle was set for February 5, 2025 and the Owner of the vehicle was made aware of this date in the notice of claim and lien, and the wrecker lien was placed on March 5, 2025. 
  
  Stepps Towing has zero notes showing that Mr. ******* called us at anytime prior to the incident that he is now claiming issues with Stepps Customer **********************. 
  
  The Claim: 
  
  Mr. ******** claim that when he initially called, he was told it would be corrected and not to worry about it. It has never been our practice to say not to worry about it because once a lien is placed and approved by the Florida ***, it must be handled. 
  
  When Mr. ******* called us on May 6, 2025, (he called from number ************ at 1:55pm), first he said he spoke to the lien department and they said "not to worry about it" and after he was told there is only one lien representative, Mr. ******* changed his statement (this conversation was recorded and can be verified).
  
  Mr. ******** claim that he was told to take the proof of sale paperwork to the *** to see if they will release lien there, that is partially true, although he left out part of that conversation (which was also recorded). Mr. ******* was given factual information such as: an owner of a vehicle has 30 days from the date of sale of his vehicle to notify the State of Florida though the ***, that he sold the vehicle. We also informed him that we only lift a lien with payment of the towing fees and storage charges, and the steps we take to obtain a vehicle and place a lien is by the law. On the conversation recording, our lien representative did not raise her voice or argue with Mr. ******* at any time. What he claims is horrible customer **********************, was our representative giving him information based on facts that he did not want to accept or agree with.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/03/2024

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  The steps towing company picked up my vehicle on the 27th of august 2024, they had towed my vehicle ********************************** ******* of 10 miles. They charged superfluous fees including a lien fee which after 3 days shouldnt even be on the vehicle.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/06/2024

  On August 27th, 2024 ******* Towing was called out by the Pasco *************** for an impound on a 2013 ********** Focus. The vehicle was located at US Hwy 19 & **************** in *********. Under the contracted rules, the vehicle was to be towed and stored at ******* closest impound yard which was at ****************************************************************************************************** 25 Miles from the pick up. The Vehicle was then picked up for the ******* yard by ****** on the spot Towing per **************** and he was then told by that towing company that we over charged him. 

  ******************** 1st claim is that towing companies cannot tow a car for more than 10 miles. This is true if were a private property trespass tow. Which this was not. See Florida Statue description below,

  715.07 Vehicles or vessels parked on private property; towing.

  (a) The towing or removal of any vehicle or vessel from private property without the consent of the registered owner or other legally authorized person in control of that vehicle or vessel is subject to substantial compliance with the following conditions and restrictions:
  1.a. Any towed or removed vehicle or vessel must be stored at a site within a 10-mile radius of the point of removal in any county of ******* population or more, and within a 15-mile radius of the point of removal in any county of fewer than ******* population.

  Police Tows do not have a mileage restriction, but must be towed to the closest impound yard for safe keeping 

  ******************** 2nd claim is that ******* cannot charge a administrative lien fee due to his vehicle was only in the impound yard for 3 days. Administrative lien fees charged on the 4th business day. ******************* vehicle was impounded on the 27th, and was released to him on the 30th. That is 4 calendar days. Please refer to county ordinance/Resolution 21-267/A-R251 CAO21-0019

  (3)Filing and Processing of a Lien Notice: $75 per vehicle towed, provided the towing service has complied with the requirements of Section ****** of the Florida Statutes.

  **************** was made aware of everything discussed on a 10 minute phone call with *************************, the Director of operations for ******* Towing and he agreed that he was not over charged and that he received false information from a company that does not even do this type of work

  ******* Towing denies any and all allegations of overcharging and wrong doing and request that this claim be dismissed and closed. 
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/09/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Called to release vehicle. Company never communicated that final date to retrieve vehicle was the date documents were sent/given during phone/email contact. Unprofessional considering the circumstances the occur during a car accident and the current economy. This is a large company, there should be a grace ****** or some kind of understanding considering the vehicle is still in possession and not auctioned off.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/11/2023

