On September 27th, my family and I attended the Tulsa State Fair and parked one of our vehicles in…read morethe Lowe's parking lot across the street. When we returned, our vehicle was gone, and a wrecker company was actively towing numerous vehicles away.
We spoke to a driver in a 918 Wreckers truck, who told us, "I don't know who took your car or where it's at." After calling 918 Wreckers directly, we were informed that we had to pay $302.16--cash only, exact change--to retrieve our vehicle.
After finally getting our vehicle back, we returned to the Lowe's lot to inform other fairgoers about where their cars might be and what the fees were. While there, we witnessed one of the wreckers having a malfunction while loading a Ford F-150 truck and calling out for assistance. It looked as if the winch broke that was holding the F-150, so they had another flat bed tow truck back up to it, and lifted the F-150 by its bumper. We drove over to record the incident, as we are preparing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau.
At that point, an unmarked vehicle with a rebel flag license plate sped up behind us in a threatening manner. The driver, a woman, began cussing at us, flipping us off, and walking toward the tow trucks. When we asked, "What are you even doing?" she yelled back at us, "Whatever the hell I want to."
I immediately called 918 Wreckers to report the situation. The employee I spoke with told me they would "call their GM and have him go out to handle it because this was extremely unprofessional".
While we were in the parking lot, we also witnessed an older gentleman and his wife explaining to the wreckers that their car had broken down and he had just returned from the auto store with parts to fix it. Despite his circumstances, he was still forced to pay the $302.16 in cash before being allowed to retrieve his vehicle.
I fully understand that we were in the wrong with our parking. But the situation could have and should have been handled very differently. This experience was unprofessional, unsafe, and deeply concerning. I am formally filing this complaint in hopes of addressing the conduct, towing practices, and safety issues we encountered with 918 Wreckers. I would also like for the Better Business Bureau to investigate this company's practice of only accepting cash payments. I am concerned about whether these transactions are being properly reported.
