Sergeants Towing

SCAM ALERT… This company is run by SCAM ARTISTS !!! They drive around neighborhoods at night towing cars that have NO REASON to be towed & then try to make you pay $ 329.00 to get your car back !!! This company also is involved in Auctions and I am sure this is how they get cars to auction by impounding cars and people have no means to pay to get it back !!!

One of the worst service experiences of my life.
My boyfriend and I had gone to High Rocks park in Gladstone to swim for an hour or two and realized that Sergeants had towed our car while we were gone. We had parked in a private parking spot (my fault of course) thinking it was part of a Safeway directly next to the complex.
We called their phone number located on one of their signs and got the address from the lady over the phone. We realized we were 5 miles away and asked her if we could go pick up the car now since we live in the Tigard area. She said that we could if we went to their Milwaukee office, so we got an Über driver to take us there. Side note — at first when trying to explain to her that our car was impounded she thought we needed towing and explained that it would only be about $ 150 when given an estimate, keep this in your mind for later.
Once we got there, we saw that the office was closed, so we called back this lady on their number. She continued to be very short and sassy with us as she told us that she could get someone out to the office in 30 minutes. We were fine with that but confused as to why she pointed us in the direction of the office although it was closed. So we began waiting. We waited for 30 minutes, and still no employee came to help us. Instead, another group of people came from the same location where were just at explaining that their car had been towed too. I think that this company just prowls on selected locations, even though it was a 6pm on a Thursday night (not even business hours). All of us ended up waiting for about another 45 minutes when another tow guy finally arrived at the office. He helped us into the office and begin to write up my receipt which was already started by the lady who I spoke with on the phone. After finishing he explained that I was needing to pay $ 300. I was shocked and furious but kept calm. I tried asking him what exactly I was paying for and he went through all of the charges — most of which were petty ways of getting money from us.
The charge that particularly bugged me was that they were charging my car for a days worth of storage, despite the fact that it had only been in their compound for a couple of hours, maybe. So I asked him if there was anyway that the price of that could be lowered since we hadn’t had the car there the whole day. He said that I could call back that lady and talk to her to see if she could lower it, he said that was my best bet. So I did, and this is when I have received the worst customer service OF MY LIFE. As I called this lady to ask her she told me that they charge a whole days worth regardless. Defeated, I said «ok» and proceeded to end the call. Before I could end the call she said, «what kind of car do you have again?» I told her an infinity, and she then directly hung up and called the man we were with, right in front of me. She told him to add another $ 45 as a «gate» fee. Ridiculous. Although I am sure that any towing experience is bad, I was completely astounded by the actions of this company and will continue to share these feelings along with my experience. Horrible company.

Manuel, a sergeants employee, almost left with my father’s car that had a parking permit clearly posted on the windshield. Strapping the car to tow is a lengthy process, and he failed to notice the permit that whole time. He was driving away when I was pulling in, so I ran out and stopped him. He didn’t even apologize and instead said, «oh woops.» Then he proceeded to tell me what would have happened if the permit had not been there. No shit. You should have had better training…

I’ve written reviews at other towing companies sites so it’s only fair to repeat the information here; the way to get back at these companies is to not do business with companies/​building owners that allow them to put up their towing notice signs. Tell the business that you won’t do business with anyone that condones predatory towing practices and post a notice on this site telling others not to frequent the business until they have the signs removed. Most of these signs were placed because the towing company asked to place them there, not because there is a legitimate parking problem.

In violation of their contract with the HOA, this firm trolled my condo complex, towing my renter’s car because her tag had fallen off the rear-​view mirror, even though it was clearly tagged on the window. Sadistic to do this to working class people during the holidays in the middle of the night so they wake up with no way to get to work. Surely there is sufficient legitimate business elsewhere. Perhaps it’s time for a class action lawsuit.

If you can avoid these people, please do. Apparently picking up your car requires an appointment, would have been nice to know considering their hours are posted as 8am to 6pm. So, we have waited for nearly an hour for some one to get to the office, which has no parking besides a gravel drive way. So far we have only encountered one employee who was unpleasant.

YOU GUYS SUCK. First you tow my roommate’s rental car after being in the apartment complex for three days, understandable, but still charging him $ 195 during the holidays??? You must have no soul. THEN you go and tow my boyfriend’s brother’s car after being parked there FOR THREE HOURS and he goes out there AND IT’S GONE. YOU SERIOUSLY HAVE NO SOUL. You guys must get off in the back room while you make money and make everyone else’s lives miserable. Have fun burning in hell.