  When a vehicle is brought into our impound yard, a certified letter is sent to the registered owner, lien holder, and insurance company. This information is provided to us by the ****************** of ***** vehicles.
  In that certified letter, it clearly states all of the vehicle information, owner information, AUCTION DATE, and charges due.  If the vehicle would have had full coverage insurance, the insurance company would have been the responsible party to pick it up from the impound yard. If not, the registered owner would need to retrieve the vehicle.Every vehicle sits in the impound yard for a minimum of 37 days before it is auctioned off. Towing companies must follow the state statues and county ordinances to stay in compliance.  We are unsure of what your exact situation was with our company, but we would be more than happy to talk to you more so you can have a better understanding on how the process works.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/17/2023

   
  Complaint: 20705031
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  During my initial conversation with said company, including the insurance company, there was no mention of deadline. Also, requested items were sent the day of 10/4/23 via email. Again, no mention that it was the last day to retrieve vehicle. Most companies would be willing to work with someone considering the impact of car accidents have on individuals. Their employees are rude and understandably so if their superiors dont have compassion for their customers. After being hung up on in an attempt to resolve the matter, all I can assume is this is a multimillion dollar company trying to come up a few hundred dollars on a car rather than have values. 

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************************

  Business Response

  Date: 10/30/2023

  In the complaint of *****************************, that Stepps Towing did not give all parties ample time to respond and get the vehicle picked up, please be advised that Stepps Towing did everything according to ******* Statues ******; and owner(s)were given plenty of time but did not comply.  
  
  Vehicle was impounded: 8-17-2023. 
  
  A call came in on 8-22-2023 from *********************** and at that time he was told that vehicle owner(s) will need to bring DL, Current Registration to access vehicle. 
  
  Notice of claim of lien and proposed sale was mailed out: 08/24/2023 (within the 7 business days required by F.S.) 
  
  Notice was sent to *******************, *****************************, and lien holder *********** Auto Finance 
  
  Notice was received by ******************* (Vehicle Owner 1) 08/28/2023.
  Notice was received by ****************************;( Vehicle Owner 2) 08/28/2023.              
  Notice was received by *********** (Lien Holder) 09/02/2023.
  
  ***************************** & her insurance (USAA) called on 10/3/2023 (day before sale /auction date) and was sent the required form to release to insurance and was informed that she needed to send ID and Proof of Ownership in order to release to USAA. 
  
  ***************************** was emailed on 10/4/2023 (day of sale) and was told that if her insurance called and sent in proof of ownership on her behalf, they could still pick up the vehicle. 
  
  USAA called on 10/06/2023 and was informed that the vehicle was no longer available for pick up. 
  
  We are sorry to hear about this complaint, however the owner(s) had ample amount time and chose not to respond with the paperwork required to take possession of the vehicle. Stepps was compliant and we had to move forward as it was 2 days after the sale date and we still did not have all the necessary paperwork to release the vehicle. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/01/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Back in October 2022, one of the ******* Towing Service driver caused damaged to my 2009 ***** Civic, resulting in being in the collision shop for almost 2 weeks. The rental car was arranged between ********************** Shop (**** ****************, *******************, **) and ******* Towing Service. I have text messages from the business (Rose) indicating they would refund the insurance costs related to the car rental. I forwarded them the receipt/invoice which I am attaching here that was sent. I am also providing screenshots of the texts received from the business indicating they will pay for the insurance. Now, they are declining to refund that expense. Completely contradictory to what I have in my messages from the business. I am requesting payment in full ($339.83) for costs related to the collision caused the ******* Towing. They are being irresponsible in not honoring their commitment to refund the expense.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/06/2023

  We have looked
  into this matter and *****’s Towing Service is issuing Mr. ****** a check for
  the full $339.83 refund requested.  The check has been cut and goes out in today's mail.
  
  Our normal
  policy does not cover rental car upgrades or optional insurance coverage add-ons, and unfortunately, it was communicated to us that Mr. ****** added
  optional insurance when he actually had the required insurance coverage of the
  rental car company. We apologize for the inconvenience this has caused Mr.
  ****** and the miscommunication of this circumstance as *****’s takes pride in
  their business practices and customer service.
  
