Dude Where's My Car? Parking is expensive in SF, but believe me towing is worse! If you find that your car is missing because it is "illegally" parked on the streets of SF, chances are you need to Uber here to get your car. Although no one likes to pay, the folks working here are friendly and the process is smooth. 1. First you pay the fine and get a receipt. Apple Pay and Credit Cards accepted. There's a discount for first-time offenders and Medicare members. My fine was $450 for parking on Pine St that had towing between 3pm to 6pm. It also had parking allowable between certain times and I had mom's handicap placard which did not help. I honestly did not see the tow sign and the curb was not painted. 2. You'll get a receipt and need to show it to the security guard to get your car. Only one customer at a time through the gate. 3. Get your car and show the receipt again to the guard to open the fence for you to exit onto 7th. This is one business in Yelp that I WILL NOT plan to visit again. I have bad parking juju in SF and will rely on Uber more or just use the pay lots from now. read more

SF never ceases to take ALL YOUR MONEY!!!! It's literally insane how much I had to pay for like an hour in the impound lot. They do have a "First time tow" credit ($52) and other discounts if you are the registered owner and can show you are low income or facing homelessness. Overall, do yourself a favor and read the parking signs. Better yet, don't go out from 7-10a or 3-6pm.. those are the tow times that the lot mentioned! read more

I was outside of their facility waiting for my wife to come out with the car, hitting my vape, the security guard asked to hit it which I declined (it's a pandemic after all) and he immediately launched into a profanity filled tirade. I told him there's no need to talk to me like that and then he challenged me to a fist fight and continued to holler insults. When my wife came and I got in the car he then came up to her side of the car to continue to attempt to instigate a fight, eventually saying "yeah leave then you little bitch" as we drove off. Fucking absurd. read more

I got my car towed a couple of weeks ago. I didn't know SF was towing cars again on the street I parked on (COVID). The 5 star review is really just for the employees there. I didn't have my license plate number but they were able to pull up my car info anyway. Very quick about processing which I appreciated. I tried not to faint when they told me the price but my face was still screwed up. The guy who let me through the gate was joking with me when I saw the ticket AFTER the processing fee. He said that the city is no joke, they will take every penny. I'm just happy this isn't going to break me this time around. Last time this happened (10-11 years ago) I was eating a lot of sleep for dinner. read more

San Francisco has shady dealings. I got my car towed when it was parked on clay street. The stickers on the meter are misleading, they have multiple stickers with different times saying different things. Tow area hours were from 3pm-6pm but they have three other stickers wit different times. Very shady. I get to auto return and they lady says my rental agreement was not valid, but I have everything they needed to verify that the car was mine. I had personal belongings in the trunk and the rep said I needed to call my rental company to get permission to retrieve my stuff!! Shady. Also, they wanted me to pay $600 to get my car out. When I tried to get the "first time tow discount" the rep said I have to call hertz to get a brand new updated, to get the discount... So it was ok for me to shell out $600 without the agreement, but if I wanted to pay less, you people screw me over on this "policy" shady shady dealings. read more

Claudia Navaro is one rude person. She treated me like I was garbage. The problem is she may think that she can do whatever she wants. Is there no accountability at this company? I don't like when the customer service is lacking, Just call 415-865-8218 and ask a few questions and see how she treats you. Way too comfortable at her job. read more

It's Friday 4:00 pm , the most busiest time of week and day , 10 people having their ticket number on their hand and from 10 window only 2 of them slowly working , charging people for thousands of dollars and not hiring god damn more customer service to speeding these process , soma, San Francisco read more

Whatever you do please dont use this company. This company employs thieves, i had car towed at their yard after an accident, i left my kiosk box with items that i sell to my uber riders,and these people took 2x earphones and 2x iphone charger earphones that cost $30 each, helped themselves to 5x of ice cube gum, my Hershey chocolate and my protein bars. So i tried to file a claim for the loss since those items are purchased with my money so i can make some profit, but these people steal from people that's trying to make a living. I am informing everyone that reads yelp reviews before using companies service that autoreturn would be the worst place to use..unless you want things to be stolen in your vehicle. Oh to add to all the problems i already had with them, they sent my car to the auto shop looking like a fish bowl read more

