ComplaintsforMetro Towing

• Initial Complaint

  07/22/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I parked in the visitor spots at the ****** **** apartment complex 7/21/2024, and my car was towed because they claimed my tags were expired. I called and informed the lady that my tags were not expired and that the sticker was in my glove box because people steal tags. Despite this, she insisted that my tags were expired, so I told her I was on my way. When I arrived, I explained the situation again and retrieved the tags from my car. I used the valid tags to get my car released as well. I don’t understand why I had to pay $200 when my tags were not expired, and I provided proof of that. I will be escalating this issue as far as I can. The police have the authority to remove cars WITH OR WITHOUT THE TAG, and the law states that you cannot charge more than $150 for such situations. The economy is tough, and it’s unacceptable for you to try to take advantage of people.

  

  Business response

  07/22/2024

  The apartment complex , **********, has a contract with our company for towing. One of the violations for towing is expired license plates. Everyone must put their sticker on their license plate for the vehicle to be legal. Where they came up with the price of 150.00. Our rates for non-consensual towing are submitted yearly to the Department ** ****** ******. This was a valid tow as the registration sticker must be on the plate to be valid.

  Customer response

  07/22/2024

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I do not live at the apartment complex. I parked in visitor parking, how would I know that???
  
  Sincerely,
  
  **** ********

  

  Business response

  07/23/2024

  It is the responsibilty or the Resident of the Apartment complex to inform all visitors of the rules. But.. everyone should know that you have to display your registration tag in order for it to be seen and be valid. 

  Customer response

  07/25/2024

  
  Complaint: ********
  
   I’ll accept this loss, but I want to highlight that charging $200 was unjust, especially since I proved my tags weren’t expired. Many people ride without visible tags because they’re often stolen. Given that police can check plates, I would have accepted a small fee for the tow, but $200 feels excessive and like predatory towing. God Bless!!

  
  **** ********

• Initial Complaint

  06/17/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  see Attached document

  

  Business response

  07/01/2024

  A full refund had been issued to **** ********* The case should be closed.

  ******** *****

• Initial Complaint

  01/12/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Today, I got towed in ****** ****** parking lot in order to go to my gym. I was unaware that it was a monitored area. I had never been to the gym prior except to sign up (I parked in the lot gym lot then). ****** also was not open yet. I parked at the very end furthest away from the building and was there less than 45 minutes. The sign posted was facing away from the direction I pulled into the parking lot. I have never had a ticket or been towed for parking in the incorrect lot. I had to work in an hour and ended up having to **** home. I feel that I should have atleast received a warning vs having my vehicle towed and also given the chance to move my vehicle. Paying $180 to get my car out of the lot seems excessive, especially for my first offense. I made a mistake and feel that I should be refunded based on the signage alone. Also the signs should be made bigger especially for people not from the area or new to town.

  

  Business response

  02/15/2024

  This parking lot located at **** ** ******** is for the businesses located at that property only. They have so many employees that must have a parking area, there is no room for vehicles that park and go elsewhere. This lot is monitored during the daytime hours and towing is strictly enforced. The signage at the property is up to code with the LFUCG statutes. We cannot give warnings. 

• Initial Complaint

  08/31/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My vehicle was towed from a parking lot and in the process they had damaged my front passenger bumper, when showed the damage they offered to repair it but after speaking to insurance I decided it was best to go through a professional collision center rather than a friend of theirs and when I had requested for their insurance they refused to send me it and refused to reply whenever I tried to contact after that. I've currently contacted my insurance and now I will be temporarily paying for the damage until they get a hold of metro towing and get me.my money back. Overall annoyed that they would refuse to give me their insurance after having acted so nice and polite in the begining only to act like scammers. The tow was $180 and the insurance deductible is gonna cost me $250

  

  Business response

  09/01/2023

  We offered to repair a small gouge in the front lower bumper. We couldn't determine if it was pre existing. Therefore, we offered to have our professional body shop repair the bumper. The vehicle owner agreed. Then after he left he demanded our insurance information and told me he was talking to an attorney. At this point I ended our conversation. As I said we were not sure we caused the damage but we had an agreement which he broke. Therefore Metro Towing will not assume any liability for any damages to the vehicle.

