Horrible customer service. I am a hospice nurse who left a car for a second while assisting an actively dying patient. Car was towed within 10 min... called Robert's Towing, asked an address. They told me to Google it!!!! Are they that busy that do not have a sec to tell the business address? I explained the situation and they were very rude talking back to me. I understand that towed car is not a pleasure to deal with... but that service was just below any standards! read more

I left my car for 3 minutes in an empty lot and these guys were able to tow me in that amount of time. I was at the tow lot before they had the car off the truck and they still charged me $35 for 24-hour parking on top of $108 for the 1-mile tow. They only accept cash. The employee at the lot was quite rude. read more

I just came to Boston to visit the city and was grabbing something to eat and they towed my car within 5 minutes of me parking and charged me $150 to release it back to me within an hour. This company is a complete scam and a disgrace of a tow company read more

Worst predatory towing company in town! Had a rental car parked right in front of my door and within half an hour it was towed. I'm assuming that having out-of-state plates didn't help, but still very much illegal. When I called to ask them why they towed me I was told my management company called. I knew this was impossible since A) they're not on site to watch the lots B) Confirmed it with them C) The towing company listed on my building as per regulation is Walsh Towing not Robert's towing (had a whole ordeal trying to find out where the car was) I see them circling my street very often, looking for cars to tow....is this even legal? My neighbors have gotten towed from their own spots as well. To add to the annoyance, on the phone I was told $150 cash, only to get there and be told it was $165 cash.....the woman at the lot was extremely rude and it was a game of he said she said.....finally I told her I only brought $150 in cash and that I would not be going to an ATM. Finally she said "oh you can pay by card" which raised another red flag about this company. Lastly, two minutes after getting out of the lot, one of the tires blew....it had been fine for the previous 3 days, so maybe this attests how well the handle it when they tow it Will follow-up and file a complaint...it's not about the $165 but about the annoyance, rudeness, and how it ruined my day. read more

I'm from New York and was in the process of moving my son into his apartment, while doing so I was towed by Robert's Towing. They towed the car while it was opened and furnishing were still inside. The keys to the car were inside including my wallet with my money. I called and was informed it would cost $143.00 cash ONLY!!! I had toget an Uber to get to the location and had $140.00 in cash and $3.00 in coins. The SOB would not accept the $3.00 in coins, and at first a tow driver would not allow me to fo to my car to get my wallet. These types of establishment need to be audited by the IRS. I'M positive that they are skimming money and not reporting all there transactions. DRIVERS BE AWARE, BOSTON SUCKS!!!!! I also believe that management is getting a kick back from the towing company for towing cars while in the process of moving in. read more

Wish I could give 0 stars. I was wrong parked but the woman at the front desk was horrific. I had very important had items in the trunk, and asked her if I could go after paying the fee (which is egregious at $150, cash only). When she did not answer I asked if the process could be sped up as I needed to get going. she then proceeded to scream at me that she couldn't rush the printer, telling me I shouldn't have parked where I did. She continued to scream at me as I walked away. Terrible service. Avoid this towing company at all costs! read more