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/07/2023

  
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  ******** ******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/01/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On Oct 28 my father in law passed away and his truck was towed to **********************, we were informed there would be a daily charge until a death certificate is received and we can pick up the vehicle. The medical examiner called us and informed us on Oct 30 that his autopsy results are pending investigation and can take up to 20 weeks before the official death certificate will be completed. We let them know about the truck and they said they can provide a letter that works for everything but insurance to confirm his death. Oct 31 we called **********************, explained the situation, and they said they want a notarized letter from the medical examiner and proof of next of kin. The medical examiner had the letter notarized but advised that they cannot determine next of kin. So we took the letter and my husband's birth certificate to prove his passing and next of kin and drove 2 hours to **********************. We were informed this was not good enough & the medical examiner had to say we are next of kin. We explained that they said they cannot and we were basically told oh well and they closed us out of the gate. I called & explained that the medical examiner does not determine next of kin so I asked who they need to have this info from or for their policy in writing so I can show the medical examiner's office what we need. They informed me that they are not legally required to have a policy and we have 30 days to figure it out before they auction the vehicle so we better tell the medical examiner to get it together for a death certificate. The medical examiner at this point just wrote at their records indicated my husband as next of kin, not even any legal representation of next of kin but they accepted it. We messaged on ******** to ask their policy for someone passing and they replied that a police officer can come confirm the passing but when we requested an ******** ********************** refused. So they didn't follow their own policy and made one up that makes no sense, all to just attempt to profit off our loss.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/09/2022

  We are sorry to hear that a complaint came in about Stepps Towing because we take pride in providing a high level of customer **********************. When a customer comes to us after a recent death of a loved one, often there are personal emotions involved when they contact us, and our staff must ask that customer for documents (proof of ownership/next of kin) and sometimes that can get misdiagnosed as a bad experience or service from the company. We must verify information so that we are compliant with laws and many times when we ask for documents, they may not have readily available or access to, a customer may feel as if they are not being helped to their liking
  
  Vehicle impounded: 10/28/2022 at 5:33am
  
  10/28/2022 we received a call from *************** asking how to get this vehicle from impound since vehicle owner is deceased. She was told to bring in the vehicle owners death certificate with next of kin, proof of ownership of the vehicle, and the ** of next of kin who will be picking up the vehicle.
  
  10/31/2022 the vehicle owners daughter in law, *******************, called about accessing vehicle and informed the staff that the death is under investigation and a death certificate would not be immediately available; at this time, she was told that in place of the death certificate we will accept a signed notarized letter from the medical examiner advising of who the next of kin is.
  
  10/31/2022 a signed notarized medical examiner letter was provided advising the next of kin for *********************** (deceased)is *********************, his son. Authorization to the vehicle was verified and personal belongings were taken from the vehicle, the vehicle itself was left behind.
  
  In every case involving a deceased person, we require the death certificate, proof of ownership and the ** of next of kin that is picking up vehicle. The date of impound to the date of property received was 3 days, and we did accept the medical examiners notarized letter as a legal document stating that, the examiner verified that ********************* was the next of kin. Stepps employees are not to investigate and determine if the notarized document naming the next of kin is sincere. Currently, we do not have policy in writing to share with customers on deceased owner vehicles and are considering putting one together in the near future. We did receive a question on ******** about obtaining a deceased owners vehicle without documents from medical examiner, and we replied with our condolences and informed them that the only exception would be either next of kin is accompanied by a police officer who authorizes and signs off on the release (but we do not call the police department on their behalf, that is something they would need to do, and make that request with the police department directly) or a court order requiring us to release the vehicle.
  
  While we understand it is sometimes tough for someone to take care of things like a deceased family members vehicle, we are a business that must be compliant. Please let us know if you have any questions or need further information from us. Thank you.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/09/2022

   
  Complaint: 18341518
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  When we were on site, attempting to contact the police, they refused to come because Stepps was stating that their policy was that we have to have the letter that made no sense from the medical examiner, which resulted in the police refusing to come even though they are claiming now that their policy includes that the police can validate our documentation. If Stepps had agreed police could validate our documents, the police would have come. They refused as a response to Stepps acting as if the police couldn't help us. 

  Sincerely,
  *******************

  Business Response

  Date: 11/10/2022

  Police officers do not validate documents. We are able to release vehicle if a police officer comes to our lot with a person that does not have their necessary documentation and the officer ***** off/authorizes us to release a vehicle without proper documentation. The officer is now taking responsibility and we are compliant with who the vehicle is released to. The option of involving a police officer is an extremely rare situation as officers do not normally take on that responsibility.