Smitty's literally saved our a*s Memorial Day weekend, when our axle cracked in Santa Ynez on our way down to SB. We were traveling from 300 miles away and when we called our insurance Smitty's had the shortest wait for a tow at 3 hours. I implored our insurance to let Smitty's know that 3 hours was a death sentence for my family of four--including a 5 yr old and young pup. Within 15 minutes Kevin, our towing provider from Smitty's called me directly to update me on his ETA, which was an hour away, not 3!!! Kevin was so kind and nice and even reassured us that he'd somehow make us all fit in the cab of his tow truck if needed but we were able to get an Uber. He was masked and efficient from what I was able to see while we waited for our Uber. I'm so glad we were linked up with him and Smitty's, because they really dissipated a lot of concern and worry from a super stressful emergency roadside situation. read more

AAA sent them to me and they were great. I was so impressed. The called to let me know when they were 45 minutes out, they called when they were 20 minutes out, and they called to make sure everything went well the next day. Leo the driver was informative and told me stories on my 40 plus mile tow. I was in a huge rush and he even offered to drop me off at the airport to get my new car, waited there while I got the new car, then he took the car to repair shop the rental car location was making me bring it too. read more

Just had excellent service from Smitty's towing, specifically Beau, who helped me out with the AAA service, kept me apprised along the way, and was extremely professional and courteous. read more

Got flat tire on my travel trailer on busy southbound 101 freeway just north of Santa Barbara this afternoon. Dangerous situation parked with truck and trailer in emergency lane. Was so impressed with the service from Brian at Smitty's Towing. He took charge of the complicated situation with the trailer and got us off the freeway in a short amount of time. Brian was extremely knowledgeable. Best of all, I felt safe with his expertise. Thank you so much Brian. read more

My technician was Kyle who arrived in a timely manner but more importantly was the consummate professional when he arrived at the location. Courteous, respectful and quickly assessed how to access the vehicle. He turned a stressful scenario into a positive one. Thanks Kyle! read more

The only reason these jokers get a star is because our car eventually showed up at the mechanic with all of our belongings still in it. We broke down about 15 miles outside of Goleta and the gems at Top Shop Auto called us a tow truck. The truck was called at 4:00pm and by 6:00pm Jerry from Top Shop came and picked us up in his own car just so we weren't sitting on the side of the road. We then waited at the shop for another hour and a half for the truck to bring our VW bus. 3 and 1/2 hours is way too long to wait for a tow truck, especially when their dispatch's original estimate was 30 minutes. It would have been nice to receive an update when the tow truck decided to bail on us and respond to a higher paying call. The driver was a nice guy but 3 and 1/2 hours later nice doesn't cut it. read more

Had a shredded tire at 4:30am just off the 101, on the way to the airport. Sam from Smitty's worked quickly to get the spare tire on and get us back on the road in time to get on our flight. read more

