What clients say about Rokaitis Towing in Chicago (IL)
They towed my car while I was at work, the lights were clearly on in the office right next to the parking lot, it wasn't just some random person leaving their car there, it was an employee of the business. Had to pay like $250 to get it out and it had only been there for a couple of hours. They're terrible people.
There rude as ever they lack compassion and customer service skills. They all need to retire and go home it’s a damn shame that they treat people the way the do. If the show was on the other foot it outfits be different
I called to inquire about towing unauthorized vehicles parked in a faculty-only parking lot. The woman who answered the phone was extremely rude and unprofessional. I was genuinely disappointed by the interaction, as I have never been met with such unnecessary attitude in a span of 60 seconds. Please do yourself a favor and take your business elsewhere!
Horrible Service esp the lippy woman at the front desk but she met her match with me, only take you serious when you involve authorities as I had to get my lawyers involved over a tow ! I feel we should sign a petition, report them or file a complaint over and over until shutdown
If they tell you, you have to pay to get stuff out your car it’s against the law once you say that then they wanna try to reason with you please read the law and listen carefully to everything! Ask for price breakdowns etc
Got pulled over by College police near Rosevelt and Halsted, yes actually pulled over because of plate sticker was expired and plate was suspended for not doing insurance verification. Car was impounded by college police officer and taken here. They work with college police. This place has a tinted window only, they can see you , you can’t see them. Before I can pay the $480 tow, It was demanded that I show insurance and registration or the car can’t be released. After showing documents, I was given a secondary address where the vehicle was being stored. Although the window states that you can pay with a credit card it has to match your name, I was told CASH ONLY was accepted.
They were open which is a plus. Very predatory. They are also aware of how the public views them which is why there is no face to face interaction. I honestly believe new laws need to be passed to punish unreasonable tows as they do nothing but make life harder on people simply trying to get by. Buying a pizza and walking over to another lot while it's being prepared is no reason to tow a car.
john no last name given says they towed my car because it was the only one that had a ticket, but every car on the street had a ticket but im the only one that gets towed? john himself says “yeah we pick and choose which one we want to tow” very unprofessional so now I had to pay to get my car out and now a ticket. john lied saying i was the only one with a ticket why lie the whole street got a ticket. and then yells and starts being disrespectful when I ask about manager and why was my car the only one towed
make sure y’all got photos of everything they try lying on why they towed ur car & bunch of liars they just pick n choose John himself said it !! all we needed to hear to see how they really run things here.
Tried to go boa first and back to chase. Literally left car 2 mins and they towed my car. They wrote they report to CPD in 7mins after towed my car，I really doubt they are lying. They were like rat waiting and peeking, once you left, your car will be gone.
Alex came out within 15 minutes. Very professional and courteous. He jumped my car after 20 mins of troubleshooting. Solid guy and very helpful. Ask for him when you call. You won’t regret it.
A predatory towing company that has people actually sitting in their cars in the parking lot monitoring customers hoping you don’t see the very obscure sign that the parking lot belongs to Staples/Chase on 1130 canal street Chicago IL only so your car can be towed if you don’t enter Staples/ Chase and enter a different store. How about putting up a bigger sign so customers can be duly warned before they park. They watch you and hope you don't see their sign. So very wrong for a business to behave like this way
Greedy, got car towed in 5min at Chase 1130 s Canal eventhough I'm a customer at Chase, told the man working the front window I can provide the receipt from Chase and was given an "I don't care, fee is $240".Unprofessional, not everyone has time to waste on their life bigger than these losers. I would rather give the place a one star if It were an option.
The yellow card they was handed with the back view mirror but they say it was lying on dashboard. Even if so, they know that the taxes have been paid and the fee too. Still they towed the vehicle. Is there any accountability ?
Vehicle was illegally towed from parking lot of Staples at 1130 S. Canal. Very shady company. No manager available to dispute. Demanded payment and drivers license from behind a tinted glass where you can not see them and raised the cost of towing after I became reasonably upset. Reported to police and BBB.
Customer service is an art. You are forced to interact with humans who have different experiences than your own and treat them with respect. My husbands car was stolen two days ago from in front of our home in the middle of the night. Luckily it was located and towed to this location. I called to get some general information and was told what to bring to prove ownership. Upon arrival, the lady at the window (same woman I spoke too) had such an attitude with the questions that were being asked. Not everyone who has had their car towed did something wrong. Sometimes a wrong was done to them and they are trying to navigate the situation as best as possible. So my husbands registration was in the glove box and the car was parked somewhere offsite, but DL and insurance were provided. Luckily he had something else on hand. My frustration come in when asked to see the car before paying to have it released. If it was not in any condition to move it why pay? We got a long winded response that was not helpful. If you work at a job and do the same thing everyday DO NOT get an attitude when someone experiences the same thing for the first time. We did get some answers from a very patient tow truck drive Mark.