This morning, I was towed for the first time in my life while being (supposedly) illegally parked behind an apartment building in the Mission Hill area. I came to visit a friend in the area and this is my first time visiting the city of Boston. After immediately calling the company and explaining my situation, I realized that any plea I made with the dispatcher would be to no avail. After retrieving my car the following morning, I was delighted by the theatrical performance provided to me by Robert's staff. It was unique to actually experience a first-hand interaction with workers that are notorious for their involvement with a towing company. I wanted to see if these people were really as bad as everyone made them out to be, which they were...and this deserves appraisal. Everyone played their role expertly. I first witnessed your quintessential loud-mouthed, ragged clothes-wearing tow truck driver that seemed to be too proud driving his hunk of metal. Then I went to speak to the woman at the booth. After explaining my grievance, not only did she show remarkable indifference (just as she was trained to do), she continued on to insult me by telling me that I "sound like a lawyer". Little was she aware that this is in fact a compliment, and being educated is considered an asset by most. Her act as "booth office bitch" was spot on. The point is, these people are doing their jobs. Having to deal with limitless complaints, they're not going to show you compassion when you come with your own story. They are hired to be a certain way and nothing you say will make them do their job differently. There is a problem, but Roberts Towing Company isn't it. These people are hired by private property owners to collect cars illegally parked. They will get the job done even through means that seem predatory. The main problem is the lack of government-mandated provisions requiring property owners to maintain their signs. Any honest individual with two eyes would understand the difficult of spotting any legible sign prohibiting parking near the area I parked yesterday, especially considering it was night time. These private owners are only required to have signs within the premises and it is the driver's responsibility to find them. This means that a sign lodged behind a fence with only a few visible letters was sufficient enough in having me get my car towed 48 hours after arriving to a city I've never been to before and having to pay $143 as a result. I'm giving this company 4 stars because dealing with the staff was entertaining and everything it was made out to be. I understand these people may actually be decent but are required to have a certain demeanor. I can't give a 5th star because Roberts towing company was an accessory to a event that has left me financially burdened (as a recent college graduate working full time to try to save up and pay for loans) and with a bitter taste of a city I had been so excited to visit. read more

Robert's Towing - Silly me! How could I have possibly missed this sign when I parked my car at night? I deserve to pay $143 for my ignorance. - Towing Near Me - Brighton, Massachusetts

Completely predatory company. Parked my car at CVS, saw the pharmacy was closed and came back 15 min later to make my purchase - car was gone. The manager at CVS confirmed that they came in approx. 5 minutes before I did asking about a "suspicious vehicle" with New York plates. Brighton of all places is full of students. Towing a car with a student sticker on it for being "suspicious" is predatory. I immediately walked over to the lot and they insisted on me paying cash, saying they don't accept credit card. I asked if there was anyone to talk to and the lady said "no, it's a holiday. We make our most money on holidays." Happy f***ing Labor Day. read more

very rude and unreasonable, they drove off fast intentionally so i couldn't see their number and also charged way too much. paid $200 for an hour, ridiculous. read more

They just did tow my car from my parking lot. My building management gave them notofication and called and i show them when they tow my car, they didn't care. They just did tow my car. Im resident in this apartmant building. How can i go to court? Its totally illegal to tow residant's car from residantal parking read more

***This company and its employees are predatory and the absolute scum of the earth. DO NOT USE THEM*** While parked in a parking lot for 2 minutes, Frank's towing took upon themselves to get ready to tow my car. My boyfriend and I approached and asked if they could give us a break since we were new to Brighton. Immediately the two men were verbally aggressive and swearing at us. We asked how much it would be to get the car out without having to go to the tow yard, the older gentleman said $151 cash. My boyfriend went to the atm to retrieve the cash and came back to give it the man. While clarifying the price, the older man told my boyfriend he was giving him an attitude and proceeded to throw our money on the ground and say we could get our car from the yard. My boyfriend went to take a picture of the number on the side of the tow truck and while he did the older man got very close to him. My boyfriend tried to get past him, the man started shoving him and telling him to lose the attitude. He grabbed my boyfriend in a choke hold and told him he was being a pussy. My boyfriend broke out of it only to be attacked by the younger man, who proceeded to punch him , choke him and throw him against a wall and another car. The whole time swearing and using horribly profanity towards us. We called the police and will be opening a case and pressing charges against these horrible scum men and this company. read more

Owner of company is rude and talks down to you - yells on phone. Talks like a bully and is not professional.

