Extremely disappointing experience following an accident. Poor communication, unexpected charges,…read moreand unacceptable customer service.
On Friday evening, October 9, 2026, I struck a deer on Blairs Ferry Road in Marion. The Marion Police Department responded, and although my vehicle appeared potentially drivable, I decided to have it towed as a safety precaution.
The responding police officer was outstanding, and the Darrah's tow truck driver was friendly and professional. Unfortunately, that is where the positive experience ended.
The driver collected my contact information and suggested taking the vehicle to Darrah's lot because I hadn't selected a repair shop. I was not informed of the towing rates, $50 daily storage fees, cash-only payment requirement, or that Darrah's would not contact me regarding the next steps.
By Monday afternoon, I had heard nothing, so I called. The person answering was adversarial and informed me that it was entirely my responsibility to contact them. I also learned that Darrah's only stored the vehicle and that I already owed over $427.
When I went to retrieve my vehicle, I was required to pay $427.47 in cash, on a bank holiday. The receipt classified my voluntary accident tow as an "impound," even though it explicitly stated "Police Hold: No."
Of that amount, $200 was for four full days of storage, even though Darrah's had possessed the vehicle for less than 68 hours.
The retrieval experience was equally disappointing. I was treated more like someone recovering an impounded vehicle after committing an offense than a customer who had voluntarily requested assistance following an accident.
A sign warned that customers had only 15 minutes to remove their vehicles before being charged an additional $1 per minute, and you WILL pay before you leave.
To make matters worse, my car would not start when I attempted to leave. An employee offered a jump pack for another $10. Upon inspection, I found the negative battery cable disconnected. After reconnecting it, the vehicle started immediately.
I understand that towing and storage services cost money, and I have no objection to paying reasonable, clearly disclosed charges. My objection is the complete lack of transparency, accumulating fees without explanation, cash-only payment requirement, and unnecessarily adversarial treatment.
I voluntarily had my vehicle towed because I believed it was the responsible and safe thing to do. I never expected to be treated this way.
Based on my experience, I cannot recommend Darrah's Towing & Recovery. If you have any choice in where your vehicle is towed, I strongly encourage you to ask about all charges, storage fees, payment methods, and retrieval procedures before agreeing to anything.
