A-1 Towing Service of Northern Virginia

Had my car towed by these godless blood sucking toothless trailer park scumbags. I think I went into the wrong business because apparently you can legally steal cars and hold them for ransom. God damn I wish this site had negative star ratings because I would EASILY give these morons at least a Negative 32 stars!!! So when I went to pick up my car, I was greeted by the mouth breathing Shrek like staff and not an ounce of professionalism among the bunch was expressed. I hope one day they run out of business or at least clean up there act. A-​1 Towing, If I never see you guys again it will be too soon!

So it’s a towing company, you aren’t going to expect to see good reviews here, but A1 goes above and beyond to make sure your experience dealing with them is horrible. I live at Mark Center so anyone who has dealt with them knows they are pretty much as slimy as the towing company, but my car has been towed from the lot of my apartment complex THREE times in 6 months. I’m not an idiot and I don’t like paying $ 150 every two weeks for my health, so obviously I make a concerted effort to every day to not get towed. But A1 circled our lot 10 times a day and will take ANY car that might be borderline tow-​worthy. I
t’s pretty disgusting actually, how happily and frequently they take advantage of anyone who has the misfortune of parking in Alexandria. Shame on all of them. Mother Nature should do us a solid and drop a natural disaster right on top of the filthy shack they call a business.

While another scathing review will be just one of many, I feel obligated to contribute as this company can best be described as «a wretched hive of scum and villainy.» My loaner vehicle was legally parked with a visible temporary pass in my apartment parking lot at seminary hill apartments in alexandria when it was taken in the night. Having dealt with these honor-​less jackals before and being exposed to their predatory practices I decided to be prepared by taking two photographs of the pass clearly in the dash of my vehicle. Unfortunately an abundance of precaution was insufficient to prevent this from happening. It’s a shame that this kind of business practice is tolerated in our city where the cost of living would suggest the town to be piracy free. Make no mistake, A1 towing is a criminal enterprise of modern day pirates who eek out an existence scrounging for a quick buck by preying on hard working people who have done nothing but park their vehicle at their home. It is despicable for any community association to do business with these thieving pests but it is a failure at large by both the state and city governments to provide no protection against this kind of predatory towing. As an added bonus courtesy of scum central towing services, my car was left alone for 3 days until Friday night when they could impound it for the weekend and collect an extra $ 75 on top of the already egregious $ 125 for holding it for an extended period. I’ve watched as they’ve terrorized my community… I’ve stood by while they dragged a car down van dorn street scratching against the pavement… A1 towing has left many victims in their wake and any research into the business reveals infinitely more shady practices. There is no such thing as a satisfied customer with a1, they exist solely to remind us of the dark ages where the rule of law was but a distant concept that held no sway over the minds of men.

Your company is pond scumb! You live on the back of hard working Americans. Enjoy your life tied to an apartment, living off subsidies. The dollar menu is your friend for life!

These assholes illegally broke into and towed my car. My window was shattered in the process but they claimed they didn’t do it — but towing companies aren’t allowed to tow a car if the window is already broken when they attempt to tow a car… This just shows how shady they are! Awful people.

If there was a way to give no stars, this piece would have no stars. Honestly the most shady place ever in a shady back street lot. Also, what kind of stupid company that charges huge amounts of money doesn’t allow people to use credit cards. Honestly these people are scum of the earth.

Literally am starting to sit on my car every night to keep these slimey poachers away from my car. Im watching them flash their flashlights to steal good peoples money and they are obviously involved with this slimey apartment complex, Stoneridge. Wonder how much of a cut they give them to steal from regular people.
Oh there goes a second truck after the first one stole its first victim

They illegally took my car. I lived here for months. Had the sticker in the window the whole time. Parked my car where I always do on Friday afternoon. Haven’t moved it all weekend. 10pm on Saturday it gets towed. They say there was no pass. I known there was. I know they took it out, I just need to find a way to prove it. I asked for photos and they refused to give them to me. See you in court.

If I could give them zero stars I would they are terrible, they towed my car for no reason and had proof and they still made us pay for it.