I have two instances in which I've had unfortunate dealings with this business. The first was when my roommates and I had a flat tire in Isla Vista, needed a tow, and the tow just never showed. There were floods in the area at the time, so I suppose the business was overwhelmed with calls unfortunately. So I tried to give them a pass for that reason alone despite our frustration and being left stranded, however, the next interaction sealed the deal for me to avoid Smitty's Towing altogether. The manager for Smitty's Towing is one of the rudest, irresponsible employees I've encountered in quite some time. I have put in around 8 phone calls in total to Smitty's over this last year attempting to have them fix an issue, but every time I get brushed off, given false promises that turn out to be lies, and the manager just rail-roads me every time I speak by rudely talking right over every word I say. The following transpired: in the middle of the night one of their tow truck drivers mistakenly attempted to tow my vehicle out of my own parking lot where I lived in Isla Vista at the Sweeps. I heard the beeping of the truck through my open window, saw some random man inside of my car looking around while sitting in my driver's seat and ran out to speak to him prior to the physical tow even taking place. As I was talking to him he was trying to hurry up and place one of those wheel locks onto my front driver side tire. But it was not even on yet and my car was not on a tow or flat bed- my vehicle was still on the ground and technically still in my legal possession, but the tow truck driver said that he was taking my car no matter what I said because he drove all the way out there from a city just outside IV and that he was going to get paid. He flat out said that since he drove all the way over there that he was towing my car and getting his money for it or else he'd be driving over there for nothing. I could not believe how rude this person was! I called the police and as soon as I did so he told me that if I just gave him some cash that he would leave because either way he was going to get paid. My neighbor who made the call came out and apologized letting the driver know it was mistake, but he would not even listen to the customer that called and stop the tow process. It was 2am during the work week and I was tired & needed to get back to sleep ASAP to wake up by 6am for work, so I gave him $100 cash to please stop touching my vehicle in an illegal manner in which he did not have any right to do so. It was only after receiving money in hand that the driver quickly left and as soon as the police arrived I found out that what this man did was completely illegal. By then the driver had fled the scene and stolen my money. I've attempted to call the Smitty's Towing office at least 8 times, like I said, and every time I call I speak to the manager or some front desk person who assures me that she will pass the message along to the manager and I will receive a call back same day or next, but I NEVER get a call back. Even when I speak to the manager directly and he promises to look into and get my money back to me promptly, he NEVER calls back and does not follow up in any way to make this situation right. This is an abysmal way of doing business and I fully believe this company thinks it is okay to take advantage of people in the area, especially those they feel are students who might not know any better. Still to this day my situation has not been resolved and my money has not been refunded to me after getting stolen by a driver named Leo apparently. Please be aware that this company does not abide by any moral, ethical values and that you will likely encounter lies, deceit, theft, and disrespect in any form of action you enter into with its drivers and employees. Avoid at all costs for your own personal safety. I would've given them zero stars if that had been a choice! read more

I am currently getting my 2002 Honda Accord towed from my driveway and not only are they 30 minutes late (and I specifically told them I have a final at noon), they brought a different type of towing truck than we asked for. This type of towing truck will most likely remove my bumper because of the type they brought. Will not be calling this business again. read more

Called AAA and they dispatched Smitty's to put air in my flat tire so I could drive it somewhere to be fixed. Ray got there very fast and was so helpful and nice! He recommended I go to Dal Pozzo tires in Goleta to get it fixed. He talked to the owner on the phone for me and made sure I would be taken care of. Thanks Ray! read more

These guys are a large company without real concern for the Santa Barbara community!! They towed our car from a fundraiser we were doing last night at Brazil Arts Cafe and charged us $572, before the car hit the impound lot. Their lot is in Goleta, so they are almost guaranteed over an hour of charges at the standard rate of $240, which is $360 (the next increment). They add on 2 days of storage for the first 24 hours, plus a host of other fees. This is legal in Santa Barbara, please do not give these guys your business!!! read more

David A. was responding to a call for my best friends flat tire and my car that was stuck in park in the middle of the road. He made us feel safe and was really helpful and was genuinely nice to us. He is amazing and definitely deserves a raise! read more

My boyfriend & I had to tow my car this past Saturday 10/12/19. We received GREAT customer service from Gilbert. He was very professional, explained what he was doing as he hooked up my car & further explained that it wasn't his normal truck, as he took the time to make sure everything was in place. We hope never to need a tow but will contact Smitty's if we ever do need it. read more

My car broke down last night in the rain, I was soaked and frustrated. They came within 15 minutes with a flatbed. My driver was super nice and friendly. So happy I didn't have to wait in the rain for longer! read more

I called Smittys Towing to have a tractor loaded on a flatbed trailer...the 2 ladies I talked to on the phone were very helpful and dispatched a driver to us right away...Josh was there and handled the job fast and efficiently...I am a tow operator and appreciation the fast response and professionalism of a fellow tow dog...Stay safe brother...thank you read more

Leo G. Is the man!!! I left for work knowing I needed gas and completely forgot to, running out on the 101 freeway almost to Hollister and Winchester.... He was so fast and extremely nice and had me back on my way in like 20min from the time I placed my call! Thanks Leo read more

