I came to this place at 8pm alone as a woman and I was SCARED. First thing they said when I came in was that I needed $175 cash. They recommended I walk alone in the dark 10 minutes away to withdraw from an ATM or beg the tow truck men outside for cash in exchange for a Zelle. Even though it was terrifying to be alone outside in a dark, dirt lot with a group of strange men, the guys were actually quite helpful and helped me get the cash. This does not take away from the incredible insensitivity and unprofessional behavior that I received from the desk workers. On top of this, I waited so long in the freezing cold room for my paperwork to be processed. I was then told to go outside GET IN A CAR with another strange man to be driven to my car. Again, HORRIFYING experience. Not to mention as I was leaving a worker (man) came up to me dancing and saying "You should stay, you should stay, it's almost halloween!!" Like what?!?!?!? Women out there please, if you can, bring someone with you. You will probably be okay alone but it will be worth it to avoid the panic. Incredibly frustrating to have to make the choice to either come after dark, or pay another fee to wait for the next day.
They require cash on some payments but don’t have an ATM. The nearest one is a 10 min walk.
You need to make sure you have cash when you come here as it will add some obstacles into picking up your car once towed.
The worst service ever received! The ladies that are working there are so slow, lazy and rude! Can’t believe this happens in a big city like Chicago, I’ve seen trees grow faster than the workers there writing my papers.
Someone should check on them and replace them with real good employees able to do this work!
Will get you robbed or possibly worse. After a horrible day of getting towed, they do not accept cards which is sketchy, on top of being cash only they do not have an atm. So the options were walk through sketchy parts of humboldt park at 11:30 p.m. at night to a gas station then walk back with near 200$ in your pocket or wait a day and pay the fee. Inhumane people and tow truck driver who dont care about you, your safety, or your money. I get everyone has a job to do but getting your car towed shouldnt run the risk of getting seriously injured, after being watched pulling money out of the atm, I was chased by 4 people and showed back up at the impound sweating, all they did was shrug and joke that at least I made it. Horrible. People.
The room is extremely cold because of the air conditioning, it’s very uncomfortable to stay inside. The staff are rude and work very slowly. Most of the time only one window is open, while other employees just walk around instead of helping customers. Very poor service.
The people that work in this place seem to drag their feet intentionally in order to make your night even more miserable. Worst customer service I've had in a looooongg time.
We all know it sucks to get our car impounded. I was stressed about finding it and getting my car back. Everyone who worked with me at CAP really made the process of getting back my car faster and easier for me, especially Tina! Thank you to everyone for all their help!!
I’m helping a Spanish speaking friend get their scooter out of the pound and each time he goes, they tell him he is missing something else. When I ask for a list of required documents, certificates, stickers, everything he would need, they act like I’m the one speaking a foreign language. Absolutely obtuse, unhelpful and ill-prepared to do a job that requires clarity and communication. People have jobs and other responsibilities and not enough time to come to a pound three times in two days. I’m so done with this city and everyone who acts like asking them to do their job is asking too much.
Place was nothing but headaches. Had to retrieve my motorcycle myself from a puddle cause the workers were too lazy to help. May god have mercy on your soul if your vehicle ends up here.
Absolutely disgusting building that smells like sewage and has gum all over the floor that’s impossible to avoid stepping in. Understaffed and terrible operational system. Makes me feel embarrassed to live in this city honestly. Chicago needs to do better
There was at least four other the people that had their car towed for the same reason. the sign was not posted anywhere noticeable for any visitors when we were complaining about it to a nice polite man. This one lady in particular, don’t know her name, came in and said “maybe if y’all knew how to read then this wouldn’t have happened” Keep this in mind, we payed to park. They didn’t even cover the pay to park area. They decided to cover a pole with two little papers that says do not park here, barely noticeable.
This place is absolutely terrible. My friend and I went to pick up her car which was towed by Rite Hook Towing. We arrived at 3:30am and did not leave until 7am. The workers were extremely rude and there was not enough workers on shift to adequately handle the crowd in the building. I understand no one wants to be at an auto pound, but waiting in an absolutely filthy and under staffed building while experiencing the rudest and poor service did not help with the matter. I hope NO ONE ever has their car brought here and has to deal with what we dealt with.
