The police usually calls this company, but they’re total crooks. My car broke down right in front of my house, and the driver told me it would cost $120 just to move it across the street into my driveway. A random car was blocking my driveway, so I asked the driver to wait a few minutes while I figured out whose it was. Less than ten minutes later, I decided to just have them leave my car in a parking spot two feet away. Then the driver said her boss was now charging $185 for the wait, plus a 5% fee to use a debit card. The tow truck didn’t even move! It took her about 20 minutes just to lower the car onto the spot. What a joke
My experience here was horrible. I broke down on tonnelle ave which was a minute away from their office. The police came and they called them for me. The tow driver did not speak English and the officer called his partner to translate we agreed upon a price and I was willing to pay for them to take my car to my job. Instead the driver took my car back to the office and told us it was protocol so we went inside to do the paper work before I realized it they locked my car in the gates. When I went to pay they added on almost 500 dollars saying parking fee . My sister said this was not was discussed between us the police and the driver and the receptionist named Sonya was very rude and unwilling to assist us until we paid these extra fees almost 800 dollars for a tow. My sister called back the police and thank God the same officer that translated and the original officer pulled up . They ended up taking the original price and towing me where I was suppose to be . The driver ended up breaking my side mirror and when I complained they said they will get back to me . They young receptionist with the nose ring was very helpful . This place is a scam. Thank God for the police department for helping get my car out .
Absolutely disaster. With no flexibility whatsoever, they told my car of the turnpike literally passed by my office. I begged to pay whatever I need to pay to drop the car there instead they forced me to take it to their towing location. Excuse was company policy. Got there they forced me to take her inside their grounds so this way they can charge for every day the car parked thier. I heard nothing but company parts company, parts company parts I even pulled the cops on them.
Less than zero stars. The most incompetent worker who took 25 minutes just to make a single copy of my license requiring her coworkers help every 2 minutes. By the end of this exchange even the coworker said "i can't keep showing you this you have to learn it". DO NOT COME HERE if you can avoid it. She took 15 minutes to incorrectly type in a VIN from a piece of paper. The only 2 employees fighting with each other because of how incompetent one of them is.
EDIT: 30 minutes later I am still here, she typed in my license plate wrong on a form and is now making me wait another 30 minutes while she re-types it into the computer and refusing to release my car AFTER I ALREADY PAID $300 just to get it back.
Horrible experience, our truck broke down in turnpike they refused to tow it to our mechanic. They charged us $1800 just for couple miles . After that they promised to fix it a day after they give us a horrible estimate around $3000 to change batteries and starter . We lost money and time in this shitty place. I don’t recommend anybody coming here . They steal money from weakness people .!!!!
Just cause I felt my keys inside my they charged me $138.. that's bs...for 2 minutes of the drivers time.. these people are crazy never again do i use them
their crooks who decide to tow vehicles that do not belong to them without permission of property, owner, their money hungry, and very rude Supervisor Who covers up for her company. Further legal actions will take place. I recommend nobody uses their service due to lack of professionalism.
Our car was towed by this company. They left the lights on and car was not working. Receptionist Sonia recognized someone from the company left the lights on. she doesn’t have the name of the person responsible ( doesn’t want to provide it) and then requested a 53 dollar fee to give the car some electricity. They are responsible for this. Be aware they do this to then request money to fix it. Once the car is in their property they are responsible for it and even if they don’t have the name which is a completely lie It was one of their workers and she recognized it which meansTHEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR IT.BE AWARE they do this to maintain the car there and charge even more!! Owner be aware of the people you have working your business.
I am being towed as I write this. They are charging me $400!!! To go a few miles to a local tire repair shop. They said it was $185 to go to their place but then I’d have to tow it again from there. Or they’d repair it. And rip me off that way. This is such a classic scam!!
Eli was the tow truck driver that had picked me up in Hoboken and gave me a tow all the way to West Caldwell the driver was very courteous and professional the service was excellent.A lousy day ended good.
Card machine is down so I had to pay in cash but thankfully they informed me of this before I came in to pick up my car. Holding fee is $45 per night plus some additional charges that were about $250 so altogether it ended up being pretty pricey. But all of the staff are very friendly and easy to work with
I was in a minor fender bender where my car was drivable, it was just lifted up off the ground and I just needed someone to pull it off the knocked-over pole. Rather than do that - the “common sense, cheaper, faster & easier” way - the tow driver decided it was “better” (for the company’s bottom line to pull the car off the pole AND tow it back to the main lot, which was then going to cost me $480.
I stated I had AAA roadside assistance and could get the tow for free. They stated there was some “bogus” time limit that I had to be out of there by - meanwhile this was at midnight with zero traffic around, and
In collusion with the police, the police would not let me call AAA which would’ve been free.