They towed me from the parking lot used by Commonwealth Sports Club on a Hamilton property. My permit sticker from the club had peeled off from age and was only partially on still. They towed my car anyway, stating that the rules said they could tow because of the incomplete sticker. The tow driver recognized the sticker, knew is was for the club, and still towed the car anyway on the technicality on the incomplete sticker. Very rude and unprofessional. Typical junkyard people; just the worst. read more

Tow people picked up my car after being in cvs for three minutes. Came out to meet them beginning to take it away and they insisted on taking it anyway. Very rude. Shit business. FYI a black woman, if I were white I doubt it would've escalated this far. Refused to work with me. Avoid if possible. Wish I could give a 0 rating honestly. read more

I was moving out and had to park my U-Haul infront of my place just for them to tow it and act unprofessional and rude with me. Saying that they can't do anything about it and I shouldn't have parked here but rather park it somewhere extremely inconvenient for me. I had to leave in the morning, so this happened around 3-4 am and the process was exhausting. They don't care. read more

THIEVES and LIARS! I strongly caution against this DESPICABLE company. We recently had our car towed after an accident with their towing company. WE ARE HEARTBROKEN TO INFORM YOU that when we went to collect our things from the totaled car, EVERYTHING was ransacked and thrown into the back of the car. Even the glove box was emptied, THE SIDES OF THE CAR WERE EMPTIED. Amongst the things STOLEN were expensive RayBan sunglasses, Swarovski crystal angel mirror figurine, Jewelry, IPOD, with music we can not recover easily, these animals even took ALL OF OUR QUARTERS from our change purse, to add insult to injury they threw out or stole our collection of photo booth pictures THAT CAN NEVER BE REPLACED. Feeling upset and violated we contacted the company to which they quickly and rudely dismissed & denied our complaint & concerns. I quote "Our tow drivers don't do that" was their only comment. Upon doing some research and asking around, we found that many of our friends who have used this company, ALSO had Ipods, sunglasses, and other valuables stolen. We even discovered that a friend of ours had lived (for a short while) with a tow driver from Robert's Towing and he would come home and brag about the the things he would steal from cars he had towed that day. He would also brag about how they would pull cars up illegally onto the truck while people were in stores and wait until they came out to frisk them of whatever cash they had in order for these poor shoppers to get their cars back. From our TERRIBLE experience and from what we learned by simply by asking around, this company is absolutely operated by a gang of thieves and predatory drivers. As if it's not enough to lose your car or have it towed illegally, this company ALSO allows their tow drivers to steal and ransack at their own pleasure from your wreck/vehicle. This company should be ASHAMED of themselves, we will be completing a POLICE report and certainly telling all of our friends in the Boston area via Facebook and by word of mouth to NOT TO USE THIS COMPANY and to be very weary if they show up in thier neighborhood. (Allston/Brighton area) WE could not be any more disappointed, violated and DISGUSTED with a service that people should be able to trust. Their job is to bring your car to a lot and not touch the valuables and personal belongings inside. They obviously have TERRIBLE BUSINESS ETHICS and are not concerned in rectifying any losses or stolen items that occur while your vehicle is under their watch. BEWARE THEY WILL STEAL ANYTHING OF VALUE FROM YOUR CAR. Absolute bullshit company. read more

Damaged my car while unloading in an alley. In my apartment under 5 mins and they towed me. SCUM read more

Hey Robert, I believe your drivers who worked around 12:30AM on Friday April 5 in Allston were trying to make extra cash for themselves. I was at the car when the guy was in the middle of towing my car and he told me to pay him cash at the full amount of $143 to pull off the hook. Guess what? If I have to pay for the full price, I rather go to the lot and get a receipt. read more

Yesterday morning That girl got my cash, $154, due to my car towed by my building management. The question is that she only wanted my cash rather than credit card. And the receipt she gave is almost she designed, no Inc logo, no signture and no company seal. Show here. read more

Robert's Towing - Formal receipt? - Towing Near Me - Brighton, Massachusetts

disgusting, rude, predatory business. they will illegally tow your car! look up drop fee, i showed up to my car right when the tow truck arrived to pick up my car. my car wasn't even attached to the truck and they still said they rudely stated needed to take my car, and when i asked questions he asked me "are you stupid? do you speak english?" turns out, that is a whole bunch of bull and i needed to go and pay $149 to get my car back EVEN THOUGH i was with my car before they towed it. place is a scam, go to another business. read more

