Star Towing was fast, professional, and easy to work with. The driver showed up quickly, communicated clearly, and handled everything with care. The whole process was straightforward and stress free, which is exactly what you want when you need a tow. Fair pricing and solid service. I would definitely use them again and recommend them to anyone who needs reliable towing.
This company is absolutely terrible. They tow cars just to make money, without putting up any proper signs or warnings. It feels like they’re running a scam rather than providing a real service. There’s no clear notice where they tow from, and they don’t care about people’s situations — just about collecting towing fees. Very unprofessional and unfair business practices. I would never recommend Star Towing to anyone.
I'd leave zero stars if I could for "Star" Towing. My son parked my car in a place near Belmont Park on a Saturday night, it was towed by Star Towing to their yard. I went to pick it up the next day, which would be LESS than even 1 day, but they consider it one day even if they were to tow the car at 11:59PM, as midnite is the cut off point. So they considered that TWO days of storage, including an additional gate fee because it's the weekend even though they are open 24 hours and someone is always there. It's not like they had to make a special trip to open the gate. So, basically for less than a day, I was charged $486.45, even though the law states that they cannot charge more than the City of San Diego charges to tow vehicles. SDPD towing fees are $178 for a car of my type, and $41 a day for storage, which even if there were additional charges for being the weekend, would still make it FAR less than I was gouged by this company. Clearly this is a rip off and there's little you can do as they hold your car hostage, except to pay the fees they ask, and then take them to small claims and/or write a bad review. The time and energy to try to recover their overcharge makes the latter the most feasible.
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Not sure how to leave a reply to your response so I'll just add on to my review:
Though I appreciate you responding to my review, you really didn't address anything I wrote. Regardless of whether it's SDPD or the CHP that "approve towing rates", the fact remains that you did not post what those rates are and that no towing company should EXCEED those rates, and I would just love for you to explain how you figure that charging $486.45 for a few hours in your yard is acceptable?
And I left out the fact that my son actually called you right after you towed the car, and your employee quoted him around $238, which is bad enough. But to then have you charge over TWICE that when we got up there to pick it up is just shady business practice. Perhaps I should actually take this case to small claims as I am certain I am not the only one that you've done this to.
I wish I could give zero stars. My car was towed while it was parked in my own apartment’s reserved parking space, and I got it back with the underside scraped. That’s insane. This ridiculous company didn’t even bother to verify anything before towing someone’s car from a reserved spot. How can a business like this even exist?
I just got my car towed 20 minutes ago. It was in a Jack in the box parking lot, although being a customer, still got it towed. I just got off the phone with Maurice and he was absolutley rude. I asked him how much would they charge considering it’s only been there for 20-30 minutes, and he told me $470. After asking if they charged per night, he completely dodged the question and continued to say $470. He was very passive, cold, and harsh. I understand it’s late in the evening, however, from an unlawful towing, you still have the audacity to speak to someone like that? It’s insane, I’m definitely filing a small lawsuit.
If I could give zero stars, I would. Star Towing towed my rental truck even though I was parked in a clearly marked guest parking spot. To make matters worse, when I got the truck back, several of my tools were missing from the back items I use for work.
Not only was this an unnecessary and predatory tow, but the theft on top of it makes this company completely untrustworthy. Dealing with them was frustrating and unprofessional from start to finish.
Save yourself the headache and avoid doing business with Star Towing at all costs.
These guys are the worst tow company around they towed my car and stole about $600 dollars of tool and on top of that they price gouged the hell out of me they wanted $500 buck to tow a carc 2 miles and the he she at the front desk is rude and super disrespectful I highly recommend you do not use there thrives to tow any of your cars and they also left a huge scratch down the side of my truck there earring speaks for it self I would be zero stars if it could be. I wish this company the worst in the future they earned it. Star towing you suck.
