Tried to update and add to my review, but unable, so here's another. In Oakville, anyone who has fallen into the entrapment of A1 Phil's towing (aka Philly's towing), if you google them they show up also as Halton Roadside Assistance. They are parked and watching for people to leave their car, and within 5 minutes they throw a boot on it. You will be charged $254 or your vehicle will be towed. This falls under the predatory catagory. Oakville needs to put a stop to this ongoing activity. read more

A-1 Phil's Towing - Towing Near Me - Oakville, Ontario

We had lunch on Saturday June 14th at El Spero Restaurant in Oakville Lakeshore, and parked at the adjacent parking lot in the Jones Street and Marine Drive area. After having lunch, we went for a coffee at AU 79 nearby on Lakeshore Road. In the meantime, Phil's Towing put a lock on the tire of our car. We ended up paying a total of $330.00 in order to have the tire lock removed. Even though the Manager at El Spero vouched for us; and we showed the Phil's Towing employee our receipts from El Spero and AU 79 - the Phil's Towing employee stated that since we left the premises, even for a brief period, that we were subject to be ticketed. Furthermore, the parking lot was mainly empty. The employees at El Spero informed me that they were powerless to do anything, as this parking ticket policy is enforced by Davpart via their contractor, Phil's Towing. I find this business practice to be rather petty on the part of Davpart and Phil's Towing. Davpart is harming their commercial tenants by implementing such petty practices. I can tell you that we will not be visiting El Spero for a long time - which is unfortunate, as it is an excellent restaurant that we frequent, and is managed by very nice people. read more

Before I get in to my story, I encourage everyone to review the towing regulations on the Ontario governments website, as there are multiple regulations that this company violates. Based on the reviews I have seen and personal stories. https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/21t26 My Story: I park at the plaza on the corner of Marlborough and Trafalgar road, across the street from Sheridan College to eat my lunch. I am well aware that Phil's Towing operate this plaza. The sign on the property clearly states that it is 2 hour parking limit for customers only. My last 5 visits I have purchased food from one of the businesses on the property and eaten it in my vehicle (therefore I am a customer). Each time I have been confronted by a gentlemen claiming that I can only park there for 15 minutes. He approaches my car and tells me to leave. There is no sign that says I cannot remain in my car after making a purchase on the property. I was there for 30 minutes. When I confronted the man about this, he lied and said the sign changed (which it clearly did not) to say 15 minutes. Please contact the Oakville by-law office or police (if you feel threatened) if this vehicle approaches you. License Plate CVPE 646, it is a white vehicle. The owner of the property as well as this man are clearly getting a cut from Phil's Towing to prey on unsuspecting people. They believe they are entitled to harass customers on the property. While I myself have never been towed by this company, I know many people who have and the sketchy way they go about it. When my friend got towed while still on the property, they charged $450 to get it back, only accepting cash. If your vehicle does get towed, please note the regulations that these drivers MUST adhere to: Tow truck drivers and tow operators must, (a) notify you if your vehicle is taken to a location that is different from the location you identified; (b) not charge more than the rates published on the Government of Ontario's website on the Towing and Storage Safety and Enforcement Act, 2021; (c) accept multiple forms of payment; (d) not solicit you to consent to other services, including vehicle storage services; This information is available on the link at the top of this review. If they violate any of the regulations, feel free to call your town by-law office or the police. This is a predatory company that cannot continue to operate. read more

A-1 Phil's Towing - There is no clear indication that you can't stay on the property after making a purchase. - Towing Near Me - Oakville, Ontario

Wow - I should have read these reviews before we got towed from Centriller Square. Our experience was very similar to other people. There are five different signs in the parking lot which have inconsistent instructions. We truly thought that we were allowed to park there. It was after 5PM on a Saturday night and all the businesses were closed. It cost $245 to get my car back. Luckily the tow truck driver gave me a ride back to his impoundment lot, along with another couple. He was towing their car. My car had been towed earlier. By sheer luck, I didn't have to pay for an Uber and I paid as soon as I arrived. There is a camera on the west side of the lot and Centriller Square. I think that they watch and prey upon customers. We ate at a restaurant that was 250 feet away. read more

