ComplaintsforHound Dog's Towing & Recovery

• Initial Complaint

  09/09/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Hound Dogs towing and recovery:I was towed from what appeared to be a public parking space at a local business. This happened on Sunday, Sept 8th at approximately 7:15pm.There were no indicators that I could not park there. The parking lot had other cars parked there and there were no signs in front or around this parking space.I had to pay $165.00 to get my car back. I understand if I parked in a clearly marked spot that was private or permit only. But this was purely predatory.

  Business response

  09/09/2024

  You were towed from Hippie Hit Smoke Shop located at ******************. The very small parking lot is private property and is to be used for customers of the business only while they are in the store. You (or ****** since he picked the vehicle up) parked on private property and then left the property to patronize another business. There are only 10 parking spaces in this lot and it is very obvious that it is not a public lot to be used by anyone who wishes to do so. We make it obvious by having approximately 10 signs on the property clearly stating that it is a tow away zone. The store also has signs stating that if you leave the property without your vehicle that it will be towed. It is not predatory at all. You (or ******) chose to park the vehicle on someone elses private property ignoring the multitude of signs telling you not to do so and as a result your vehicle was impounded. There were signs on a post in the gravel in front of your vehicle, a sign on the railing on the side directly behind your vehicle, one at each entrance as you pull into the lot, and 3 on the building itself directly behind your vehicle. To say there were no signs indicating that you couldnt park there is a blatant lie. There were other vehicles parked in the lot when you parked there. Those other vehicles belong to employees and customers of the business that owns the lot. You were neither and as a consequence of your decision to park there your vehicle was legally impounded and removed from the property. They have a very limited number of parking spaces and every time someone illegally parks there it takes up a space that a paying customer could be using. We will not be issuing any refunds because there isnt any need to do so.  You parked in a lot that was clearly marked as both private and permit only and chose to ignore the warnings. 

  Customer response

  09/09/2024

  [If you do not say why you are rejecting the company's response, BBB must close your complaint.] 
  
  Complaint: 22258673
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  
  I am rejecting this response because: 
  You are stating that there were signs posted in front of the parking space and on the handrail to the right of the parking space. The pictures that I have attached clearly show otherwise. The signs in the gravel that are not in front of this parking spot are broken and laying face down. 
  We are smart and respectful people, If we knew that this was private parking we would have found another place to park. We drove up and down *********** trying to find a decent place to park. (We were just visiting the area) 
  I think this is a simple case of misunderstanding, because genuinely it was not clearly posted in that specific parking space. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *********************
  

• Initial Complaint

  08/08/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  The early morning of 8/7/2024. 530am. Hound dogs towing decided to tow my vehicle. They are targeting vehicles parked close to the entrance. My vehicle was towed over a parking pass that was in the vehicle. They say it has to be displayed but never said where. Not one person said prove to them the pass is in the vehicle. Not on my person when I go to retrieve my vehicle. So for them to tow my car it was a total of $156.95. Then the employee refused to take my credit card as a payment. I get to the building and noticed my car was pulled in forward. Which means they towed my car wrong. I've never had my car towed from the back. It has always been towed from the front with the extra wheels put onto the back. Tow truck driver drugged my car 20mins away. Causing whatever damage that may occur. Not only that I'm sure they have no right to enter my vehicle. Tow truck driver somehow got into my vehicle, then tied my seat belt around my steering wheel. Which also confirmed my car was not towed correctly. Nowhere on any signs or anything posted that they are allowed to enter your vehicle. Hound dogs towed my car wrong, refused the payment I wanted to use and then entered my vehicle without permission. This was not a call for a tow this was a tow from a complex which in fact I have a parking pass for. Never received a receipt I was given an invoice. The invoice doesn't show I paid, the amount I paid and or the change. Also they only required an ID to release the vehicle. There was no verifying the vehicle actually belonged to me.

  Business response

  08/28/2024

  Your vehicle was impounded because you didn’t have a parking permit visible anywhere on the vehicle. It has to be visible because otherwise we have no idea that you have one. When you showed up to get your vehicle our internet was down which also meant we couldn’t accept credit cards until it came back online. Your vehicle was dollied so all 4 wheels were off the ground. As far as why they tied the steering wheel it was to keep the wheels from turning while the front was on dollies because your steering wasn’t locked. We towed your vehicle for a valid reason and towed it correctly and damage free. We won’t be issuing any type of refund because there is no reason to do so. 