They also wouldn’t let me ride with tow driver, which after 35yrs driving was something they always allowed back then, to get back to the lot easier, and so this time I had to figure out my own way to get there, mind you w/a bad back. I finally made it after an hour, and as if paying the $480 wasn’t bad enough the battery “apparently died” and they charged me another $25 fee to jumpstart it, and that was with me telling them I had a portable jumpstarting machine inside the vehicle…
This company is just a money-hungry quick cash grab service that won’t allow a customer to gather any of their belongings and instead nickel and dime you until the very last minute driving the car off their lot.
What an absolutely bunch of scam artists - y’all give a truly bad name to the towing business.
Rude receptionist. They made entire experience difficult with them. As a business owner myself, I'd recommend they train staff on customer service. The tow truck driver was awesome. The response time was great. They refused to tow to closest tire place and then delayed the process at the shop.
Scammy behavior and horrible customer service.
Here are the “fees” they charged me with
Towing Fee - okay
Drivetrain Fee - not real
Winching Fee - again, not real
Processing Fee - paid in cash, you have to “process” cash?
After Hours Fee - they are open 24/7 (?)
Sales Tax
Storage Fee
Could only TEXT a phone number after my car was towed, did not speak to a human being. Was not allowed to see my invoice until after I paid which is unbelievable. They hold your car HOSTAGE.
This place is a lawsuit waiting to happen.
This place is the worst place you can have your vehicle towed to. I was involved in an accident and the North Bergen Police had them tow my vehicle there. For releasing your vehicle they ask for regular stuff that any tow company would but even after providing the documentation necessary they would give you the run around and on top of you talk to you like you’re dumb or have no idea that all they’re doing is trying to keep your vehicle hostage to keep charging storage. This is the first time I hear about any place that doesn’t take company checks from an other towing company or a body shop or that does not take visa. They make up all types of excuses as they go to not release your vehicle. They are unprofessional , place looks like rat nest. And my biggest issue is that I work at a real body shop and I know how people like them work just to take money from people. I don’t understand how this place still in business.
They should be close down.
Let's sue these folks I'm tired of them scamming and stealing money for tows that are as little as a few feet from them!!! Are you freaking kidding me? Bad enough they illegally tow your vehicle then charge $350 being I'm just a few feet away from your facility!!! No way this can continue. Plus bad customer service naw time to be shut down!!!!!
Damaged my daughter’s Acura’s whole exhaust system while towing it and told her to prove it. Now the poor kid has to shell out $1800 to fix it. Totally ignored her calls. Hope they can sleep at night running this shady business. Please spread the word. STAY AWAY!
The tow guys were great. We got towed by John’s Main twice. Once from the NJ turnpike after mechanical failure then towed to the dealership because the repair was under warranty. We didn’t have any work done at the facility, but the staff we dealt with were all friendly and helpful.
My car was towed in the morning. I went same morning to pick it up. When I called to ask about if it was ready for pick up, the fee, and any other information, they directed me to text a different phone number. I asked the same questions in text, they refused to tell me a fee, and I had to repeatedly ask what was needed, how much to pay, and how to pay. Finally they directed I could pay by card, not cash, but still refused to tell me the fee. I arrived to get my car. They insisted I pay before seeing a receipt. Then they gave me a boilerplate form that included the total I just paid, but stated an additional processing fee would be charged. I questioned them on it, they said there was nothing like that on the form and that I couldn't strike out the language. After a back and forth, I documented the amount listed was the total already paid and struck out the additional processing fee since I had ALREADY PAID IT. Finally after retrieving my car, I find out they damaged my car in towing. The steering wheel and tires are now misaligned. I again called the shop to document the damage, they asked if I wanted to complain and that I'd need to fill out a form at their office. I asked them to email it to me, and gave them the email, which they ALREADY HAD from me retrieving my vehicle that morning. I had them read the email back to me. The number of mistakes and type of mistakes in it were so bad they had to have been intentional. I corrected them and had them read it back to me, they said they sent me the complaint form. They never did! So now I'm here to document (1) their sketchy payment procedures that could only be to squeeze out more pay and (2) them damaging my car in towing and then finding ways to avoid documenting the damage they did to my car.
As far as price I feel we were not treated fairly. However, the ladies in the office were very accommodating and friendly. Huge shout out to George our tow driver and Jose. They went above and beyond with customer service. They helped us get through a very rough day!
Thank you for the excellent service and professional management in towing my vehicle after my car accident. Such honest service. My vehicle was beyond repair but all my contents remain inside which makes me so happy to give you all our blessing To many more years to all for your Great and Excellent Service.
