My Car Got Towed!

[TuNnL]

Anyone go through the experience of retrieving your vehicle after it gets towed? The process was eye-opening, at least for me. First of all, don’t think for a second the phone number on the tow away notice connects you to the tow yard. Second, don’t expect to pay what you were quoted over the phone (Final price: $197.50 - CASH only). I got three different prices over the span of a few hours, so it’s a good thing I was able to speak face to face with the person who towed my car. Which brings me to my third point: don’t expect that the company that towed your car is the company who’s holding your automobile. And finally, don’t expect that the tow yard is anywhere nearby. :eek:

[AbsolutChaos]

My favorite part was when I called the police to ask for the contact info for the tow yard. They gave me the phone number and the OLD address. Lucky for me the cabbie had taken a couple the previous week and remembered the new address!

[tutusue]

Hmmm...tows like this are always expensive lessons. Since the car was gone, where was the tow notice left? My car was towed from private property twice :mad:...once from an office building and once from a condo building. Signs were posted on both properties with the tow company's name and phone number. I called, was given the amount (yes, cash only!), called a cab and was on my way...to Sand Island, iirc (was a couple of decades ago). The cab fare added insult to injury! Working in the tow yard's office has got to rank near the top of a worst jobs list!

[poinographer]

I only wish that car thieves would be kind enough to illegally park stolen cars in tow-away zones when they ultimately ditch them. Tow away those no-wheel, gutted-out eyesores!

[manoasurfer123]

Expensive lesson tunnl...

But not to be snarky... if you would have obeyed the signs... it wouldn't have happened.

I'm one of those people that get's irked when people don't obey the No Parking signs during certain hours... as it does impact the way I get in and out of my driveway during certain times of the day.

[1stwahine]

Expensive lesson tunnl...

But not to be snarky... if you would have obeyed the signs... it wouldn't have happened.

I'm one of those people that get's irked when people don't obey the No Parking signs during certain hours... as it does impact the way I get in and out of my driveway during certain times of the day.

Everybody makes mistakes.:rolleyes: Humph.

Sorry it happened to you Tunnl. It also happened to me as well. However in my case, I had a beat-up Toyota. The towing charges was moa den the car was worth. I took out all my property and went up to the counter, gave the ownership papers, registration and keys...and told the clerk dey can have the car.:p And walked away.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Auntie Lynn

[tutusue]

South St., outside my office, is a tow away zone between 3:30 and 5:30p on week-days. The signs are not well placed and there are not enough of them. Talent auditioning in my office are constantly being towed. I've tried to make up for the small, ill-placed signage by devoting a paragraph on parking, including tow hours and alternate parking areas, on the information web page all talent must read before they can make an audition appointment. When booking the appt. we ask if they're aware of the parking restriction. We always get a 'yes'! Once inside my small office there are 3 signs repeating the parking restrictions. And, they still get towed! I can't feel sorry for them at that point.

A few months ago one of my directors was towed while working at my office. When he discovered his plight he returned to the office to ask for assistance and when all of us commiserated with him he responded with "It's my own fault."! His honesty made all of us want to help him that much more. We found out the tow company's # and that his car had not yet arrived at the tow yard. The tow company had the driver return to my office with the car. I took the director to the nearest ATM machine and, once back at my office, the car was returned altho' it incurred the same charge. IIRC, he paid $150.

[oceanpacific]

About a decade ago, my daughter got into an accident and the car was towed by the firm that had the towing contract for that part of town. I had to go to the yard to pick up the car. As mentioned, CASH ONLY and you had to endure the unpleasantness exhibited by the employees there. The car was driveable and I declined the their offer to tow the car to the repair shop .......... for an additional fee, of course (they never miss a trick for another hook-up).

Instead, a body shop employee came along with me to drive it back to the shop.

I have towing coverage with both my insurance and AAA and would rather have them handle the tow than these vultures.

Another thing, watch out for the so-called "wildcat" towing operators. They cruise the freeway (or used to) looking for stranded motorists. They'll hook you up for a "donation." Happened to me once on the H-1 25 years ago. I went to the ATM to get $50 and the guy had the nerve to tell me it wasn't enough! Since it was supposed to be a "donation," I told him to STFU!

[zff]

....also....

Don't expect your car to be undamaged when you get it back, and don't expect the tow company to pay for any damages.

:mad: :mad: :mad:

[adrian]

I wonder if someone has a GPS tracker on the car, maybe they can just instantly find the place the cars is at? :D

[blueyecicle]

I wonder if someone has a GPS tracker on the car, maybe they can just instantly find the place the cars is at? :D

You would be the first one to say that! :D Very clever.