  Business response

  08/28/2024

  Your vehicle was impounded because you didn’t have a parking permit visible anywhere on the vehicle. It has to be visible because otherwise we have no idea that you have one. When you showed up to get your vehicle our internet was down which also meant we couldn’t accept credit cards until it came back online. Your vehicle was dollied so all 4 wheels were off the ground. As far as why they tied the steering wheel it was to keep the wheels from turning while the front was on dollies because your steering wasn’t locked. We towed your vehicle for a valid reason and towed it correctly and damage free. We won’t be issuing any type of refund because there is no reason to do so. 

• Initial Complaint

  06/20/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This business illegal towed my car and then I woke up Monday morning with no car whatsoever. I found hound dogs towing phone numbers thankfully and found out they wrongfully towed my car and there were aware it was wrongfully towed. Then I had to track down where this "business" was. Finally found their address and went to that location and there isn't anyone even working there! I walked about for awhile before I found anyone "working" there. Finally found someone and then they tell me where my car is and then I get it and try to go and he blocks me from leaving! I had about enough at this point and just drove around him and left. I leave a Google review and the owner gets online on a public review and proceeds to call me names and says something in regards to settling it physically. I have had enough of these thugs thinking they can treat their victims like this. Can you do something? The "owner" erased his comment on my Google review but I took a picture before he could erase it proving that he called me names and acted very very unprofessional in public for all to see

  Business response

  06/20/2024

  Your vehicle was given back to you free of charge due to an honest mistake. We’ve acknowledged that and apologized and you’ve been harassing us for two days about it. I understand that you aren’t happy about it and I don’t blame you but you have been acting very childish. Nobody has threatened you with any physical harm. That is a blatant lie. You’ve left negative reviews everywhere possible and harassed us with messages to the point that we had to block you. I’m the owner and I’m out of the country until next month so I won’t be calling you because there’s no need to. I would tell you the same thing that you’ve already been told. Mistakes happen occasionally. It’s not something that happens often but we owned up to it and didn’t charge you anything because of it. We’ve apologized but that doesn’t seem to be good enough. I’m not sure what else you want. I hope this can be the end of it. The driver that towed your vehicle has been disciplined and retrained on how to look up the rules for every property in our system. He’s relatively new and we tow from thousands of properties in ******** County. Virtually every property has different rules on what they want us to tow for.  The driver looked up another property that has a similar name and thought he was allowed to tow for expired tags. It really was an honest mistake. I really don’t know what else we can do for you except to apologize again for the mistake. I’m sorry your car was towed and that it inconvenienced you. 

  Customer response

  06/21/2024

  [If you do not say why you are rejecting the company's response, BBB must close your complaint.] 
  
  Complaint: 21878234
  
  I am rejecting this response because: The owner is a liar. I don't think he can stop lying even if he tried to. Please remind the owner that I have his original response to my Google review so he DID indeed act like he was going to use phsyical force to solve this issue. The owner is also a liar because he said he's apologized but didn't until the very last sentence of his "response" if you even want to call it that. You don't know what else you can do? How about you wash all this marker all over my windows? How about a gift card since I had to waste my gas and waste my money to clean up your and your criminals mistakes. I want an actually solution, not just name calling from the "owner". Thanks.

  
  Regards,
  
  **** ****

  Customer response

  06/21/2024

  It's almost hilarious that the "owner" a.k.a. criminal, wants to talk about harassment. He doesn't know what harassment is. Once he wakes up on a Tuesday morning and his car has disappeared for NO reason  whatsoever then and only then can he talk to me about harassment. Hound dogs towing harassed me to the ultimate power by stealing and vandalizing my car.

• Initial Complaint

  05/28/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  4:40am today, they towed my car from Prescott Place Apartments. * They're always on the hunt throughout the day and early morning hours searching for vehicles to tow. * I saw them hunting ~1:30am this morning before I went to bed. I woke up ~4:35 to use the restroom, on my way back to bed I heard noises outside so I looked outside and saw them towing my car. * By the time I threw my housecoat on & ran down the stairs, they were gone. * Once I got their number from my leasing office, I called to ask if they have my car. Their phone rep had the nerves to say when you don't follow the rules then your car gets towed. * They claimed I didn't have my parking permit in the window visible to the driver and they tow any vehicles that don't have a visible permit. * I explained it could have fallen off & the witch said well it'll be $157 to get your car. I explained that my permit doesn't fit around my mirror so I place it on top of my phone holder and it must have fallen down. They again said if it's not visible then I have to pay the fine of $157 to get my car. * I missed work at my part-time gig because they towed my car.