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This place is a joke... Not the people who work here for a living, but the Company Owner and City of San Francisco who capitalize on innocent people who make innocent mistakes. I had a business meeting at the intersection of Sutter/Franklin, paid my parking meter after reading everything possible to ensure I wouldn't get towed. Came out at 5:13pm to see that my rental car had been towed. I eventually found out that the "Tow Away Hours" were between 4-7pm, which weren't very clearly marked. Over $615 and 2 hours later, I get to pick my car up and head to the hotel. This company and the City of San Francisco is making a killing on a monopolized service by overcharging good willed, innocent families and hard working citizens. How many families lose their car or can't pay rent because of these greedy bastards? The state of California should step in and do something here... Luckily, my company will expense this. Others? They lose so much over a mistake of parking in the wrong spot at the wrong time. To be clear, THE PEOPLE WHO WORK HERE ARE JUST DOING THEIR JOB... THE OWNER AND CITY OF SAN FRANCISCO PREY ON INNOCENT PEOPLE MAKING A PARKING MISTAKE. Shame on them and their greed, but what do they care? read more

I was parked an entire inch into someone's driveway. I drive a compact car. Out here, if you don't park between driveways, and you don't own a driveway, you don't park period. In no way blocking the driveway, plenty of room to get out. I often see people parked blocking several feet of people's driveways. So of course some ultra uptight jerkweed reports me and gets my car towed. Spend my morning frantically trying to find my vehicle, wondering if it has been stolen, and my evening paying for my $755 mistake, effectively ruining my day from start to finish. Thank you AutoReturn! Fret not, your car hasn't been stolen, just held for ransom! Make no mistake, this is a racket, these people are rotten criminals, and the elected slimeballs are in on it. read more

Getting my car towed sucked. And it was expensive. But really everyone I dealt with was pleasant and helpful, both in the office and in the lot. Thanks for making a sucky day not worse lol. read more

The fact that this business has a yelp page is laughable. I'm sure we aren't here to review their wonderful customer service. Let's be real. I'm here to vent because I made the mistake of parking in a tow away zone for .5 seconds (two signs read 8-4pm, I parked at 4:05 thinking I was in the clear. Didn't think to read a THIRD sign no parking from 4-6) and now I have to pay $600+ and don't forget that on top of that, there's a parking citation fee of $102. Tip: SAVE THE TEARS. The people who work here don't give a sh%#. Even with the speech, "I'm a teacher and serve this community..." If it's your first offense, they take off $80. Don't even bother asking if there's some kind of payment plan. You have to pay the FULL in order to get your car back. The longer you leave your car there, the more you owe. The whole system is corrupt. What's heartbreaking is the number of people in line waiting to get their car back. I'm talking housekeepers who are just trying to make a damn living in this city. How about the 80 year old man striking up a conversation with me, frustrated and worried because he doesn't know how he's going to pay for this... I get people have to make a living but why on earth would you work here...Work at a pet store. Something. Be happy. Help people. read more

AutoReturn support criminal activity and offer very horrible customer service. They damage your car during the towing process. Stay far, far, far away from this company. Examine your car before you leave the towing yard. read more

Getting towed sucks. While they were expedient handling my matter, my truck got a flat while incarcerated here and they denied my claim. Bitches. So I went to Comstock to elevate my mood. I got some pictures of the dilapidated warehouses where they keep your car. These Pier 70 buildings are all condemned and scheduled for demolition. The city won't get to it because of cost/other priorities. Very reassuring in the event of an earthquake. Get your car out ASAP. read more