See all

Watch out for this corrupt company. I parked my car for 15 mins at 2330 Lakeshore to make a quick pickup at a local store that looked to be sharing the parking lot. I came back to my shock my car already on the lift and about to be towed. I had confronted the tow truck driver who claimed the owner of the lot called him and caught me on camera parking to tow my car. Based on the timing this is impossible unless the tow truck driver was already stalking the lot to catch innocent people like myself. At that time he decides to charge me $232 for a lift fee, but my car was still sitting in the same parking spot and was not fully towed. I argued up and down and he said if I didn't pay right then and there it would be double that amount and towed away. What choice did I have? After this encounter I feel violated and massively taken advantage of. read more

Vehicle lifted by Phil's Towing, and the car alarm went off, prompting my partner and I to run to the parking lot and stop the tow truck. We were charged a towing rather than a lift fee (per the by-law it shouldn't be towing because it never left the private property before we returned to the vehicle and demanded its release), and even then, the Oakville towing by-law limits the tow fee to $150 *including* tax. We were charged $150 PLUS tax. I spoke to Phil's towing on the phone, read the by-law to them word for word and they blatantly denied that they had violated the by-law and illegally overcharged us. As they did in fact violate the by-law, I reported the incident to the Oakville by-law office, and Phil's Towing received a monetary penalty. Report the violations, folks. Their disregard for the law shouldn't pay. read more

A-1 Phil's Towing - Maximum Tow and Lift Fees - Towing Near Me - Oakville, Ontario

This is a parasitic organisation that bullies non-locals. To rub more salt in the wound I had the displeasure of dealing with an extremely rude, unprofessional dispatcher, terrible phone manners, takes 5 secs to mumble incoherent instructions and hangs up before letting me respond. Had to call multiple times, the guy keeps muttering stuff I can barely hear. After arriving at their compound, it did not have signs indicating where to go to pick up car, so I had to stumble around this dark sketchy lot at night until the tow driver (which sat in his truck the entire time) honked at me. He did not bother getting out of his vehicle, no greeting, just honking at me late at night expecting me to know what the hell is going on. Was genuinely concerned for my safety. Truly a -1000/5 experience. Will not be going back to oakville until they remove these leeches. read more

This The company is very bad and the people who work there scratched my car . And they didn't apologize read more

A-1 Phil's Towing - Towing Near Me - Oakville, Ontario

The most disrespectful and impatient man I've ever had to deal with. I never write reviews but this genuinely was such a bad interaction I had to make sure other people knew. He was constantly swearing at me, wouldn't let me talk and just overall was a bad dude. I hope this place gets shut down permanently. read more

Scum bags towed my car on a Saturday night while I was out for dinner with my wife. Pure extortion. I was parked in a big plaza parking lot that is open to the public, fter all the business were closed. No signs anywhere near where I was parked saying no parking. The restaurant parking was full. (Plank Oakville) as in the restaurant for an hour and my car was gone. Not overnight. Not during business hours. Beware of this company. No morals. They are predators, stealing from those who are already struggling. read more

Dishonest crooks. They don't ever ticket, and they'll tow your car within a minute of you stepping off the lot, which is completely unreasonable, unfair, and in some places, illegal. read more

Car thieves, liars, park in disabled parking spots while acting like vultures. I am disabled, my son had to park across the road in a sobeys parking lot to come help me carry because the volture was blocking access, and when we came back less then half hour, the car was gone. I had to scream at the driver who was parked in the disabled area to get my sons car. $400 later. If it wasn't 9pm i would have caused alot of trouble. The driver even claimed to not know anything. read more

See all

Terrible people. My autistic kid sleeping was in the car and they lifted it, while I was quickly going to the shop to grab something. Good thing I noticed, otherwise they would have taken my kid. Who does that? Probably they are pedos? Regardless, had to pay lift fee for them to drop the car and they demanded cash read more