Either Chase or Staples (possibly both), running a classic “patrolling”towing scheme. This scheme usually involves a spotter, could be the tow truck driver him/herself or a paid third-person, catching any drivers who did not enter both establishments and then towing them within minutes. And it is a pretty clear scheme considering my car was towed within 2 minutes of me leaving (does not matter even if you shopped in Staples or Chase).
It is illegal? Possibly. Under Illinois Vehicle Code 625 ILCS 5/4-203, commercial towing companies need to fill out proper paperwork and notify law enforcement of a tow within 30 minutes of the towing. However, more digging needs to be done on how this scheme is been implemented and if there are any kickbacks involved between the establishments and Rokaitis Industries (the employed commercial towing company). Regardless, all of this process is somewhat hard to accomplish within minutes, so I doubt Rokaitis Industries follows the strict legal procedures prescribed by the state law.
That begs the second question, is it unethical? Without a doubt in my humble opinion. There is many ways a private business can prevent cars parked illegally by taking correct measures before issuing the tow. “Patrolling” towing also preys upon financially vulnerable individuals as people without power tend to be more reserved when it comes to confrontational issues with authorities and legalities. Towing any parked car should be the last resort for any establishments and something to be done if the car has been unaccounted for for a long duration of time. Sadly, the state of Illinois continues to have weak legislative laws against bandit towing (unlike California that requires a car to be towed off a private property after an hour or longer stay). Additionally, there is insufficient signage within the parking lot that warns drivers of a possible toll as the only few signs that are available are all minuscule and shoved away in the corners of the parking lot. Nonetheless, I hardly believe there is no kickbacks involved for Staples or Chase since no companies would risk regular and speedy towing without a clear monetary incentive to do so.
Looking back at all of the negative comments, it seems like this scheme has been going on for a minimum of four years. While it is difficult to pinpoint the legality of this issue, since it is a private lot and the Illinois’ overall bureaucratic incompetence, victims should no doubt contact the towing company at first (don’t get your hopes up, expect typical scammer attitude) and file complaints accordingly to the ICC and your local alderman. More importantly, avoid the Chase & Staples parking lot and the businesses at all times since there are also many victims who had their car towed despite showing evidence of themselves conducting business within the proper establishments. Better not to use that location and avoid the hassle if you can.
I parked at the Chase/Staples lot and, in just four minutes, my car vanished, thanks to a misleading "Public Parking" sign and a hidden towing alert. A Staples employee had to tell me where my car went. The tow lot, a 25-minute Uber away, seemed to thrive on this scheme, making mine the third student car towed that day. Upon arrival, I found a place with a dubious look and a counter lady with an attitude sharp enough to cut. She even threatened me, caught on camera for posterity. In short, this feels like a business straight out of a sketchy underworld, awaiting divine retribution.
I had a similar experience. My car was towed minutes after parking in the Chase/Staples parking lot and I encountered the most unprofessional and rudest employee. At first she told me they had "video" of me leaving the premises, and when I vehemently denied it - suddenly it was "their mistake". I asked them to bring me my car back and they said they only had one driver, so I had to come get it from their location.
When I went to pick up my car, I asked if there was any reimbursement for my time, emotional stress and mileage. Their illegal towing disrupted my entire afternoon. The extremely rude employee told me "I apologized - do you want me to get on my knees too!". I was appalled, infuriated, and disgusted at the ridiculous antics of this company. They seem to function in lies, scams, and illegal towing. Is there no recourse for this behavior?
Similar experience to many others who left 1 star reviews here. Got towed minutes after parking in the Chase/Staples parking lot and encountered the rudest woman working at the window.
This employee was rude from the start and cursed at me. They should hire an employee with basic manners.
The receipt says police were notified about this towing but when I called the police station, police confirmed nothing was reported. Lying, scamming, and illegal activities for sure
The two girls working at the front desk literally tried to physically fight me. They were being extremely rude and yelling so I gave them the same energy and they walked out from the back room and tried to physically assault me. (Their breaking point was when I told one of them that she looks like a thumb). They also threatened to refund our payment for the car but then decided to let us take it when they heard my boyfriend calling the police.