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Considering your car getting towed by the city can be quite tumultuous as it is, thank goodness that the process to get your car out of the impound is really quite easy and streamlined. The impound lot that my car got towed to (from North Beach area) is in SOMA area across the street from the Sheriff Dept building on 7th St (between Bryant and Harrison). Look for "Auto Return" (which is literally the name of the business) on the outside of the bldg. When you enter, grab a number ticket from the kiosk on your RIGHT. That will be your place in line. They will help customers based on your position in line and will call your number to a numbered teller booth. There wasn't much of a wait when I went and things moved along quickly. My teller was a pleasant & efficient lady. $750.54 later (YES! That is what it cost me!! And that was not including the parking citation which will be another $68!!) and I was able to exit to the right to a side door that winds around and leads you along a gated area under the Hwy 80/Bay Bridge overpass where the impound lot is located. You will need to present your paperwork that shows you have paid and they will let you into the gated area. Mike was the nice man who helped me out. He was even nice enough to help me try to jump start my car when my car wouldn't start. In the end, it wasn't the battery, but something related to the starter cable which somehow got a bit loose when the car was towed. AAA came out (as we thought I may need to have my car towed) and the tow man literally jostled my car in neutral and that somehow got my car to work! Lol. Thus ended my harrowing car towing journey. Luckily, I got my car back home safely and it worked once we got it started. And, thanks to Mike and the team at Auto Return, for making a tough experience a nicer one because of their kindness and efficiency. read more

AutoReturn - Across 7th street from Sheriff Dept - Towing Near Me - San Francisco, California

My friend and I were off on an adventure in the city. Our first stop? Blue Bottle Cafe. We parked off Mission, right behind a few other cars on the street. I proceeded to insert about $1.50 into the meter, earning me about 30 minutes of parking time. We walked by the Auto Return tow men on our way to Blue Bottle. I acknowledged them, nearly said "Hi" and tipped my hat to them, and then walked on my merry way to coffee. 30 minutes later, we came back to the street and I flipped out realizing that my car (along with the 5 or 6 other cars that were in the vicinity) were all gone. I ran over to a tow man, and asked him if he towed my car. He walkie-talkied someone and affirmed my accusation. Yes, I understand that my car deserved to be towed while parked in a "tow zone" between the hours of 4-6pm on a weekday. But to stand there, watch me walk away, obviously expecting my car to still be there 30 minutes later? UGH. That's just shady business. To sit and wait, and not to warn. Obviously, they're in it for the business, and in it for the money. I wanted to kick him, but I was wearing a skirt that day, and I still wanted to be a lady. Instead, my friend and I just spoke curse words and other obscenities behind his back, as any real lady would. read more

Useless as usual, long wait to do anything! Customer service would use lots of help, I know it's hard job but no reason to be rude! read more

My car was towed after a terrible car accident. I had to call Autoreturn to find and retrieve my car. From the customer service ladies on thé phone, to the lady at the counter at 450 7th street, to the customer service lady and person (Pete) who took me to look at my car at the impound in Daly City, everyone was so exceptionally nice and helpful. After the accident I was feeling extremely overwhelmed, shocked and seriously didn't know what to do with my car. These lovely people at Autoreturn have been godsend to me, they were so patient with me and walked me through what I had to do step by step. Pete also taught me how to take good pictures because my car was severely damaged. They made me feel so much better, and I can't thank them enough. read more

I went bayshore to pick up my car and found out that battery was completely drained in just "One day". I don't know why they killed my battery purposely, but it was shady af. I ended up paying storage fee $58 because I didn't have jump starter at that time and had to leave my car there overnight. Next day I came back and charged battery my car started right up. Don't trust these people. They do whatever they can to steal your money. read more

Bad things happened. One of which was my fault. Though they took loads of my money, and damaged my bike in the towing process, they made this process as smooth as possible. Everyone was friendly, and my damage claim was resolved quickly and fairly. This is a rough job, but they handle it well. read more

Literally organized crime. Even if someone steals your car and the city finds it YOU still have to pay AutoReturn the $58 per day ransom to get your car back which in my case they kept over 3 weeks and nobody ever notified me that they had my car. Getting my car out of lockup cost me more than any of my insurance deductibles. Anyone employed by these racketeers should be ashamed of themselves. read more

Simply the best $520 I've ever spent in 1.5 hours. Look, I'm a criminal, and did a heinous crime obviously...leaving my car in a parking spot during rush hour should cost me $10000000, but luckily the towing fee was cheap here. I didn't think my Friday could get better, but then I called Sidecar to get me to my actual car (you know, because I didn't have a car...and no friends who had Good Friday off to pick me up...what company gives people Good Friday off anyway? Mine only I guess. I digress.)...and when I showed up at AutoReturn...wow. What a great facility. The guy at the counter actually asked me how I was doing today! I mean obviously I was ecstatic. But I'm glad he was interested in my day, and wanted to revel in my joy. They were quick and efficient...I mean they obviously wanted my $520, but I felt like they cared, even treating me like part of their family. The only real complaint I had was I wish they integrated their system with SFMTA. I really hated paying my $520, then having to come home and logging into my computer and then paying the $95 ticket charge. One can only dream. read more