[TuNnL]

I'm one of those people that get's irked when people don't obey the No Parking signs during certain hours... as it does impact the way I get in and out of my driveway during certain times of the day.In this case, there were no “certain hours” to obey the sign as it is a 24-hour no-parking zone. Ironic, since the stall is not a loading zone, a handicap stall, or used for anything else except a parking space. The problem is my father was recently hospitalized, so I was visiting my parents at their townhome. I figured since it was raining like crazy, one night in the guest stall would be okay since most of the guest stalls were empty.

I was wrong. Live and learn. :(

[poinographer]

How would instantly knowing where the car is (with a GPS beacon) help? You still have to pay the same impound/tow fees, right?

[manoasurfer123]

In this case, there were no “certain hours” to obey the sign as it is a 24-hour no-parking zone.
So why did you park there if its a 24-hour no-parking zone... People who abuse "Visitor" stalls are also irksome, and at my apt... I will tow away anyone who decides to park w/out consent from me or my neighbors.
I guess an umbrella would have been a bit cheaper... then trying to save a few steps in the rain.

I'm sorry to hear about your father? Hope He is doing better.

[tutusue]

[...]But not to be snarky... if you would have obeyed the signs... it wouldn't have happened.[...]

So why did you park there if its a 24-hour no-parking zone... [...]
I don't consider myself a religious person but for some reason the following quote comes to mind with regards to this thread and many others:
"Let him who is without sin cast the first stone".

[Got2HaVKaYaNoW]

*STONERIDGE towing company, yea my car got towed too couple weeks ago....and I was at work, my huBy went to get it...went to the place in Mapunapuna~ his ID was in the car, he needed it to cash his check, cause like everyone said its cash only~ anywho they wouldn't let him into the tow yard without ID!!...Hellooo how mento can you be? Its in the Car! oish...long story short, he had his friend cash his check (didn't know you could do that) and then went back to mapunapuna and got my car out & yea, they don't give a shyt, if they dinged & dent it!! :mad: * big scratch on wing spoiler as well as back bumper! eeww and the girl had the nerve to say, "It was already there!" Lucky thing I wasn't there, cause I would'a slapped the shyt outta her...:eek:

[TuNnL]

my car got towed too couple weeks ago....and I was at work, my huBy went to get it...went to the place in Mapunapuna~ his ID was in the car, he needed it to cash his check, cause like everyone said its cash only~ anywho they wouldn't let him into the tow yard without ID!!...Hellooo how mento can you be? Its in the Car!I actually anticipated something like this happening to me, and worried about it the entire 2-hour bus ride to Mapunapuna. Fortunately, the Gino’s tow truck driver let me in the Powerlift Towing yard to retrieve a personal check that was inside my car. That still meant I had to walk all the way from the very end of Mapunapuna (where it meets Sand Island) to King Street (plus a few more blocks) to get to a Bank of Hawai‘i ATM, deposit my check, and walk all the way back (in the rain). :o

[WindwardOahuRN]

I apologize in advance for my ignorance, if applicable---but who the hell leaves all their personal ID and personal checks in their CAR?

I dunno. Must be the NY in me that finds it a bit odd. :p

[cezanne]

It also happened to me as well. However in my case, I had a beat-up Toyota. The towing charges was moa den the car was worth. I took out all my property and went up to the counter, gave the ownership papers, registration and keys...and told the clerk dey can have the car.:p And walked away.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Auntie Lynn

That's funny auntie! But sorry tunnl about your plight. You don't know if it got stolen or towed. You find out it was only towed but then in the end, after all the trouble, you wish it was stolen.

I hate it when you get there before they hook it up...they see you coming... they rush to hook it up... then you gotta pay them $75 or whatever to unhook it (even if the tires didn't leave the ground). What a scam.

[GeckoGeek]

gave the ownership papers, registration and keys...and told the clerk dey can have the car.:p

Too nice. I would have left something out so they'd have trouble dealing with it.

[GeckoGeek]

....also....

Don't expect your car to be undamaged when you get it back, and don't expect the tow company to pay for any damages.

You're lucky if it's just cosmetic damage.

Oh, I've seen some nasty things. Like one lazy tow truck driver. He didn't want to jack up the car to put the dolly under it, so he hoisted it so high the car stood up on it's bumper. :eek: Good way to bend a frame.

Another driver (working for AAA) towed my girlfriends car on it's front wheels. You know what happens to a front-wheel car when it's towed on it's nose without a dolly? Blown reverse clutch. She ended up with a bad engine and a bad transmission. End of that car.

[zff]

:eek: :eek: :eek: Crap! That's a lot worse than the story I had.

I had a friend whose car was towed away, and when he picked it up, the front bumper and lower lip were ruined. It was obviously from a sloppy tow job, but the clerk at the towing company -- without even looking at the car -- just said it was already like that when they picked it up.