These guys treated us so badly that our apartment complex actually rescinded their contract with them. They refused to work with us, so in turn they lost a deal that netted them thousands of dollars a year. This company WILL go out of business one day due to their morally repugnant and questionable (at best) towing practices. Unfortunately they are not capable of feeling shame or embarrassment for any of this.
Star Towing is a scam operation. They loiter in the parking garage at my apartment complex, identify vehicles to tow, and then alert security, who calls them in. This is clearly a targeted, unethical practice.
To make matters worse, they ask you to fill out a form with personal information, including your address, phone number, and credit/debit card details (number, expiration date, and CVV), even though they ask you to swipe your card in a reader. When I asked why they needed this info, I was told it was to “verify” my card. Do not fall for this. There’s no reason they should need your card info like this. I refused to provide it, but I can easily see how people could fall victim to identity theft with this kind of scam.
The customer service is also horrendous. The woman at the front desk was so frustrating. Plus, they let their cat roam all over the place. This was, hands down, the worst experience I’ve ever had with a tow company. Predatory practices, outrageous fees, and unprofessional staff. Avoid at all costs if possible. This place is a scam.
The tow trucker driver was extremely rude towards us when calling the number. He also posted it on social media without our consent and it made us uncomfortable. This is something that is so unacceptable and I cannot believe the way we were treated. He also moved the car before then towing it away again for his social media. He takes pleasure in doing this to people and publicly posts license plates online.
TOTAL SCAM - no one answers the phone, when questioned why vehicle was towed, no reason or evidence provided other than someone called us to tow. WHO? They can't say.
Holds you hostage, won't listen, just keeps reciting not my job pay $470 to get your car back. I don't get how this is legal? Someone can just call to get your car towed without Police intervention? So I can call to get any random car towed, and they they tow without asking questions? There needs to be more oversight here as many others have mentioned scam in the works.
Absolutely outrageous and predatory behavior from Star Towing.
I parked in the lot of a restaurant located in the same building, went inside to eat—less than an hour—and came out to find my car had been towed. I was supporting a local business, not parking and leaving, yet these scammers still towed my vehicle. I immediately walked over to the towing lot—my car had only been there for 15 minutes—and was charged a ridiculous $470 to get it back.
This is nothing short of extortion. Star Towing clearly operates a predatory scam designed to trap people who are legitimately patronizing nearby businesses. I thought I was supporting local establishments, but instead, I paid a hefty, unjustified price for it.
Avoid this place at all costs. This is the kind of practice that destroys trust in the community.
The staff are so friendly, especially the gentlemen in the back who walked me to the car. I wish I got his name! My mom had got into a bad car accident and the car was a total loss. He was so nice to me and it felt so genuine. He asked me how my mom was doing and was patient with me when I was grabbing her belongings out of the car. My mom had a lot of stuff so I had to take a couple trips back to the car. He even let me a borrow a wagon to help transport all the stuff, which was so sweet of him to do. This was my first experience with picking up a car from a towing company and everyone was nice, helpful and explained the whole process clearly.