I went to go out for lunch as well as drop off some paperwork at Sheridan. I parked in the plaza across the street - 1289 Marlbru and then walked over to the school and were there for 15-20 minutes max. When walking back to the plaza so we could grab some lunch, I noticed my car was not there.. We asked 2 women, who we saw when was walked by when we left the plaza as well as when we were going back, if they have seen a tow truck come in or something and we were told that yes. There was a tow truck. We also talked to someone in the parking lot. He asked if we were looking for a car and told us that some staff at the plaza are paid a "commission" for tipping people off who park at the place and go to the college. We then went to call the tow truck company, "Phil's Towing Inc", however the number on the signs sent me straight to a voice mail. I did not want to leave a message. I needed to speak with someone to find out what happened to my car. Underneath the number on the signs is an alternate number.. written in sharpie. So I gave it a go and it someone answered. The man I spoke to was rude and answered the phone as if it was his personal phone so I wasn't even sure who I was talking to or if it was the correct number. He told me 1201 Speers is where the car was towed. He also was telling me that he thinks my mother is on the other line.. like wtf? When we got the the yard, we found out that there isn't even a business office. Once I got there I had to call them yet again so someone could come and release my car. When I called the guy tells me, "I told your mom to tell you to call before you get there, it's going to take me 10 minutes to get there". Like excuse me. But maybe you should have told ME that. My mother was not with me. More than once you were claiming that my mom was on the phone/ other line, etc. Extremely unprofessional and very presumptive of you. Once the guy finally came around we were charged $401.15 he told us the breakdown for pricing and in that breakdown we were told $60 bucks was for him to put the "car back off curb" meanwhile we had to take the car from the yard ourselves so we were charged an extra $60 for literally nothing. He opened the gate for us and then drove off. On the receipt I received you did not write a time that the 'incident' occurred and you did not sign the bottom where it says "authorized signature" Will never support or give any business to any of the places in that plaza. This whole experience has been absolutely ridiculous and unnecessary. We were parked there for not even half an hour.. and were going to get lunch in the plaza!! But that was all ruined by some staff members who want to put some more money in their pockets. read more

See all

This is the worst company ever I would not recommend them for nothing they told my vehicle For no reason whatsoever Wever we actually had to get ahold of the police to contact them because they refuse to give our vehicle back Because they wanted more money for lot fees over a weekend They're rude ignorant and they have the right to sit there and tell us to go f*** ourselves And they treat you like you're a thief like you're trying to steal your own vehicle back go back I mean how despicable is this company and all the phone numbers that they have posted are to a different company not even registered to them so we had to actually have the police called to be able to contact them for somebody to come release our vehicle and they charge an arm and a leg For something that should never have happened in the 1st place Unfortunately you have to give one star they don't even deserve that read more

I was getting food from the store and they pulled my car. They didn't place signs in front where people park and pulled lots of cars because lots of people don't know. This is money making s read more

This company is absolutely CRIMINAL!!! do not park in the lot behind denningers...they have people sitting in there targeting cars, regardless of if you're in a store for 5 minutes. We went into the grocery store for 8 minutes exactly, and our car was being towed! The signs say "Customer Parking Only" which is what we were; customers. They claim they have "video" and "images" of us "leaving premise", but refuse to send me these creepy images they took of us? It's a scam If organized crime. Report this company to the police and by law as many times as you can! We have made the police aware of these criminals. Steve, the man on the dispatch line, plays dumb when you ask him any questions about why our car was towed and targeted, when we are paying customers to the stores ON PREMISE. They are rude ignorant pieces of S. I called Steve back to ask What the "security" (who apparently roams around the lots) looks like or What car he drives, but he said this security person is a completely separate company (which is BS) and gave me the run around. I also asked them to send me the "images" they have of us as proof, and they apparently cannot do that either....because the images don't exist. All in all, if you see a sign that says PHILS TOWING, run!!!!! Do not park there. You will have a hefty $400 bill paid to these absolute bums. read more

These scammers are what watching parking lots in Brontë claiming they got called by the building security even telling me I was on video but couldn't or wouldn't produce it. Said I left the premises when I didn't . Towed my car within 10 minutes of being parked. Then when I called the guy that answered just gave me the address on Speers Rd and wouldn't say he had the car till I pressed him on it. He wouldn't provide any proof I let the premises just said he was called. Then he tried to charge me $260.00 because St. Patrick's Day is a holiday. Called the cops and bylaw enforcement and he reduced it to $150.00 plus tax. Cops said not their deal and bylawssaid can't stop it because I was smart enough not to pay them the holiday charg. How many are aware the most they can charge is the $150.00 in Oakville despite what sign say. Be careful folks I'll be seeing them in court. read more