I am giving you one star because I can’t give negative stars. If you all are the ones that enforce parking at Foxchase Apartments you need to have your contract voided. I have to park 4 blocks away because you incompetent imbeciles can’t do a simple task like check a window for a decal. I parked a rental in this lot for two weeks and it was never towed.

These people prey on hard working people. I have personally seen them with their flash lights looking for Cars with expired passes in my apartment complex lurking in the night… like hyenas in the wilderness… smh
They towed my car not to long ago. When I came to pay the bill… almost $ 200! their location looks like a devils den… very gloomy and nasty and in the cut. I was so livid that I kept my conversation very short. I was ready to blow up. What a joke.
I had them tow my car to an auto body the next day and they could’nt even do that right… dropped it of in the middle of the garage entrance of the place… the shop owner called me and complained and had to have another tow company move it… talk about a big joke.
If I could give zero stars I would. This place is horrible… Avoid! Like the plague.
Wack service… wack people –_–

This company is shamelessly CORRUPT and should be reported to authorities. I had the experience of a driver lurking in a lot, and while I was quickly dropping a package at FedEx, ramming my car to hurry it on the lift –while my dog was in the back seat — and then shaking me down for $ 50. cash to release the car without so much as a receipt. I was away from the driver’s seat for all of 30 seconds and am now fuming about this scam. Felt like I was in Mexico or Nicaragua — not Old Town Alexandria. DISGUSTING bottom feeders.

The stars are accurate on A-​1 Towing Company. I did my research on how they operate and this one star rating is spot-​on.
I am in the middle of requesting a reimbursement for my $ 185.00 fee this past weekend. I was charged and had my vehicle inappropriately towed. There was no permissible warrant for my vehicle removal from the premises at Arbor Park Properties on 17 Aug 2014@ approximately 0200 am (time written on ticket). My vehicle was not on the property for more than a total of 10 hours over the entire two-​day period. Their (A-​1 towing) proof that I was on the property as accused is very vague. The parking spaces were on different streets, two photos taken show a two-​hour time gap, taken 26 hours apart. There is not enough proof that I had violated the un-​posted rules and had not actually returned between 1154 pm Sat and 0155 Sun am. I would be conforming to both the written bi-​laws and UN-​posted sign rules.
Recently updated in Feb 17, 2014 the tenant written bi-​laws went into effect. I have not been able to prove the posted sign date. I have inspected the parking lot thoroughly reading every parking related sign and taking photos of what the sign posted. I have attained the Arbor Park property, tenant issued bi-​laws concerning the visitor parking policy.
It look as if that both A-​1 Towing and Arbor Park are accepting revenue through concealed policies. The parking signs posted and the written tenant bi-​laws do not state the same rules for visiting guests. I am sure that A-​1 towing is the wrongdoer of this cash making system. Arbor Park you are not off the hook having joined forces with the offenders.
I am a victim of towing entrapment; it is against the law to entrap anyone, forcing one to commit a violation they otherwise been unlikely to commit had the properly posted signs, detailing the same rules as in the Arbor Park tenant bi-​laws. As a visitor, without the knowledge of a properly posted sign, no person (s) are able to make an informed decision.
I have submitted in writing a request to reimburse my towing fees, to both A-​1 and Arbor Park along with my evidence. If they are unwilling to comply, I may have to contest this inappropriate towing by both A-​1 Towing and Arbor Park properties to small claims division and the Better Business Bureau.

Can anyone do anything about these «legal» thieves? They continue to take advantage of normal citizens and pen contracts with apartment complexes. Neither the company nor the apartment complexes have your interests at heart. They just towed a car into the lot and the bumper was dragging on the asphalt as they brought it in.
Watch out. If you live in Arlington or Alexandria or see a tow sign — you don’t want to have to deal with these bottom feeders who don’t care about you at all. They don’t care if the car was towed from your property or if you left it for 2 seconds.

