Tow company defends business practices

A Peterborough-area man is speaking out about what he sees as questionable business practices after a recent interaction with a city towing company.

The company owner, meanwhile, is defending the family-operated business, which he says becomes infrequently vilified when someone feels they’ve been shortchanged.

Mark Buckley was enjoying an evening out among friends from the city’s Pokemon Go community at a downtown restaurant last Friday when his vehicle, which was parked behind a grocery store, was towed by AFP Towing at the request of the retailer.

He acknowledges the mistake of parking where he should not have – there were no parking signs – but it was the process of getting his vehicle back that caused him the greatest concern.

With no indications whether his vehicle had been stolen or towed, he knocked on the back door of the grocery store, where an employee informed him that his Mitsubishi was in transit to AFP’s Bensfort Road compound.

Buckley soon learned he would have to set a pickup time and pay $169.50 in cash to get his crossover back, and pay $60 more if he did so after midnight.

This was his first concern – Ontario’s Bill 15, passed in 2014, requires tow truck companies to accept credit card payments. After all, his wallet was still in the vehicle and he had only brought a credit card with him into the restaurant.

“You shouldn’t be able to force someone to pay cash,” said Buckley, who has studied law.

Owner Chris Coleman said AFP Towing does in fact accept Visa and Mastercard, as it advertises on its website, but not roadside late at night. Had Buckley come to the office the next morning, he would have been able to pay that way, he said.

Buckley was also concerned that he didn’t have to show any sort of identification, such as his driver’s licence or proof of ownership, in order to get his vehicle back. He feels astute crooks could buy a newto-them vehicle for a mere $170.

Coleman pointed out that Buckley had the key. “What more proof do you need?”

Buckley clarified that he did not have a key, rather, an electronic key fab. He was also concerned about the compound, which he said looked like a “dog pen” that someone who is skilled at keying locks could enter without much of a problem.

Coleman pointed out that the grounds are under video surveillance and asked which would be easier to steal, a vehicle in his compound or a vehicle parked on the side of the road.

Coleman said it is unfortunate that his company, which has steadily expanded over the past 11 years, becomes vilified when someone feels like they have been done wrong. It doesn’t help that bad apples in the industry make it harder for the good ones, he added.

AFP has continued to grow because of its solid reputation in the community, said Coleman, who pointed out the great number of happy customers who have been gratefully pulled from ditches or assisted after experiencing misfortune over the years.

“We’re a family-run business,” he said.