Same story. Missed a sign for a 4-6pm tow away zone. Got towed. A taxi ride, 2 hours and $557 later I get my car back. While walking to my car I sarcastically told a yard employee he better be making 100k/ year for what Auto Return brings in. He laughed, shook his head no and said "$12/hr." WTF?!? A little research: As recently as 2009 this company publicly bragged it had $20,000,000 in revenue and just 54 employees and they're paying at least one of them $12/hour? If you build your corporate empire on reaming the public at least pay your employees a living wage. CEO John Wicker must be laughing all the way to the bank. read more

I hate cars. I hate driving them, I hate other people who drive them, and I hate that they exist. I wish they would all be melted down into a comprehensive network of LRVs and that people commuted the civilized way: on a train with an ipod and a recent issue of the New Yorker. I also wish for world peace. The conceit of youth, you know. But back to cars. Fuck them. I hope they all die. Except my mother's car, because (a) that woman loves her ultimate driving machine more than her cat, which she loves more than me, and (b) I am terrified of her. So you can imagine I basically had a heart attack and died when I went to the very spot on the very block where I KNEW I HAD PARKED THE BITCH, and it was gone. I am now writing this from the hereafter because I died. Of a heart attack. So considering bureaucracy has the potential to worsen the situation in a time of dire need, Auto Return has a very user-friendly and reassuring phone menu, nice customer service and a pretty clean and well-organized lot setup. And at 7th and Harrison, it's a hell of a lot better located than the tow yard used to be, out there at Pier 50 or wherever the fuck it was. In the cuts, that's where it was. Just consider yourself lucky you don't have to hike out THERE anymore. Although you should, you socially irresponsible jerk. Take the bus!! read more

The fines and fees and interest and penalties and taxes and whatever else added up to $600 are absolutely abhorrent. Like, why? I can KIND OF see the argument that there are a lot of wealthy residents and smaller fines don't deter them, but does that really mean we should crucify everyone else? That's not the San Francisco way. HOWEVER - those fines are set by SFMTA and the city. Given the circumstances, Autoreturn actually does a really good job. Seriously, can you imagine a worse job than working the front counter of this place? They were polite, quick and helpful. Once I got past the anger of the situation, I was thankful that I was forced to deal with them rather than some shady tow yard. read more

$430 to tow a scooter. Yes, a scooter. Let me state a few facts to put into perspective how absurd that is. 1) It only weighs 230lbs. You could pay a bum $10 to roll it the distance (0.9mi.) mine was towed. 2) My scooter is only worth $900. I paid half that for a tow. 3) CC Rider Tow charges ~$75 for a tow, that would be almost 6 tows for $430. What is going on here? How much kickback does the city get? This is absolute bull sh*t. And one of those things that us little people have no ability to fight. But hey, maybe MY money will go towards that LGBT Homeless shelter I keep hearing the city NEEDS so badly. I seriously want to move after being raped this badly. F you San Francisco. read more

Yeah. So. My car was towed today. For being parked in front of a doorway that has driveway type depressed pavement in front of it. A doorway that people walk through. Not big enough for a Harley or a Smart Car to fit through. NEXT TO A GARAGE, BUT NOT IN FRONT OF A GARAGE. I'm not mad, I'm not bitter, I'm just $238.75 (doesn't that amount sound like a Ticketmaster "convenience fee"?) plus $75 (blocking driveway 50% ticket from our beloved DPT) poorer. Plus I have an appointment in Tow Court to plead my case next week. So maybe that amount will be returned with interest. And actually the boss paid, that was nice of her. Turns out if you have to go to hell...I mean Auto Return, the best time is mid-afternoon (no waiting!) AND w/in 4 hours of towage. After 4 hours your vehicle is lovingly transported to PIER 70. A trip to PIER 70 is more like visiting the 9th circle of hell. See you in court!!! read more