Dealing with them was… Interesting. The tow truck driver that towed my car from a crash site was anything but talkative. When I asked for information about getting my car, he didn’t have a business card or number for me. He just suggested I take a picture of the side of his truck to then look it up online myself. He wouldn’t tow it to my house. He said that it needed to be towed to their lot, then my insurance would deal with it. I asked my insurance and they said that the tow, the fees for impound and transport of my car weren’t covered. If I had known that I would have insisted that it be towed to my house. I’m now out $ 224 for holding. Another $ 150 for a release form from the police and another $ 120 for them to tow it to my house. The only reason I’m giving three stars is because of the gentlemen I dealt with when I went to pick up my car at their lot. He was friendly and helpful.

I don’t usually get my car towed, but every now and then I like to treat myself. Sergeants Towing is my go-​to when I want a business to treat me like a waste of space. I must admit with their outfits and matching tow trucks it offers an unparrelled level of professionalism!

I’ve read several comments where people refer to this company as a company that engages in «predatory towing.» I’m having a completely different experience with them! They have signs up on a lot in the 1100 Block of NW Naito Pkwy adjacent to the Food Innovation Center that say «No Parking. Unauthorized vehicles will be impounded at owners risk and expense monitored 24 hours by Sergeants Towing Inc 503 281 1948» BUT… each time I call them to ask them to remove parked vehicles… they won’t! I’ve been told by Sergeants that the owner has to call them and request vehicles be towed. The owner is a Development Company who is not in the area and the Development Company contracted with Sergeants & posted signs that say MONITORED 24 HOURS BY SERGEANTS but, like I said, Sergeants can’t be bothered to remove the parked cars. Predatory towing? I don’t know. Maybe this particular lot isn’t convenient for them or has a lower towing rate so it’s just not worth it to them and since the Development Company isn’t around to see they’re not doing their job… oh well.
Keeping the vehicles out of this lot keeps the litter/​trash that many of those vehicles leave behind out of the lot & the neighborhood. There’s nobody there to clean up after these vehicles & it impacts the neighborhood. Nearby businesses have experienced vandalism and with vehicles in the lot it’s easier for vandals to go about their business. It’s not just vehicles that park there, large trucks use it as a rest stop and people with campers have actually stayed in that lot long term!

I was referred to Sergeants towing and couldn’t have been happier. The mechanic, Jerry, who worked on my 2002 Honda Civic not only took great care of my car, but also took great care of me. He worked extremely fast, took the time to explain all the details, didn’t take advantage of me (especially being a woman, which can be challenging with car trouble), and ultimately provided great work. He communicated every step, made sure I understood and double checked with me before continuing work if it was different than he originally communicated.
If I ever need anything in the future or know someone who does, I would refer them to this company in a heart beat. The reviews below indicate unhappy customers who parked in places they shouldn’t have (and thought they could get away with it). Ignore them and focus on the fact this company is simply doing their job. And the job that they are doing is incredible.
Nice job Jerry, and thank you!

SCUM OF THE EARTH. Our vehicle (full of kids and a baby) was stuck in the mud at our friends Christmas tree farm and Sergeants Towing was called at 3:30 pm for help. They showed up at 10 pm (yes, you read that right), unprepared and unable to help (their tow-​rope wasn’t long enough and he had no extension chain). He called someone else that showed up at 12 pm. We were towed out and then they invoiced us for a laughable $ 500.00. Keep in mind that we’ve been stuck with kids and a baby without food or water and are all tired, let alone ill prepared with $ 500 in the middle of the woods. We began to bicker over the rationale of their bill at 1:30 am. They gave us two options: Pay $ 500 now or they would impound our vehicle. It didn’t matter that I was holding a hungry and crying baby in the cold and unable to pay them right away. He said he charged $ 80 an hour, but then only charges $ 1 a minute for stand-​by time for doing nothing, and admitted to «not being a really smart guy» so he couldn’t do the math, but he wanted the money or else. The guy was a pig. At one point he was all about working out a deal and then in his next breath he stated that he really just wanted to get $ 500 even if it didn’t make sense. They are lucky I didn’t call the police for harassment. They will get their own.

Had a great experience with this company. 1^st starting with the person that answered the phone very professional and asked alot of questions to see if there was something simple wrong with my car. She quoted me prices 55 for the hook up then explained dollies that if i had a rear wheel drive or a 4×4 it would need them and the price for them was 40 plus 5 dollars per towed mile. then she asked where i would like it towed to and i informed her i that i was new to the area and she said they offered mechanical services. If i chose to use there auto shop they would discount the tow bill by 20% and would call me first thing in the morning with a price of the repairs. about 10 am i got a call and the price was fair for the repairs and they also noticed i had a couple of bad tires and priced them out for me as well very reasonable pricing on everything. I WILL USE THEM AGAIN.

WORST COMPANY EVER! They rip people off! If they tow your car, they wait 2 weeks to notify you by mail. with a 40 $ p/​day storage fee. THIS COMPANY IS SCUMMY!!!