If you're reading this, I'm sorry. It's probably because it's too late for you. Unless you're the Town of Oakville or the Halton police--where is the by-law to keep these people and their charging in check? I parked my car in the lot across from Sheridan College for less than two hours--A TWO HOUR LIMIT WAS ON THE SIGN--and returned only to realize my car had been towed. Did I make a mistake by parking my car there? Sure. I can admit that. Would I have done this if a $400 fine and a 30-minute maximum were posted in the parking lot? Absolutely not. It's completely spit-in-your-face disgusting that these SPECIFIC warnings aren't posted on the signage and they use it to prey on people. In addition, what the hell is a $400 charge? Private lot or not, there needs to be a cap on what you can charge for a tow. Who. Is. Regulating. This? This lot is right across from the college, they're preying on a vulnerable and poor population town, and judging from other reviews here, lots of other places as well. Scumbag vultures. read more

Ok, I got my car towed. My fault, I'l give them that. However, when I called dispatch, the man was extremely rude and not-responsive to any questions I had about how to get the car back. He would hang up before I could even ask where the building was, and I had to call several times. The most alarming part of my experience was the fact that I was instructed to go to this sketchy alleyway at midnight and to wait for the towwer to come by. As a 17 year old girl, this was an ideal spot to get prayed on. Anyone else who is vulnerable and naive could easily get trafficked here. I had to call my dad to come by because the place was extremely unsafe for young women, especially given the fact that the dispatcher was very unforgiving and aggressive on the phone. I waited for over half an hour before getting my car back and I was genuinely scared for my life. read more

If I could write this one star I would Mike Allen is a crook and a scam my car was parked for not even 45 mins and I never left the property went to one building that was part of the parking lot came back and my car was towed. The people on the phone were rude and still had to wait about 1 hour to get my car back on top of this my car was damaged and scratched they claim that they didn't do it but my car is a brand new car that had nothing broke or scratched... they charge way too much read more

A-1 Phil's Towing - Broken wheel liner - Towing Near Me - Oakville, Ontario

See all

from oakville but had to drive to bronte,went into grocery store. i had heard of phils towing in the local paper so on a whim, i drove across the side of the grocery store to the alley glanced to my left and the trucks were lined up for their next tow if any one wants to add on other places 1, kerr and speers,tow from parking lot 2, rabba and stores across from sheridan college 3 3rd line and dundas plaza with shoppers and other stores hospital parking is not inexpensive,people park there all around the hospital is towaway 4, *note* employees at the hospital pay full monthly parking.i think it's max $15.00 a day read more

Nothing but the thief's!!!! My wife left her car for a few minutes and they took it, waiting behind the bush ! I hope that they will buy flowers for funeral !!! read more

We just came back from going out for dinner at The Firehall in Oakville. There wasn't enough parking there, so we parked across the street at Centriller Square. The signs for "no parking" are not very visible, very small ,therefore we did not see them....We had our car towed!!!! This is ridiculous as I will not be going back to the Fire Hall again, as they do not warn people. Also, I will no longer spend my money in Bronte (I will post this to my 750 Facebook friends as well) $365 to get my car out. Someone is watching to see which cars park in this parking lot and is receiving a "kickback" for sure. They tow 8 people per night (picking and choosing which cars to tow. There is no reason why people cannot park there after 6:00, when there are spots avail. Bronte will not have anymore people spending money in their stores or restaurants if they keep this up!! read more

Phil's Towing is involved in unethical practices and a shameless money grab at Centriller in Oakville. The sign in the parking lot does not specify which businesses you are allowed to use and which qualify for immediate towing. Since someone (tow truck driver?) watched me walk to the 'wrong' business and didn't have the courtesy of warning me, it cost me $400! I had no idea - I thought I could park there as I was supporting an adjacent business. The tow truck driver said, "I just do what I'm told." Well Phil, Mike et al, you are making lots of money from an extremely unfair, not to mention intentionally confusing, policy. You have a choice not to do business with the real estate management firm of the plaza, yet you choose to. I will continue to post everywhere I can on social media etc. to let people know, and warn them of this greedy operation. read more