You people* are bottom-​feeding vultures. What exactly in your character compelled you to choose one of the most despicable, cowardly, thieving professions known to humankind? You fit on the Social Value Scale somewhere between meter maids and the half-​dried viscous drool that slowly runs down the corner of your mother’s toothless mouth into her tepid Swanson’s meatloaf while she stares vacantly at «Here Comes Honey Boo Boo» and repeatedly soils her reclining lawn chair in your extended family’s dilapidated double-​wide.
You make a living by stealing vehicles using legal loopholes to justify the fact that most of the cars you tow and impound are not illegally parked.
But, I have an idea where you can wipe the slate clean. I invite your entire staff to collectively hold your heads under water for about 10 minutes. Even better, take a deep breath whilst submerged. The world will be a better place without bloodsucking miscreants like you.
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*I use the term «people» in the first sentence very loosely.
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By the way, Stephen M.‘s review from 7÷27÷2014 is a fraud. It’s not just the only one that doesn’t have an issue with A-​1; he happens to be brand new to Unilocal,only has a single review, and that single review was posted immediately after my less than favorable review following an experience with those criminals. You are busted, Stephen M. How deep of a hole are you going to dig for yourself?
Tell me something… Are you the owner, an employee, or a friend of A-​1 Towing? The company has an «F» rating on BBB, along with the poor Unilocal reviews, so you really aren’t fooling anyone. Maybe instead of trying to slime your way into a higher Unilocal rating, you could stop being such scumbags.

These people are the more reckless and rude company I have ever experienced. They towed my car for NO just reason. This was a week after i watched them tow a car from my apartment complex where they lifted and slammed it to the ground at least 5 times trying to turn it around and almost hit several cars in the process. I had to stand and watch to make sure they didn’t back into my car in the process because they were dangerously close several times.
CROOKS!

So I drop off some large items to a friend at Foxchase apartments. As I’m walking out I see a tow truck sitting perpendicular to my car as if they are thinking about towing it. They must have seen me because they starting moving very quickly. I’m about 50 feet away and yell out, but they pretend to ignore me as they rush to connect to my car. I’ve used mechanical devices along the lines of what the tow truck uses, and it was clear they were trying to connected and rolling away before I got to them. This scumbag move cost me $ 50. They also came close to running over my friend that came out to see what was up. This crew is a disgusting excuse for human beings and this reflects upon the company. I’m sure they just bottom feed by towing cars and don’t actually help people, but if you’re in need of a towing company, don’t expect anything short of totally unprofessional, heartless scum.

this tow company are straight scum bags, they towed my car for absolutely no reason. I use a Ford fusion as my work car, which has my company logo all over the vehicle. I have been parking my car in the complex for almost a year without incident, now all of a sudden my car gets towed, they say it’s a commercial vehicle… BS. are u stupid or something. My car fits no description of a commercial vehicle. Now after complaining to the condo association, they agree with me and are forcing them to refund our money… ARE YOU THAT MONEY HUNGRY… str8 rip-off…if I see them towing a car, I will try to locate the owner
PS…this is the second time one of my cars were towed, the first time my rear view mirror fell and sui did my parking pass, but we caught them before they left, showed them the pass, but still made me pay $ 125, they didn’t even take the car there, I thought they could have atleast had me pay half of that since they went nowhere, and I did have a pass in the car which u showed them. So in humane

These crooks towed my car for parking in my own parking lot with a valid, prominently displayed permit, solely because *their* records had not not been updated to reflect the new plates on my car after re-​registering in Virginia.
UPDATE: After spending the afternoon pestering my landlord to pester A-​1, A-​1 finally relented and released the vehicle, but still refused to bring it back. I contacted John Zook of the Alexandria Department of Transportation and Enviornmental SErvices, which sorta regulates tow companies, and was told I was the first «customer» he’d spoken to who had his vehicle released without payment, by A-​1 or anyone else. So apparently, A-​1 is not alone in tow-​trolling in this area, it’s a huge racket.

A1 is even scummier than other tow services. My 16 year old sister works at a business that they tow from, and they are constantly trying to tow her car and other employees’ cars. When they come into her tanning salon to ask her what cars belong to her customers (??? why would she know? aren’t they paid to vulture the lot like the predators they are???), they become nasty and aggressive with her, dropping f-​bombs and calling her names that would keep Unilocal from publishing my review. Come on, bro — she’s 16, and you have nothing better to do than talk to her like that? Hope none of these tow driver jerks have daughters.
Oh, and she’s seen them refuse to drop cars in the lot as they are REQUIRED TO DO. If they get you illegally, do all of northern VA a favor and sue them.