Clearly there's a racket going on in the city by the city. 2 Hours learning that the car got tow. The price was $453.75 ($243.00 SF Admin Fee + $210.75 tow) and there was also a $93.00 ticket. In 2 hours they stole $546.75 from me.That's a lot of money for two hours. The girl in front of us had hers towed yesterday and it was $650.00+ without the ticket. I overheard someone paying $800.00+. If you get towed, you better call that number on the sign soon or they'll take your first born. Who wants to work for the mob when you can bend them over and fxxck them legally? Get ready for some shock when you violate or just drop or pick someone up from a bus stop and the city takes your photo doing it. Yes, they made that a crime that'll cost you dearly. Also, I think $75.00 per mile over the speed limit, etc. Welcome to San Francisco where they make it hard to own a car so they can ream you by taking public trans on a daily basis. Anyone want to do something about this John Wicker character everyone seems to be talking about anytime soon? read more

I absolutely loathe this organization and its monopoly for outrageous towing which the city has given them. I refuse to call them a company, since they are merely a crooked extension of the SFMTA (no matter how they try to deny it) with guaranteed absurd revenues for dubious tows. Make no mistake the majority of that revenue actually goes right back to SFMTA ($260 of administrative fees + $60-100 ticket goes directly to SFMTA, the towing company *only* keeps $300 or so, hah!). AutoReturn tries to justify themselves saying it's the SFMTA's fault for destroying people's lives. An SFMTA employee admitted to me that many people cannot afford to pay the absurd tow fees and actually lose their vehicles, lose their jobs, and end up on the street. Way to go SF! What a city. AutoReturn loves this as it allows them to sell and profit on the cars that couldn't be claimed. My car was towed twice in one week both for dubious reasons and despite attempts to resolve the dispute with the SFMTA, was required to pay over $1000 in fees to the city. During the dates my car was impounded, I was even fined with an additional $60 street cleaning ticket. Doesn't make sense when I didn't possess the car, but with a political system as broken as SF, you are better off making your case on Yelp than trying to reason with the government patsies at the Van Ness office. The fact that this organization exists at all is a miscalculated political attempt by the SFMTA to distance themselves from the actual towing and anger they incur for charging 3-10X what any other city in the US charges (including NYC), ruining people's lives. My only hope is to raise awareness that AutoReturn and SFMTA are equal partners in the corruption that destroys SF residents' lives and any frustration for one should multiply your frutration for the other and vice-versa. Before I understood the SFMTA and all it stands for, when I saw homeless people defacating on MUNI escalators and facilities it used to make me angry with the homeless who were ruining public property. Now I can't help but wonder if this person is on the street in the first place by the actions of SFMTA, and maybe that is why they defacate where they do. What else can you do when it's the actions of a morally bankrupt city government that destroyed you? Sleep at the doorstep of city hall until someone notices? Stop ruining people's lives over a misplaced vehicle you crooks! read more

They tow my car, so I sign over the pink slip to them because the car isn't worth the towing amount they were charging me. So when I ask them if after it is auctioned do they apply the fees to offset my towing fees, they say "NO". I mean really? It's all free money to them! Would it kill you to do a little good once in a while? And they wonder why people are pushed to the brink? Not cool. read more

Obviously I just need to bitch about getting my rental car towed while on vacation, mere hours before our flight took off. I'm also hoping someone in my hometown will read this before they go to SF. My husband and I are AZ natives and learned to drive in a cow town full of dirt roads and four way stops. Like in South Park, there's ample parking day or night. So here goes- DON'T PARK IN A YELLOW ZONE! Even though there's a meter. Even though you feed the meter. Even though there's another car parked in front of you in the same zone. Even though you're just popping into Blue Bottle for a few minutes to get coffee. Doesn't matter. It's for commercial vehicles only. Save yourself the frustration and park in the 5th and Mission garage instead. When we arrived at our empty spot, I knew, based on the previous pettiness of the DPT ($50 ticket for not curbing wheels on a hill), that our car had been towed rather than stolen (but it's sort of the same thing). The only bright side to our situation was that Auto Return was within walking distance, and we received our car relatively quickly. We also got the amusement of hearing a guy offering to sign his title over to Auto Return to "break even" with all their fees. All told we paid $392 for tow, $75 for the parking ticket, and $40 for enough liquor to erase the memories of our financial sodomy. read more

