Towing & Recovery

I was involved in a car accident where my car ended up in a ditch. The police called Towing & Recovery to pull it out (I did not ask for this). When the driver arrived, I asked how much it would be, and he said $190 "just to show up", plus the time it took. I mentioned a competitor who was on the scene, and the driver said they'd charge "at least a hundred more, I'd guarantee it". (He lied. I later called the competitor and asked - it would be about the same price.) The driver pulled the car into the road, and since it was in drivable condition, I decided to decline further towing (with a $3/mile fee). When I asked "How do I pay?" (meaning what payment method), he thought I was saying I couldn't pay and replied "Well, I *could* push your car back in the ditch." He spent half the time he was there talking on the phone, with a cable from my car to his truck but not actually pulling. Actual working time was less than 5 minutes. A child in his passenger seat was operating the towing controls part of the time. When I paid with a credit card, a receipt was automatically emailed to my wife (how'd they get her email?) with the payee being "[redacted]", no mention of company name. I called the company later and asked how much it would be to pull a vehicle out of a ditch (non-police call), and was told about $100. Bill was $270.Product_Or_Service: Vehicle towingDesired SettlementPartial refund - $120 refund, so company still gets $150 (higher than verbal quote).Business Response Contact Name and Title: [redacted]Contact Phone:[redacted]Contact Email: [redacted]I am writing in reguards to a complaint filed against my company. First, the price that the owner paid are prices set forth by the Clayton, NC police department. The customer may have called in later to get a quote on a winch out but cash call prices are different. We are told what to pay on these calls. The other tow company on scene would have charged the same rates. Secondly, the weather conditions were icy. Matter of fact they had to shut down the roads to clear the call. The other tow company on scene couldnt even reach the car and left the scene of the accident. My company is a family owned and operated company which brings me to the next part of the complaint. Our child was out of school that day due to school closing for the weather and we do not have anyone else that can watch him. He was safley in the cab of the truck, and yes he may have helped with a winch button control. This is literally a button that you push in the cab. The issue of the credit card is simple we have our cc square set to be deposited in an account that has the owners listed on the account that is why it showed up with a name on it, and if you have ever used any square or quick books software at any company and have given your email address it saves it in the system so I would only assume that they have used this method of payment before. Lastly, about the comment about putting the car in the ditch. This customer was not happy about anything from the get go. Under the circumstances I understand. I feel like he was being rude to me and I even offered to go with him to speak to a Clayton PD officer about him not liking the charges. I have tried to contact the customer to issue an apology and further explain to him the process of any rotation charges set forth by any law enforcment in the state of North Carolina and I have not had any luck in doing so.Consumer Response I contacted the Clayton police department yesterday. They DO NOT set prices, though they do monitor to make sure one company is not charging far more than others. I don't recall him offering to speak to an officer, though he may have. I have not received any phone messages or mail from this company, and every phone number I have has a working message system.