Okay, have to let this off my chest. Today, I went with my son and parked at Saver's to try and get some costume stuff for a tour I have to give. We park my car and get out and go inside like we always do and we're just inside the door when I hear "if you have a red car, it's being towed" over the loudspeaker. My son looks outside and goes, "mom, your car is gone!" I go inside Saver's and they're like, "yeah, here's the number for Wendy's, they have a deal with the towing company." As I go back outside, they're towing another car off that just parked. I'm like--what the hell is happening here? I go inside Wendy's and the manager says, "there's nothing we can do." I go, "Lady, my son and I were going to shop and have lunch. We have to do this in a small area, I can't walk far since my Achilles tendon surgery. You just towed your customer's car away." And she's like, "but you went into Saver's." So, I had to deal with the dirty underbelly of scum who tow cars for a living for impound lots. I wanted to come home and wash. On the phone they were rude. We went to the lot and there's no where to stop your car on the street to park and go inside and they're like "park at the gate" but the gate sign says they'll tow you, so they say "figure it out" and hang up on us. When we finally find a way to the window, the dude goes "cash only." "What? No one told me that!" He said, "They're supposed to." I'm beyond livid at this point. I find an ATM and pay for it and get the hell out of there and go after corporate.
I can't believe that Wendy's hires thugs to drag people's cars away to an impound lot and make that kind of cash in one day.
We stood in the Wendy's lot waiting for our ride and told at least a dozen families with little babies in the hot weather not to park there. Can you imagine if these low income families had been abandoned there with babies?
I'm furious!
Had to let that off my chest and tell people the kind of company Wendy's is.
I can't believe that Wendy's hires thugs to drag people's cars away to an impound lot and make that kind of cash in one day.
We stood in the Wendy's lot waiting for our ride and told at least a dozen families with little babies in the hot weather not to park there. Can you imagine if these low income families had been abandoned there with babies?
I'm furious!
Had to let that off my chest and tell people the kind of company Wendy's is.
That is absolutely appalling.
ReplyDeleteHave you decided to take it up with Wendy's corporate office. I would. For that matter I would be so mad I would stand at Savers for a day or three and make note as to how many cars they tow first and load your guns beforehand. Or pay some kid to do it for you.
I hate that helpless feeling and then to have to put up with the snotty attitudes that goes along with it. Grrrrrrrr.
I'll do my part. No more Wendy's for me. It's gone down hill anyway since Dave died. They've cheapened it up and it's really noticeable now too.
Atrueoriginall;
ReplyDeleteThanks for the support. Yeah, amazing. I'm still baffled. The tow company has an "F" rating with BBB. No kidding. Ick! I came home and showered and then proceeded to tell corporate about it. They were trying to be fairly sympathetic. I was like, "I'm recovering from Achilles tendon surgery, I can't walk long distances. We tried to kill two birds with one stone by shopping and getting lunch together and you towed your own customer away." I have no doubt they'll be paying me back the $120 for the impound and some extra for the gas, paying someone to pick us up, and the minutes on the cellphone, and ATM fees since they never told us we needed cash. I'm just astonished how they did it. They had to literally be backing their truck up to my car while I'm walking into the store's front door! I thought it'd be fun if I had nothing better to do (like working) to sit there all day and scare people away so the tow company couldn't make one dime. Wendy's said they make no $ from this. The tow company is motivated to go sit at the lot with all its trucks and wait. I'd love to make it impossible for them to make any money at all that day and just move on to another lot. Dirtbags!
I think posts like these are so important -there is nothing like personal experience -i so agree-what if that had been a low-income family with younger/older folks involved -can't believe how slimy tow companies are!! i wish our govt would at least-at least start shutting down companies with F ratings!! I am so sorry this happened to you -and believe me -I will do my best to get the word out!!best as always!
ReplyDeleteThanks for bringing this to my attention. I can't believe the ignorant attitude of the Wendy's bigwig, grrrr! I'm sorry you have to walk so much after having surgery, that sucks! I for one will be boycotting Wendy's as well. I also have to agree with atrueoriginall, Wendy's has not been as good since Dave has died.
ReplyDeleteAbove the Norm
I think I would have come up with something a lot stronger than "dirtbags". lol
ReplyDeleteI have a teenager and boy she hates to be with me sometimes because when I see an injustice I speak my mind. It just flows right off my tongue with no problem. I don't get loud, but I make sure others can hear me. My daughter just cringes all well knowing where this is going to go.