Man, I really wanted this to be a positive experience, despite the fact that my scooter had been towed. It's not the tow people's fault, afterall. Took 3 phone calls with 3 different people at AR to determine that they did, in fact, have my scooter. 1 fact, 1 hour, 3 calls, 3 people. That's pretty shameful customer service. Everyone was polite (myself included) but the lack of competence was noteworthy. To add insult to injury, I showed up EARLY on Sunday morning, to the location on 7th, to find they had moved my scooter to Daly City. Daly City! Not a single person of the 3 people I spoke with, mentioned this was possible. On top of this, the Daly City location isn't OPEN on Sundays. It opens Monday, at 8am. The man at the counter assured me that, though I couldn't get my scooter THAT day, no additional fees would be levied, even if it was sitting overnight in the lot. Yelpers, I know that you probably have no choice in dealing with this company if your vehicle is towed, but be alert and ask lots of questions to make sure you don't inadvertently let them get you into a shit-sandwich. If this customer service experience was at a restaurant or elective service(spa/doctor's office/etc), I would never, ever choose to deal again. read more

Hello drivers. Look at your car. Now back at me. Now look at your car again and back at me. Sadly your car isn't here, but with San Francisco AutoReturn, it could be here. Now down at your wallet. It's empty! Because the administrative fees cost more than the towing.(* Offer comes with restrictions) Why does it cost $260 to enter a license number into the database? It is a mystery. Maybe you have to recite the entirety of the San Francisco civic code in Latin before the program accepts it. Maybe the cable connecting the computer to the monitor is made of 24K gold. Maybe they are planning to buy MonkeyParking. We just don't know. Why am I even writing a review for a place everyone hates? Why does a parking ticket cost $380 ($120 + $260)? Why are there no streetlamps on the sidewalk leading to AutoReturn when it is situated under 101? The world is full of mysteries, and this one is an expensive one to solve. If you ever think going overseas for a vacation is too much of a hassle, you could come here instead. You can pay the same amount of money without having to take off your shoes at the TSA checkpoint. Restrictions apply to above deal: * Administrative fee does not include cost of ticket(**) ** Ticket does not include the $10 service charge read more

I've had my car towed, booted and ticketed like crazy since I moved to SF a few months ago. I've dished out over $2000 to these crooks in the first 4 months of 2011 alone. Got towed from in front of your own home? Can you prove you live there?You can? Great - fuck you pay us. Go appeal your tow after you give us your money. Got booted? Well be sure they will pull up everything that's ever happened to you and talk about it loud enough for everyone to hear. Then we'll be smug when they tell you how much you have to pay. And if you don't pay the astronomical number they want to extort from you, hey that's ok, they will just tow your car and auction it off. And there is absolutely NOTHING you can do about any of it. NOTHING! You can't call anyone to complain, you can't appeal, you can't do anything other then give them money. If you go to AutoReturn, bring lube and plenty of cash. If you're there, you're not leaving unless you pay them, or letting them keep your car. The MTA, AutoReturn, and the crooks tow companies are the SF version of the Mafia. I'm sure there is a reason the people who work there are behind bullet and bomb proof glass. And it's not because they are worried about getting robbed! read more

1 star because I lost $472 from the parking ticket prior to the actual towing of my car, then my car gets towed. I find out my car is towed, look up my car online by punching in my license plate. Luckily my friend whom is very helpful and dropped me off at AR (which is a very cutty spot, but it is under the freeway (101)). Luckily there was no one in line as well, so I was able to get my car pretty hastily, but overall, this is just a 1-star place because the prices are just ridiculous. read more