I want to share the excellent and great experience with the staff at Main Auto Body. Quick assistance on retrieving my personal belongings after our car accident on May 30. Everything resolved on one trip which provided me with clear ease. All did their duty on making it stress free for us after a stressful lost of the vehicle. Thank you again
My car was involved in an accident, and Main autobody towed it. I could not have been happier with the service the honesty and the trust they made me feel. It’s always nice to know that your car is in good hands. They did the bodywork to the car and it couldn’t come out any better I think you.
Caution: Steer Clear of This Towing Service!
Take heed of the reviews—they're spot on! If negative ratings were an option, they'd get them.
Every encounter, whether with management or office staff, has been nothing short of a disaster. They don't just take your money; they manipulate and hold your vehicle hostage until you're completely drained, both financially and emotionally.
Save yourself the headache and avoid this company altogether. While it may take a bit more time to find an alternative, it's worth it to dodge the inevitable frustration, deception, and financial strain.
Believe me, if you give them a chance, you'll soon be sharing your own one-star experience. Spread the word to your network—keep clear of this operation and spare others the hassle.
I own a car business and a body shop . Most of the people working in this establishment are rude and uninformed. This is a tow truck facility. They are the contract tow company for a stretch of the Turnpike.
Take your car out ASAP to a reputable repair shop !! They should change the name to one star auto body to match the reviews. Sign makes reference to the fact that they have been in business since 1978. Times have changed. Control and direct your employees.
Customer service matters…
After my car broke down on the NJ turnpike I was set up with John’s Main Auto Body to come tow me. The tow guy who came and got me was very kind and helpful. The women at the front desk were also lovely in helping me get where I needed to go which was still 2 hours away. They ended up keeping my car on a Friday night, did an excellent and speedy job with the repairs despite it being the weekend and needing to wait to get parts, and I got it back Monday afternoon. They were very communicative and helpful!!
Read the reviews!!!
Everything they wrote here is accurate. If we could give negative stars we will.
This company, their services and the people working there including the managers and the girls at the office are all the worst people you’ll ever come across.
They will take advantage of you, steal your money, manipulate you, use your towed vehicle as hostage to stick your energies and money.
Please, do yourself a favor, stay away from these horrible people and the service they offer.
It’ll take you a few more minutes to find a different tow company but it’ll save you hours of frustration, lies, manipulations and stealing much more money then you thought about paying.
If you do decide to use this company, you’ll be back here soon writing a one star review as well :( I wish you’ll be smart and stay away from them and make sure you let everyone you know to stay away from them.
I recently had the unfortunate experience of having my SUV break down on the NJ Turnpike, and I had to rely on John's Main Auto Body for towing services. Let me start by saying that this was not a pleasant experience at all.
First and foremost, the cost of towing my SUV from the Turnpike was a minimum of $160, which is quite steep considering the circumstances. What made matters worse was the fact that they didn't allow me to choose a location for towing. They claimed it was a contract and insisted on towing me to their own facility. This was frustrating because if your car breaks down on the Turnpike, it's likely that you need immediate repairs. Opting to tow it to your preferred mechanic would mean paying for towing twice, which is completely unfair.
If you decide to leave your car at John's Main Auto Body facility, be aware that there are additional storage fees involved. It feels like they're trying to squeeze every last penny out of you. Furthermore, before they even start any mechanical work, they insist on running a diagnostic, which costs a hefty $145 per hour. This just adds insult to injury.
Aside from all the financial inconveniences, the staff at John's Main Auto Body were incredibly rude and unprofessional. It was evident that they had no training on how to speak to customers, whether in person or over the phone. The receptionist I spoke to was rude, interrupting, and spoke over me. In fact, she had the audacity to hang up on me when she realized I wasn't accepting her half-hearted answers. Such behavior is completely unacceptable.
I couldn't help but question why the NJ Turnpike would have a contract with such a place. It seems that many people have had similar experiences, as I discovered when I read the reviews. It's mind-boggling that they continue to send business to this establishment despite the numerous complaints. In fact, I was so disappointed with their service that I went as far as contacting a supervisor sergeant at the NJ Turnpike Newark (exit 16E) to file a complaint about John's Main Auto Body.
In the end, I had to rely on my trusted towing and repair provider, who has received rave reviews, to tow my car back to my hometown. Unfortunately, even he encountered communication issues with the receptionists at John's Main Auto Body. They actually screamed at him in person and I was on his speaker on the phone, and I could hear the entire unpleasant exchange. It's disheartening to see such a disgusting organization operating in this manner.
To sum it up, I strongly advise against using John's Main Auto Body for towing services. The high cost, lack of flexibility in choosing a location, additional fees, unprofessional staff, and overall unpleasant experience make this company one to avoid. Explore other options and save yourself the frustration and disappointment that comes with dealing with this establishment.
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