THE BIGGEST FRAUDS! I am appalled by what my friends and I dealt with last night. I had parked in the same parking lot where I was eating dinner. I made sure that the spot I parked in was unmarked with no time limit and wasn’t allotted to a specific business. I had parked at approximately 7:40 PM. When we finished dinner I realized my car had been towed. I dealt with an African American male (Possible name: Maurice) (Never got his name, but heard him say Maurice while answering the phone), who was already being condescending from the start. I asked him what time my car was towed and he said it was towed at 7:56 PM, approximately 16 minutes after I parked. This was definitely a targeted towing situation. They also can’t legally tow someone within an hour. I asked him for their procedure to get my car back and he told me I needed to pay $470.00 which is RIDICULOUS. I needed my car back so I was ready to pay the fee. He told me I had to fill out their form and write down all of my personal information which included my full name, address, and all of my card details. I did not feel comfortable writing down all of my information and handing it over to him, but he said that if I didn’t I couldn’t get my car back. It is also illegal to make someone write down their card information under Civil Code section 1747.08. I wrote down my information since that was my only option and he let my friends and I through the back to get my registration and insurance. We made small talk to be polite and lighten up the mood. When we got back to the window to finish the transaction, he got political and asked us if we thought the social security system was a scam. We had differing opinions, but did not once ever get disrespectful towards him and kept our response brief. He proceeded to get defensive and aggressive and say how the system is racist. We told him that everyone is entitled to their own opinion and asked if he could keep it professional so I could get my car back. He told us to leave and that he could refuse service to anyone at any time for any given reason. We asked him what his reason was and he said he didn’t have to give us a reason. He told us to leave or he would call the cops and have us trespassed. We told him to call the cops and then he threatened to physically assault us and get us off the property himself. After this, we walked out to prevent the situation from escalating further. We have video evidence as well as voice memo evidence of this interaction. Long story short, we involved SDPD and I was able to pay the $470.00 to get my car back which could all have been prevented if he kept it professional. I’m not sure how this business is still operating and credited by the BBB. This entire situation was fraud and targeted towing. There are countless reviews of people dealing with similar situations as well.
Updated your reply!! Your reply is total lie as my car was towed at 8:30 on a weekend. I know gym closes at 8 during weekends but there a huge sign in front on drivers empty heads says no OVERNIGHT parking. Apparently you don’t even keep good track of records.
My car was towed from LA fitness parking garage. The car was literally just towed when I found out. I called this people and they called the driver. They said, the driver says the managers at LA Fitness requested the car to be towed which is completely a lie to cover up their mistake. I will definitely file a small case law suit as my car is a business car and due to this I couldn’t make it to my customers.
Btw, I talked to LA Fitness manager and said we do not ask to two cars. He called you infront of me to tell you to stop towing cars from their garage.
I have never in my life dealt with such unprofessionalism. Jasmine at the front desk was so incredibly rude and disrespectful. She refused to service us because she didn’t like our “attitude”. Of course we are distraught that our car was towed first thing in the morning and they are charging $470 which is absolutely absurd and disgusting. We had to involve SDPD as they cannot legally withhold our property. I cannot believe this place is in business and I absolutely will be contacting an attorney.
Very unprofessional and disrespectful people working here. My friend and I had our cars towed and we went to pick them up on a Sunday morning. The employee named Jasmine or Yasmin refused to give us our cars because she said we were being disrespectful and she would not help a rude customer. We had all the necessary paperwork and were willing to pay but she still refused. We had to get law enforcement involved to get our cars back and we waited for hours in the hot sun outside. I cannot believe they are accredited by the BBB and I filed a complaint with them as well. It is absolutely illegal for a towing company to refuse to return your car when you have all the paperwork and money. The fees here are also insane- $470 for a car that was towed for less than 12 hours is obscene and so predatory. These people should be charged criminally and I wish I could give 0 stars.
These people are crooks! They illegally towed my son’s car. Charged over an additional $100 because it was after business hours.Also $80 for storage which they had the car for 30mins. Once at the tow yard they tried charging additional $200. My son attempted to call the police then they said he didn’t have to pay the additional $200. Definitely filing a suit!
I talked to 5 tow companies about my inoperable Porsche 914. Gave them the hairy details about narrow driveway and uninflatable shredded tires. Four came out on site; each had a reason they couldn't perform. Star Towing got the job done, intelligently sending two workers. Plus, they were nice...and even allowed a young boy at the receiving site to operate levers on the tow truck! Hooray for Star Towing!
I want to say that take full responsibility for my car being towed. However how are you going to tell me you take card and then ask for cash when I get there? I called twice and both times I asked if they take credit card (mastercard) and they said yes. I show up they have a sign saying they take card. But no I waited 30 minutes while the front desk person kept answering the phone for other people all for them to tell me I need to pay in cash.
