I was towed from the property of Shell gas on Edsall Road, VA by Advanced Towing Co. who stakes out the property and is possibly committing violations in the way they do business. I went back to take pictures of the goings on of their activities. I was chased and pursued by one of the tow drivers who drove around in front of me in the middle of the road off the property and attempted to jack me up in the middle of the road. I drove around him when he threw open his door as I went around and jumped out and approached my open window and called me a **! I told him I had recorded him and he jumped back into his truck and took off. Minutes later, I watched someone get out of their car and shut the door, walked a few feet away and their car was jacked up and taken as they watched. I would like to see them investigated.
Consumer Complaints & Reviews
The vehicle in my care was towed from the Sunset Park Apartments before 12:00 midnight on July 2, 2008. My husband and I arrived in the parking lot at 11:45 pm looking for the car where my husband and I parked it and the car wasn't there. We were told by persons who were out sided when it happened that the care was towed five minutes before we arrived (11:40 pm) the car had already been taken. At 11:47 we called the number posted on the building to call if car is towed. We were told that the towing company had an hour to call the car in or the vehicle can be considered stolen, that the car had not been reported yet to call back. When we called back (12:25 am - 12:30 am) the officer told us what towing company had towed the car and gave my husband the information. We called the towing company and was told that the car was towed at 12:10 am when our side was explained we were told that if we wanted the car we had to pay $125.00 and we could dispute it to the owner the next day.
Called back to the 703- number (on the sign posted outside on the building in the complex) and asked to check the time we called the first time, we were told that the log showed that we called at 11:50 pm the officer gave her badge number, which is 9377. The following day my mother (Sylvia) who lives in the complex called the rental office and spoke to Harold C. Mr. C. confirmed that towing wasn't supposed to start until 12:00 midnight. My mother explained the situation that happened.
On Friday, July 11, 2008 my husband and I went up to Advance Towing Company, LLC at North 5th Road Arlington, Virginia 22203 and spoke to the owner, Mike. I explained to Mike that when we arrived out to the parking lot at 11:45 pm that the car had already been towed. Mike then said that was impossible, his tow guy (didn't give a name) called the vehicle into the Fairfax County Police at 11:47 pm that there were two calls that night one in sunset park and the other in a complex down the street. He then asked me if I saw his driver at 11:47 pm I told him that there was no tow truck driver in the parking lot at 11:45 pm when we arrived there. That ll:47pm was still before 12:00 midnight. That we had the officers badge number and time that we called the number on the sign posted on the building outside and witnesses.
Mike told us that there were two calls that night--one in Sunset Park Apartments and one in the complex down the street that the car was towed at 12:10 am again we explained to Mike that we were in the parking lot at 11:45 pm and the car had already been taken. He insisted that we were lying. Mike then told us if we wanted to take it further we could and my husband and I left. I then called the 703 number explained my situation and asked some questions. The first question I asked was, do the tow companies call cars in before they tow them I was told no. That the tow company had up till an hour to call the vehicles in after towing or the vehicle can be reported as stolen.
Only July 11, 2008 at 2:45 pm I spoke to Harold C. of the Sunset Park Apartments and explained the situation to him, he said he remembered the situation, because my mother called and spoke to him. He took down my information and gave me his supervisors name and number Zina S. at 703- and told me that he was going to forward the information to his supervisor as well. I called Zina on the same day (7/11/2008) and explained the situation to her she said that she would give them a call and call me back. On July 17, 2208 I called Ms. S. back again to follow up and she told me that she spoke to John Oneil, owner and he told her that the tow company had an hour before and after a vehicle was towed to call it in. that there were two calls that night one in Sunset Park Apartments and one in the complex down the street that the car was towed at 12:10 am She told me that I could file a complaint with Consumer Affairs.
Can anyone help me and guide me as to what my rights by law are and what actions I need to take. The principle is its wrong for tow companies or any company for that matter to scam people out of money. I had to come out of my pocket and pay $125.00 and the vehicle was towed before 12:00 midnight and the company not doesn't return phone calls but is refuses to pay us back our money. No one should have to go through this, it is unfair to anyone who has to.
We were told that if we wanted the car we had to pay $125.00 and we could dispute it to the owner the next day. Calls were made to the owner and the owner didn't call back. After calling for serveral days finally was able to speak to owner who kept giving us the run around this continued for 8 days. When we meant the onwer (Mike) he was rude and refused to hear anything we had to say as we were trying to explain our side of what happend and refused to refund us our money back. We have six children at home taking care of our 15mos. old is suffers Respiratory problems who was recently hospitalized, which I had to take unpaid leave during that time. This amount of money may not be allot to others it is to us. The principal for us is if we were in the wrong and it was after 12:00 am then even with all of this we would accept it. However this is not the case.