I did not use this service but my car was towed where no signs and no warnings of parking there. I work for the state as a caseworker and i came to visit a patient at the hospital. After my visit my car was gone, i had to pay $143 to get my car out. I approach the man of the towing company with the upmost respect just to get in return a snotty laughter and disrespect of all time. I honest do believe it was the color of my skin that really offended him. I just wanted to know why my car was towed and all he did was laugh and then told me "no signs need to be in the vicinity for it to be towed to pay it and move on" I will be making a report and something really needs to be done with this service because I know many towing company's and nothing came close to this man's services. I understand a job has to be done but if there is no indication that I am not to be parked in the space I was at then my car should have not been touched. read more

I took my elderly mother to a CVS in Allston to fill a prescription. She had to wait awhile for her prescription to be filled, so I walked down the street to run an errand while she stayed inside. Robert's Towing apparently came into the CVS, walked around the store and described the car to customers. My mother is hard of hearing and had no idea what they were saying. When I came back and found out my car had been towed, I explained the situation to both CVS and Robert's Towing. I explained that they towed the car of a legitimate customer who was simply hard of hearing. They couldn't care less. The lady from Robert's Towing says they followed their process and wanted their $150 in cash to release my car. read more

Picked up my legally parked car, in my $200/month spot, with their permit sticker in the back, because my hazards were on and the dude assumed I was parked illegally. The guy called dispatch to see if I was legally parked after picking it up, then dropped it, no apologies. They also really enjoy idling in the lot behind my building on Comm Ave, or zooming around in reverse through the parked cars. One guy in particular is the biggest offender. I asked him to stop idling his loud truck in my parking lot after he'd been there for 30 minutes and he gave me attitude, so I gave it back, and he peeled out. The company is probably fine, but they hire sociopaths. read more

Horrendous practices. My ZipCar rental was towed from my own apartment building after being parked for all of five minutes. The operator of the tow truck witnessed my partner locking the car and entering the building. The car was to be parked for ten minutes to load our day bags. read more

I was in a automobile accident in which I was transported to the hospital. This business towed my vehicle. There are a several of dishonest and unexplained charges on the bill. The charges are as follows: Towing - $108 Storage - $105 Unlock - $75 Road Service - $75 Winch/Removal - $75 Other - $108 Total $546 First, the legal amount for storage is no more than $35 for 24 hours. The car was stored for 41 hours, and I was charged 72 hours. Second, I was charged an "unlock" fee. My car was at the accident scene, and the keys were in it/with it. I am unclear as to what the road service fee AND the winch fee are. They were picking my car off the road and towing - not winching it. There is also a a fee for "other" of $108 (same price as the tow), which they didn't satisfactorily explain to me. They claimed it was a "drop fee," but there was a field for "drop fee" and it was marked $0. Either way, a "drop fee" indicates another company towed it, which wasn't the case. I called to see if they would give me explanations to the inexplicable charges. Their responses were expectedly nonsensical. This business is dishonest to its core, and it's a predatory business. The dishonest manager, named "Mike" told me he can "charge me whatever he wants because it was an accident" - which obviously, is another lie. They prey on unfortunate people. This business overcharged me $293 of a total $546. Extra Credit Reading: Robert's leads the industry in complaints to the Department of Public Utilities and complaints to the Attorney General's office. Not to mention BBB complaints and fine review sites like Yelp. https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2011/12/04/avoid-tow-avoid-parking-certain-strip-mall-allston/SSsK0TUJFmME1NH989my0M/story.html read more

Super scummy scammy company, I guess it used to be Roberts towing, now it's Frank's towing but dont worry its the same ol bullshit. Parked at BSC in allston in the same spot where i parked friday of last week with no issue. Turns out they changed it this week, the notice? A sign taped to a pole. read more

