On Monday, July 1, 2024 I made phone calls to several local towing companies to get an estimate to how much they would charge to move two 20ft cargo containers from one site in Escondido to another about 3 miles away. In all cases, I advised them that it needed to be done on a "flat bed truck" and that the containers were loaded. Johnathans Towing was one of the companies I called. I spoke to "Vince" there and it sounded like I was talking to the owner. He initially quoted $275 per hour, but after I told him I was trying to keep the cost around $400, he offered to lower the cost to $250 per hour because of how close everything was to his office and also said that maybe it might only take less than 2 hours thereby bringing it closer to my budgeted target of $400.
On Wednesday, July 3, 2024, I called Johnathans Towing and left a message for Vince that I wanted to schedule the move for Friday morning at 9 A.M. in the hope that there would be less traffic due to the holiday the previous day.
On Friday, July 5, 2024, I met the driver for Johnathans Towing at the pickup site. After he looked at what he had to do and after I gave him the address for where the containers had to be dropped off, he said that the charge was going to be $250 per hour with a minimum of 2 hours. I reluctantly agreed to this new "minimum" because I had no choice since we were all there, including a helper that I had hired in case I needed him to do something.
Once I verbally agreed to this new rate, he lined up his truck but then before attempting to hitch up to the container, he said he needed to have another tow truck come to slide the container forward so he could hook up. What showed up was a regular small tow truck that you normally see towing small passenger cars. Working together they got the first cargo container on the flat bed tow truck which I had requested. It took about 15 minutes to do this, and then headed to the drop off location which was at my house, less than 3 miles away.
Once he arrived at my home and backed up to where the container was to be unloaded, he approached me and informed me that the price had changed. His reason was because the container was very heavy and that he had to have another truck come. He increased the cost from $250 per hour to $1,750. When I objected and wanted to stay with the original agreement, he offered to lower the cost to $1500.
Please keep in mind that at this point he was in full possession of my container with its contents, a value in excess of $25,000. If I refused to pay what he was demanding, he would have driven off and taken my property. He also said that the money had to be paid before he would unload the container.
Under extreme duress, I gave him the credit card and signed his receipt BEFORE he had performed his services and unloaded the container.
Unloading the first container was uneventful and he then went back to pickup the second container. I followed him there and the pickup went much faster. He then dropped off the 2nd container and left my property at 11:40 A.M..
Please keep in mind that the total elapsed time of 2 hours and 40 minutes included about 20 minutes of wasted time, where we argued about the increased price.
The 2nd tow truck which he had come at the beginning was only used for about 15 minutes at the very beginning, but that driver did nothing for the rest of the time except to follow the original driver as he went back and forth. The second tow truck was not used for helping to unload either container or to load the 2nd container. It was just there to keep the original driver company.
There was a previously agreed price of $250 per hour which he then changed to "a minimum of 2 hours". But it was not until after he had taken possession of my property that he changed the price to $1750, a 350% increase and threatened seizure of my property if I didn't pay him in advance.
My property was going to be held hostage unless I paid the ransom.
As to why he may have done this, it would be conjecture, but it might have been because I am a 75 year old senior citizen with a mobility problem and he saw an old man with a cane having the container being taken to a very substantial house with expensive cars parked in the driveway and figured the money was there for him to take advantage of.
For your information, I have already filed a complaint regarding this with Jose Gaytan, Code Compliance Officer for the City of Escondido. I am also asking him to direct my complaint to the City of Escondido that regulates towing companies operating within the City of Escondido. Just refunding my money is not sufficient. This company is victimizing the citizens of this community and at a minimum they need to be put out of business and possibly in jail. read more