  Customer response

  09/01/2023

   
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  I had not agreed to repairing the damage before had, what was agreed upon was to speak with Hyundai to see if they would repair the damage then to receive a refund for the tow, however I had stated if Hyundai doesn't agree to repair the damage I would contact the company on what we should do next, I did not once officially agreed that the companies body guy would do the work and call it even I stated I will think about what to do next.
  Sincerely,
  
  **** ******

• Initial Complaint

  08/30/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 8/29/23, our car was towed by Metro Towing of Lexington KY. We parked in a U shaped lot to eat lunch at El Mariachi. We ordered at 1:32 and paid at 1:51. (See receipt). We checked for signage to make sure we were legally parked (see photos). After dining, we noticed our car was gone. We asked at a Qdoba if someone had it towed. They said “This happened all day” and “I have requested additional signage.” The manager also said the blue sign in the photo says only Qdoba customers can park there, which is false. When we called the towing agency to ask why we were towed, the lady said “the driver watched us leave the premises.” We literally walked a few yards to a restaurant in the same connected parking lot. When we paid to pick up our car, we tried to explain the situation and note not leaving premises. Receipt says we left the lot. The lady said they had 3 drivers lined up watching that lot. Likely true since request and dispatch time are the same on the attached receipt. If the driver watched my wife & I walk a few yards into a restaurant literally across a median, why didn’t he stop us and say that spot is only for Qdoba unless the goal was solely to make money. When we told the lady at Metro there were no Qdoba signs, she said she knew the lot and Metro Towing had gone there and put up signs within the month. Why is a towing company putting up signs for a huge corporation? I noted to her we checked for signs and not a single pole had a Qdoba sign on it and we saw no sign. She said Papa Johns had signs so we should have known not to park across from Qdoba, and putting up such signs would have cost Qdoba money. We took photos of the scene (attached). There is 1 small Qdoba sign stuck in the median grass which isn’t noticeable when a car is parked in front of it. We truly made every effort to confirm we parked legally given the absence of signs. A tow driver watching would have seen us reading signs. Receipt shows impounded time before dispatch time. Predatory.

  

  Business response

  08/30/2023

  I would like to start by saying the signage for the property is at the entrances and exits to the property. We have had extra signs on the property but they are being torn down on a daily basis. The signage at the entrances states that only Qdoba customers may park there while on the premises. The parking lot is NOT shared with ElMariach, as they would have had to walk over the median which is clearly shown in the pictures supplied in the complaint. That restaurant is not connected to or in the same lot as Qdoba. These restaurants are on campus and have a terrible problem with parking. They are only provided a small amount of parking spaces for THEIR customers so they have to keep a close eye on the parking spaces. As to my 3 drivers seeing them walk away, they did because they were eating in Qdoba. It was their lunch time. It is not their job to run people down and tell them not to park. No one said anything about it costing Qdoba to put signs up that is a false statement and I know that because I was here when they picked their vehicle up from our lot. Also i watched the tape of the interaction. The receipt is computer generated and there was no dispatch time on impounds. This field is always on the receipt. Only the impounded time is a relevant time. I hate that there is such limited parking for the restaurants on campus but with that being said it is not Qdoba's responsibility to supply parking for El Mariach customers. No refund will be given.

