I implore businesses of Philadelphia to cease working with this scam company. I understand that there is a genuine need for towing. Sometimes cars are parked where they shouldn't be and need to be moved.
However there is an ethical way and a scam way. This company was fined in 2017 by the AG for unethical business practices (google it). They drive around looking for cars parked in front of their signs and then call PPA, send them a photo (PPA isn't even present), ticket it and tow it. They do not get any sort of authorization from the property owner. This, unfortunately, cannot be disputed, but it is certainly predatory. They are also incredibly rude on the phone and resort to name calling.
There are other tow services to choose from and we should all demand better from businesses that operate in Philly.
I would give them zero starts if I could. They towed my vehicle and didn’t tell me when they would release my car. The woman who answered the phone was rude as hell. This is a scheming company who takes cars for money. They need to be out of busy.
This towing company is as bad as it gets. They made me wait in the cold until they were ready to help me out. They proceeded to take their time while I filled out paper work in the cold. They gave me my car back but not after yelling at me for taking too long to get out of their lot since they were closing up. A level of human decency did not exist here and I am sorry for anyone else who has to deal with them.
Big Scam!! I parked my car and made sure it was parked on a good valid spot. They ended up towing it so I went to go check the spot to see if there’s any sign, sign was in the spot where no one would have seen. It’s 10PM at night I call the number on the sign just to find out that they only take CASH $205 at night, I had to do an uber to the spot to find out they got no ATM around. Had to walk 30 mins to find an ATM. Taking advantage of people and making them run around the city is not fun.
They also ended up scratching my car and my parking break was jammed that I barely could drive it.
this company is a scam, will demand $235 cash in the middle of the night in an unsafe area. Unable to give answer upon asking about my parking violation. Also left a big scratch on my new car while they towed. Would give them a 0 if possible. These company should not exist.
Outside of being irritated that my car got towed, the gentleman that I met when I arrived at the towing company could not have been more helpful. I arrived at 8:30am and was immediately taken care of and was in and out within 10 minutes.
Towed my LEGALLY parked car, demanded cash... 235$. Im an 18 year old girl and walking around that area holding cash was terrifying. They were so mean to me and wouldnt explain why my car was towed.
Would give them A 0 but can’t cus it’s not an option. I’ve seen countless reviews and the similar situation on the same street happened to me. 800 mifflin street. I parked at the school but behind the line to even be considered blocking that gate ( to the actual school). I parked at 7 pm, posted signs say you can’t park there between 7am-4pm. I’m way past that time. Apparently, I received a ticket, which I feel like shouldn’t have been towed if I’m receiving a ticket. I come out to my car being gone. I call them About 9pm something and they tell me they’re closed. How sway if you’re answering the phone after work hours ???? Questionable. Then he says I can’t get it out same night. So they can bull doze you with the charge and the fees. I highly recommend YOU not use them ! I want parts in the class action lawsuit if it’s true. If you even think about using them don’t just get Triple A.
This is a clearly illegal company, operating on the brink of legality. They constantly push the boundaries. I received my car from them last week and paid a $205 fine. The car was damaged and illegally opened.This company is on the verge of closure!
I parked in a zone clearly marked with "No Stopping or Standing". They towed my vehicle. That was my fault. Four stars because the fee was unreasonably high to recover the vehicle. Although it sucks getting towed, the team at George Smith isn't so bad if you take a minute to chat with them. Keep in mind, the job they have is no more enjoyable than visiting their facility to get your vehicle.
I cannot believe the appalling and unprofessional treatment I received from a representative of George Smith Towing who identified himself as “Bob.” My experience was not only frustrating and disrespectful, but it also caused a significant personal inconvenience and left me completely shocked at the way I was treated.
Upon calling the business to inquire about retrieving my vehicle, I asked to speak with the woman who typically answers the phone, as I’ve had my car towed by your company in the past and had previously spoken with her. “Bob” immediately and aggressively denied that anyone else answers the phone and claimed it was “always him.” When I explained that I had spoken with a woman several times in the past, he and others in the background laughed at me and mocked me, saying I didn’t know what I was talking about. I also asked about a drop fee and he said they didn’t have one. What tow truck company doesn’t have a drop fee?? The tone and behavior were completely disrespectful and uncalled for.