I broke down on my way home from work this morning. All other places were saying more $ and extremely long wait times.. but not Rokaitis! Highly recommend I had a great overall experience with them. They told me it would be a 15-20 minute wait, literally within seconds of getting off the phone my driver arrived and got my car hooked up so fast and off we were. Guy on the phone beforehand was great too, quick and to the point to get me help promptly! Thank you for the great experience and for saving my day and life, as I was stuck in a very busy intersection.
Absolutely terrible. Got my car towed from Staples and Chase on Canal and when I called to figure out how to get it back the man that answered the phone is yelling at someone in the office, swearing, and not once apologizing. After an almost 1hr commute from the Orange line and the bus, arrived and they took forever to give me my car back.
I own multifamily properties where Rokaitis services on a patrol basis. At 2am, they come to the property to patrol and make a tow. That is great, that is what our business agreement requires them to do! However, they overlook a sticker CLEARLY affixed to the vehicle and commence towing a rightfully parked vehicle. Mid-tow, the driver is stopped by other tenants who say this vehicle belongs there, the driver gets out and FINALLY sees the clearly displayed sticker. Instead of returning the vehicle to the spot, the driver drops the vehicle immediately leaving a brand new Audi parked half way blocking a Chicago alley. Everyone makes mistakes though, right? I was annoyed my day started at 6:30am with a preventable mistake but I just wanted clarity. As the owner, I call Rokaitis to endure it was there truck that made the attempted tow (affirmative). The manager Jimmy says yes but they didn't complete the tow (as if to say everything is cool). I ask more questions as to how this happened (I have camera footage of the entire event) and now the driver Vinny, who was in the office, unbeknownst to me, begins yelling and screaming asking what is my problem. If the problem is not self-evident, we have NOTHING to discuss.
No remorse. No apology. No accountability. Just DISRESPECT.
I understand honest mistakes occur but the lack of remorse and yelling after is unacceptable. So, as an OWNER, BEWARE using Rokaitis. Their management fosters bad business. Needless to say, I immediately called another tow company, with great reviews, to service my property. Good riddance ROKAITIS!!
Probably the WORST experience I’ve had in my entire life. My girlfriends car got towed at the parking lot of Chase bank on Roosevelt and Canal because while she went to Chase and I went across the street…. The awful/rude/terrible receptionist hung up on us TWICE and ignored my calls because I asked why our car got towed and she refused to let me speak with the manager. Once we arrived on site 30 plus mins away… that AWFUL receptionist held us in the lobby without AC for over 40 mins!!!! She claimed to have other clients to attend too.. but instead was on the phone with friends. When we asked to attend to us she locked herself away and we had to CALL the cops to resolve the issue… Upon leaving the once again AWFUL receptionist locked us in the parking lot and refused to open the gates for over 10 mins…. This place needs to shut down.
They towed my car from staples. I did not see the sign that says no parking. 4 other females was towed that day too. The sign is NOT noticeable from the street. So just be careful were you park at. When I went and got my car from them towning it. On the paper it states they are not responsible for any damage after driving off of their property. Which the parking lot to the gate is not that fair. So you will not notice anything wrong with your vehicle. When I got on the highway I heard a noise and it got louder. When they towed my 2018 Traverse they messed up my muffler. When I took it to get a oil change they show me under my vehicle. When they towed it and must of dragged my car Causing a metal piece to break off of my muffler. My muffler hose was pushed in and my muffler was all scratched up. Now I have to get my muffler fix. Nothing was wrong with my vehicle until they towed my vehicle.
Don't ever let them tow your car!
This place towed my car from behind my building for not showing a permit which I completely understand. However, their customer service and lack of professionalism is horrendous. My car was no longer drivable so we needed it towed to our mechanic. Since it was already in their possession we paid to get it towed again. The company said they would call us to let us know they were on their way however failed to call us. They proceeded to drop of the car to our mechanic. The problem with this was what if they dropped the car off to a stranger and they stole from my vehicle. Also, the woman that was taking calls and the first person you speak to was disrespectful and had terrible customer service skills. She hung up on us twice because she did not want to hear that they messed up. This place is a total joke. Do not give them your money. If I could give it zero starts I would.
My car was towed and between the time of today 11am-4pm I called this towing service who has horrible customer service, whoever answers the phone need to learn how to speak to in a better customer service professional manner. Any I paid the fee and got my car and not even before I got home I heard a noise while I was on the express way, I pulled over to side to check to see if it was a tire issue and realized my under carriage paneling was detaching from the car, I’ve had no such problem until after I got my car from this towing company. Horrible
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