S & R Towing Inc. - Oceanside CA 92058

T

Tonii

This is a long review, but I need to share this in case any other service member or civilian ends up dealing with this company. SR Towing has shown some of the most money-hungry, predatory, and questionable business practices I have ever experienced. My fully paid-off vehicle was towed on Tuesday (For expired registration that I was going to get the day my car was towed, I just got to California 2 weeks prior to this incident) August 26, 2025, at 12:53 PM and released on Friday, August 29, 2025, at 3:30 PM (roughly 74 hours) yet they charged me for four full days of storage. From the start, the pricing was erratic and unreasonable. It began at $450 and jumped to $660 within two hours (so i started screenshotting the price changes). By Wednesday it was $760, Thursday $860. When I went in to pick up an itemized invoice at $860, it gave me almost no real breakdown and showed they were charging CHP rates even though my tow was done by base police on a two-way street, not a highway.<br><br>By Friday morning, the cost ballooned to $1,030. When I called to address discrepancies, I was met with attitude and hostility from Jody for merely pointing out that the price had jumped almost $200 overnight. When I requested another itemized invoice, they refused but conveniently dropped the price to $816 without explanation. On top of that, they placed a lien on my car that morning without notifying me, which violates California state requirements for prior notice. My car is fully paid off and solely owned by me, yet they acted as if they had the right to claim it as their own.<br><br>The way they handled my title was particularly concerning. When I asked if they could work with me to pay the $760 balance, they suggested giving them my title, implying this would let me get my car back. When I called for clarification, I was told surrendering my title meant forfeiting my vehicle entirely. I declined, yet they repeatedly asked about my title after that. Jody and Kristy were consistently rude, dismissive, and unprofessional throughout BUT claimed they were trying to help me -_- They only applied a military discount after I mentioned my service status rather than offering it upfront when they clearly towed me from camp Pendleton they said "every person on a military base isn't military" but a professional company would have at least asked, and every request for transparency was treated like an inconvenience.<br><br>In the end, I paid $816 in tow and storage fees, plus $1,307 in registration just to retrieve my own car. The entire experience reflects a pattern of money-hungry, predatory pricing, lack of communication, and deliberate withholding of crucial information while pressuring me to surrender my vehicle. I have photos with timestamps and their rates to show their inconsistent billing. Judging by previous reviews and conversations with fellow service members, I am not the first or last to experience this. I would never recommend this place to anyone. STEER CLEAR. If I could give negative 100 stars, I would.

A

Amelina

Total scam. They charged 2.5 hours of towing when the actual drive was no more than 20 minutes.<br>$100 per day for storage and $822 just for towing — absolutely insane.<br>This feels like straight-up extortion. They can make up any price they want because you’re stuck and have no choice. Customers are forced to pay whatever amount they decide. It is mafia!!!! Stay away!!!

V

Vera Gallagher

S&R was responsive and timely in the handling of our tow. We especially appreciate our driver, Roland, who took good care of us and got us and our car safely to our destination, an hour drive away.