When I arrived at the towing lot, I asked “Bob” if he was the person I had spoken with on the phone and he said yes. I was on FaceTime with someone who knows the owner of the business, and I held up my phone so they could see who I was speaking with. “Bob” immediately became hostile, accused me of recording him (which I was not), and told me I would need to call the police to get my car. Despite this, I calmly proceeded to hand over my ID and debit card for payment. He refused to process the transaction and said, “You’ll get it when the cops come.”
I explained multiple times that I had urgent plans to pick up my toddler from daycare and needed to head to the back to gather our things. Despite being fully aware of this, “Bob” forced me to stand outside in the rain for approximately 15 minutes with all of mine and my child’s belongings. During this time, we argued back and forth. I repeatedly asked to speak with a supervisor, which he refused. He claimed that I had already spoken to the supervisor earlier on the phone — which was clearly false, since he had already told me he was the same person I spoke to on the call.
I reiterated that I had to pick up my daughter from daycare, and “Bob” coldly responded that he didn’t care. He continued to withhold my vehicle until I called the police. Only after I made the call to the authorities did he finally begin to help me — and even the 911 dispatcher was confused when I explained that I had already provided my ID and form of payment but was still being denied access to my vehicle.
This entire situation was disgusting, degrading, and completely avoidable. “Bob” displayed a complete lack of professionalism, empathy, and customer service. His aggressive and dismissive behavior is unacceptable — especially for someone handling the public’s property.
Worst customer service ever! Have the decency to atleast have some sort of nice customer service because customers have to PAY to get there car out anyways after going through all the hassles!
George Smith Towing illegally towed my Honda. Parked @ friends home when it was towed. The only car blocked was the friend I was visiting who I've visited at this residence for the past 7 yrs without any issues. Believe new neighbors called since he's an A-Hole who has only been at residence for a year & has been giving my friend problems. Either way, my vehicle was NOT parked illegally so it should never have been towed. $205 CASH to pick up my car cuz it was after 9pm. Complaint made to the Attorney Generals office. So everyone knows, new law "ACT 43" mandates Philly Tow Truck drivers take photo of violation to include license plate of car being towed. Tow Companies also need to call Police 1st before Towing any vehicle. George Smith Towing did neither. Anyone towed illegally by this company should contact Attorney Generals office to file complaint and request reimbursement.
My car was towed for parking in front of these illegible no parking signs. There was no other indication that they had a right to tow. Update: This company has been sued in a class action by the PA attorney general for predatory towing. I’m shocked
Do your employees even have driving licenses? Just saw one with the license plate 24059 get into the opposite lane and drive into oncoming traffic to make an illegal left turn. Dude almost hit me and I called 911 to let them know.
Yesterday , my car was towed from my friend’s apartment complex. Normally, the lot isn’t monitored by the towing company or the leasing office, they only supposed to tow when the owner of the spot reports a car there. Long story short, I parked in my friend paid for spot and my car was towed even though my friend didn’t call. This bad review isn’t about my car being towed, it happens whatever but it’s about the customer service. This place has horrible customer service. I called to inquire where my car was and if the $175 towing fee on the sign was accurate. It’s wasn’t, and they’re ripping people off. The apartment complex was built last year so I know the sign wasn’t old. They charged me $205 to get my car and also had me wait at the lot with no ETA on a driver to come and release my car. It took over two hours for a driver to come and EVERY single person was RUDE! on top of the fact they were over charging and basically set weird hours to make you pay for more storage time. What tow yards closes at 4pm on the weekend and 6pm on a weekday, that literally makes zero sense. I hope you never get towed by these people and I hope the staff has the day they deserve!
The school allegedly either has a contract with George Smith’s towing or they’re getting kickbacks from them. My car was legally parked on Mifflin st for two hours from 7:45pm to 9:45pm. The school obviously closed allegedly has a rule that you cannot park in front of their supposed “driveway.” There is no driveway, there are no posted signs stating that there is a driveway, and where I was parked was a clear curb. I don’t know what cars the school has jumping a curb to drive into a park but I highly doubt they are doing so after hours. The only clearly marked signs are those that state “No Parking on School Days between 7am to 4:30pm.” I grew up in a major city, I know how to look for every LEGAL reason a city has to ticket and tow a car. There was nothing here stating this was a driveway. I was left on S 61st at night in 20 degree winter weather for the incompetent dispatcher to tell me I had to wait for a tow drive to potentially return so I can hand him $175 in cash. So you wanted me to stand there for God knows how long in the cold with a considerable amount of cash for what? Either the school is hurting for money or the tow company is broke and needs to make money. The pictures are blurry because my hands were freezing. My car was exactly where the black SUV is siting. The posted signs on the fence of the alleged driveway state “Cars Parked Illegally will be Towed” but yet I parked there outside of the posted times in a spot that is not a posted “driveway.” Not sure when a park became a driveway but then again the President is a convicted felon so I guess anything is possible now.
