If I could give zero stars, I would. Greg’s Towing was responsible for one of the most predatory towing experiences I’ve encountered. My 10 year old daughter and I frequently stop at the McDonald’s on Yale and Central in Albuquerque after I pick her up from her school on Yale, which is on my route back from my job near the airport to our home on the west side. With the traffic, it’s become a nice routine to get her a treat for the drive.
Last night, we parked in what seemed to be the shared parking lot for the businesses in the area, including Olympia Café (just northeast of McDonald’s) and McDonald’s itself, which was extremely empty. This was later confirmed by Luis, the McDonald’s GM, who was extremely remorseful about what happened. My daughter and I decided to quickly grab a bite at Olympia Café before heading to McDonald’s for our usual ice cream stop. We were inside for no more than 30 minutes, and when we came out, our car was gone.
The lot was completely empty, and there was a sign stating that a boot would cost $75, so it made no sense that they would tow instead. When we called Greg’s Towing, they informed us that our car had just been taken and that we couldn’t pick it up until the next day because they had closed at 6 p.m. By the time we found out, it was almost 6, so we were left stranded without access to my car, which had critical items, including my daughter’s school bag and my business laptop. Now, I have no way of getting my daughter to school today, adding even more frustration to this situation.
Luis, the McDonald’s GM, was extremely apologetic and confirmed that the parking lot was empty and that “if it was up to him” he would not have let them take the vehicle. He offered us our desserts and food free to try to make up for what happened, but that doesn’t change the fact that predatory towing practices caused unnecessary stress for me and my daughter.
This type of predatory practice is highly unethical and shows a complete disregard for people’s needs and property. Towing from an empty lot in under 30 minutes and then making it impossible to retrieve the vehicle until the next day speaks volumes about their priorities. Seeing the other reviews online, I’m not alone—numerous customers report the same dishonest practices and poor service.
I would not recommend this company to anyone. If you are a victim of their predatory tactics, I strongly encourage you to take legal action if faced with a similar situation. Companies like Greg’s Towing should be held accountable for their unethical practices, and pursuing legal recourse might help protect others from being taken advantage of in the future.
Response: Thank you for your response, but it raises additional concerns. Even if it was assumed that I wasn’t a McDonald’s customer—which I was and am regularly—why wasn’t the option to boot the vehicle utilized instead of towing? The parking lot was completely empty, as confirmed by your GM, Luis, and the situation didn’t warrant such an extreme action.
Your response mentions signage and enforcement policies, but the choice to tow instead of booting feels unnecessarily aggressive and predatory, especially given the circumstances. Families like mine, who are loyal customers, shouldn’t have to worry about their cars being towed within such a short time frame from an empty lot. This not only created unnecessary stress but also left us stranded overnight without access to essential items in the car.
I strongly encourage a review of these practices to prioritize fairness and customer care over punitive measures that alienate your patrons.