Wow. This company is an ASSHOLE Factory. Whether it's the obese tow truck driver who ripped me off in the parking lot of Rite Aid across the street from the Silhouette, or the C U Next Tuesday at the office who answers the phones ... they all seem to be assholes. I had to pay $50 for a worse version of Hitler to pull a lever that dropped my car 2 feet back down to the ground -- I hope his doctor finds a tumor during his next physical. I know that money went into your pocket! :( If you park at the Rite Aid, and you leave your car for 10 minutes, it will be on a truck after 9. and it doesn't matter if the restaurant in the plaza is still open, they will tow you. The Robert's signs say "1 hour limit", and if you leave the plaza you will be towed. They don't care if you were at both places, somehow they know you stepped out of the perimeter, and they want your car. I once saw 2 of their trucks swoop in to pick up a VW SUV. It was freaky shit! They squeezed it through an alley between both tow lifts ... I was waiting for them to turn into Transformers and tear the shit out of it! Good luck on the highway if that Touareg belonged to you. :( read more

I parked my car near my apartment, there is no sign indicate it is a private parking lot or permit parking only. Since I was neither been noticed directly or by posted signs, and the landlord of the apartment said they did not have any writing consent regarding the towing of my car. it is totally illegal to tow my car regarding Mass general law, section 120D!!!! read more

Robert's Towing - I parked my car behind the lot of the apartment I lived in. There is no sign indicate it is a private parking lot or permit parking only. - Towing Near Me - Brighton, Massachusetts

Biggest sons of bitches on the planet. They Illegally towed my car... from a spot that I PAY to park in and deeded in my name. Bottom line is, they are crooked in the sense that they could be Bernie Madoff's retarded low class inbread cousins. Only positive is, I am going to spend hte time and money to take them to court. It's nice having lawyer friends :) I would encourage anyone towed by them to contact the Masachusetts Attorney Generals office and your local District Community Officer at the Brighton Branch of the BPD to file a formal complaint, and to mediate the return of funds to you. read more

I hope this place burns in hell with all of the employees inside. I'd clean toilets before I'd become a tow truck driver. Scum of the earth - and they rip people off and illegally tow cars who are legally parked sometimes. Last time - they damaged the undercarriage of my car because I saw them tow it away super quickly without really even latching the hook on the bottom correctly and then THREATENED me in person to tell my insurance company. I hope someone tows Robert's staff to the depths of hell that these rotten bastards belong in. read more

Two words. Rude and Shady. In the city of Boston, all tow companies are SUPPOSED TO HAVE AN AUTHORIZATION PROVIDED BY THE DISPATCH COMPANY BEFORE THEY HOOK A CAR FOR A TOW. Allston. I hate this disgusting city. When I visit my friend he calls his landlord every time I'm there, then his landlord calls Roberts towing and tells them my car make and plate, (it's a vanity plate, NOT hard to forget) saying "hey this car is authorized to park." Tonight I parked visible to Longs Ave. not even 5 minutes at my friends we hear a tow truck swarming. Good thing I was there. According to this employee "Because my car didn't have that white Roberts towing sticker" I was guilty. When I asked this cowboy why he's towing my car he had the balls to tell me to "let him do his job" after he hooks up my Mini. THEN he called his dispatch to ask if my car was authorized to park on Long Ave. YEAH IT WAS! My friend asked the driver if he would have called in my plate before he towed it if we weren't there. He said "oh of course." REALLY?! Would you have really?! Find that hard to believe seeing that's protocol before you take someone's private property. Back up, Roberts. Stop being so greedy and assuming everyone is parked illegally. Follow the Massachusetts laws and start towing like professionals. Maybe this company can take these stupid college kids for a ride. This isn't my first rodeo. Not only should I have called boston PD, I will be filing a complaint with whoever I can Monday morning. I am sure Roberts could careless. If I could give these people less than a star I would. 8/19 so it's Roberts policy to hook up a car before they find out if they're a no tow? Are you kidding me? Is that even legal? I'm not claiming anything I have three witnesses. You even said your driver "didn't recognize my car and thought I was good to tow". HOW THE HELL WOULD HE KNOW THAT WITHOUT CALLING YOU FIRST? Why couldn't he have called while in the street? Why did he have to come up the driveway and hook my fregin car. You don't get why I'm upset because it didn't happen to you or your personal property. This is my review and I'm not sorry. read more

