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Business Profile

Towing Company

Preferred Emergency Towing & Recovery

This business is NOT BBB Accredited.

Find BBB Accredited Businesses in Towing Company.

Complaints

Customer Complaints Summary

  • 22 total complaints in the last 3 years.
  • 9 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

If you've experienced an issue

Submit a Complaint

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

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Complaint status

Complaint type

  • Initial Complaint

    Date:07/30/2024

    Type:Service or Repair Issues
    Status:
    UnansweredMore info

    Complaint statuses

    Resolved:
    The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
    Unresolved:
    The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
    Answered:
    The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
    Unanswered:
    The business failed to respond to the dispute.
    Unpursuable:
    BBB is unable to locate the business.
    We called on 07/29 to get a price to transload a utility trailer off of the ground and load it onto an 18 ******* trailer. **** was the person that quoted us and said it would be $195 an hour, we asked if were any minimums required and he said no a flat $195 an hr, on a recorded call. The day of the loading we get a call saying we need to pay the wrecker driver $500. We said well hold on that was not what we were quoted yesterday, he said my minimum is 2 hours and fees so it is $500. We said we need to speak to ****, well hes on days off. Ok well we were not quoted that we wre quoted $195 an hr and the gentleman that was awnsering the phones at ************ that day told us you can either pay me the $500 or I will stick your trialer in storage and you will start accumulating storage fess as well how would you like that. I said you cant do this he said I have been douing this for 39 years and there is nothing you can or will do about it, now are you paying me or am I keeping your trailer. We ended up paying him for that service which was double what we were quoted and told the previous day. The Tow Operator is a shistor and scam artist and something needs to be done to people like this as he has been operating for that longa nd getting away with things like this no telling how many people he has defrauded.
  • Initial Complaint

    Date:06/26/2024

    Type:Service or Repair Issues
    Status:
    UnansweredMore info

    Complaint statuses

    Resolved:
    The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
    Unresolved:
    The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
    Answered:
    The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
    Unanswered:
    The business failed to respond to the dispute.
    Unpursuable:
    BBB is unable to locate the business.
    I hired this company to tow my motorcycle, a total of six miles. They quoted me a price of $150.00 for the tow and $3.00 per mile. The tow guy came and towed my car to the new location. When he arrived to drop the bike off at the new location he told me the price would be close to $600.00. I attempted to call the manager but they didn't answer. He spoke with the owner ***** who refused to speak with me. I ended up calling the police and the tow driver drove off with my bike. I called *****, the office manager the next morning who I hired the services with and she first said she didn't know where my bike was. She lied. My bike was located in their body mechanic shop not even at a tow yard. ****** was angry because I refuted the charges. She then said that she could charge whatever she wanted. I called the ************************* and she dropped the price to $250.00. I refuted again because that was not what I was quoted. She said because I have an attitude she's charging me the higher price. All of her behavior was captured on ************************* body cam. Police reports were made and I filed official complaints. This company is a scam. They quote you one price and once they have your vehicle in their possession they up the price knowing you can't refute because it becomes a civil matter. They then force you to Cash pay/Zelle them. I am not the only victim of this business.
  • Initial Complaint