Yesterday, my friend and I requested a quote for a tow from Goleta to Oxnard. This simple request seemed to have upset the receptionist who answered the phone. I needed to ask her a few questions, such as who should be with the car on its way to Oxnard and who should pay. When I asked her these questions, she huffed and loudly sighed; she rushed my friend to spell his name and give his address. We felt very pressured during this phone call. The only reason we purchased the tow service is because it was about $70 cheaper than the other local services. I do think her sour attitude will cause this business to lose future customers! I will NOT request services from here anymore. I was not treated well during this phone call and can only imagine what things would be like if I called her in the future. read more

I locked my self out of my work car .... With it running stupid me Anyways called AAA. They had a nice young man named Leo Garcia Come out to assist us ... He was very professional and quick ! Which was very appreciated since it was really cold out side Thanks again Leo ! read more

TRAVIS from Smitty's was amazing! We were stranded in the dark on the side of the 101 freeway in the middle of nowhere with a blown tire on our fifth wheel. Travis got us back on the road and gave us great recommendations for repair places. He was incredibly professional and friendly! Thank you!! read more

Unbelievably slow service. Took me forever just to get access to my car and the service was not great either

Ive gotten towed once here before and it was from Thomas towing and man I wish they towed the car this time. Wow, such slow service while it isn't busy at all. The woman at the desk is taking her sweet damn time, doesn't really seem to care that some of us have work/responsibilities to do? Took about 30+ minutes when Thomas towing took about 10. Hope I never have to come here again. read more

I had great sevice from LEO G today! I had a flat tire right on the freeway. Triple a aent Smitrys..and Leo was there in leas than 15 minutes..he was suowr driendly and professional..very reassuring that all would be just fine...he had to load up my car and give me a ride to the tire shop. We had a great conversation and it made the bad day much better..thanks Leo! read more

Today my car wouldn't start and as most know it can feel super stressful not having a means of transportation. Anyway, Leo G. from Smitty's came and saved the day. Not only did he arrive sooner than I anticipated he was very friendly, professional and patient the whole time. He took care of the situation in minutes and answered all of my questions. Couldn't have asked for a better person to help me in this situation. Thanks, Leo (Arturo and I couldn't thank you more) !! read more

Got a flat of the 101 southbound heading to LA. Took 3 phone calls to get a tow truck. My fiancé called to give the insurance information and they had written down the wrong make and model for our car. The receptionist then said the tow truck driver would give us a list of tire shops nearby, but when he showed up he offered zero help and said "you guys needed to figure it out." He questioned us many times about if we had a spare tire, very rudely like we have no idea what was going on; if we had a spare we would not have called for a tow in the first place. On top of all that he was reading off his phone while driving. read more

My tire blew out on the 101 on New Year's Day, and my insurance roadside service dispatched Smittys. I was worried it would take a while since it was a holiday, but Gabriel from Smittys showed up within 40 minutes and saved the day. Not only put on my spare tire, but reassured me with kindness and humor. Can't sing his praises enough. Thank you, Gabriel and Smittys! read more

My trans went kaput in the middle of nowhere. And it was 90+ degrees outside. I called AAA, they sent Smitty's Towing to assist me. Leo G. arrived quickly, he was polite, knowledgeable and capable. He loaded my car onto his truck and gave me a ride back to civilization. He and his truck were clean and I felt safe and comfortable with him. Thanks Leo! read more

ok so i got my vehicle impounded a couple of days ago and it was totally my fault. I went in to pick it up and they girls in the front were very helpful and really nice to me. They told me someone would have my car brought out to me in 10-15min and my car was brought out to me in that exact time span. Smitty's is great all around and i would recommend them to everyone! :) read more

Had trouble with both our truck and trailer just a few miles out of Goleta on NB 101. We called Smitty's, Josh was dispatched with the diesel and flatbed to accomodate our rig. He was friendly, knowledgable and worked to find the best solution to our problem. Greg arrived shortly thereafter and between the two of them determined the best course of action for our situation. Their easy demeanor made a anxious situation less worrisome. I am happy they had the equipment and resources to handle our situation. I highly recommend Smitty's towing, and particularly Josh and Greg. read more

