Frank's Towing & Recovery

Sent: Wednesday, November 04, 12:PMSubject: ID [redacted] November 4, Revdex.com of Metropolitan Houston WLoop South, STeHoustonTXDear Sirs We are in receipt of your letter DD which details the complaint of Mr[redacted]We believe the facts of the
interaction were not completely? provided by Mr[redacted]Our recollection of the events are as follows, Mr[redacted] brought the truck to us, indicating he did not want to have it repaired and as long as he got $9,000.00? we could keep the truckThe initial estimate by the insurance company was $4429.60.? We informed Mr[redacted] of this and indicated that the Insurance Company? might have left out repairs to certain damaged components, however to prove this it would require us doing a meticulous disassembly, inspection and Estimate? to determine the extent of all the damagesMr[redacted] gave? us the approval to proceedThe disassembly and Inspection was done and the revised Estimate? was forwarded to the Insurance Company as a? supplement, the? Insurance Company subsequently did a re-inspection and approved the supplement request in the amount of $4581.83? This revised amount was communicated to Mr[redacted] who indicated he changed his mind about giving? us the truck as long as he received $9000.? after he was told of the amount the Insurance Company? had approved (? $9011.43), but wanted an additional $5000.00.? We indicated we would not be interested in purchasing the vehicle at that priceMr[redacted] indicted he would like to remove the truck from? our facility? and asked what was the amount due, we indicated the total amount due was $Mr[redacted] became very annoyed as to why he should pay this amount? and offered the amount of $which we respectfully declinedAt which time he threatened to call the City, report us to the Insurance Company? and any other treat he could imagine, he also called the Sheriff dept., indicating he had not provided approval for any work to be done, a copy of the signed work order and the invoice were given to them and they left.? Mr [redacted] vehicle a [redacted] truck (3/Ton) was severely damaged in the accident and to do a? meticulous? disassemble and inspection along with dealing with the Insurance adjuster and the customer, consumed a sizeable amount of resources and required a high level of expertise, therefore our invoice reflected thisSubsequent, to all of this including reporting to the Revdex.com, Mr [redacted] contacted us and apologized for his actions and asked if we could provide a discounted amount, we agreed to a final amount of $2500., at the time of writing? our response? Mr [redacted] has already paid the $and collected his vehicleWe also take this time to thank you for your efforts in being a neutral third party in helping to resolve issues of this nature, and should you have any further questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact us Respectfully Marlon [redacted]s Auto [redacted][email protected] ? ?

I have no more to say on this matter. We are sticking with our original response. Any future derogatory remarks will be turned over to our attorney.

Complaint: 12417510
I am rejecting this response because: There is so much about Frank’s statement that is inaccurate that I don’t know where to begin. The first paragraph, he states that the driver only talked to the police. That is not true as I spoke to the driver and was going to give him...

the address to my house to tow it to. He told me they do not tow to specific locations at night, only to their shop and I would have to have it re-towed to wherever I wanted it in the morning. I thought this was strange at the time but I now know why they tow it only to their shop (It is so they can hold your vehicle and its contents hostage in the locked gate until you pay their outrageous ransom. If you don’t pay, then they will just add daily fees until you do). The driver gave me a business card with the phone number and said that they open at 9am. FYI – the reason I did not drive my car home was because the officer advised me not to. Although my car was drivable it was pretty banged up in the front end and it was unsure what was damaged under the hood, etc.. Although I was unhurt, it was at night, I was there by myself and pretty shaken up from what had just happened. So when the officer asked me if I wanted him to call a tow truck, I agreed. Yes, in hindsight, I should have ignored the officer’s advice and just drove it home. Believe me I wish I had, but I wasn’t thinking the most clearly at that time. The next morning I did call and ask how much. I did not talk with Frank, as his statement says, but some woman who answered the phone. When she told me how much I didn’t even know how to respond. I said OK and hung up. His statement says some time later my husband called back. That is also false as my husband never phoned there. He did not speak to Frank until Frank came storming from the back of his shop to threaten and intimidate my husband. However, I did phone a second time and spoke to the woman again. I asked her why it was so much, and she said it was because it was a police call. I asked her what does it matter who called, why does that make it more. She could not explain and told me that I would have to take it up with the police department. She was rude and antagonistic and I was extremely angry also that I was a victim of a hit and run and now a victim of the towing company who likes to extort money from people in vulnerable situations. I hung up on her, not the other way around. We went down there with the $475 cash that they said we needed. Since I had already exchanged angry words with the woman on the phone, I did not want to go in. I sent my husband in with the money and I said be sure to get a detailed receipt of the “extra charges” incurred due to the police making the call, because if that costs me extra then I will take the bill to the police as I did not even cause this accident. My husband was angry also and demanded an explanation of the charges and a receipt so we could take that to the police if it was more due to them calling. As he was arguing with the woman, Frank came to charging to the front of the shop, got in my husband’s face, yelling and screaming, “Get the [redacted] out of here or I will break your [redacted]ing neck. Frank’s statement that he never cussed or threatened him is a flat out lie because I could hear it all the way outside. Pretty pathetic that he to threaten a 63 year old disabled man. He was standing in the way of the door so my husband had to tell him to move so he could leave. My husband came out and said we were leaving, and I said, not without my car we are not. I am getting my car today. I phoned the police so we could get our car without getting beat up. Another employee took our money in and came out with the receipt, we got our car and left. I find it rather amusing that Frank took the details of my original complaint and turned it around to say that my husband did all the things that we are accusing him of. Finally, he states that I could have called my own wrecker service. If I had known of the inflated prices that some tow companies charge for a “police call” you bet I would have. I consider it a $475 lesson and I am wiser now. However, I feel the need to warn and educate other people about this. I will either be purchasing AAA or I will have a list of reputable tow companies in my car. And unless I am unconscious or dead, I will call my own tow truck from now on. I don’t think that there will be a resolution to this matter, as I don’t think Frank’s Towing feels there is anything wrong with what they are doing. I think they are perfectly OK with it and don’t intend to make any changes.
Sincerely,
[redacted]