Andy's Towing Company

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/07/08) */
On June 24th we responded to an accident for the Stearns County Sheriffs officeOur driver arrived on scene and proceeded to clean up the debris and fluid spill that resulted from the accidentOur driver advised the customer for his options
to tow his vehicle, and of the charges for the accident tow and clean upWe have set prices for all of our towing, road side services, and mileage ratesThe cost of the cost of the tow from the scene to anywhere in town (or a mile radius) was $He advised the customer that there would per a per mile charge to tow it to Richmond (his residence) approximately miles, an additional $Our driver also explained that charges will be added if it comes to our storage yardThe customer chose to have it towed to our lotOur company policy is to have the bill paid in full before items can be removed, this is to ensure we receive some compensation for the services providedWe also do not discount tows, or storage for vehicles as there is a cost involved with vehicle maintenance, property taxes and insuranceOnce a vehicle is in our custody we are responsible for the well being of the vehicle and its contents, we charge storage per calendar day that a vehicle is at our lotThe vehicle in question had extensive damage to the front of it, as a result the windows of the vehicle were inoperable and downWe used a self stick collision wrap to cover the open windows to prevent damage to the personal items in the vehicle and to keep the interior safe from the elementsThere is a one time charge for this specialty wrap the charge is $35, we covered both of the open windows of the vehicleThe customer came in on the 25th and paid the bill in full to remove his items from the vehicle, at that time the owner of the company offered to take $off of the total bill if he could sign the title over that dayThe customer did not sign the title over at that time to take advantage of the offerHe did eventually return to Andys on the 26th with the signed title to turn over the vehicle to Andys Towing, once the title is signed and turned over storage stops on the vehicleWhen he surrendered the title we did NOT charge him the additional day of storage even though he failed to take us up on our original offer $was still owedThrough email and internet reviews this customer has threatened to file a lawsuit and at no time in person did he discuss this with our employees, or the ownerWe understand the frustrations that come with the responsibility of owning a vehicle, and the less than ideal situation of needing a tow service for an accidentWe strive every day for fast, friendly and courteous service and we hope to represent the towing industry to the best of our ability
We have attached an example picture of the collision wrap we use, and one of its purposesAlso a copy of the back of our impound notices that are available to all customers, and sent out with our first letter notifications
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2015/07/09) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
They didn't address them lying about breaking the law under MN statute 168BsThey also didn't tell me that $was a limited offer, they told me if I signed the title over to them that they would give me $Simple as thatThey flat out lied and said there were no other options when I inquired; they said the only way was if the bill was paid in full, which is against the lawI'm pretty certain that lying about something like this in and of itself is against the lawThey refused taking off the time charged to me due to their refusal to allow me to do anything with itThe first step would have been my getting my things out of the vehicle, the second would have been returning to pay the bill and tow the vehicleI never asked them to wrap up my totaled vehicle or anything of the sort, In fact, I told the driver at the scene that I would be picking up the vehicle that same dayThey never did send me anything with any sort of information about their business as they claimed they would days after the incident, which is a scam in and of itself as wellHow can I agree to terms for something I haven't been informed about? Meanwhile, they wait that days to accumulate as much 'land rental' time as they can before informing the customer
Final Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2015/07/20) */
Listed below is the MN Statute that was mentioned by the complainant in the follow up complaintIt is not listed in the original complaint so we are not sure what his complaint isIf it is in regards to the retrieval of personal items, Andys Towing has a reasonable procedure regarding thisThe services rendered need to be paid and any, and all contents can be removedWe provide a service, and there is a cost involved for responding to all road side emergencies, including accidents and police requestsIn response to the other claims and accusations we truly do not know how to respondIn regards to us "waiting days to accumulate land rental (storage)" We are required by MN law to send out an impound notification that a vehicle is in our lot, we have business days to do soWith this we are caught in the middle of a huge issue, we send it out to soon then we are up charging a letter that "didn't need to be sent, if we wait the days then we are accused of trying to accumulate storage chargesThere is no happy medium for adhering to this lawIn regards to the complainant regarding the collision wrap usedHe states that he told the driver he would be in to pick up the vehicle that same day, which he didn't follow through onCovering the windows of the vehicle is a liability and responsibility that we have to all vehicles in out careHad we not covered them and there was damage to the car then we are responsible for any resulting damageHad the complainant followed through and taken the vehicle out the same day as he stated we would not have had to secure the windows of the vehicleAnd there were important items left in the car from the scene of the accident, as he stated in the original complaint he came in to retrieve his items to study for his final exam, had it rained and these items were ruined or destroyed we would be at faultWe are sorry the complainant did not follow through on picking up the vehicle the same day he said he would, and that he is unhappy about the situationWe stress our dedication to the towing industry, and keeping our community safe
168BRIGHT TO RECLAIM
Subd3.Retrieval of contents
(a) For purposes of this subdivision:
(1) "contents" does not include any permanently affixed mechanical or nonmechanical automobile parts; automobile body parts; or automobile accessories, including audio or video players; and
(2) "relief based on need" includes, but is not limited to, receipt of MFIP and Diversionary Work Program, medical assistance, general assistance, general assistance medical care, emergency general assistance, Minnesota supplemental aid, MSA-emergency assistance, MinnesotaCare, Supplemental Security Income, energy assistance, emergency assistance, food stamps, earned income tax credit, or Minnesota working family tax credit
(b) A unit of government or impound lot operator shall establish reasonable procedures for retrieval of vehicle contents, and may establish reasonable procedures to protect the safety and security of the impound lot and its personnel
(c) At any time before the expiration of the waiting periods provided in section 168B.051, a registered owner who provides documentation from a government or nonprofit agency or legal aid office that the registered owner is homeless, receives relief based on need, or is eligible for legal aid services, has the unencumbered right to retrieve any and all contents without charge and regardless of whether the registered owner pays incurred charges or fees, transfers title, or reclaims the vehicle