Roadside Towing and Recovery JunkYard in Durham (NC)

Worst customer service. I'm a caregiver and called to retrieve my vehicle and the lady just hung up on me and said they were closed. There was no sign where I parked that I would be towed and the lot was full of vehicles. Why wasn't every vehicle towed? I'll tell you why… because they towed a certain amount just to meet their quota. I have never. I wish there was a way to really bring awareness but the way they practice business is slimey. What I do know is you reap what you sow. I hope the elderly lady who hung up in me is never in the hospital depending on someone that got their car towed. I am appalled, every car should have been towed not just a select few. This has been quite the experience. Beware.

This is one of the worst and shadiest companies I have ever seen. My daughters car was parked in a parking spot from 11pm-1am and it was towed. It was after hours and in a big parking lot. How did they not know she wasn’t inside McDonalds eating. Apparently this company preys on cars in the Big Lots and Food Lion lots on Hwy 54/55. They also look for cars near the Captain D’s area on Hwy 54. When we called the company to get her car they told us to call back in the morning. We tried numerous times the next day and finally someone answered but told us we had to wait until they had someone to meet us at the impound lot and they would call us back. They never did. We spoke to someone four times and each time they said the same thing. Finally two days later we were able to meet someone to get our car. There were several “victims” waiting for their towed cars as well. Whatever price they quoted you with was not the price you ended up paying. They charge an extra $50 to use credit card and then they charge an extra $35/day for every day it sits there even though they could never have someone meet us there. Beware of this company. I have no idea how these people sleep at night knowing how horrible they are. Hopefully they will be shut done soon.

This was the most horrible experience. My car broke down in a food lion parking lot. The car was parked in a regular parking spot. I thought it would be fine till I could get a tow truck out the next morning. But it hadn’t even been 12 hours it was there before they towed my car. Then had to pay $360 to get it out. They didn’t tell us there was a $50 fee to pay with card?!?!?!? Who charges that much of a fee to use a card to pay. These people were just money hungry thieves preying on hard working people. Not only did my car unexpectedly break down, I had to pay this unexpected cost because they want to be greedy over money. They will get what’s coming to them for taking money from all these people!

First and foremost this place customer service is just by far the WORST! they don’t even take the time out to work with you not one bit! Last night my car was towed around 1am & I didn’t see any signs located near my car or visible in the parking lot when parking! I tried to get the car back lastnight when the rate was $267. I didn’t live in Durham and explained that to the dispatcher( he jamond did not CARE). To the point he stopped answering my questions/ phone calls! I had to call from multiple different numbers just to get an answer! Fast forward to the next day I still was unable to contact him FROM MY PHONE the location that had MY CAR! he told me someone had broken the gate so I could get my car at 1pm! It was 12pm lastnight .. once I was told a specific time two hours went by I called back to get a confirmation as I haven’t received a call back! He got so nasty, & rude! It was about 7 people who were trying to retrieve their car, to the point we had to contact the police! JUST TO GET OUR POSSESSIONS! All I asked through this whole process was communication! These individuals running this business were probably the most unprofessional, miserable, unethical people I’ve ever encountered! I feel sorry for ANYONE that ever had to deal w them! Or ever will in the future, I will be taking further actions against this DISGUSTING OF PLACE THEY CALL BUSINESS