worst experience I have ever have been involved in. They took over an hour and a half to get to my call. Once I realized that it had been well over the time they provided I called and inquired as to where their driver was. She said that he was on his way. When he finally arrived I found him down the block, nowhere near the car. His first response to me was that the dispatcher transposed the numbers and he was calling the wrong person. He finally gets to my vehicle he is very nice and opened up the car without a problem. He then asked me to sign the form and he went on his way... or so I thought. Shortly after he went to back to the vehicle and asked what color, and model the car was. I was a little confused because he was looking at me sit in the car, and it was very clear what kind of car I was in and the color of the vehicle. He then tells me that the vehicle he opened was not on the policy. He called back to his dispatch Kimberly who told him to first SCRATCH off the name of the car and the color and put the car that they thought they were suppose to check before opening. I told them that my wife placed the order for the lock out over the Geico app and may have missed that portion. She then decided to involve the insurance once she realized he had crossed out the wrong information on the original invoice. She then told him to tell me that it would be $35.00 for opening the vehicle . I told her that if her employee had followed standard procedure before opening my vehicle we would have avoided the whole mess in the first place. She began to get frustrated with me and ended up giving my a ultimatum that I pay now $60.00 in cash or credit card or my car will be in pounded and if I refused to let them take my car they would call the local police department. I asked again to Kimberly the dispatch manager at Smitty's, if it was standard procedure to open random vehicles without properly checking to see if the vehicle belongs to the person and if is indeed the car they called to have opened. She had no answer except that the services were rendered so they had to be paid for now or my car was going to be towed. That type of intimidation is far from professional. I did not have the money on me, I asked if she could bill me she told me if " I did not have the money I would be towed and police would be called " If this is an establishment that opens cars first and asks questions later you should really be careful trusting them as a company and question if they are being properly trained for the job they take on. Kimberly was extremely unprofessional and uses her position of employment and power to scare people into paying. Bad business practice for a company that has been around for as long as you have been Smitty's. read more

My son's car was towed by Smitty's and stored for 3 days. The cost was over $650! This was not authorized by the police, it was a business owner that did not want his car on their property. He is a struggling college student and was told they would sell his car if he could not pay. This is price gouging, and I have filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY! read more

HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE! Never again will I use them to tow. RUDE, OVERCHARGED ME WHAT I WAS QUOTED AND DRIVER HAD A BAD TEMPER. Here is what happened. I called for a tow and the lady on the phone tolled me it would be $90 to tow from Nipomo to Santa Maria (8 miles in total). More than I wanted but I was okay with it. When we arrive, the car gets unloaded and the driver walks up to me BUT he starts telling me different things. First he says "so the original price was $85" (keep in mind the lady on the phone said $90). Then he goes on to say that the extra mileage was an extra $10! WHAT EXTRA MILEAGE! We dropped the car off EXACTLY where I told the lady on the phone, 8 miles in total. So now I'm paying an extra $10 for no reason and when i told the driver about it, he was super rude and started to yell. So I had no choice and paid! I called the lady back at the "office" and as soon as I told her, she put me on hold, then she picks the phone back up within 5 min and takes my information down again for some reason. Says she's going to send it to the "main office". What main office if I was calling the "main office" total bullshit if you ask me. I'll NEVER use this company again. read more

Maybe this is an example of Yelp's shady "filtering" practices. I wrote a review for this place in 2007 and now it's disappeared. I was in a MAJOR car accident on the 101 in Goleta - my car flipped over about 2-3 times and it was totaled (not my fault - hit and run). Luckily, no one was seriously injured but I was obviously shaken up. This company was called by the CHP and they did not ask or care if I had AAA; they just towed it off the center median. Then I was taken to the tow center and when I asked if I can get into my car to get my personal effects (luggage, purse, etc.), they said no, that it was too dangerous. I wasn't sure what that meant but fine, I would wait. Finally, it was getting dark and I asked again if I could get my stuff and the woman in the front desk said that the garage was closed and I would pay to pay more than $200 to open the garage again to get my stuff. WHAT? THE? F? My friends and I were sitting right outside, waiting for them to tell me when I could get my stuff!! They ignored us and closed the garage and then asks us to pay the fee to open the garage again?! I had to get my stuff so I had to pay the damn $200. And when I told them I had AAA and even though they are a AAA authorized towing company, they said that I had to pay the full $300 for towing, instead of the $25 it would've cost under my AAA membership because I didn't give the tow driver my AAA before he towed the car. Yeah, you know, because after being tossed around in the car and being traumatized, I had the presence of mind to STOP the tow driver from taking my car, before I could present my AAA membership card. Anyway, all in all, this place is SUPER SKETCH. Yelp may continue to erase my review but I'm going to keep putting it back up because people deserve to know how awful this place is. read more