It's honestly a scam. If you collect your car after closing, it costs an extra hundred or so dollars. But you can also retrieve your car right then, so they're not closed, because they open the gate. They also towed another car in after their "closing hours", so clearly it doesn't mean much. Chances are, if you're looking at them, it's not because you want a good tow company, it's because you got scammed.
Dealt with this firm following an auction. Extremely professional. All staff members we saw that day went above and beyond to accommodate us. Totally unexpected in that line of business. Bought a large SUV for 10% of its value. Changed 4 tires, put new battery in, got an oil change and drove it home in comfort for over 6 hours. Will absolutely come back.
Wish I could leave 0 stars. They unlawfully towed a vehicle that was on private property where a handful of either vehicles were parked as well. Eventually followed up with the owner of the vehicle about what was happening since I frequent the area and see them from time to time along with their neighbors who always park in the same spot without any previous issues. Was told that this towing company's female receptionist was rude when the owner while retrieving their car. Definitely going to be keeping am eye for these guys
No one enjoys getting their car towed, that does not reflect customer service and the business’ professionalism. My car was towed in the middle of the night, I called star tow to confirm it was with them, and the gentleman I spoke with was super helpful and empathetic to my situation. There are reviews here about “scamming” and that was not my experience. He was transparent about the decrease in cost for a different time period that obviously would not positively affect the business to disclose that information. I followed up in the morning to get my car with some issues I was concerned about and the lady I spoke with on the phone was also super helpful and empathetic to my situation. I can only imagine the level of displaced frustration they receive in volumes. Especially for a family owned business, I wanted to make sure they received the positive recognition from my exceptional experience.
This company is garbage! They can to my very expensive apartment complex in the middle of the night, towed my car that was in its designated parking spot illegally! They basically stole my car!!! They said because it didn’t have a permit displayed but I just moved in, and all of the details that I listed about my vehicle were in the system, year, make, model, color and even license plate. I asked them to return the car and they stated that I need to go down there and prove I own my car for them to release it. It’s a freaking comedy show, except it isn’t funny… These guys are thieves! I highly recommend that you don’t use them. I know you are thinking that you will just use them for a different thing but companies like this shouldn’t be in business. If we all stop supporting them they will have to close up shop. Time to send them a clear message, being thieves doesn’t pay!
Never call this company, you have many other options, they late by 4Hours after waiting two hours. the lady was so rude, she didn’t care, she could text me to let me know they will late but she just didn’t care. do yourself a favor and don’t call them. No reason to call this company - they are unprofessional, rude staff and very very late, supposed to come after 120 min, at 7:00 pm they arrived at 11:24 pm. Mercedes sent me Sky star which was great, fast and very professional.
Mercedes Benz Roadside Asst assigned my car towing to Star Towing. The driver came out and seemed professional enough. I gave him specific instructions as to where to take my car, THE DEALERSHIP. Almost 24 hours later, my car has not arrived at the dealership and Brendon at Star Towing is super unprofessional and rude, giving me the run around as to why my car was taken to the wrong place. First he said the car went to a collision center per insurance. Then he said he has no idea why the car went to the collision center. Brendon seems to not understand what customer service is and finds it hard to be responsible for talking to people honestly over the phone. He even put me on a 12 minute hold! I would never recommend this company to anyone and will complain to MB of North America as well. I have no idea who was in my car or where it was since the driver took it away from my house. WORST TOWING COMPANY.
Scam Artists who damaged my vehicle with proof! I have a signed copy of the condition report from the truck driver and a pic of the wheel they damaged on my car with the fresh damage right out of their tow yard! REZA was very rude, said he would get back right away to follow-up after looking at the damage and saying "yes it is fresh damage". I called him a week after he said he would get back to me and he said "He will deny my claim!" VERY BAD BUSINESS - BEWARE! This will be going to small claims court. I will follow-up with more at a later date.
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