‘I’ve seen them waiting,’ cries driver after ‘predatory’ tow company caught in act – they held cars for up to $800

DOZENS of drivers are speaking out and sharing their experiences with a now-outlawed towing company.

Multiple car owners complained about the company's previous towing practices and fined drivers up to $800.

Auto Towing LLC in San Francisco has been barred from providing services, according to CW affiliate KRON-TV.

In the station's Facebook post, several drivers complained about the towing company's practices.

"I've seen them waiting until the clock ticks over to tow cars off quickly," one driver claimed.

"I think it's around $800 to get your car out of their impound lot."

Another driver said their car was pulled from an electric vehicle station while charging.

The company has been facing claims of illegal practices for most of 2024.

Allegations against Auto Towing hit an initial peak in February 2024.

At the time, the city's attorney, David Chiu, filed a complaint alleging the company was "predatory" and "scammed" drivers out of hundreds of dollars.

The complaint claimed the company towed several Cantonese- and Spanish-speaking drivers after posting English-only signs.

It also said the company forced drivers to pay cash to retrieve their vehicles during limited hours.

California State law requires towing facilities to stay open throughout the day.

The company's co-owners bought luxury goods, including a six-figure Lamborghini, according to the allegations.

They also claim one of the owners received money from government welfare programs while the company earned more than $2 million annually from 2018 through 2022.

What to do if your car is towed

Wrongfully or not, retrieving a towed vehicle can be a hassle.

If your vehicle is towed after parking in a "No Parking" zone or other legitimate reason, there are a few steps to take to get it back.

Steps to take when your car is towed:

• Try to figure out why your car was towed. Did you not see a posted "No Parking" sign? Did you miss a car payment? Did you return to a lot where you have unpaid citations? Finding the reason can narrow down the phone numbers to dial.
• Locate the vehicle. Most states, cities, or counties require towing companies to leave some form of contact information via a posted sign or sent by mail.
• Recovery dates and times depend on the company that towed the vehicle, but those times will be posted to the website or can be recited by a representative.
• Pay the fees. Be careful to be as prompt as possible, as some tow yards may charge storage fees by the day.

If you feel your vehicle was wrongfully towed, contesting the action can be done with the following steps:

Source: Oregon Department of Justice, National General, Rak Law Firm

Auto Towing was barred from receiving city-based contracts.

The company applied to take on a program to help tow defunct buses.

Then, drivers claimed they caught a subsidiary of the company attempting to grab a Toyota Corolla while the vehicle had two passengers inside.

"We were at a stoplight and minding our own business," a passenger in the Corolla who didn't reveal her last name told San Francisco ABC affiliate KGO.

"He started in reverse, and all the lights came on. That's when we were like, hey, something's really wrong."

The Corolla driver was able to skirt away from the tow truck.

But the passenger alleged the truck sped after them and followed the drivers for several blocks.

A nearby pedestrian caught the whole interaction on camera. Their video went viral on social media.

Representatives for the company have not responded to several requests for comment from The U.S. Sun.