  Customer response

  08/31/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  There was 1 sign in the median not visible behind a parked car. There are no clear signs at entrance and exit that are “easily visible to a motorist seated in a vehicle” nor did it “have a reflective border”. The Metro Sign, not a Qdoba sign’ says only customers can park in the lot but it does not say which customers. The lot is one connected U shaped lot with 1 entrance and exit. The narrow median does not fully separate the lot. Qdoba customers drive past Mariachi to exit. If you have a full audio recording of our conversation which should match mine, you will hear reference to costing Qdoba to put up signs and that you put up signs, which you are acknowledging get removed. For future readers, I have since learned that different property managers manage each side of the U lot. By KY law, private towing companies can only tow at police request of if the owner has a standing file with the police that your company can tow at will from those spaces. You then have 2 hours to notify the police. Since I went in the restaurant at 1:32 and my car was gone at 1:34, I assume your 3 drivers had just finished their meal since they were able to load my car in 2 minutes. Furthermore, if they watched me, they clearly saw my wife and I look for signs. When I picked up the car, I can confirm the quote”We had 3 drivers lined up in that lot.” My goals were in this order 1. To make sure it doesn’t happen to others, 2. To get a refund, and 3. To end this amicably. If you are unwillingly to assist with those goals, I will continue with all avenues possible.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******* *******

  

  Business response

  09/06/2023

  I understand they don't accept my response to the towing but the two parking lots are clearly separated by a concrete and grass median. The big main entrance to the parking lot is off Rose street but the lot for Mariachi is one way in. You have to drive past that entrance to enter the Qdoba parking lot. They are CLEARLY different lots. I do not know what my employee said to them but I do know there were drivers eating lunch at Qdoba. the dispatch time on private property impounds is irrelevant. Only the tow time, which is when the vehicle being told is put into our computer. I stand by this tow and we will not be issuing a refund. 

  Customer response

  09/07/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  I am rejecting this response because:
  The above response is partially accurate but primarily false.You can turn into the lot off of Rose St. However, you can also enter off of Avenue of Champions, which we did. This entrance to the lot allows drivers to enter in front of Papa Johnson on to Qdoba. The median does not divide the lot 100%. It divides a U. In fact, Qdoba customers exit the loop through the U past El Mariachi back to Rose St. Other facts: Qdoba manager said he has repeatedly requested additional signage, Qdoba personnel said this towing happens all day, Qdoba has no signs on any poles, and Metro Staff were extremely rude. If I was El Mariachi, I would actually extend the median to fully divide the lot and then watch Qdoba customers try to get in and out. Towing companies should not put up temporary hard to see ground level signs. Qdoba should put metal visible ones on the preexisting poles. On a final note, my wife asked 1 person about towin who runs a very large entertainment venue in Lexington. Ironically, he was towed by the same company from the same lot a few years ago under the same circumstances. This is your cash cow obviously. I’m asking permanent clear signs be mounted to the poles, admission that I am describing the lot and median correctly, an explanation as to why 3 drivers sitting in Qdoba watching my wife and I actually walk up and down the lot looking for signs didn’t step out the door and say that space is only for Qdoba as we walked a few feet to El Mariachi, and an apology for the rudeness of your staff. As far as the receipt times go, even if impound time is the only one you got correct and that matters, that makes it obvious you towed my car immediately. Solving these problems, which would clearly hit your bottom line, by implementing the requests above are more important than the $180 you cost me unnecessarily personally.

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

• Initial Complaint

  07/26/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On July 25th 830 am my son and went to jalepenos restaurant for breakfast, but they were closed. During that time the transportation company that was delivering my sons car also pulled there in the street to deliver the vehicle. Since the restaurant was closed I left my car at the parking lot and moved the other car to ammco for a tire rotation I walked back the restaurant was still closed. When I went to get my car it was gone. This company states that I wasn't a customer I have eating there all week jalapeños,sumo sushi stayed across the street as well. This is a poor way to rip people off they are creeping on people not knowing the whole situation. They saw me attempt to go to jalapeños for breakfast. My car shouldn't have been towed I'm hoping bbb can resolve this issue and get me a refund. I don't know how to get a hold of the parking management company. If you park there and eat at sonic they can tow your car it should be clear cut. It's states if your not a customer,but I am and was.

