KLAUS TOWING COMPANY is a huge rip off! First, they do not do what they are supposed to do in giving someone enough time to get a broken-down vehicle off a lot. We made arrangements with a repair shop to have him come tow our car to his shop. Our car was parked in front of a salon. The worker at the salon was told by us that our car had just blown its engine, and we were in process of making arrangements to get it towed to nearest facility, which literally is a few minutes away from Klaus Towing Company on Wabash st in Colorado Springs, CO.
The lady there didn't know what to do and so told us to call the owner of the salon. We tried calling, no answer. So the lady agreed to call FOR us. She called and was placed on hold and ignored for some time. My husband needed to get the kids to a school meeting. He told the lady that if the landlord couldn't answer the phone, he didn't want to wait around, he'd just get the guy there as soon as he could, as the vehicle was inoperable anyway. No way to move it w/o getting someone to do it, right? The lady tells him ok to go and hangs on the line for him, gets the # and says everything would be worked out.
My husband gets the kids to where they needed to be and went RIGHT back and found the car missing. There was a different worker who claimed she didn't know where the car was. My husband asked to speak with the first worker, and was told she "wasn't there" and that she's the owner, and a bunch of other stuff. They got into an argument, and my husband said "I know you know where the car is and if you don't give me the location, I'll call the cops" Then some guy comes in (co-owner maybe?) and starts yelling at him saying that he isn't allowed to argue with the worker and to get out of the salon. My husband said not til he calls the cops or gets the location of the vehicle. The lady proceeds to try to lecture him on using curse words even though he wasn't directing any names TOWARD her, and how he has children blah blah blah. It was WEIRD!
The owner said "We called *A* towtruck company and had it towed. My husband asked for the name. He said KLAUS. My husband said "THANKS, gee, was that so hard?" We proceeded to try to find where the car was as it was NOT towed to our repair shop and our repair guy was totally lost and confused as to what was going on. FINALLY the vehicle arrives at the tow company. A bunch of arguing went on and they charged $169 stating it was a "private" lot even though it was a business and public is allowed to park there. They charge $69 if you call and ask for a tow, but not if they come get the car. My husband tried to pay with cc and couldn't. They told him CASH ONLY so the repair guy agreed to come to our aid and pay the cash, but demanded a receipt. My husband reimbursed the repair guy and then he told him that he has had NOTHING but problems with this Klaus towing company. He said he suspected that a scam was going on and that we should pursue this further, but that because our car was broken down on the lot and there was an apparent leak, we would have a hard time in court, so to take another avenue.
So my husband tries to call the towing company. They will NOT give any answers as to why they charged for a private lot when it's a business. They proceed to tell us the State of CO REQUIRES them to charge the $169. I don't find ANY law that specifies a minimum amount for a tow company to charge for their service. (Maximums, yes). I researched other companies and found much cheaper rates, so their "requirement" argument is just some lie in hopes that we're just idiots and will bow our heads in favor of them. My husband tried to get more answers, the lady hangs up. He calls back and she hangs up again.
I get home and *I* call them. The guy on the phone was rude and would not talk to me long but hinted that it was HIS lot. I caught it and realized that something sounded very off about that. So he not only owns the salon, but he ALSO is the owner of the TOW COMPANY? Ok now I'm piecing together why they refuse to talk to us or assist us in any form of refund. He hangs up on me after I call him out on it.
The next day I call again but I get the Mrs. On the line. She starts in stating she didn't want oil on HER lot. I told her she didn't give any reasonable amount of time for our guy to get there to the salon to p/u the vehicle and allow us to clean it up, and I thought it was very odd that she was charging such an exorbitant amount of $ to tow a broken down car from her own property. She said that no, our car was impounded. I said Um, no lady, our car was NOT on the road, we conducted NO illegal activity and our vehicle was NOT impounded. She had NO FRIGGING CLUE!!! Then she says "You guys didn't contact us" I said "BS lady, because my husband was on the line with me as he was talking to the worker ON THE LINE waiting for YOU guys to pick up, so try again" She then admits the worker called her but said that we just left and never spoke to her.
I said "BS again lady, my husband can give you the description of the woman he SPOKE to" she said "Well, it doesn't matter, she didn't own the lot" I said "NO signs stating it was private property and we're not mind readers and don't know that she's not the owner of the salon" I was VERY careful with my tone. Suddenly she starts freaking out on me, saying my husband and I are "2 peas in a pod..." an "embarrassment" to our kids, and "Jesus Christ" is a bad word and we need to behave better in front of the kids, think of the children. I'm sitting here wondering "am I in church or am I talking to a business?" I told her "I'm actually not yelling or cursing at you. YOU are yelling, ma'am" She says "well, I'm not refunding you, I 'm not and I'm not arguing with you over it" I tell her I'm going to have this business looked into because I smelled scam. I said "It's uncommon for a towing company to own the very lots they're towing from and make a sh*t ton of money doing it...
I also read that you own apartment complexes and other lots that you call "private" lots and have read complaints that you charge the higher fee from these lots" She said "So? I'm allowed to do that" I asked her if the IRS knew what she's up to. She freaks out and says "You can't go to the IRS" and sounded more panicked and said that she'd hang up on me. I called back. I told her I expected the full refund or else her books would be turned into the IRS. She says "Well, your husband demanded a receipt, I gave him one" Um, he should not have to ASK you lady. So I question how many times she's done this and gotten paid UNDER the table. She hangs up again. I call back and ask her why she keeps hanging up on me. She says that I am threatening HER (No, just your scam-artist business).
This lady starts PREACHING again. I finally called her weird and hung up on HER. This company #1 jumped the gun KNOWING we had someone on the way to get the vehicle off (their own) lot. #2 Is known for charging the higher fee consistently and it appears that the complainers have seen that they're getting charged this amount when the tow happens from THEIR lots. #3 It appears there are more unauthorized tows OFF their lots than other lots. #5. They are unprofessional, they yell, they preach, and talk about how we should "think of the children" when all they did was take 2 weeks groceries out of my kids' mouths. THEY ARE NOT CONCERNED, believe me.
I find that there are enough complaints out there with damaged vehicles, overcharging, sudden tows that are unauthorized. There was NO sign stating it was a private property lot and NO signs saying "NO parking" anywhere. These people are liars, scammers, and very unprofessional. They have no business sense and IRS should look into them. I think that they are doing some illegal activity, at the very least under reporting their business income. They are taking vehicles w/o authorization and demanding money before they will get the keys to whoever owns the car.in fact, even after the repair man paid for us, she tried to refuse giving the car back. She said" Well, you called the cops". Um, not a reason, CRAZY lady! We paid your demands, and just because you're afraid of the cops is NOT a reason to keep our car. The cops stated it's a civil matter and that even if it's a scam, it has to go to court first, they can't just arrest them. SO, here we are.
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