I parked in the lot some time after 8:00 pm on a Tuesday back in late November, in a lot in Chapel Hill. Upon attempting to return to my truck sometime after midnight, I discovered it to be missing, at which point I contacted 911. No signs were posted at either of the entrances to or inside the parking lot indicating the name or contact information of a tow company servicing the lot, as verified by the responding officers. The officers had no idea of if the tow had been reported to the town or not, as they could not access the answering machine (an entirely separate complaint, but still sucked), and with no posted number or company on the lot, we believed it was possible that my truck was stolen. After approximately an hour, I was advised to return in the morning to speak with the building office and find out what tow company they used to see if it had been towed but not reported. Upon speaking with the office the morning of December 1, I learned that they utilized Roadside Towing and Recovery. Upon contacting Roadside, I learned that they had, in fact, towed my car. The lot it was taken to was 12-15 miles away in Durham. I went back to the lot I was towed from, and took photos and videos of the entire lot, including both entrances, to verify the complete lack of any legally posted towing signage. A friend drove me to their storage lot, where they attempted to charge me $335 to release my car. I was eventually referred to a manager available by phone, who, after being quite rude, arguing that they had posted a lot nearby and that that was sufficient, and hanging up on me, called the office back about 20 minutes later to tell them to release my car. Note: this only occurred because I went all the way to threatening legal action. As I left, they attempted to have me sign a receipt falsely stating that I had paid for the release of my vehicle and releasing them from liability. I refused to do so, and the manager on the phone was vocally upset about this. [As an aside, I later realized that during the course of the tow, one of my tires ended up with three nails in it. I have had to replace the tire, as well as its corresponding tire on the other side to maintain my alignment. Due to the timing of when this must have occurred, I have a strong belief that this was intentional, and even if not fully intentional, was a result of complete negligence by this company for the cars under their care. Unfortunately, I do not have photo evidence to prove EXACTLY when it occurred.] Overall, this was a drain on my time, money, work, and mental health, entirely due to the predatory nature of this company. The only reason it had any semblance of a "good" ending for me was because I had access to legal resources and connections that many of the students/residents in Chapel Hill do not have. If I could give negative stars, I would.

The only towing company near me that picked up the phone(they were the 4th one I called). The dispatcher was polite and professional. The truck got to me fairly quickly given the weather, and the driver was friendly and helpful. Prices felt very reasonable. I would happily recommend this company again.

These guys are reliable, ethical and honest. Prices are very reasonable (best around). The front office is VERY easy to work with and highly responsible. The driver was A-1 and a nice guy. I was able to set an appointment time to have a car towed. They showed up early and did a great job. No BS about weekend rates and weekday rates. All one price. I can't place any of the negative reviews I saw here with my experience. 100% recommended.

Went to Mr. Fries tonight with some friends. I was only in the establishment for at least 15 -20 mins came back to where my car was and it was gone! Luckily a tow truck was coming back thru so I flagged them down and they gave me the number. Called the lady and she confirmed that they had my car (but didn’t tell me that she was about to leave the office). Talked to the man that I flagged down and he stated that their was a sign in the back and the front where we came in at but their was not in the front and the sign in the back was facing the road! Not the parking lot so how was we supposed to know not to park there. I started calling the shop before I got their to let them know I was coming and I got no answer because they were closed but they also blocked me !!! I had my friend call and the end of the ringing went to voicemail. So they had planned on keeping my car and charging me additionally for holding my car overnight. Luckily a tow truck came back a few minutes after we got there . I was able to get my receipt but the man took a pic of my license which scares me and makes me unsafe . I just went in and paid for the car! So I will be calling an emergency number for this. Worst night ever

This place will be hearing from me soon. Completely and utterly predatory. There is no reason they should be charging so much for people to retrieve their cars. I had to pay nearly $400 tonight and my car was only parked in the space for 10 minutes max. The person I spoke to tonight said that some cars have been there for months, probably because people do not just have $400 lying around. Completely and utterly predatory and a disgrace!!!

Illegally towed my car. They say that they're 24/7 until you try to get your car. Towed my car on Saturday and would not tell me where it was located until Monday. Charged me for 2 days of storage. T lady Kimberly that answered the phone is totally rude and has no business working for anyone. She lied about who told them to tow my car. Then she got upset and hung up on the person she claimed told her to tow... overall Roadside is shady and very unethical. The sad part is nccu does business with them... BAD BUSINESS ALL TGE WAY AROUND!!! I asked who owned this shady company and was told they didn't know... I will be taking them to court... NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY, you should be ashamed to be involved with this company... To the person that replied saying that the police order the tow. That's a COMPLETE LIE!!! NCCU did not have any cars towed on Dupree st. And the people from the construction site only had 2 cars removed. I was with NCCU officers when they called Kimberly your rude employee. She stated that there wasn't any police involved. She stated the construction company called. Well I was there when Stephanie from the construction company called roadside. Stephanie told Kimberly that they didn't have my car towed. .. Kimberly hung up on the construction company. I see that Roadside illegally tows cars. I will see you in court... Roadside is a Shady company with unprofessional employees. Kimberly said that the calls are recorded... just play them back! She rude unprofessional and a complete lier. My dash cam shows exactly where and how I parked. We will see it in court... Roadside shouldn't be in business. I'm also going to WRAL, & ABC11. I am going to expose Roadside for what they are, CROOKS!!! On every platform of social media. How many other people have you done this to??? EXTREMELY BAD BUSINESS PRACTICES!!!