  

  Business response

  07/26/2023

  First I would like to say that if ********** had eaten at Jalepenos all week, he would have known that they are a mexican restaurant and do not open until lunch time. Secondly he was seen parking at the other end of the parking lot near Jett's Pizza and getting into another vehicle. He did not walk up to Jalepenos or even attempt to walk down there. He got out of his vehicle and got directly into the other vehicle and left the lot.There are signs posted and all entrances and exits and also throughout the parking area. This property has a huge problem with people doing this exact thing. Parking vehicles and leaving in another vehicle and taking up customers parking. In addition his vehicle was towed at 8:45am and he called about it approximately 1-1/2 hours later. This was a valid tow and no refund will be given. 

• Initial Complaint

  03/19/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My son is a college student at UK and on Thursday, March 3rd, 2022 his car was parked in a visitor space with a visitor parking pass. Metro towing towed his car and witness reported that they could hear dragging sounds and the sound of a tire popping. He called me to ask for advice. As a professional law enforcement I have witnessed the unscrupulous business practices of these "fly by night" towing services many times. I advised him to go pay and get his car and make sure that we never fall into one of these "traps" again. He followed my advice and upon receipt of his vehicle he checked and all 4 tires were inflated so he paid $160 and took his car. When he dove away he said he could tell that something wasn't right and when he got on the interstate to come home, he said the car felt dangerous. I had recently put 4 brand new Hancook tires on the car but when he got home I found that the drivers side front tire was a Firestone tire with a manufacture date of 2012. I took the car to the shop to have the car checked for safety and damage and had to buy 2 new front tires at the cost of $222.89. The tire shop advised me that the 10 year old Firestone had obviously been run flat at some point and the side walls were so badly broken down that a blow out was almost certain. I have seen many, highway speed, front tire blow outs that have caused crashes, some resulting in fatality. Metro Towing damaged my property and tried to hide it and as a result they put my son's life at risk.

  

  Business response

  05/17/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/03/24) */ I would like to start by saying we are NOT a "fly by night" business nor have we ever been. We have been in business since 1989 and are a member in good standing with the BBB and several Chamber of Commerce Associations in Kentucky. With that being said, I need to know what kind of vehicle was towed and the name of the person that retrieved said vehicle to speak further on this complaint. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/03/24) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) You are correct that name calling is not helpful or necessary and I should not assume that the company is "fly by night" just because my property was damaged and the damage was concealed and not report. My car is a 2009 White, 4 door Hyundai Sonata with a Kentucky Fraternal Order of Police tag #1401E/A. I have no idea who the employee was that towed the vehicle; however, I do know that it had 4 Hancook tires on it with less than 6ooo miles on it and when we got it back, it had 3 Hancook tires and 1 old Firestone tire on the front drivers side, IF he was legitimately towed (meaning illegally parked) then we have to pay the penalty BUT this car was obviously damaged and someone made a significant effort to hide the damage. As a result an old and EXTREMELY unsafe tire was put on the car and no one was notified. Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2022/04/08) */ Sorry it took so long to answer but I had to talk to all drivers and dispatchers that worked the night your 2009 Hyundai Sonata was towed. According to what my employees have told me all tires were up when it was towed. We do not look at the vehicles to see what kind of tires are on them when we tow only that they are all aired up and not damaged. When your son came to pick the vehicle up my dispatcher said he walked all around it and checked it thoroughly and then drove out. If there was a problem he should have said something then or at least within the first few hours of picking up the vehicle. According to the tow logs the vehicle was picked up from 354 Foreman Avenue at 9:45pm and your son picked it up from our lot at 11:10pm on the same night. We do not have tires here nor do we have the capability to change tires here. I'm truly sorry if your son had trouble with his vehicle but I can assure you it was not us that did any damage to the vehicle. Consumer Response /* (4200, 11, 2022/04/08) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) That is fine. You towed my car and destroyed the front drivers side tire and that is a fact. You replaced it with a 10 year old damaged and unsafe tire to conceal the damage that you caused, and that is a fact. My son was NOT involved in a crash due to your unscrupulous practices but eventually you will do this to someone and they WILL be hurt, or worse, as a result of your shady practices...and this BBB report will be used as part of the law suit that will be filed and you will lose. Your organization brings absolutely no honor to the industry. Business Response /* (4000, 13, 2022/04/19) */ I am very sorry you feel this way but if we had done damage to your vehicle we would have owned up to it and fixed it. You were not here, your son was. Maybe you should ask him if he hit a curb and changed the tire. I can only say we did not damage the vehicle. Consumer Response /* (4200, 15, 2022/04/19) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) It appears that we have a situation in which no further progress is possible.