This place is a mess. Their lot doesnt even have an office. Its a fenced in place. When i called to see if they had my car, they laughed in my face on the phone. The man on the phone that night said it would be $295, when i got there he charged me $400 CASH! read more

These losers definitely suck. Went to eat at firehall on lakeshore for a few hours -parked in lot beside the restaurant. I was on patio so didn't see sign at front warning me these aholes would tow my car. Saw it when i left and of course car was gone -no note or anything. Had to return to restaurant to find out who might have taken it. Slime ball tow truck operators -bad name for the ones who are good. Unfortunately experience was so bad that firehall will suffer and I won't return there either. read more

This is likely one of those towing companies linked to organized crime as they go about breaking the law to tow seniors and handicapped from their legitimate spots. Watched them for a while in Oakville as they took one car after another. Blocking someone, refusing to let them drive out of a spot, holding them ransom until they paid some cash - and it had to be cash. read more

Got charged $400 for leaving my car for an extra 5min. The people you talk to on the phone or in person talk like criminals who found jobs. Plus, nothing personal here but screw you Mike for towing a car in front of a college. Ppl are broke over here. read more

We parked in the Bronte plaza to buy some grocery and after that we went to visit a friend who lives nearby, there's only a sign in the plaza that says no parking overnight, I figured it's fine to park for a while. We went back around 11pm to find our car gone. We had to go around the plaza trying to find a number to call, we had to ask a lady that works at sobey's and she pointed to a small sign in the middle of the plaza. We tried calling the number but it's not their actual number, we had to browse the net just to find the correct phone number. We tried calling but there's no answer even though it says that Phil's towing is 24hrs open. It was my mistake to leave the car behind in the plaza but what pisses me off is the $300+ dollars that was charge to us the following day. We called that we were picking up the car, the guy on the phone said that he's just dropping off his kids and he'll be there shortly. We had to wait outside the yard in the pouring rain for a solid 1 hour before someone came, it's not even the guy whom we were talking to on the phone. We asked for the breakdown of fee and we saw there's a $60 dollar charge for the overnight parking in their yard, the guy who was getting our payment said that it would not have been charged if we got the car the night before. We called the number again just to ask if there could be any discount on the amount to be paid since we're just broke students and we repeatedly called the number the night before and there's no answer and no address where we could get our car so it's unfair to charge us an additional 60 bucks. The guy on the phone's tone became different and he said that's how they charge and he's basically saying that we should suck it up and pay. We paid and we felt miserable after. I was towed in North york before, the towing guy gave me a discount when he learned I was a student and even reimbursed my bus fare in going there. The amount is nowhere near 300 bucks and I admit it was completely my fault in that incident. With Phil's towing, I wasn't even parking overnight and they towed my car and they were completely unprofessional for making us wait for an hour in the rain and talking to us rudely. What I wish is for Phil and whoever works in there to have a miserable life. I wish they all die a horrible death preferably crushed by a tow truck. The guys who work there doesn't have souls! Beware! read more

These guys are a bunch of predatory towing pricks. My wife was parked in a lot in Bronte while eating at a restaurant associated with the plaza. The restaurant closed at 9pm and she went across the street for a coffee. Upon returning her car was on the dollies ready to be towed. She stopped the driver but her would not release the car unless she paid $400. By making such arrangement and working with these crooks, the owners of the plaza are not doing any good service to their tenants as customers and patrons will not return and the publicity will kill the area. The town also don't seem to be concerned with this practice and they will kill the traffic in the Bronte area. Another good reason to stay away from this area and it's sad for the business owners struggling to survive. read more

Parked my car at my building, was given a "notice" at 10:40pm, car was towed early the next morning. Called "Phil's" and asked if I could pick up my car. Guy was exasperated, but gave me the address. Showed up to pick up my car and was presented with a $400 bill, and then they tell me they only take cash. These people are goddamn crooks. read more

I honestly didn't see a sign when I parked at 2400 Lakeshore rd, it looked like a plaza parking lot, went to dinner came out and my car was gone. It was close to midnight and someone helped me locate a number and location to pick my car up. I was asked to walk through a very dark pathway and there wasn't a soul in sight. When he handed me the bill for $367 I was too afraid to argue or question this highway robbery. I wanted to get the hell out of there! read more

