G & W Towing

Review: Hi my name is [redacted] and I would like to share my HORRIBLE experience with G & W towing. I was involved in a collision on Wednesday July 16 at 21:32 late at night. Two officers reported to the scene one of their ID numbers is [redacted], they filed a police report on the accident and my boyfriend and I were told immediately after the report was made that they had called a tow company to take our car and we would need to be calling someone to pick us up. We had politely told the officers how we would be driving the car home the other officer in a rude way said it was not drivable how they had already called the towing company very insistingly on him calling the tow company without consulting us first on how much it would cost us. They did not let me speak and say I had triple AAA the officers were very rude. The tow truck reported to the scene and took the car without telling us how much it would be. The officers took my boyfriend and I to a 7/11 from were my sister picked us up. Once my sister picked us up she contacted G & W towing asking how much our total was going to be a lady said it would be $207 to pick up the next day July 17, I thought it was overpriced when I could have gotten it towed for free with my triple AAA! The next day my boyfriend went to pick up his car from G & W Towing the guy asked him what car was it and my boyfriend responded saying it was a red Honda Accord the guy working at G & W being very rude smirked and said "the one you wrecked, HA" my boyfriend told him he had gotten into a car accident, the worker at G & W just laughed I find it incredibly rude to treat customers like that being so it is our first car accident. He then told my boyfriend the total was $257 he told him how he had gotten quoted a different price the day before without giving me any explanation he rudely responded "it's different during day time" no were in between did he explain how if he would have waited 30 minutes more they wouldn't have charged him those extra 50 dollars, being a 19 year old working minimum wage and a student he would for sure have waited. My older sister [redacted] called and spoke to the main guy of G & W towing he was very rude and seemed very untouchable knowing he is associated with law enforcement! I explained my issue to him and gave him the doubt to work with me and handle my issue he rudely responded to my sister "I don't understand what your complaint is" this is no way to handle customers! He seemed really untouchable and felt very powerful since he has a contract with law enforcement ! I read some reviews on [redacted] and this company has very low rating ! This company is unethical and provides misleading information to their customers! A recent review was posted on [redacted] "...Turns out CMPD and G&W towing have a contract (hook each other up). I could have had AAA tow my car home for free, but the officer kept ignoring my questions regarding where/why this company was towing my car but kept being told to go into ambulance....turns out I was overcharged, they charge you to go see or collect your personal belongings if you go on the weekend, I asked G&W employees for an updated bill or invoice (as I had been mailed one already) and the employee [redacted] or [redacted] said they can't print bills. SHOCKED!..." another review posted on December 2013 "Man they sure know how to scam people. They knew my car broke and they got me by the [redacted] They raised the price up so much I ended paying so much money for my car. Don't go there." This company sure is a SCAM!! "When I needed an emergency tow, I was lied to on the spot about towing fees and business hours which resulted in a $342 bill for a 10-mile tow." the reviews on [redacted] even say it how can they keep a contract with a company that keeps scamming people and making their incident worse then what it should be! The next morning on July 18 my boyfriend received a call from the CHP officer saying how he would pay out of his own pocket $50 dollars! They know they scammed us and gave us misleading information! I do not want my $50 dollars I want my complete refund on the tow! NO ONE GAVE THEM THE INITIATIVE TO CALL G & W TOWING! CHP should have consulted with me first and asked me! They don't know my financial issues I had to borrow this money to pay the tow! CHP should have told me before calling instead of ignoring me and just calling cause they know they get a profit from the tow company for calling for their benefit! This company is unethical and shares misleading information to the consumer! I want my full money back!Desired Settlement: I would like my full refund.

Business

Response:

After reading the complaint and reviewing all the facts, I feel that there are several false and Defamatory statements.

It appears this entire situation has been blown out of proportion by second hand information. The person that filed this complaint

is not the vehicle owner, and they did not come to our facility.

It appears that the main complaint is that the Highway Patrol was rude and did not give her the opportunity to call a AAA

tow truck. That being the case, that is beyond our control. When the highway patrol calls a tow company to the scene

of an accident, they have deemed the car to be unsafe or a hazard that needs to be removed immediately. Some times the Highway

Patrol will not wait for a AAA tow truck. Again that is the Highway Patrols decision not the tow companies.The accusation that the Highway Patrol

"gets a profit from the tow company" is not only defamatory and false, it is illegal.

Another part of the complaint is the fee's charged for the towing and storage are "overpriced". Our approved rates by the Highway Patrol

and State of California are $165.00 for the tow and $41.00 per day for storage. That total would have been $206.00

if the vehicle was picked up during business hours (8:00am to 5:00pm Monday-Friday) and within the first 24 hours.

There is a additional fee of $51.00 to pick up a vehicle after our office business hours. The owner or caller was told that information,

and told that if vehicle was picked up during business hours the fee would be $206.00. The owner did not pick up the vehicle

during business hours or 30 minutes prior like stated. The vehicle was picked up at 6:54 am. Our business hours and rates are posted in

our lobby. There was no "unethical" or "misleading information" given at anytime. In addition she claims to have

spoken to a "lady" originally, we do not have a "lady" that answers our phone.

The accusation that, when the owner / boyfriend picked up the vehicle my staff was "very rude" and that "G&W laughed" at him

are also not true. Our office is video and audio recorded, and I personally reviewed the entire transaction. At no time did

he ask for a explanation of the price difference and at no time was anyone "very rude" or "laughing" at him. Vehicles are

picked up after business hours quite regularly from all tow yards.

The phone conversation with the "older sister" was filled with her threats, insults and false accusations. Other then that, her main complaint was she

felt that G&W should have told the owner of the vehicle that if he waited over a hour to pick up the vehicle, the fee would be $51.00 less. She also complained

that AAA should have been called by the Highway Patrol, which again is beyond our control.

Even though all the fee's charged were valid and appropriate, the next morning on July 18th, I decided that as a act of kindness and to solve a

misunderstanding of the after hours fee, I would refund the $51.00. I was the one who called the owner of the vehicle, (not the chp) and and told him that

I was mailing him a $51.00 refund because of the misunderstanding. Which I did send out that day.

Another statement made in the complaint was "he seemed really untouchable and felt very powerful since he has a contract with law enforcement" is also not true.

I feel that G&W, and tow companies that have contracts with law enforcement, are held to a higher standard and are held accountable for their actions.

Therefore promoting a higher quality of professional service.

The bottom line is that no one is happy when a vehicle gets towed against their wish, which is understandable. Sometime people /

customers make false and defamatory statements because they are upset. After my review of these accusations, the fact is that we have done nothing

that was unethical or misleading. The fees charged were valid and appropriate.

Prior to receiving this complaint we had already issued a partial refund of $51.00 for a fee that was 100% legitimate.