• Initial Complaint

  02/16/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  The towing company towes my vehicle today said that I was double part which I was at no fault of my own because it was dark and you can't see the lines anyway but it's hard to park when you have your neighbor's buddies park crazy in the parking lot so you're forced to park however you can get in which is why I was double parked and I'm not going back outside at 3 am to to move my vehicle after they leave it's unacceptable and they told me that my complex contract States that it It's mandatory for them to tow it if it's double part which my landlord even says that isn't true and my car shouldn't have been towed. I told my landlord they said for me to take it up with her so My landlord called and they lied to her saying they never said anything like that to me when they did. They completely lied to her I heard everything they said to her. They was horribly rude to me when I called them. Told me my only option was to pay $160 to get my car back. Even after my landlord told them they shouldn't have towed my car ! Im a single mother and had a job interview this morning which I had to miss due to this ! Now I'm stuck without my car NO MONEY NO JOB AND NO WAY TO EVEN GET MY CAR WHEN I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO PARK LIKE THAT DUE TO MY NEIGHBORS DRUG BUDDIES FORCING ME TO PATK THAT WAY WHEN THEY WASNT EVEN SUPPOSED TO BE PARKED IN OUR SPOTS !! ITS YO DANGEROUS TO GO OUT THAT LATE TO MOVE MY CAR AND I REFUSE GK DO SO !!

  

  Business response

  03/10/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/02/23) */ I cannot even respond to this complaint without knowing where it was towed from and what kind of vehicle they have. Consumer Response /* (3000, 10, 2022/02/23) */ ***Document Attached*** Clearly shows parking lot. And truck thats still there. Taken on different days. After my car being towed. Truck now has a orange ticket on it for 2 days now and still sitting not towed. Another white car outside today parked where it shouldn't be supposed to get towed However isn't. This is an everyday thing and night is even worse whole parking lot is full. Consumer Response /* (3000, 11, 2022/02/23) */ I'm allowed 2 parking spaces in my parking lot in front of my building. Its in my lease I signed and also what defines true double parking is when you obstruct another vehicle from moving out of their parking spot. Which I had not done so ! And another truck thats been sitting for over a month broken down in the visitors parking which should have been towed but instead they leave it and tow mine a resident!! Told me they didn't make the rules that my landlord did they just follow them which isn't the case because if they had then my car wouldn't have been towed and the other would have been. Which is why I've contacted an attorney about this. Business Response /* (4000, 13, 2022/03/02) */ I still have no idea where the vehicle was towed from or what vehicle they are talking about. Please provide that information and I will look into this complaint

• Initial Complaint

  02/13/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I went to visit my daughter at *** ******** Apartment complex on February 10th. The parking lot was dark but I parked within view of a Visitor Parking sign on the back fence and hung the Visitor Parking Pass on the mirror. When we came out the next morning, my minivan was gone. I couldn't believe it. When I called Metro Towing they stated they had towed my van because I wasn't "inside the yellow lines marking visitor parking." When I looked for these lines, they appeared faded and I wasn't surprised that I hadn't noticed them at night in the dark parking lot. They charged me $160 even though my Visitor Parking Pass was prominently displayed. I asked if the apartment complex had called to report the incident and they admitted that their tow trucks regularly patrol the parking lot.