    Date:04/29/2024

    Type:Service or Repair Issues
    Status:
    UnansweredMore info

    Complaint statuses

    Resolved:
    The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
    Unresolved:
    The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
    Answered:
    The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
    Unanswered:
    The business failed to respond to the dispute.
    Unpursuable:
    BBB is unable to locate the business.
    On April 24, 2024 around 7:00p.m., I (a semi truck driver) broke down at the Speedway fuel stop near my company terminal in ***********. I contacted my company, RoadRunner Freight LLC, who in turn contacted the Travel Centers of ******* to dispatch a tow truck. Travel Centers of ******* then subcontracted the tow to a third party vendor (Preferred Emergency Towing & Recovery, d/b/a and/or a/k/a ********* Heavy Duty *********************************************** located in ********, **, about 40 miles from my location). ********* website (see link below) guarantees a one-hour arrival time, and no hidden fees. The tow truck was dispatched by TCA to ******* HDT at 10:16 p.m. The driver arrived at 11:29 p.m., and towed me and my semi to my yard located in *******, ** (approx. 40 miles away). Upon arrival, the driver informed me that my bill was $3,367.85. I told him that was egregious and that I did not those funds. He indicated that he would not release my semi until it was paid, or he would tow it back to *********** and that I would incur an additional tow. I ended up having to contact my employer RoadRunner and have them advance the monies to release the tow. The driver never disclosed the amount I would have to pay. ******* HDT charged me $495/hour for 4 hours (even it was only 2 hours total from the time he hooked the tow until we arrived at my yard to unhook. ******** standard towing fees for ******** for heavy duty trucks is $175-$200 an hour, or a $375-$400 "flat fee tow". Additionally, ******* HDT charged me additional fees totaling $1,009.15 (administrative/customer service/fuel surcharge/fairing/air supply delivery/snatch block fees), and $377.85 in taxes. I have been a truck driver for over 40 years, and just 6 mths ago I had to be towed from *******, ******* (with a trailer) to my same truck yard (approx ***** miles, same distance) and I only paid $675.00 (copy attached). I have filed a dispute with TCA and my company.*********************************************************************************
  • Initial Complaint

    Date:02/14/2024

    Type:Service or Repair Issues
    Status:
    UnansweredMore info

    Complaint statuses

    Resolved:
    The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
    Unresolved:
    The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
    Answered:
    The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
    Unanswered:
    The business failed to respond to the dispute.
    Unpursuable:
    BBB is unable to locate the business.
    I paid this business $266 on 12/27/24 for a tow. In the process the driver damaged my ****'s hood while pulling it out of the garage. He scraped the roof of the garage against my Jeep's hood causing over $1,500 in damages. They initially said they would pay for the repairs but now they are avoiding my calls and refusing to pay. The owner refuses to talk to me and he hides behind a woman named ***** who is the dispatcher. She has only been giving me the "run around" and is full of excuses when asked about them reimbursing me.
  • Initial Complaint

    Date:09/18/2023

    Type:Service or Repair Issues
    Status:
    UnansweredMore info

    Complaint statuses

    Resolved:
    The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
    Unresolved:
    The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
    Answered:
    The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
    Unanswered:
    The business failed to respond to the dispute.
    Unpursuable:
    BBB is unable to locate the business.
    I called for a tow and was quoted $125 plus 8 dollars a mile for 5 miles. I was expecting a bill for about $165 so I agree to the tow. Once we got to the house they sent me a link for a $301 bill. They had added on an extra 17 miles at five dollars an hour. Plus $44 fuel surcharge. When I called them to discuss, they hung up on me when I called back the guy was smog and said well, we have to pay for a fuel somehow and the tow driver, as he drove away, said we deal with this all the time its a civil matter. Its a scam. They quote you one price and then double it, and you have no choice but to pay the ******. Their ******** page and their website are full of negative reviews. They have an F reading with the BBB. I filed a police report with tge Will County sherriffs Department and I will be filing a report with the attorney generals office and the **** Someone needs to shut these people down.
  • Initial Complaint

    Date:08/30/2023

    Type:Billing Issues
    Status:
    UnansweredMore info

    Complaint statuses

    Resolved:
    The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
    Unresolved:
    The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
    Answered:
    The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
    Unanswered:
    The business failed to respond to the dispute.
    Unpursuable:
    BBB is unable to locate the business.
    Called and asked how much a tow would be and was quoted $******- driver arrived and brought me exactly 4 miles from the place my car stalled to my home and charged me $386.10. When I asked why it was so much when I was quoted ****** I was told "I dont why they told you that?" I called to speak to a manager to request an adjustment and was told I would receive a call back and never heard from them.
  • Initial Complaint