Worse experience ever. They must be working side by side with the PPA. How do i get a parking violation with no photo to prove? Within 10 minutes of writing a ticket, car is towed. What a coincidence. Ticketed issued at 2:50 and I was home with my car by 3:50. They are working together, because how does one get towed and ticketed minutes apart. Also, regarding payment. They request your pin so they can enter it themselves. They don’t give you the option of entering your own private pin for you card.
Can’t even be mad. The Guys were super careful towing my car from center city from a space that I just knew would tear up my car if they towed it from there. But my car had no scratches or marks and they were all very responsive and helpful when it came to locating my car. I hate towing companies and very much believe parking should be free always, but I’m grateful for an honest pricing, with some good guys running the place. Better than where I’m coming from in NC, where they’ll tow you from a valid spot and still expect you to be the $300 towing fee even after you provide evidence they were wrong. Y’all have a happy new year
My car got towed overnight from home by this company so my boyfriend and I went to go pick it up in the morning after I realized it was gone. I called them beforehand just to make sure it did get towed and not stolen. The guy who answered the phone said they have it in their lot, I asked how much it was and he said it would be $205.00. I asked him how it costed that much and to break down the costs and he responded with “because that’s what we charge”. I didn’t mind paying for the towing fee, after all I shouldn’t have parked in that spot overnight. When I went to go pick it up, he only took cash and said just the driver is allowed around the back to get the car. I went to go grab it and my boyfriend noticed that the back right tire was flat. We asked what happened and the worker shrugged his shoulders and just told us all he did was get the car and said we could go across the street to get it fixed. Ofc we proceeded to ask more questions because it was perfectly fine last night, but the worker was clearly getting annoyed, he walked away and called my boyfriend a dick and was shouting back and forth with him. I told the worker that we’re just trying to be nice and figure it out. I asked him if there was anyone else we could speak to in which he responded with, “Well it’s Sunday. No one is working. We close at 4. It’s just me here, so no.” He then closed the gates on us and proceeded to shout over the gate cursing us out. Before you waste your time, it’s not worth calling the cops. We waited for 3 hours and no one came and we called to follow up with them 3 times. We took his car to go to the police station to file a report and they didn’t do anything but give us a “D.C. Number” for insurance. We called my insurance company and they basically said there’s no point since the damages are worth less than the deductible. We have reported this business to BBB, City of Philadelphia for Predatory Towing and the Attorney General’s Office. We just hope this place gets shut down for good, sorry to those going through the same thing with them! I understand it’s just a tire, but the damage was so unnecessary especially knowing that multiple people have the same experience with them.
My car was held hostage by a driver that is a convicted felon; he illegally put my car on a tow truck despite not blocking anything, no sign, no ticket. He told me to get in the truck to go to an ATM - I said no. He offered venmo; which I did - not realizing I was being scammed. The amount of complaints that this company has on the Better Business Bureau, Attorney Generals office, etc - how are they still in business???
I have never dealt with this company until today and I hope I never have to deal with them again. This truck thought it was good idea to go the wrong way on a one way street and then tried to intimidate to move by driving close to my car. Going the wrong way on a one way street is extremely dangerous and they should be aware of that. If I could give zero stars I would.
This company is HORRIBLE. They are scammers and liars. They tried to tow my daughter's car for allegedly being parked in a no parking zone. The driver then offers to release the car if she gave him $200 cash. Once we called the police, they explained that the owners hired them and it's now considered a civil suit. (we all know that won't work). The one company rep named Donny, instead of trying to remedy the situation he want to try and flirt with us, (like that would work). They are preying on low-income customers, the owners of the shopping center should be ashamed of their selves. The have ppl sitting in a tractor trailer watching and waiting for their next victims... SHAME ON YOU ALL!!!