  Business response

  05/31/2024

  We have a contract to patrol your apartment complex and impound any vehicles that are in violation of the rules. One of those rules is that the parking permit must be displayed either on the rear view or in the front windshield. If it’s not visible then we tow the car. We don’t search the vehicle looking for a permit if it’s not displayed properly. We definitely aren’t going to try to work with you or help you at all when you are disrespectful and screaming at our dispatchers on the phone. Making sure that your permit is visible is your responsibility. Our driver did not see your permit on the floor and we don’t know that it was actually there or if you put it there just to take a picture after you paid and went in the lot to retrieve your vehicle. Regardless, it doesn’t matter because by your own admission it wasn’t displayed properly.  There’s no guarantee but we may have tried to be nice and given you a discount IF what you claim is true and IF you had been respectful.  We won’t be refunding anything to you because the vehicle was impounded for a valid, legal reason. 

  Customer response

  06/05/2024

  [If you do not say why you are rejecting the company's response, BBB must close your complaint.] 
  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because your company are predators and your dispatcher is a rude liar. I got offended after your lying dispatcher said "well if you follow the rules then your vehicle wouldn't get towed" Also, your lying dispatcher verbally told me that they checked my car and didn't see the permit. I DID follow the rules and had my permit visible but my indoor camera fell, knocked the permit down onto the floor of the passenger side of the car. If your blood hungry driver would have simply looked through the window, he would have seen it but apparently you have a shady contract with ***** Properties to make as much money as you can by any means necessary. I have been a legitimate resident of Prescott Place and what you did was wrong. The complex should give your company a list of legitimate resident vehicles but I realize this is their money scam with your company. After I paid your unfair fee, I went to my car, opened the door, took a picture of my permit on the floor of the passenger side that my camera knocked down. I did this while on your dirty property before I started my car and drove it off your dirty lot. Because you unjustly towed my vehicle, I missed my part time morning job, I missed my physical therapy appointment and I missed my full time evening job. I want a refund of $400.

  
  Regards,
  
  **** ******

• Initial Complaint

  04/15/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My daughters car was towed from the parking lot of her campus house on Friday night THERE ARE NO SIGNS POSTED stating no parking/cars will be towed we have pictures to verify no signage I explained to Hounddog the night of towing there are no signs posted and was accused of tearing the sign down and was told that I needed to speak to the real estate company about the sign. I called Northstep Realty on Monday to explain and was told signage is the responsibility of Hounddog Towing. Spoke to Hounddog Towing again to request a refund since they aren’t following the law with proper signage I was hung up on twice and told her car was towed due to expired permit-how can Hounddog demand valid legal permits without valid legal signage!! Hounddog Towing is in violation of Ohio Revised Code 4513.601 in order for them to do business without being sued for wrongful towing they need to POST SIGNS! I was told by Hounddog if they post a new sign it will just get torn down again-NOT MY PROBLEM-Hounddog Towing can’t choose to be irresponsible and break the law as a business because people take down their signs. I want a full refund! Why is my daughter expected to follow the law and pay fines if she doesn’t, but Hounddog Towing doesn’t need to follow those same laws to do business?!

  Business response

  04/25/2024

  We impounded this vehicle because it didn’t have a parking permit for the property. According to our driver there was a sign posted at the time the vehicle was impounded. This sign “mysteriously” disappeared after this persons vehicle was towed and they claim it wasn’t there to begin with. Unfortunately, this is a common ploy on the Ohio State campus because people think they can remove the sign and then they won’t have to pay the impound fee. Our drivers always check the signage prior to towing a vehicle because of the prevalence of the kids removing signs. We do our best to put them in a visible space that is out of reach or hard to reach but that isn’t always an option. This property in particular has signage that is easily accessible to anyone with a screwdriver. I’m not accusing the owner of this vehicle of removing the sign but it’s very curious that it disappeared between the time of the vehicle being removed and the owner calling us about it.  The owner of the vehicle “informed” us that the sign was now missing so we immediately went and replaced the missing sign. There is evidence on the back of the building where the sign was ripped off. We placed the new sign on the porch railing now. We have been towing from this property for several years now and have replaced the signage several times due to the signs being ripped down so we always check. We won’t be able to refund any money because the sign was present before the vehicle was parked and was present at the time of the impound. We did everything legally and by the law. The sign disappearing after the fact has no bearing on the legality of the impound and doesn’t give the vehicle owner a “get out of jail free” card. If you look at the first picture submitted by the complainant, look to the left of the door for the 56 side and you’ll see where the sign used to be before it was ripped down after the vehicle was impounded. 

  Customer response

  05/07/2024

  [If you do not say why you are rejecting the company's response, BBB must close your complaint.] 
  