While I've never been towed myself, I work at a store where Phil's Towing catches a lot of people leaving the parking lot elsewhere and promptly tows them. I also see many, many one star reviews, all from angry people. At least several times a shift I get people storming in and yelling that their car has been towed. People. This is a PRIVATE parking lot. Not owned or regulated by the town. There are 5 or 6 signs at entrances and throughout the parking lot very clearly explaining that if you park here and leave the property, your car will be towed. It's not the fault of Mike or any other driver you couldn't follow the rules. Quit complaining and be more careful about where you park. Unbelievable. read more

Worse thieves in Oakville, will think twice about ever going to Bronte in Oakville. Had my car towed when signs are not visible that no parking allowed. Car was clean when I left it but quite dirty when I picked it up. Worse customer service I have ever seen. read more

we just returned home after being towed & had to pay $299 to get car back from this place! We were at Bronte visiting various stores that are around the parking area, our car was parked on same premises as stores we visited. They claimed we left the premises and their 'security' person took our photo, when I said I need to see the photo & proof I was told I could take them to court to see it... what?! ... after spending time on phone I was told I can call in morning to speak to owner & see if they can send me the photo. Really, is this how Bronte expect to increase business in that area, by contracting towing company that has a history of complaints & charges against the owner (I read on various sites about this, just google their name) Beware people who visit Oakville. We won't be returning any day soon! read more

These are threatening people! They tow your car so fast; I think they must have a scheme with specific property managers. The charges to get your car out are exorbitant, with no choice. Thought I was legally parked; the restaurant was through a walkway. Beware of parking in any lot in Bronte - there's not much and even though there were dozens of spaces around me, my car was towed. read more

We parked at the plaza on Trafalgar Road and mcraney st east. 1289 Marlbru cort. So my girlfriend could drop off a paper at the school and then have lunch. We experienced all this due to wanting to have lunch at this plaza. 1201 Speers is where the car was towed. All the phone numbers on "Phil's towing inc" signs are not the current business phone number. They also have no business office. Which I learned once I got to the yard. I got a hold of this individual to come and release the car and over the phone I was told "I told your mom to call me when you're going to be 10min away from the yard so I can come." They say and claim things. Over the phone we were told "your moms calling on the other line" something among those lines anyway. Like excuse me?!?! Multiple times claiming that my moms on the phone. They answer the phone saying "hello" not "hello Phil's towing inc how may I help you". Extremely unprofessional. After reading other reviews and speaking with others at the plaza I learned that staff at the plaza are paid a "commission" for tipping off the towing company, people parking at the plaza going to the college even if they have been loyal customers for years. Long story short we are never eating at that plaza again where they tip off tow trucks after 5min of parking meanwhile you and your family have been customers for over 5 years. Once phil(or whatever their name was, they don't even introduce themselves) finally came around we were charge $401.15 he told us the breakdown for pricing and in that breakdown we were told $60 bucks was for him to put the "car back on curb" meanwhile we had to take the car from the yard ourselves so we were charged an extra $60 for literally nothing. Never again are we or any family and friends eating at this plaza ever again. We will never be loyal customers to any business at this plaza ever again. Phil towing inc run an awfully organized business where what's legal and what isn't is on a very fine line(thy c annoy hold your car but yet they have no office so you can be waiting a very long time for someone to show up to the yard to get your car). Absolutely awful towing company. Absolutely awful staff at the plaza. I don't understand how they are allowed to operate as a business. read more

Horrible horrible place. All scams. They say it's cash only, but I threaten to call the cops for a stolen car and suddenly they accepted card. They took my car for no reason and quoted me $350 to get it back but it ended up being $400 when I arrived. read more

My buddy left the car for 45 mins, car got towed. Called customer service, was quoted 288$. Waited for 30 mins at the place, guy quotes him 355$. This is more than a speeding ticket or any other parking violation I've ever paid. Customer service kept passing the buck because it was their mistake for quoting the incorrect price. No empathy whatsoever. Watch out guys. read more

A-1 Phil's Towing - Biggest scammers - Towing Near Me - Oakville, Ontario