George Smith Towing Inc.'s targeting of low-income minorities at the Darby Town Center is unacceptable. Their tactic of towing cars while owners are in stores, then demanding $200 cash for release, is predatory and potentially illegal. The police reported that this was the 8th car towed since 7pm. Share your experiences and let's stop this exploitation together.
My car was towed from the movie theater on north broad because the machine malfunctioned and never issued a ticket. I have the charge on my bank account for the $9 and everything. I went to get my car and my front left tire was completely flat and missing the air cap. I asked if he had proof of the damage prior to tow, he showed me the black and white pic which was clearly taken to prove the front fender damage. He pointed to the dark area and said my tire was flat and this was proof. I asked him if there was a pic of a completely flat tire and he said he can refund my money and I can come back another day, either way, I had to sign the release to get my car or they’d charge me another day. Definitely fighting this. I literally just bought new tires. Have the receipt to prove it. They damaged my car and refused to take responsibility or they would charge me more storage. Then he points me across the street to his local tire place to fix it….th?
If you're viewing this page, it's probably because your car got towed (like what happened to me). Rather than complain, here's the process, hope it helps...
1. Give them a call first to make sure they have it. The lot is in the Philly wasteland between the airport car dealerships and some rough neighborhoods. Save yourself the trip unless you need it.
2. They have a run down area with a cashier. My person was polite. For me it was $175 for the tow and $30 for the storage. The storage is per day so don't wait to get it out of impound. FYI their systems are old school pen and paper... In my case they didn't have it written down on the sheet so it took the cashier a minute to figure it out and find my information.
3. The cashier can give you the information on why it was towed. In my case, I strongly disagreed with the towing reason but... That's a battle for another day. You can file a complaint with the attorney general or sue the company if you feel that they unfairly towed you. However both of these options are time consuming and possibly very expensive... Plus you still need your car back! In my case the proof provided was a black and white print out of my car right before they towed it and a scribbled ticket with the citation.
4. They accept cash, credit and debit. I showed up with $205 in cash which I was pretty nervous about given the concerns about safety in the neighborhood from other reviews on this page, but turns out this was unnecessary.
5. Once you pay and sign you get your car back. I found my seat was out of position and the gas cap was open. Prior to leaving I checked for any missing items (everything was there) and I drove home. Nightmare over.
It absolutely sucks to get your car impounded. I gave them a second star just because the cashier was nice at least.
Since there's no website and most of their signage in the city is vague, hope this helps! Sorry your car got towed and good luck getting it back.
First they lied and said my car was parked somewhere it was not. Different street, different address that, conveniently for them, was a no parking spot. Impossible to confuse as the address they listed is up on a bridge and I was parked on a street running perpendicular beneath the bridge. Ironically, they provided me with a pic of my car being towed from the real spot. Then they presented as evidence a close up shot of a sign on private property (also not on the street where they claimed I was parked), down the block, on the other side of the street, meant to keep people from parking in front of a driveway. I was parked in a legal spot on the street, with residential permit, all plates and tags in good order. The police told me to talk to the tow company before paying. I was polite. They were aggressive, rude, and all around unconcerned about scamming people. These essentially steal your car then hold it for ransom. They should be investigated by the city and state.
This company is EXTREMELY predatory!!! We have reported them to the Better Business Bureau and are planning to contact the attorney general regarding their practices. Our car was towed last night after we paid for two hours of parking. When asked why, the employee said that there were signs posted stating that the parking ticket had to be displayed in the dash. After looking through the parking lot, there were two signs stating this. One was in the corner of the parking lot that was not anywhere near where I parked and was hard to read. The other was on a structure several feet BEHIND the pay station and looked completely unrelated. We never even saw it. They told us they had already towed 9 cars that night and they were still towing more when we left. It didn’t matter that we paid for a specific spot and showed them our pay stub. We had to pay them $205 dollars IN CASH to get our car back that night. They made thousands of dollars last night from towing nearly every single car in the lot because they purposely had misleading parking rules. What’s the point of me registering which spot I’m in if I also have to put my ticket in the dash. You’re telling me there’s no way for them to see that I had paid for spot 28 or whatever by looking into the machine they supplied for payment. PREDATORY!!
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