  Complaint: 21576633
  
  I am rejecting this response because: 
  Everything in their response is a flat out LIE! Hounddog Towing is a scumbag business practicing unethical and illegal business behaviors! I have pictures PROVING NO SIGNAGE the night my car was towed in fact Hounddog put the new sign up on Monday after speaking with me on the phone Monday morning and when I asked to see their photographic proof they had before towing my car they refused to show me! Per the Ohio Revised Code they are to have photographic evidence of proper signage BEFORE towing and prove it when questioned, they did neither! We are taking Hounddog Towing to small claims court the paper work along with the estimate for the damage they caused to my car has been filled out and will be filed this month! At this point it’s not so much about my $160 it’s about this scum bag business being fined for using illegal tactics to make a buck!
  Regards,
  
  ****** ********

  Business response

  05/08/2024

  This doesn’t require a response because there is nothing of substance to respond to. We have an excellent legal team if she chooses to go that route. I may have been willing to try to come to some kind of understanding at the beginning except for the fact that every interaction has been like dealing with a toddler that doesn’t get their way. I tend to be a lot easier to work with when someone isn’t being rude, obnoxious, and just generally being a horrible person.  I feel sorry for anyone that has to deal with your vitriol on a daily basis. You can see where the sign was ripped down to the left side of the left (56) door. My belief is that the sign was probably ripped down by the parents of the vehicle owner as a ploy to try to avoid paying the impound fee because their daughter parked where she shouldn’t have. Accept responsibility and move on. 

• Initial Complaint

  04/03/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  April 3. 2024 ********** ***** ***** Drive Columbus Ohio. Vehicle was towed HOWEVER there are no signs indicating a no parking zone. The condo association Towne Properties (a seperate complaint coming for them) and Hound Dogs towing team up and tow vehicles for no reason! Hound Dog said they were instructed to tow and as long as a sign is anywhere on the property they can tow. Make that make sense? If it's not a sign where someone is parking?

  Business response

  04/04/2024

  The vehicle (2023 Nissan Pathfinder) was impounded because it was not properly parked in a parking space. We have signs posted at every entrance to the property and we are contracted to patrol and impound vehicles that are not parked where they are supposed to be. The vehicle was not towed for “no reason.”  It was towed because you parked in an area where you aren’t allowed to park. Unfortunately, we won’t be issuing any refunds because the vehicle was impounded for a valid reason. 

  Customer response

  04/04/2024

  [If you do not say why you are rejecting the company's response, BBB must close your complaint.] 
  
  Complaint: 21523553
  
  I am rejecting this response because: 

  They can keep their little money but per all pictures submitted and where the vehicle was parked there are NO signs indicating this. People have parked their for years the only reason it's an issue is due to a racist board member who who vindictive and that is being addressed as well. There are no signs where the two vehicles were towed from that says no parking. There are signs for guest parking saying no parking between 1-6 am..again they can keep the money since they need it more I guess. 

  Your efforts are appreciated however this business is wrong and greedy. 

  
  Regards,
  
  ***** *****

  ***** <*******************>
  Thu, Apr 4, 4:11?PM (20 hours ago)
  to Better
  
  
  We can close this case. I appreciate the efforts. I will proceed legally with them and the condo association accordingly. I wish to have no other messages from this immoral "business". Thank you. 
  
  
  On Thu, Apr 4, 2024, 2:24?PM Better Business Bureau <disputeresolution@centralohio.bbb.org> wrote:

• Initial Complaint

  03/15/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Towed my car for no reason, my tag was valid in Ohio bmv system. But sticker was removed. Tow truck company came in the middle of the night and towed my car. Now made me pay to get the t back.say d I had expired sticker displayed. That it’s against the law to drive I’m Ohio like that.

  Business response

  03/15/2024

  Your vehicle was impounded for a valid reason. The registration sticker on your license plate was expired. We have a contract with the apartment complex and they want any vehicles with an expired registration sticker removed from the property. We do not have the ability to check to see if you renewed your plates or not, only the police can do that. You are supposed to have the registration sticker on the plate before or on the expiration date.  If you’re ordering online you’re supposed to order the new sticker with a sufficient amount of time to receive it before the one on the vehicle expires. We will not be refunding anything since this was a valid tow. 