Fletcher: You scratched my car! Motorpool Guy: Where? Fletcher: [indicating with his hands] Right there! Motorpool Guy: OH... That was already there. Fletcher: You - -LIAR! You know what I am going to do about this? Motorpool Guy: what? Fletcher: Nothing! Because if I take it to small claims court, it will just drain 8 hours out of my life and you probably won't show up and even if I got the judgment you'd just stiff me anyway; so what I am going to do is piss and moan like an impotent jerk, and then bend over and take it up the tailpipe! Motorpool Guy: [tossing the keys to Fletcher] You've been here before haven't ya? Rot in hell Roberts Towing... Whole foods is there waiting for you. read more

@K.R. people aren't just angry because they're a towing company! Everyone in Boston gets towed at least a few times a year...we accept it as a part of city life. Stanley's Towing I can tolerate even if I don't like being towed. This towing company, however, is as low as it gets. I parked behind my building late at night where the lot was completely empty. I put my flashers on and was gone literally less than 3 minutes and these guys went straight for my car. They had not lifted the car when I returned and had not placed the truck under my tires. I stopped the guy who looked at me, keeps backing up, and pressed the button to raise my car while I'm trying to stop him. Then tells me, "your car is lifted and I can't release it without a drop fee." Fuck you. You literally lifted my car with me standing right next to it trying to get you out of the way. It wasn't lifted...yet you require me to pay you a drop fee. Robbery. They know you can't touch them. And when I tried to discuss it with them they practically laughed at me. read more

What a way to make your day go from bad to worse. I woke up this morning with a killer sore throat and fever chills, decided to take the day off from work even though I have ZERO time off from work (need to save for vacation starting tomorrow), and I managed to squeeze in a doctor's appt. I don't own a car, so I reserved a Zipper for a couple hours to swing over to the doc's fast. I'd never parked at the office before, so I pulled out back where there were ... maybe 5 cars parked in a 20-car + lot. I parked in a spot that happened to not have a sign that blared: your car will be towed. I was delerious, sick, how was I to know that my car, in literally 20 minutes, would be towed. Besides, there was no sign in this spot... Frickin $127 (cash only) ripoff! They've GOT to have spies set up nearby. read more

Just bought a car and 4 days later Roberts Towing picked it up when my daughter parked at a friend's condo in Brookline - she didn't know she needed a sticker for that lot. But live and learn. What was unacceptable was, when we picked the car up from Roberts' lot in Brighton, the car was damaged. Bumper and spoiler damage - it's going to cost over $1600 to repair - IF the body shop doesn't find more damage. We tried to get insurance info from Roberts to make a claim but the dispatcher said "you have to call when a manager is in." And we did. 3 times... and the manager NEVER returned a phone call. Finally got the insurance information for Roberts from the DPU (Massachusetts Dept of Public Utilities). Filed a claim. Company said given the car was undamaged prior to the tow they'd pay the claim - all set to go. Then got a call from the insurance company - oops - the car was towed by subcontractor, we don't insure them. Who knows if the sub is licensed by the state. Their insurer, Safety Insurance, said the "Kope company" towed the car. And someone from Roberts sent them a picture of our damaged car and said it was damaged BEFORE the tow and the claim was denied. You must be kidding me - the car was IMMACULATE. Sent the insurance company a photo of the car and bill of sale from 4 days earlier showing the bumper & spoiler intact. The insurance adjuster inspected the car and stated the damage "absolutely resulted from a tow." Needless to say the car was in NO accidents since then but the insurance company said "that didn't prove anything." Pop quiz: - either the car got towed during the 4 days after I bought it & right before Roberts/ Kope towed it, damaged then and I didn't know about the tow or the damage - or Roberts/ Kope committed out and out insurance fraud, providing the insurance company with false statements by misrepresenting the photo of the damaged car as BEFORE their towing You decide. We get that cars even inadvertently parked in someone else's spot deserve to get towed and tow guys will never be popular. But anyone doing this should lose their business license and be held accountable. read more