I visited the tow company today, June 6th, with everything I needed to retrieve my 2024 Grand Jeep Cherokee. Unfortunately, when I attempted to start my vehicle, it wouldn’t turn on, and I discovered something was damaged inside. The company that towed my vehicle caused significant destruction.
When I addressed my concerns with the staff, I encountered the manager, who approached the counter with an unpleasant attitude. However, I was fortunate to receive assistance from Luis, who was professional and genuinely helpful throughout my experience. I believe he deserves recognition and promotion for his excellent service, especially compared to the rude demeanor I encountered from the manager.
Wow - I can’t believe how this place is same like 25 yers ago . Dirty , no place to sit 2 hours wait . It looks like some dope . This is auto pound of one of biggest Cities. It looks like a trash and it is one Why ? It makes so much money
The Chicago auto pound is one of the worst-run operations I’ve ever encountered. Many employees aren’t even wearing ID badges, which is unacceptable and raises serious concerns about accountability. The entire experience is stressful, disorganized, and hostile from start to finish.
They charge outrageous towing and storage fees, making thousands—if not tens of thousands—of dollars every single day, yet provide service that’s worse than many developing countries. In fact, some developing nations have more respectful, efficient, and humane public services than what I saw here. It’s a disgrace for a major American city.
Inspect your vehicle thoroughly before you leave. If you find damage, call the police immediately and file a report—do not leave without documentation. I understand that they tow our cars but then at least they need to keep up in a good condition not in a dirty muddy condition over here.
The City of Chicago really needs to investigate how much money this place brings in, where that money goes, and why the service is so atrocious. It doesn’t feel like a city-run operation—it feels like a racket. Taxpayers and residents deserve transparency, accountability, and respect. Right now, they’re getting none of that.
Writing this review because all of the overwhelmingly negative reviews added to my panic and anxiety when I found out my car was towed here. However, my experience was nothing more than perfect.
Obviously, it’s not fun getting Your car towed, but once I figured out what documentation was needed to retrieve my vehicle, the process took all of 15 minutes. The staff was extremely nice and helpful and easy to work with. I truly believe that if you treat people with kindness, you receive kindness back. Understandingly no one wants to be The pound picking up their tow car, however It is not the people at the windows fault that And I can guarantee that if you come there with the right attitude and be mindful of how you’re speaking to people that you’re experience will be good too.
As someone who works in customer service I can almost guarantee you that most of these negative reviews are because of the way that these customers treated the staff not the other way around.
Me: my car got towed to you on Sunday, I'm trying to figure out why
Them: yeah, we have it. It's been here for 3 days.
Me: I know that. That's why I'm calling you.
Absolute garbage and as sleazy as they come. My 2 week old brand new car was towed and damaged in the process. After 4 months, my claim was denied even though it’s evidently clear the damage was done by a tow truck. Seems like they’re in the business of damaging cars and denying claims. Never dealt with anyone with less morals or humanity as United Towing. I hope the city cuts their contract with this scum of a company.
A complete scam and totally illegal. Car was towed on Sunday but not entered into the database until Monday with the wrong tow date, wrong color, wrong VIN number, and no license plate. We called just in case the white car they had was our blue one, but were told they didn't have our car. We even called 311 and were told nothing had been towed with our license plate or VIN. That night we showed up anyway and confirmed it was in fact our car, but they wouldn't let us retrieve it unless we went to the DMV and changed the VIN first. We went back the next day with a copy of the title (they wouldn't let us get the title from inside the car to prove it was ours, or even get our toiletries from the car for that matter), and after eventually confirming their mistake and giving us the car, we were then stopped again driving out the gate and made to wait another 30 minutes because the VIN still didn't match. We were made to pay for 3 days storage despite having screenshots proving all of their mistakes had prevented us from locating it for 2 days. Spent a total of 4 hours walking around the neighborhood in the rain thinking the car had been stolen, so now I'm extremely sick too. They also denied us a hearing that we're legally entitled to.