Wrongfully towed my car, after business owner told me I could park my car in the lot over night because I had a flat tire. When I went into pay for everything the first document had a total fee of $417.00 .. when I did the math of all the fees that were charged, the total was only $337.00 I explained to her that her math was incorrect, she grabbed the document scribble out the first amout .. added more fees came back and showed me. She altered the document after I had already signed it, then ripped it up and said I can alter the receipt because this is my business.. After she is practically screaming at me, she walks to the back room, brings out a new receipt with a total of 459.50.. Tells me I can't get my car unless I pay that amount. Owner is rude, and worthless.. just trying to make a quick buck .. if you get towed, pay attention to all documents and all reciepts! read more

Awful Company! Will never use them again! I used Love's the night prior for my broken car and was charged $55 for a tow all the way across Santa Barbara to Goleta. I had Smitty tow me DOWN THE STREET and they didn't quote me till we got there at $80! WTF you scam artists! Not to mention it took them 40 mintues to get there and the guy had no idea where Goleta Muffler was. Total shit job, will do my best to make sure no one ever uses them again! Love's all the way!!! read more

One lady who picked up the phone was extremely rude. I called her a total of two times. My dad also called her because he lives 300 miles away and had a few questions. Instead of politely helping us, she continued in her grim, irritated voice to tell us that we had been calling way too much. This place is absolutely terrible. Hands down worst experience I have ever had. read more

Leo Garcia the most awsome, helpful, CARING (yes i said caring) towtruck driver EVER. I have dealt with many many tow truck drivers in my life and the ones that don't leave you crying usually leave you very pissed off. Im 133 miles from home needed a jump. Not only did he have to come twice, because I fell asleep my ringer was turned down. I woke up an hour after he had been there he came right back within minutes,he wasnt even mad,or rude. He seemed just relieved to find me. He efficiantly started my car. I had told him how my wallet had been stolen, and his only concern was then to make sure i had something to eat and a safe place to go. He even followed up with a quick call to check up on me . He is my night in shining armor and i believe he is like that with everyone. He is just an all away around a genuine human being with a big heart (a tow truck driver with heart!) I Have never yelped i have never been impressed enough with any business to yelp,until today. I give a 5star rating to smittys tow trucks and 10 stars for Leo the greatest tow truck driver EVER.!!! THANK YOU LEO YOUR THE BEST read more

1. if your car is towed anytime after evening, good luck getting it back. they want to charge you $200 overnight fee. 2. they made me wait for 2 hours and kept saying the driver is out and when I came back for the correct appointment time, they sent out the driver 2 minutes prior to my arrival. 3. the person who answers the call is seriously ruthless; she will yell at you when it is uncalled for. Overall, you may think I'm a bitter driver that got his car towed, but there is a perfect medium between good customer service and a person that doesn't give two shits about who they're dealing with on the other end of the phone. I can't believe I had to get yelled at for spending $452 on a tow that wasn't even fair. By the way, they charged an additional $200 for their office being closed (which is 5:00pm). I hate that it's you if you're getting towed at 6Pm because they'll add another $120 for their "gate fee" read more

I had a flat tire and needed my spare put on, so I called AAA. Jim from Smitty's Towing came earlier than AAA stated and was super friendly and fast. read more

While the driver was nice, the front office staff is a hot mess: They were unaccommodating, unpleasant, and downright rude. They would not open the door for us as it was three minutes after 5pm, and hung up when we called them on the phone. Furthermore, they would not let us see our car, they made us wait an hour for our keys and refused to issue any paperwork regarding the tow and holding our car overnight. I have had towes before and Smitty's is the all time worst. Steer clear!! read more

When I called to get someone towed out of my parking spot that I PAY for, the lady on the phone acted like I was inconveniencing her and kept trying to talk me out of towing the car because she was understaffed. Horrible customer service in an already frustrating situation. read more