I'm sure all the 1 stars are well deserved. Everyone makes the claim they were not parked illegally. Well, I guess I'm the same. I parked my car in the public lot next to the Blanchard's lot. My parking spot was left of the handicap just next to the 2 Hour Parking sign. Parked the car at 9PM and the car was towed at 9:50PM according to the receipt. Aside from the car being illegally towed, it wasn't even 2 hours. Get to the window and she wants $112 cash only and an ID. Well, I refused to give her an ID, but I did have my keys. After explaining the car was mistakenly towed, she told me doesn't matter $112 cash and an ID. I called 911 explained the situation to which she was quick to release the car without an ID. Now I'm off to small claims court. Damn this sucks and what a great an end to the year!! read more

I'll add my name to the people who dislike this company. They constantly patrol tow the Peets parking lot in Newton Centre. I stopped at Peets today, ordered two drinks and a pastry for my daughter. We sat for about 15 minutes, then I walked her next door to an appointment. TWO MINUTES LATER, I returned to Peets to sip my coffee while I waited for her appointment to end. I noticed a tow truck in the lot and asked the baristas if there was a chance I could be towed. They said I was probably fine. I went outside and, sure enough, an unbelievably rude guy from Roberts had my car hooked up and was trying to jimmy my door. I showed him my Peets cup and asked him to disconnect my car, which he did. I returned inside, and according to the baristas, the landlord of the building has a deal with the towing company, and they are constantly towing cars, whether or not they are parked illegally. The baristas said THEIR cars have been towed from the lot. Some said they have been damaged. Essentially, the company will identify a car they want to tow, then they'll let Peets know it's about to happen. Peets staffers will kindly mill through the shop and warn customers that a car with license plate XXX is about to be towed. Are you in the bathroom? Tough luck for you! Did you tiptoe outside to take a phone call? Bye-bye, car. When I went to pull out of the lot, the Roberts guy had another car hooked up and almost ready to go, but he was blocking the only exit. I congratulated him on his business plan of towing legally parked customers and blocking their only way out by towing other customers. He thanked me for telling him how to do his (expletive) job. Pure class! Peets staffers said they have tried to get the tow company to cease and desist, but with no luck. As much as I like the vibe and roominess at Peets, there is no way I'm going back and (a) risking that my car will be damaged or towed or (b) putting any money, however tangentially, in the pockets of the landlord or towing company. UPDATE: I can see that Roberts Towing is on a mission to address the staggering number of 1-star reviews on Yelp. Listen, Robert, I'm only telling you what multiple baristas explained to me regarding your company, and the exact language your driver used with me in the parking lot. The baristas left me with the very clear impression that your company is predatory, reckless (employee cars have been towed and damaged, they said) and indiscriminate with respect to whom you tow. They said they have lobbied the landlord to stop the arrangement because of this. Nothing I experienced during my Peets visit last week ran counter to those opinions. You seem to have compelling counter arguments to most negative reviews here, but I think the objective observer can see that where there is an absurd amount of smoke there is fire. Instead of desperately trying to salvage your business reputation on Yelp, perhaps you should change the overall philosophy that has you in this position in the first place. P.S. You failed in your attempt to clear up misconceptions. You say you don't patrol constantly, then say you are at Peets three times a day -- it may not be the dictionary definition of constant, but that's a pretty regular presence. Refuting that you don't have a deal with the landlord, you say you instead have a contract. Um, that's what a contract is: a deal. You say that Peets employees don't "kindly mill" through the store, then mention that they do in fact (as they told me they did) walk through the store to help warn customers. Uh, that's not a misconception -- that's called corroboration. (And it's yet another reason never to return to. Peets: the prospect of interacting with one of your cheery drivers while I'm trying to enjoy a cup of coffee. read more