  

  Business response

  05/17/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/02/22) */ The parking lot located at *** ******** Avenue is very well lit at night. I went to the parking lot myself during the night time hours to make sure. There are 43 visitor parking spaces that are well marked for the property. Once those are full the visitors must park elsewhere as the remaining spaces are for the residents only. This assures all residents parking. This property has more visitor parking spaces than any other complex on campus. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/02/26) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) For you to tow a MINIVAN less than a quarter mile that was parked with a prominently displayed VISITOR TAG within clear view of a VISITOR PARKING ONLY sign and charge $160 is predatory and unethical. Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2022/03/02) */ I am very sorry you feel that way. We have been in business in Lexington for over 32 years and provide a much needed service to the area businesses. I assure you we are not predatory but only doing our job. If there the apartment complex chose another towing company that was located on the other side of town it still would have been 160.00 but you would have further to go to retrieve your vehicle. Our prices for private property impounding is a set rate rate regardless of the location in lexington. Please know that we are only doing our job. The high costs of vehicles, fuel and insurance does not allow us to much leeway in our pricing.

• Initial Complaint

  01/15/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This complaint concerns a tow in violation of law. 1/15/22 I took my child to Lexington to look at student housing options. We wanted to visit apartments along Virginia Ave, and turned left from Virginia into a large gravel parking lot that was about 2/3 empty. Large sign at entrance said "Royal Lexington" and we saw apartments nearby. When we returned to the lot our car was gone. It was a 2021 rental car and I thought it must have been stolen. When we looked around I discovered small, inconspicuous signs attached to telephone poles in the lot. I called the number to learn Metro had taken our car. While waiting for a ride to the Metro Towing LLC impound lot I examined the gravel lot carefully. The entrance from Virginia does not have any signage indicating private property or a towing policy. I took photos of the area. We went to Metro and paid $160 to get our car. Upon return to Louisville I decided to look at governing law. Lexington's Municipal Code is explicit: Sec. 14-87.1. - Signage, says "(1)No private impound tow truck service or operator shall privately impound any vehicle from private property which has not been posted with signs meeting the specifications set forth in this section." The specifications in the code include "post and continuously maintain a sign of not less than twelve (12) inches by eighteen (18) inches having bold lettering stating that the parking lot is privately owned and unauthorized vehicles will be towed away at the owner's expense. The sign shall be placed in a conspicuous location at or near each entrance of the parking lot and easily visible to a motorist seated in an automobile." This lot has two entrances. The one we used was not posted (see photo) and the signs within the lot itself are not conspicuous to a seated driver. Also, the charges appear to exceed the maximum allowed under Sec. 14-90 (4).

  

  Business response

  03/10/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/01/25) */ The signage that is posted can been seen upon entering the parking area. This lot is for apartment residents only as stated on the sign. Our rates changed as of January 1st and we supplied our rates to the city of Lexington. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/01/30) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) The response is unsatisfactory and intentionally misleading. As I explained in my complaint, we entered the parking lot from Virginia Avenue. The sign at Virginia Avenue is BLANK on the side facing traffic turning left. The printed sign of the sign (included in my original complaint) says nothing about parking. To give Metro Towing the benefit of the doubt I sent someone back to the area on Saturday, January 29 to take a photo from a seated position near the entrance from Virginia Ave. There are no conspicuous signs regarding parking. Thus, towing from this lot is in violation of local law. In addition, I see nothing in the ordinance that lets Metro set its own rates. Rather, LFUCG sets the rates. Metro exceeded the rate I can find on file. Metro must refund the money I paid to retrieve a vehicle towed in violation of law. To belabor what should be obvious, I would never have entered the lot if it had been marked as private. It is adjacent to Univ. of KY buildings and we parked on a Saturday.

*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. ↩