Predator: Diamond Towing, of Salt Lake City

First of all, let me grant that they were within their strict legal rights.

That said, I regard them as predatory bottom-feeders.  As I shall explain.

Here’s the sad tale of woe:

Three of us stopped for a quick lunch at the Flat Bread Neapolitan Pizzeria, on 2100 South in Salt Lake City’s Sugar House district.

There was a largely empty parking lot behind a building across the street to the north.  A sign indicated that it provided parking only for 1051 East 2100 South, 1053 East 2100 South, and 1057 East 2100 South.

Where on earth were those places?

We commented on how much more helpful it would have been had the sign actually named the business establishments for which the parking lot served.  We stood for a minute studying the sign, but, without walking around the block, we could have no idea to which businesses those three addresses belonged.  However, considering the fact that the lot was pretty much empty, and knowing that we wouldn’t be gone for long, we decided that things would be alright.

We were away for somewhere between 30 and 45 minutes, and, when we returned, our car was gone.  It had been towed.  By deduction, we know now that the car was towed within five minutes of our parking it there.  Plainly, somebody was watching the place like a hawk.  He had probably watched us as we studied the sign.  Slobbering with delighted anticipation, I expect.

A note at the bottom of the sign in the parking lot gave a number for Diamond Towing, whose central office is at 555 So. Fulton St., Salt Lake City, Utah.  We called, and, sure enough, they had our car.  It was already at their impound lot at 5690 South 300 West, some 35 blocks to the south.

We were obliged to get a taxi ($30) in order to go to their lot and pick up our car.  We were obliged to pay $200 to get our car out of their impound yard.  (That’s a $145 impound fee, plus a $30 administrative fee, plus a $25 storage fee.)  The whole process took between 60 and 90 minutes of our lives.

I want to warn you against this place and against this towing company.  While waiting for the taxi to pick us up, we did in fact walk around the block, and we determined that the three businesses who control the parking lot are (1) a place called “Karamba,” (2) a place called “Dudley Medical & Wellness,” and (3) a place called “The Bar Method Exercise Studio.”  I don’t exactly have friendly feelings toward them.

But I’m especially unimpressed with Diamond Towing.  I looked them up online, and these are the two posted consumer comments that I found at the Yellow Pages site:

Clayton H. (12/26/24)

If I could give zero stars I would. Today is the day after Christmas and my wife and I are visiting my in laws. Well my in laws don’t have very much money and so they went to a loan place to to take out some money to treat us to dinner and hang out one evening. They took two toddlers with them. Well apparently they parked in the wrong lot and apparently your damned tow company has a guy sitting and waiting for someone to park in the wrong spot and their car was towed not 10 minutes after they had parked. After they paid the towing company they had 7 dollars left of the loan they took out. Not only that but they were left stranded with two toddlers. How is that in anyway the right thing? Damned evil if you ask me.

Amanda A.  (09/16/2014)

This towing company victimizes and cheats people. Their business professionalism is horrible and their customer service has the most rude employees I’ve ever dealt with. I do not recommend using this company. They are awful and my experience with them has left me victimized, large financial burden, and discriminated against. Stay way from them!!!!

I also found two additional consumer comments, on the KSL website:

User121466 (May 16, 2015)

Crooks

This company is worse than crooked, Was helping a friend move into his new apartment, Double parked in front of the parking spot owned by my friend, Hazard blinkers on, tailgate down, truck full of stuff and guess who show’s up. Waits for us to walk away and then hooks up to my truck and dings me $75.00 Enjoy your chump change, that $75 won’t ever payback the lifeitme of terrible reviews you will receive for it

User146514 (January 27, 2014)

Be Carefull 

These guys are unbelievable. First off the owner has a list a mile long of employees he has not paid. The trucks couldn’t pass a surprise inspection. His drivers do not have the required certifications. He charges excessive fees because people don’t know any better. He will forge documents to take possession of your car if you can’t pay fast enough. He has been fined over and over again for violating DOT regulations but just keeps doing it. If you ever get towed by these guys call the DOT before you call them maybe they will help you catch them in the act of breaking the law again and finally put the out of business. Tim Neal should not be in the tow truck business he is the reason it is predatory.

And here’s another such report, dated 08/27.2014:

http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/diamond-towing/murray-Utah/diamond-towing-predatory-towing-practice-murray-Utah-1172777

Unsurprisingly, Diamond Towing hasn’t yet managed to be certified as “Gephardt approved”:

http://www.gephardtapproved.com/directory/towing-services

If Karamba and Dudley Medical & Wellness and The Bar Method Exercise Studio have any actual relationship with Diamond Towing, they strike me as businesses that should be ashamed of that relationship and that should be shunned.  And Diamond Towing itself is clearly the kind of disreputable business that should be shunned.

There.  I feel a little bit better.