No one likes to be towed. I understand that whole-heartedly. Still, being wrongly towed from my PERMIT parking lot (that is private property by the way) was especially frustrating. My experience with Robert's Towing has been a long and drawn-out saga. I ended up serving them paperwork for small claims court after not being able to reach Robert (who I was told was the only person who could tell me WHY I was towed) after dozens of daily attempts by both myself and my management company. When I did talk with someone on the phone (usually a woman) she was rude, unprofessional and kept saying that she would "leave Robert a note to call me". He never did. I missed 3 mornings of work- One to pick up my car that was wrongly towed (and I was charged $179 cash), the second to file small claims paperwork and the third to go to the trial. As a therapist for preschool children with very high needs, it was especially concerning and frustrating to have to miss their therapy sessions. I did not pursue this claim to get my money back. I pursued this claim because innocent people (such as my neighbors and my clients) are being scammed by Robert's Towing. If this had happened to one of my clients, they would most likely be forced to choose between getting their car back or eating for the week. This is a social justice issue and Robert is running a shady business. After four long months and three court dates, I finally received a check from Robert's Towing in the mail. Hopefully Robert himself will see this review and take a minute to reflect on his business and the people he hires to do the job. And if not...karma. read more

Illegally towed my girlfriend's rented car while I was standing not 10 feet from it. Demanded a $50 drop fee from her. While she was going to a nearby ATM I called the Brighton police department and explained the situation to which they responded, "that doesn't sound right, we will send someone down. Both you and the tow truck driver stay there." My girlfriend returned so I explained to her not to pay yet and explained to the tow driver that an officer from the Brighton police department will be by shortly and to hang tight. After a flurry of swears and yelling at us to pay the drop fee the tow driver got all flustered and sped off. Two to three minutes later (he must have circled the block) he came back saying that he "would wait" until the police arrived. Five minutes passed before I was called to the passenger window of the tow truck. "Are you going to pay the f-ing drop or not?" to which I responded, "yes, we are going to pay the drop but not until BPD gets down here to sort everything out, they asked us to wait here and we intend to do so." The driver said, "F*** it" and sped off again, this time he did not return. A nice officer arrived shortly after and we explained the situation, he gave us a ride to Robert's Towing. When confronted with a police officer they immediately dropped the $80 in excess fees that come with being towed and we were force to pay the $50 drop fee. The officer then informed us that this was the second problem he has had with Robert's Towing today and that if we'd like to head back to the station we can fill out a tow dispute form that will more than likely turn out in our favor. Long story short: The employees at Robert's are cowards and obviously afraid of the local law enforcement because they know they are in the wrong. *** IMPORTANT *** You can file paperwork with your local police department and they will give you information about how to dispute wrongful charges and also how to get a tow company investigated (similar to a locally run BBB) by the city of Boston. I strongly suggest you do that in the future especially with Robert's. *** Edit in response to comment from Roberts *** He did swear at me, no less than two times at that and to add to it he was even more rude to my girlfriend than he was to me. I never said that BPD said the $50 drop fee didn't sound right. I very clearly said I explained the situation to BPD and they responded that the situation did not sound right. It wasn't a 911 operator, it was a BPD dispatcher, getting a car towed is no reason to call 911, it's for real emergencies only. Regarding the comment about dropping $80 in fees, that did happen. After we stated two times that we'd pay the drop fee and the driver drove off twice (he returned once after a few minutes of knowing he was wrong) we were told by Robert's that we'd have to pay $130 yet once the BPD spoke with Robert's that cost immediately went from $130 to $50, so again, accurate. Lastly, we didn't pay for anything at all. You dropped the $80 in additional charges and we then were forced to give $50 to Robert's to get the car back. A claim was submitted for it to be reimbursed due to the ridiculous circumstances and we came out on top as the $50 was reimbursed. The only thing that really happened was Robert's wasted a lot of our time, their time, and tax payer money. PS - All those exclamation points really help to emphasize my point. PPS - I am quite impressed that someone from Robert's knows what Yelp is, for not having the capabilities to take a credit or debit card on site. Hell, even I take credit or debit cards. https://squareup.com/ read more

I parked in the parking lot where I live and I got towed, the people on the phone were extremely rude.