Called for an obviously unexpected and necessary tow, earlier tonight. I gave the specific address of where I needed the vehicle picked up and dropped off. I was quoted $100 even. That sounded unusual to me so I double checked and asked the woman on the phone “are you sure it’s $100 even”.... or is that a rough estimate? She said it’s $100 even and that a driver would be there shortly. The driver came 2 hours later!!! He told me that he had to take a police officer call first.... what I don’t understand is why no one notified me. I had to call him. He also let me know over the phone that she gave me the wrong price and that it would be $170! I was livid for obvious reasons. I could get over the fact that he had to take the police call but to get no notification and then to be told completely wrong on the price?!?! I let him know I wasn’t happy and wouldn’t be leaving a good review. I understood his part and didn’t blame him but really.... how hard is it to have decent and honest customer service?!?!?! I’ll never deal with them again.

***READ THIS*** BUSINESS SHOULD BE SHUT DOWN. Visiting Durham for a Duke game my car was towed when I parked in an unauthorized area unknowingly. When contacting ROADSIDE they refused to give me an address to pick up the vehicle unless I paid $125 fee on top of a $375 charge (its after 2am so they need 4 employees to open it up). I had a flight from Charlotte the next morning I missed because of their refusal. I was then instructed to come the next morning at 9am. Im currently writing this at 12:24pm. I have not yet received my car and when speaking on the phone to the owner she became extremely aggressive and hostile stating “i didnt tell you to come at 9am, I told you to call at 9.” In addition she stated “you were drinking last night not me, if you think im about drive up there on a Sunday youre crazy”. The photo below shows how many individuals were outside waiting with me for 3+ hours who were also instructed to come at 9am. This business is crooked and should be shut down. They only take cash and don’t provide receipts.

Gary was extremely helpful. I wasn’t able to be there for the tow, so he contacted me to ask where exactly I wanted the car placed. He sent me a picture through text of where he left it and asked if it was the correct spot on my driveway. I told him that it would be better if it was on the right side vs the left side. He told me he’d be happy to move it into the perfect spot. He sent me a picture again, and it was in the perfect spot! Thank you very much!!

This place towed my work car. I’m a TSA medical courier and I was doing a pickup for the pharmacy. I maybe was there one minute and they racked my car. I had to pay $150 just to get my car un racked. Then I called this company and they blocked both of my phone numbers. These company should be very careful doing this to hard working individuals. Best of luck to this organization 😎❤️

Predatory towing! We parked in a lot not seeing the sign covered by bushes and turned sideways so it was not clearly visible because the street parking was full. By the time we walked into a store and ordered cookies, less than 5 minutes, another customer ran in telling us that our car was towed, it was already gone! They had to have been watching and loaded it up as soon as we cleared the lot. It cost us 325 plus 50 dollars additional to get it out because it was after hours, although when the finally arrived to let me get the vehicle, they were towing 2 more poor cars who probably made the same mistake we did. It would have cost an additional 50 dollars if we had to use a card to pay for it. The lot is not clearly marked, the sign is hidden and turned and out vehicle had been there less than 5 minutes. Not a good way to treat people and a poor reflection on Durham.

A completely predatory towing company. My husband was parked for less than 5 minutes outside a store when the lot was full along with a number of other cars. The person we spoke to was rude. We had to pay $375 to get our car back, and they had it less than two hours. I have reached out to the city of durham so they are aware, and will be filing a complaint with the attorney general. I encourage everyone else to do the same. It’s unfortunate that so many people have had this experience. Especially when times are so hard right now.

Car got towed, less than 24hrs. Costed $345 to take it out, cash only, no receipt. They’re just stealing money, how is this reasonable? Also, they should work on customer service skills, smug attitude the entire time.

This company was sent out to tow my car after my wreak. They were very helpful when I called to inquire about getting my belongings from my car. When I showed up to get my belongings they were very nice and helped me get my things in the process I was informed they also were selling a few cars on the lot and purchased a Infinity from them at a steal of a price. I absolutely love my new car and will cal them for any tow I may need in the future and would recommend to all friends and family.