She's actually starting to stand up for herself a bit now too.
Here's a story I just read in Boing Boing about an injustice. It all came about because this woman called 911 when she should have called the police directly. It really didn't matter because 911 took care of her but the story is something else. It's about being ripped off by a McDonalds.
The woman was sited for calling 911 so that will cost her and of course it is not McDonald's policy to never refund if they don't have something in stock so hopefully the manager will be fired.
Woman places 3 911 calls because McDonalds won't refund her money
Anyway, this travesty might relieve some of your frustration. lol
I'm really lucky, my son is a huge assertive advocate and he never lets injustice go, neither do me or my husband, so it really helps to have him getting all mad for his mom and protective. What a sweetie. Glad he's 20! It's much easier than if I had a little one in tow. I was just glad to stop people from parking there for the almost an hour we were waiting for a ride. We helped a lot of low income families from getting screwed. Yeah, and I agree-I think I used the name "Nutsacks" for the tow truck drivers.
ReplyDeleteI already don't eat at Wendy's, but next time I drive by one I'll shake my fist at the place.
ReplyDeleteBy the by, as someone who had worked for a newspaper office, you miiiight want to write a tip to the local paper about the Wendy's branch's practice of towing cars while you write a complaint letter to Wendy's HQ. I'm sure the paper would love this as a "human interest" story, and might get the restaurant to quit acting so thuggishly.
The way they acted I'll bet it's part of a racket.
YES, great idea. Write the local newspaper. Hopefully the dirtbag tow truck company isn't an advertiser or you'll be looking at another more common injustice. :)
ReplyDeleteYup, got a hold of the reporter who did the article on my recently and she covers this area. She's looking into it right now. I've handled the headquarters--won't rest until they pay me back and then extra for the time on the cell phone, the gas, the person we paid to pick us up (unemployed nephew who needed the cash). I might just let that franchise know that they're about to get bad press. Okay, rubbing his nose in it feels so good!
ReplyDeleteThat is completely ridiculous! Go get 'em! Sorry you had that horrible ordeal!
ReplyDeleteCall "3 on your side" and get Gary Harper in their faces. I enjoy watching his reports. I'm sure more people would like to know about the way Wendy's treats its customers and their unfair towing practices!
ReplyDelete--Julie--
Yeah, I contacted the Ahwatukee paper and the AZ Republic. I'm not sure it's Gary's kinda thing, But I might just send it to him too. I'm hoping to make them real uncomfortable. They heisted the wrong woman's car--they'll be hearing about it for a long time.
ReplyDeleteHEY>>>>>>>>It happened to me too!!
ReplyDeleteDid it happen in Tempe, AZ?
Same underhanded thing happened to my Husband and me on March 9, 2009. We hadn’t been in the Savers more than 5 Minutes to return something, actually intended to have a frosty afterwards, BUT, when we walked out, we thought our truck was stolen and reported it. Police had to call us back to tell us what was going on, because we never saw the signs or even thought to look for them as it look like a common parking area. The manager at Wendy's was about as helpful as a brick wall and treated as if we were common criminals. My husband is a firefighter and you need to be a pretty good citizen to hold that job and not to deserve the snooty attitude of Wendy’s. Like you, during the hour we were waiting for our ride to the slimy impound lot, we warned seven people to move their cars. It is apparent that there is something very wrong with this set-up picture. I'm so pissed I can spit lead and am willing to call to arms anyone who can help stop the vultures, boycott Wendy's and help us and anyone else to recover our $140.00. If you want to touch base with me, let me know, we’ll figure out something to do about it. I think I saw some health issues when I was in there as well, probably ought to let the health inspector know about every little infraction, wouldn’t want to let anyone get sick and/or die eating at Wendy’s.
Attn: Wendy’s…. Having peoples cars towed is a hella of a way to beat the recession, must be great for business!!!!!!
How about y'all putting a personal in the paper's want ad section looking for others who were burned and then set up a time and picket Wendy's - you'll get the news that way.
ReplyDeleteThen, go picket the towing company or at lest make sure they're involved in the news story.
Not a bad idea, I did a search and I'm amazed at how many people this has happened too. I also talked to one of the Savers employees and he said they (S.W.A.T.) tows in the neighborhood of 20 - 30 cars a day as Wendy's has them "patrol" the area.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine what on earth Wendy's is thinking!! Someone else told me the tow company even patrols the businesses when they are closed to catch a few.