1 STAR — Extremely concerning towing practices and a terrible experience
I am leaving this review because my experience with AutoPros Towing & Recovery was extremely concerning and, in my opinion, raises serious questions about the way they conduct parking enforcement.
I was visiting an apartment complex at W. Waters Avenue in Tampa and parked in one of the spaces that were clearly marked VISITOR. There were five spaces clearly designated for visitors. I was not parked in a fire lane, handicapped space, reserved resident space, or otherwise obstructing anything.
My vehicle was nevertheless towed.
The most troubling part was that I could not find clear towing-company signage where I had parked that would have reasonably informed a visitor that my vehicle was subject to immediate towing. Because I had no idea where my truck had been taken or even who had authorized the tow, I had to contact the police non-emergency line myself to try to determine what had happened to my vehicle.
That should never be how a customer has to find out where their vehicle went.
What made the situation even more concerning was what I observed regarding the tow operator. From my perspective, the operator appeared to be following/monitoring vehicles entering the property and specifically watching the visitor parking area. I observed the tow activity in connection with the clearly marked visitor spaces, which made the entire situation feel less like legitimate parking enforcement and more like actively looking for vehicles to tow.
After eventually locating my truck at AutoPros, I was charged nearly $300 to recover it. Because it was a Sunday, I was told there was an additional charge associated with having someone come/open the gate so I could retrieve my vehicle. What made that charge particularly frustrating was that the woman who ultimately handled the release opened the gate herself.
So I was forced to pay a substantial amount of money on a Sunday for a process that ultimately did not appear to involve the additional service I was being charged for.
This was not an emergency tow. I did not call AutoPros for assistance. I did not abandon my vehicle. I was visiting the property and parked in an area clearly marked for visitors.
The combination of:
• Being towed from clearly marked visitor parking
• Lack of obvious towing information/signage where I parked
• Having to call police non-emergency myself just to figure out where my vehicle had gone
• Being charged nearly $300 to recover my vehicle
• Being charged an additional Sunday/gate-related fee
• The circumstances surrounding how the tow operator appeared to be monitoring vehicles entering the property
• And the fact that the gate was ultimately opened by the same woman who was already there
left me extremely dissatisfied and concerned about AutoPros’ business practices.
I am not claiming that every tow performed by this company is improper. I am saying that my specific tow was extremely difficult to understand or justify based on the circumstances I personally experienced.
I am also filing a formal complaint with the Better Business Bureau and documenting the circumstances, including the location, the visitor parking markings, the charges, and my communications with law enforcement regarding locating the vehicle.
AutoPros advertises itself as a professional, family-owned towing company committed to “safe, honest service.” My experience did not reflect that standard.
If you are visiting an apartment complex where AutoPros provides towing enforcement, I strongly recommend taking photographs of the parking space, all nearby signage, and your vehicle’s location before leaving your vehicle unattended. I wish I had known I would need to document everything before simply parking in a space marked VISITOR
Marilynn De los Santos
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August 09, 2026
I have utilized the services of AutoPros for nearly 20 years. While some people view tow companies negatively, it's important to remember that they are performing a service on behalf of the property owners, businesses, or organizations that contract them. Tow companies do not tow vehicles simply because they want to.
Whenever I have needed a tow, AutoPros has been prompt, professional, and efficient. Eddie, Juan, and the rest of the team have always been understanding and respectful, and the drivers have been courteous and helpful. My experiences with AutoPros over the years have been consistently positive.
Merileyka Rivera
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October 20, 2026
Absolutely ridiculous! I stopped by my mother’s apartment to bring her groceries upstairs because she was injured, and in LESS THAN 15 MINUTES, my car was towed! Apparently, there are towing signs somewhere, but they were not clearly visible to me, and the parking spaces aren’t marked to indicate where visitors can or cannot park. To make matters worse, the staff was extremely rude, nasty, and unprofessional. Zero compassion or understanding! Absolutely disgusting way to do business!
Madison O'Quinn
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June 11, 2026
This company is an absolute joke, just take a look at their reviews. The pattern speaks for itself. They towed my car, it was in their possession for maybe an hour and returned it damaged. The rear fender panel was popped out of place, the clips are broken so it will not pop back in, and there is damage underneath my vehicle from the tow. When I called to report it, I was told there was nothing they could do because I already left the lot. I am young, I have never had my vehicle towed before. I was not aware that I had to get on my hands and knees with a flashlight in their dark tow lot at 2am and inspect every inch of my vehicle. Lesson learned I guess. Being charged hundreds of dollars to retrieve your vehicle is bad enough. Getting it back damaged and then being told they have no accountability is even worse.
CHECK YOUR VEHICLES before you leave the lot, this is apparently how this company avoids responsibility for damaging people’s property. Disgusting.
Anonymous Anonymous
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November 04, 2025
This tow company is extremely unprofessional and inconsistent. They pick and choose who they tow.
I live at Lake Azzure. Tonight, someone decided to literally take up TWO parking spaces to save one for someone they knew. I called the tow company multiple times. It took THREE hours for them to finally come. And when they finally arrived, it was pretty obvious they personally knew the people with the vehicles. The tow driver sat there on his phone while they came outside, he talked to them, waited, and then allowed them to move one car to take one of the spots they were blocking.
I have a disabled child and there are very limited parking spaces here. Watching that happen was honestly disgraceful.
And the worst part? This is the SAME tow company that previously towed MY vehicle because my handicap tag was chipped and they claimed it wasn’t valid because of that tiny damage.