I had a minor accident today, nothing major but I needed to be towed. The truck took about 40 minutes to arrived, which I consider it was a fair amount of time. Every time I called the office, the operator was there to help me out and at least to keep me calm. The reason for this review is the guy who towed my car. His name is DARREL. I am using capital letters so everyone can see it clearly. This man keep me calm in the middle of a very stressful situation, pointing out all the time that I was fine and life is way more important than a car. Since I an a nurse, I have taken many psychology courses and even a psychiatry class. I have been working in hospital settings for over a year now and is rare to find someone so caring and understanding of other people situation. Every day I get to see the best and the worst of human kind. For me, Darrel belongs to the best of us. Thank you Darrel, you definitely made my day better. I hope you receive from others the sympathy I received from you today.

If I could rate 0 stars I would. This company has the worst customer service I have ever experienced! Definitely a predatory towing company, and they have illegal practices. This company towed my vehicle from the handicap parking spot in my community, although I have a valid NC Handicap Decal. I also have a property decal hanging from my rear view mirror. They towed my vehicle early Sunday morning around 1am, and I attempted to recover my vehicle the next morning around 10am. They charged me $250 ($165 towing fee, $35 storage fee, and $50 after hours fee) to recover my vehicle. When I called to ask why my vehicle had been towed despite a valid parking decal, the lady acknowledged that she could see my decal, but there was nothing she could do because the manager said I was responsible for the towing fee's and would not release my vehicle until they were paid. I paid the fee's to recover my vehicle, and upon recovery I noticed my rear view mirror was damaged and dangling from the window, and my parking permit was on the floor. I took a picture before leaving their shop, and will be seeking compensation for damages. The manager has yet to return my call, and is always conveniently "out of the office". I would recommend filing a complaint with the BBB bureau to others who have experienced issues with this company. Also filing a police report for Grand Theft Auto with the Durham Police Department. Removing someone's vehicle illegally is a crime, and they should be held accountable!

While many of the negative reviews are from people in frustrating situations, my rating is actually based on their poor customer service skills. My experience was based on a mistake this towing company made, and while I understand mistakes happen, and while I was able to retrieve my car without paying any fee for their mistake, the customer service I received was careless and lacking any semblance of empathy.

This company towed my car and when they finished my exhaust shield was left like this. I called about reimbursement and the lady instantly started being rude and would not let me explain. She then hung the phone up and blocked my number and/or ignored all calls from my number or calls with my area code. Would not recommend. Miserable old lady

I'm surprised this company gets any business at all given the extreme rates they charge. $165 for the several block tow and $35 for the half hour they had the car in their lot. Another towing service only a few blocks away charges 75% of what they do. I strongly urge any business owners to refrain from using Roadside - I understand sometimes towing is necessary, but this company is a great way to lose return customers.

This company is ran by a bunch of thieves. I was calling to get my car back which they towed illegally and never got a location to pick it up. The person answering the phone had a nasty attitude and kept hanging up on me. She kept saying that no one is available to let me in to get my car back and that they only had 1 driver who supposedly had been at car accident scene for almost 24 hours. Stay away!

Since under new management and ownership Roadside Towing and Recovery has some of the best customer service I have received in a long time. I didn't have to sit for hours, wonder when they would arrive or be transferred and placed on hold for long periods of times. Plus they were super friendly. I would recommend this company to anyone!

Wow, was my first thought when presented with the $375 dollar fee. You could pay with exact cash to pay the $375 or credit card which would be an extra $50 for processing fees. One of the guys who works there was walking around with a pistol on his hip. Imagine working a job you needed a gun to do your job and you wasn't in law enforcement.

This place is HORRIBLE!!!! Needs to be SHUT DOWN IMMEDIATELY! me and my boyfriend is from out of town came to Durham to visit “Mr Fries Man” not knowing it wasn’t anywhere to park (online it says Dine-In) so our car gets towed at 9 that night they tells us they can’t tell us where it’s at til 11 that night. We waited til 11 just to be told we can’t get the car til 1am waited til 1 need I remind u ITS COLD and we are not from here! 1am comes we goes to the place to pick up our vehicle and they tell us to come back in the mornin at 9. So I Ask could I speak to the manager and was told “he’s not gonna want to talk to u” I’m too done! Ok so day 2 it’s 10:25 in the morning and we still haven’t got our vehicle! The lady is soooo unprofessional I wish I knew her personally so I could bless her. I’m so aggravated!!! This place is unbelievable!! I wish I could give 0 stars!