    Date:08/01/2023

    Type:Service or Repair Issues
    Status:
    UnansweredMore info

    Complaint statuses

    Resolved:
    The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
    Unresolved:
    The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
    Answered:
    The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
    Unanswered:
    The business failed to respond to the dispute.
    Unpursuable:
    BBB is unable to locate the business.
    I called Preferred Emergency ****************., ********************************************************************* | Phone: ************ because I hit a pothole left tire blew. The company took my information and agreed to provide the towing to ********************** which is located at *************************************************************, 9 miles away. No pricing information was given. The total charge of the tow was $450.45 which they told me I had to send the money via Zelle in order to release my car. I sent the money. My big concern is the cost is extremely high, seems to be excessive and possibly usury. I contacted the company on 7/31/20023 at 12:00 PM to get an explanation of the bill and the agent told me to call back in 1 hour to speak to *****. I called 1 hour later and they said ***** was still not available and I asked that ***** call be me and they agreed. At 5:30 PM I called again because ***** had not contacted me and the said ***** was gone for the day. The guy on the phone said that he would help and i asked him to explain the breakdown of the invoice. Here is what the invoice looked like: Service ItemUnits/QtyPriceLine Total Loaded/Hooked Mileage9$10.00$90.00 Unloaded/Enroute Mileage20$5.00$100.00 Fuel Surcharge 1$65.45$65.45 Hook Up 1$195.00$195.00 Subtotal $450.45 Taxes $0.00 Grand Total $450.45 Here is their explanation of the bill to me: Loaded/Hooked Mileage = to hook up the carUnloaded/Enroute Mileage= the cost for the driver to get to me because he was 20 miles away Fuel Surcharge = cost of gas for the 9 mile tow Hook Up= for the tow Subtotal$450.45 I was not aware that I would have to pay for the distance the driver is away from me and the driver told me he was home. Had they advised me of the charges I would have used other options.
  • Initial Complaint

    Date:07/08/2023

    Type:Service or Repair Issues
    Status:
    UnansweredMore info

    Complaint statuses

    Resolved:
    The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
    Unresolved:
    The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
    Answered:
    The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
    Unanswered:
    The business failed to respond to the dispute.
    Unpursuable:
    BBB is unable to locate the business.
    I had called Preferred on Thursday 7/6/2023 to have my grandmothers car towed from mile marker 12 on 94 in ************ to *******. The price I was quoted was much less than the original bill that was given. I also submitted a $50 deposit that was supposed to be credited on the end bill and that never occurred. The price that was given at drop off was over $700 until we argued that and it was dropped to $500. The deposit was never credited and the invoice I received shows 12 tolls at $15 each for a total of $180. There are not 12 tolls in the route. The driver said he had to take a different route, but there is no route that has 12 tolls. I called the business on Saturday 7/8/2023 in an attempt to resolve the issue and the woman who answered panicked and asked if she could call me back. I waited about 2 hours and did not hear back. I reached back out and a man answered telling me I have to call back Monday morning since he does not deal with refunds.
  • Initial Complaint

    Date:03/10/2023

    Type:Service or Repair Issues
    Status:
    UnansweredMore info

    Complaint statuses

    Resolved:
    The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
    Unresolved:
    The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
    Answered:
    The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
    Unanswered:
    The business failed to respond to the dispute.
    Unpursuable:
    BBB is unable to locate the business.
    I called preferred emergency towing service after I got a flat tire on the I-80 expressway. I asked the man that answered the what the price would be to tow my vehicle to my home. He clearly stated that the tow would be $100 to hook up my vehicle and $3 per mile to take my vehicle to my home address I then googled my home address from my location. It was 11 miles from the point of where my vehicle was being picked up at. My husband and I listened to this on my car speaker at the time we I agreed to this. When my vehicle got to my home address the tow truck driver pulled up a receipt that said $232.83. I told him that I didnt agree with this and why was a told a different price over the phone. My husband also asked why we were being overcharged. He continue to state that this was the price and that he didnt know what I was told over the phone. I called back the next day and the man that I spoke to said that there was no one there that I could speak with regarding this. I believed that I was scammed. I did not sign a receipt agreeing to this.
  • Initial Complaint

    Date:02/17/2023

    Type:Service or Repair Issues
    Status:
    UnansweredMore info

    Complaint statuses

    Resolved:
    The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
    Unresolved:
    The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
    Answered:
    The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
    Unanswered:
    The business failed to respond to the dispute.
    Unpursuable:
    BBB is unable to locate the business.
    My wife had a flat tire and was stranded on I-80. She called Preferred Emergency Towing & Recovery out of *******. The guy answered and said he would charge $100 to come out and put the donut on. They actually charged my wife's credit card $250! What's worse is I called the guy to ask for the refund of $150 since he lied to my wife and he starts cursing me out and using every expletive in the book and then hangs up on me. Now, every time I call back, he doesn't answer and his mailbox is full. They owe us a $150 refund.

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