Our complex deserves better. I truly hope the apartments find a different tow company very soon.
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1 STAR — Extremely concerning towing practices and a terrible experience I am leaving this review because my experience with AutoPros Towing & Recovery was extremely concerning and, in my opinion, raises serious questions about the way they conduct parking enforcement. I was visiting an apartment complex at W. Waters Avenue in Tampa and parked in one of the spaces that were clearly marked VISITOR. There were five spaces clearly designated for visitors. I was not parked in a fire lane, handicapped space, reserved resident space, or otherwise obstructing anything. My vehicle was nevertheless towed. The most troubling part was that I could not find clear towing-company signage where I had parked that would have reasonably informed a visitor that my vehicle was subject to immediate towing. Because I had no idea where my truck had been taken or even who had authorized the tow, I had to contact the police non-emergency line myself to try to determine what had happened to my vehicle. That should never be how a customer has to find out where their vehicle went. What made the situation even more concerning was what I observed regarding the tow operator. From my perspective, the operator appeared to be following/monitoring vehicles entering the property and specifically watching the visitor parking area. I observed the tow activity in connection with the clearly marked visitor spaces, which made the entire situation feel less like legitimate parking enforcement and more like actively looking for vehicles to tow. After eventually locating my truck at AutoPros, I was charged nearly $300 to recover it. Because it was a Sunday, I was told there was an additional charge associated with having someone come/open the gate so I could retrieve my vehicle. What made that charge particularly frustrating was that the woman who ultimately handled the release opened the gate herself. So I was forced to pay a substantial amount of money on a Sunday for a process that ultimately did not appear to involve the additional service I was being charged for. This was not an emergency tow. I did not call AutoPros for assistance. I did not abandon my vehicle. I was visiting the property and parked in an area clearly marked for visitors. The combination of: • Being towed from clearly marked visitor parking • Lack of obvious towing information/signage where I parked • Having to call police non-emergency myself just to figure out where my vehicle had gone • Being charged nearly $300 to recover my vehicle • Being charged an additional Sunday/gate-related fee • The circumstances surrounding how the tow operator appeared to be monitoring vehicles entering the property • And the fact that the gate was ultimately opened by the same woman who was already there left me extremely dissatisfied and concerned about AutoPros’ business practices. I am not claiming that every tow performed by this company is improper. I am saying that my specific tow was extremely difficult to understand or justify based on the circumstances I personally experienced. I am also filing a formal complaint with the Better Business Bureau and documenting the circumstances, including the location, the visitor parking markings, the charges, and my communications with law enforcement regarding locating the vehicle. AutoPros advertises itself as a professional, family-owned towing company committed to “safe, honest service.” My experience did not reflect that standard. If you are visiting an apartment complex where AutoPros provides towing enforcement, I strongly recommend taking photographs of the parking space, all nearby signage, and your vehicle’s location before leaving your vehicle unattended. I wish I had known I would need to document everything before simply parking in a space marked VISITOR
I have utilized the services of AutoPros for nearly 20 years. While some people view tow companies negatively, it's important to remember that they are performing a service on behalf of the property owners, businesses, or organizations that contract them. Tow companies do not tow vehicles simply because they want to. Whenever I have needed a tow, AutoPros has been prompt, professional, and efficient. Eddie, Juan, and the rest of the team have always been understanding and respectful, and the drivers have been courteous and helpful. My experiences with AutoPros over the years have been consistently positive.
Absolutely ridiculous! I stopped by my mother’s apartment to bring her groceries upstairs because she was injured, and in LESS THAN 15 MINUTES, my car was towed! Apparently, there are towing signs somewhere, but they were not clearly visible to me, and the parking spaces aren’t marked to indicate where visitors can or cannot park. To make matters worse, the staff was extremely rude, nasty, and unprofessional. Zero compassion or understanding! Absolutely disgusting way to do business!
This company is an absolute joke, just take a look at their reviews. The pattern speaks for itself. They towed my car, it was in their possession for maybe an hour and returned it damaged. The rear fender panel was popped out of place, the clips are broken so it will not pop back in, and there is damage underneath my vehicle from the tow. When I called to report it, I was told there was nothing they could do because I already left the lot. I am young, I have never had my vehicle towed before. I was not aware that I had to get on my hands and knees with a flashlight in their dark tow lot at 2am and inspect every inch of my vehicle. Lesson learned I guess. Being charged hundreds of dollars to retrieve your vehicle is bad enough. Getting it back damaged and then being told they have no accountability is even worse. CHECK YOUR VEHICLES before you leave the lot, this is apparently how this company avoids responsibility for damaging people’s property. Disgusting.
This tow company is extremely unprofessional and inconsistent. They pick and choose who they tow. I live at Lake Azzure. Tonight, someone decided to literally take up TWO parking spaces to save one for someone they knew. I called the tow company multiple times. It took THREE hours for them to finally come. And when they finally arrived, it was pretty obvious they personally knew the people with the vehicles. The tow driver sat there on his phone while they came outside, he talked to them, waited, and then allowed them to move one car to take one of the spots they were blocking. I have a disabled child and there are very limited parking spaces here. Watching that happen was honestly disgraceful. And the worst part? This is the SAME tow company that previously towed MY vehicle because my handicap tag was chipped and they claimed it wasn’t valid because of that tiny damage. Our complex deserves better. I truly hope the apartments find a different tow company very soon.