• Initial Complaint

  03/07/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  In November, Williamsburg Square was repaving their parking lots and had Hound Dog’s moving any vehicles that had been moved to the street. I could not find my keys so I asked the driver to move my vehicle where he moved the others and I told him why. (I was never given his name). The truck did get moved to one location, which was near the mailboxes. The lot was taped off for a couple of days. I went to check on my vehicle, none of them were there. I drove around the complex, did not see it. I called Hound Dog’s, they had no record of it being moved. I called the police because at this point, I believed it was stolen. I could not report it stolen at the time, bc of the issue I was having with the title. They still had no record of the vehicle being towed. I kept an eye out on the police records site. A week later I saw my truck listed as being towed by hound dogs after I called and asked them about it. When I called and explained the situation. They said they towed it for had tags. Understandable, however, it wouldn’t have been in that area for it be towed if they did not move it there. When I originally called, they told me to call the property manager. I did and they didn’t know where it was either. They have had my vehicle since November and believe I should pay the fees to get it back. They told me they would have someone call me back multiple times. Someone even told me they would talk to the owner. I never heard anything back from anyone. I called recently and asked about the auction, I was told they don’t know when the auction is, they “just have them”. I sure what I can do and which I was told to reach out sooner. They should not have my vehicle, especially when they did not report having it or even moving it when they did it!

  Business response

  03/15/2024

  On October 26, 2023 we were called by Williamsburg Square Apartments because they were paving the parking lots and wanted us to relocate some vehicles to a different parking lot on the property. We did so and one of the vehicles that we relocated was the Chevrolet Blazer belonging to the complainant. She called us a day or two later trying to locate her vehicle. We told her that we did not impound it but it had been relocated because of paving. On November 1, 2023 we did impound the vehicle because the license plates had expired in May of 2021.  All of this has been explained numerous times to the complainant but she keeps calling thinking that she’s going to get a different answer.  The vehicle would have been in violation of the rules and would have been impounded regardless of whether we had previously relocated it or not. It was still parked on the same property with tags that expired well over two years ago. We will not be refunding or discounting anything. She was aware of the vehicle being impounded shortly after it was towed in November and has refused to pay when it would have been a lot cheaper then. For some reason she thinks she is exempt from the same rules that everyone else has to follow and is upset when she discovered that this isn’t the case. 

  Customer response

  03/18/2024

  [If you do not say why you are rejecting the company's response, BBB must close your complaint.] 
  
  Complaint: 21402148
  
  I am rejecting this response because: 

  
  I completely understand “the rules” but as I stated from the beginning, it was only moved by Hound Dogs because I could not find my keys and I requested the driver to move it for me. It was moved TWICE. When I called and asked where my vehicle was located, I was not told where it was accurately. The vehicle would have never been in THAT location to be towed if I had known where it was, That is the point. That has been the point. That’s fine if you feel it was cheaper then, I did not have the funds.
  When I asked where the vehicle was moved to, I should’ve been provided with that information. We would not be here today, had that been documented properly and no one even apologized for that mistake in the process. Now I am out of my truck all because the driver AND Williamsburg Square did not have record of where it was moved. If the tags weren’t bad, I still would’ve not known where it was because it was not documented properly. I was told multiple times someone would call me to “see what we can do..”, So why would I believe it was impossible to have help with my situation if I was told that? 
  
  ****** *******

• Initial Complaint

  11/14/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  illegally towed my vehicle and charged me $162.79.

  Business response

  11/21/2023

  I’m sure that the reason we towed your vehicle was valid and legal. However, I have no idea what vehicle you’re referring to since you didn’t give us any information on what kind of vehicle or where it was impounded from. We will not be issuing any refunds. Thanks!

• Initial Complaint

  11/08/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Unlawful tow. My vehicle is registered and up to date and it was towed at my residence. The apartment complex never requested it be removed- they just came and did it with no warning or notice. Its a poor business practice. And truly unlawful.

  Business response

  11/09/2023

  The vehicle was impounded because the registration sticker that was displayed on the license plate expired on April 25, 2023. We do not have the ability to “run” license plates like the police do to check if the registration is valid. We can only go by what the sticker says. Ohio law also states that a valid registration sticker has to be displayed on the license plate. It’s not our fault if you forgot to put the sticker on the license plate. It was a valid tow and we won’t be able to issue a refund.

  Customer response

  11/13/2023

  [If you do not say why you are rejecting the company's response, BBB must close your complaint.] 
  
  Complaint: 20843378
  
  I am rejecting this response because: 

  It was towed illegally based on what the police told us. Additionally, my lease requires a 48 hr notification before towed from the private property for any reason. That didn't occur- hence additional reasons why a refund should be issued. Maybe know the policies and procedures of the lots you are contracted to before taking it upon yourself to tow. This is professional misconduct and frankly 0-poor communication with Ebner on the behalf of their tenants. 

  Additionally it was brought to my attention that there was residential space being created on the Hound Dog business premises. This is illegal since it's commercially zoned. It's amazing the amount of illegal activity one business will be in to make a buck. I have passed this information on to the state for it to be further investigated by the proper authorities. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ******** *******

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