The fines associated with whatever got you into this place are nothing compared to the ridiculous and tedious process that they make you go through to get your car. 5-7 hours of grueling slowness makes you beg to pay the $175+ to get your car out of this hell. Workers are incredibly slow and outwardly trying to scam you. When we finally got our turn, the attendant behind the glass tried to tell us that we did not have a city sticker, which we had the receipts for and which was current, clearly visible and present on the car. We had to get the registration from the car in order to complete the process and the outdoor staff proceeded to argue over the whereabouts of our vehicle because they had somehow lost it within the 4 hours since it was towed. If it was simply a matter of going to this place to pay up and get out, I would not be bitter. They have to tow the car if it’s violating the law in some way, that’s on me. However, the blatant lack of care and medieval practices make this place unbearable. Needs a serious process and personnel audit.
The people working here are the slowest and most unhelpful people you will encounter. The cashier knew I was waiting for an hour and called a black man up who arrived just 15 min ago. I approach the cashier and she tells me she doesn’t call people in order that it’s random. So why do we get tickets then? this facility is a joke
We can all agree this is a scam—no question about it. Pure fact. The people behind the plexiglass, framed by wood branded by the thousands of thoughts and feelings of previous scam victims... were actually okay. Slow, but okay to deal with.
You might not think this if you had expired emissions testing or a rental car; however, that was not my experience. Thank God.
The guy in the entrance shed on February 16, 2025, at 3:20
AM seemed calm, collected—nice even. Just a guy checking in trucks and trying to assist people as needed. I noticed he was constantly being distracted and had to struggle to be heard over some random degenerate yelling threats and orders out of the window of a grey grocery-getter, apparently used to block the entrance. Even though he was threatening violence.... nobody was really paying attention which leads me to believe his coworkers are desensitized. Nobody should have to work in that kind of environment. Even here.
This place doesn’t have a lot going for it as it is—getting rid of whoever that was with his little tantrums would be a better look and likely provide a better work environment.
Now, about the tow truck operator. I was an operator for only four years, and I can tell you that whoever this was— Absolutely blind, didn’t care, or was simply ignorant. Both ride-height sensors were sheared clean off the front lower control arms. The plate holder was bent all of the way down. The car was not able to drive properly off the lot.
What’s the protocol for this? File a claim with them, tow the car they broke to three auto shops to get an opinion on whether it’s broken and the repair cost—then maybe get paid..... The upfront cost for this experience? $175 out of your hard earned stash. From my research, a payout is a lengthy process and unlikely to be successful.
I’m not able to give a negative star rating, so one star will have to do while their $4,000 towing lesson shows up. My honest rating, as far as business integrity goes, would place this establishment right with loan sharks, pawn shops, and the Cook County City Council.
5 stars as a people watching spot though.
Had a great experience waiting 6hrs for my car today. The entire staff was really competent and timely, ensuring I would get my legally parked car returned to me. Would wish this experience for everyone, especially our city politicians and officials.
No notification of Tow Zone, outright Fraud and Theft. I will be suing through the Small Claims court for $10000 and a jury demand. This is a SCAM. Location was outside Parlor Pizza and Einstein Bagels in River North by House of Blues.
The poorest customer service. Making up lies about using profanity to push people back of the line and threatened to refuse service. Employees moving so slow to get anything done and walking away from the windows for long periods of time. It took me 5 hours to get my vehicle out of this location.
I went early in the morning around 7:30 and only waited about 30 minutes total and the employees were nice. David that drives you to your car was really great! Be sure to check your bumper for tow marks because the tow company really screwed up my new bumper!
The workers were okay. They actually were friendly but need to give better instructions. Tell you to go get a document then when you bring it They tell you something is wrong with it or it can't be digital.
Tow Truck driver cut off a lock off a 1978 Moped that has pedals thta was locked up to a pribate property fence. They denied it. They wouldn't release the 100lb moped unless it would get towed out of their lot.
Understandably, you are not likely to find an enthusiastic crowd of customers. But if you can set aside your emotions long enough, and focus on getting through the process. It does not have to be a terrible experience. I was lucky enough to work with Liz who was very professional.
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