I have. This past summer, I met an interviewee in the middle of the afternoon at the Starbucks on East Boulevard. I was in a hurry, as usual. Since I noticed a few signs in the parking lot and a tow truck driving through, I made sure to park all the way in the back in a space sans signs. P.S. The parking lot was practically empty.
Thirty minutes later, my car was gone. My interviewee said something about the towing company and the business next door, something about how they’re ridiculous about “their” parking spaces.
It cost $120 to retrieve my car — not counting the taxi fare to get to A United Towing Inc. on Foster Avenue, and definitely not counting the time it took away from my life and business.
Did I learn my lesson? Yep: Don’t patronize businesses on East Boulevard. It’s simply not worth it when you can get the same food, service and goods elsewhere minus the worry or the hassle.
Tom Bartholomy, president of the Charlotte-based Better Business Bureau of Southern Piedmont, said towing complaints this year have more than doubled to 71. There were 33 at the same point last year.He said many of the complaints are coming from Dilworth and South End because they have popular night spots but limited parking.
He said tow companies secure contracts to patrol certain lots and then allegedly “stalk” them. He said people complain that some companies station tow trucks around the corner and then await signals from spotters with walkie-talkies so the trucks can swoop in.
“As soon as the people walk into the wrong store, they immediately boot or tow the car,” he said.
Bartholomy said the Key Man Building parking lot off East Boulevard near Starbucks is a hot spot for complaints. It’s patrolled by A United Towing Inc.
A worker who answered the phone said United follows the city ordinance and only tows people who are “caught stealing” parking. She said a supervisor wasn’t available to be interviewed last week.
Read the entire Charlotte Observer article here.
Want to tell someone about your experience? Contact the Charlotte Better Business Bureau at (704) 927-8611 or reach out to your city council person here.
Remember when tow trucks were stealing cars in Charlotte last year?
This article appears in Nov 24-30, 2009.
I work in this area and like any congested area parking is tight. Before our company started towing, there were many times that myself and coworkers were unable to park after running errands or going to lunch. You can not blame the building owners for contracting towing companies to make sure that their patrons and employees have somewhere to park. You can not blame the towing companies for doing their jobs and keeping their clients happy. You only have yourself to blame for a poor decision. People familiar with the area know that if they park where they are not supposed to, they will most likely get towed. Yet many of people choose to park in them anyway. I have seen people read our no parking sign and then park right under it only to come back later to an empty spot. In once instance I happened to be pulling in as a woman was getting out of her car. When I warned her she may get towed if she parks there, she simply said “I know, I got towed last week, but I wont be long”. An hour later, she was calling the tow company to get her car back yet again. Despite the amount of time I spend in this area, I have never been towed simply because I read the signs and do not park where I am not welcome.
Wow! The video open my eyes about what is happening. I do not know it before.
I have only been towed once and it was a nightmare. They not only caused damage to my vehicle, but were also rude and it cost me a fortune!