The beauty of Unilocal!!!So this so called business is scum!!! I know personally that this Fat Slob sits in the parking lot at the Denny’s /​Red Robin on NE Hassolo and waits for you to go in to eat. Then this piece of shot immediately tows your car!!! SHAME onthis towing turd and shame on Denny’s and Red Robin for allowing this to happen! Please mention this to them if you visit these restaurants.

Well, these guys actually do stuff besides impound towing. The have one of the best automotive shops in town, and they do commercial towing, which is the towing we actually need to have done… You know, the guys who come rescue us on the side of the road when our cars quit for whatever reason. They also stand behind their work, they wont damage your car, and on the rare chance that they do for whatever reason, they fix it.
They are mid-​range for price, maybe even on the cheaper end of the scale. They also run 24 hours with on-​site dispatching (the girls in the office are always super nice), so you’re not talking to someone in a different state or country when you break down at 2 in the morning. And that fantastic auto shop I mentioned, you get an automatic 20% off your tow bill if you ask them to tow you back there. The mechanics there really are great guys. Stand up honest guys, AND they do great work. They’ve worked on all my cars over the last 7 years and all my families cars, and I always call them if I ever need a tow or lock out ($ 55 for a lock out is crazy good compared to $ 100 something if you were to call pop-​a-​lock).
Yeah, they do impounds, I don’t hold that against them. Generally I’m of the mind that if you’re not parked where you shouldn’t be you won’t get towed… But that’s just me.

Predators or pedophiles I forget which term is correct here, I also was parked at Tiny’s where the posting of said towing procedures is not obvious. We ate for fifteen minutes late at night and the car was gone. We had even changed lots because the retriever towing posted across the street. They had the car in the lot for 10 minutes, and made no difference, a 2 mile tow for 220 dollars,
They’ve taught me a lesson, perhaps one day they will take one from me.
Am I threatening you Seargant’s? Let’s just say a company that takes 8 months to retun a paraplegic man his refund for parking in handicap only because the press got involved deserves what tHey get.

The witness statement to the city towing coordinator should say it all:
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
I, [D.N.], brother to [A.N.], was party to the events outlined in the above statement, and offer here my own testimony as an eyewitness to the events transpired.
At approximately 10:30PM on the night of December 9^th, my sister and I parked at Tiny’s Coffee with the intent to patronize the neighboring food carts not 100 feet away. The coffee shop looked long since closed. We ordered, awaited our food, then sat down and began eating when an announcement was made that a car was being towed next door. [A.N.] had a head start of approximately 10 – 15 seconds, and as I approached the car I could see her arguing with the tow operator who was outside the tow truck, making some hurried adjustments to the tow hitch, clearly unaffected by any of her protests. By the time I reached the vehicle it had begun to pull away from the area, at which point I followed on foot for the distance of about two blocks, moving northbound from Tiny’s to the corner of SE Madison and 12^th and westbound until the intersection of SE Madison and 10^th rapping against the side of the car in tow as I went in an effort to stop the truck. This having nowhere near the desired effect, the driver’s speed instead increased when I began to pursue him, his pace slowing only at a single stop light before sharply accelerating back to a speed which would eventually allow him to pull far enough out of range. By this time, the tow operator, by virtue of showing utter indifference to the pleas from the driver of the car had not only acted against his own company’s stated policies (Notice of Citizen’s Rights, No. 8), but had also acted in direct violation of Portland law with respect to the conduct required of tow companies and their personnel as outlined in sections a, b, and h of PCC 7.24.016. Several phone calls were placed to the company, stressing the importance that the car be returned so that medicine may be retrieved from inside. I initially was led to believe that my sister’s wallet was also inside the vehicle, making any hope of retrieving the car by taxi impossible, until she produced it following the first phone call. Recounting the evening’s events, over the phone and in person to the night clerk at Sergeants Towing, including that the tow operator was **confronted by the vehicle owner well before he even re-​entered the tow truck**, had absolutely no effect. Each and every plea was met with genuinely unsympathetic, textbook jargon right out of the company manual, though none more so than «There’s nothing I can do» in repetition. It was only upon paying the $ 217-​some dollar release that we were given any paperwork outlining the aforementioned «Citizen’s Rights» of the company, the pertinent sections of which were discovered only once we were already en route back to my home in Southwest Portland by cab, now far less than eager to return to the tiny hole in the plastic barrier for more words to fall on the same deaf ears as before. We expect full remuneration from Sergeants Towing in the amount charged to release the vehicle as well as compensation for the taxi fare incurred solely due to this inconvenience. I also request that the late Thursday evening staff of Sargeants Towing be reacquainted with the policies of the company they represent, on whose payroll they egregiously deny customers the service they are entitled to by law.
Signed,
–D.N.
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One lesson learned for next time: Jump in the car and the tow trucker won’t budge. If he does, you get a happy time fun backwards ride to the impound, and his ass gets sacked on the spot or shortly thereafter.

I can describe this entire company with one simple term, «predatory towing.»