I parked 3 blocks from my apt and was towed for "Parked Over 72 Hrs". SF is where a designated parking spot is a luxury, and one doesn't generally re-park every 2 days when St cleaning is every 2 weeks. Looked online and found that my car was taken to 7TH ST. Went after work on Fri with my partner and was charged $574.50 for my first-timer tow. A man standing 3ft next to me was hyperventilating, crying, pacing, and groaning. I wanted to pay my fee, get my car, and leave. The woman who charged me told me that my car was actually at BAYSHORE, and they could call us a cab over there. Confused, I said my car was listed as 7TH ST, but OK please call the cab. We wait about 15 mins for the cab, and are driven to the BAYSHORE impound. Walked in, there was one woman waiting. She was having a mental breakdown. She was sobbing on the floor, and yelling through the "talk window", inquiring about her car. We waited about 25-30 mins with this woman, because apparently the several people working could not coordinate her situation and helping me with mine. They told me "We're on the phone with 7TH ST, because we think your car is there". (That is where we just came from). The woman is screaming, inquiring why she can't get her car, because she was informed that she has 30 days and it's only been 29. She had her whole life in that car, she needed her belongings. An older man finally has the nerve to address her, and tells her "It doesn't matter if it's only been 29 days, we deemed your car "junk", so it's gone-you can't get it.". I'm more sensitive than I would prefer, and this woman's intense reaction to this cold news elicited an emotional response in me that I could not help, and started tearing up. I had been trying to keep a sense of humor through this awful experience, but this woman was essentially told "oh well, your stuff has been junked". It was awful. Then they call their security guard on her. We advise this woman that they are likely to call the police, and she should try to remain as calm as she can. They finally call us back to take a fun ride on the back of a dirty golf cart to physically look for my own car in the warehouse graveyard of cars. After a few mins, the guy driving gets a call on his walkie-talkie saying my car is ACTUALLY BACK AT 7TH ST. They call us another cab, but since BAYSHORE is out of the way, we wait another 30 mins in the cold wind. Finally get in, and fight our way back to 7TH ST in 5:30pm traffic. THANK YOU 7th St and Bayshore impound, for proving that every DMV joke in the world was just that... a joke. The impound is a much better example of a place to witness the hilarious financial and emotional pain that bureaucratic policy enforcement can inflict on a human being. As much as I appreciated being sent on a wild goose chase between impounds to retrieve my vehicle, in the end, this has all been an "interesting" lesson in removing the meaning we attach to things and money. The moral of the story is that it could always be worse, but boy am I impressed at how bad AutoReturn made it ;) read more

Got towed. $453 in towing fees and about $146 in tickets. There is no opportunity to plea bargain, and appealing is useless. I do believe that something needs to be fixed regarding these fees. They are a bit steep, especially for tax payers and parking permit payers. read more

I agree that parking illegally is bad. I agree that some kind of citation or fine should be used to help reduce the number of people parking illegally. I understand that the folks who work for a towing company are just doing their jobs. I even feel okay about paying for the tow truck (though, I kind of feel like this should just be part of afore mentioned citation). What I don't understand is the pricing here: $270 to tow a car 1.5 miles? Last time I towed my car (same time of day, same day of week), we moved it 3 miles and it cost about $120. Where is the extra $ 210 coming from? $263 for administrative fees?!? The car was towed at 7:00pm - I got it back at 9:30pm, same day. Someone was doing what, 176 dollars an hour worth of administrative tasks? The people at their office weren't exactly blinged out, where is that money going? Honestly, my biggest problem with this whole mess is: the punishment doesn't seem to fit the crime. I see the benefit of enforcing parking law but, the fines here are just... unreasonable. More on AuroReturn : http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/blog/2013/09/san-francisco-autoreturn-tow-tourism.html?page=all read more

If i could give them 0 stars i would.. Outragusly priced outside the norm.. $500 for a two mile tow.. Half goes to the city and half to them.. Still triple the price of what others charge. Staff is rude, argumentative and incompetent. I"ll bear you the details of going back and forth with them for over half hour to get the car released. I hope they burn in hell for their poor business practices. read more

I had a pleasant visit in the San Francisco area. Stopped at a parking meter put in money then went to where we went. Walked back and was greeted with a missing car. Guess I missed the sign about not parking there during a certain time and shop keeper said I missed my car by 5 min. So took taxi to Auto Return and got screwed for 430.00 for having to watch my car for less than an hour. Sfpd gave me a 85.00 ticket on top of that. There was grease on the side of my car and a very unfriendly lady in the window. For all the good that happened on this trip was spoiled by the few minutes we spent at Auto Return. Thieves have had more mercy on us in the past. I wish only the worst to everyone at Auto Return and their families and that they are met with the kindness that they imparted to me and mine. read more