A WALMART customer who had his car towed from the store’s parking lot due to someone else’s poor parking habits has declared war on the operator.
Alison Copeland was shocked when her car was towed the moment she walked into the Virginia superstore.
Copeland, a disabled driver, was shopping at the Frederick Boulevard Walmart in Portsmouth, a Norfolk suburb, when she lost her ride to Always Swift Towing, according to NBC affiliate WAVY-TV.
The operator claimed she had double-parked in the handicapped spot, but that the driver next to her had crossed the line first, forcing her to move over.
Copeland had a disabled placard, which allowed her to park in designated areas closer to Walmart entrances and exits.
She also had photos that she believed proved she had not parked incorrectly.
“This is my vehicle, and this is the right side back tire, and it is crossed the line,” she said, flashing the evidence.
Despite her efforts to dispute the tow, she was still required to pay $375 to retrieve her car.
“No, I think they were wrong,” Copeland replied.
A WAVY-TV screw spoke with a towing company representative, who had his own photos of Copeland’s parking job.
Walmart was working with Always Swift Towing to enforce parking rules at the time, but the driver believed the company was unfairly targeting disabled drivers.
“Why were we towing her? “Because she was double-parked,” the representative explained.
“It is over the line.”
The towing company insisted that they were only taking orders from Walmart.
Following the incident, Copeland reconsidered shopping at the store entirely.
“As a shopper of Walmart, I no longer want to go to Walmart because I do not know if my car is going to be gone,” Copeland told me.
She also believed the company was unfairly targeting disabled drivers, as several other customers had complained about a similar scheme.
What to do if your car is towed
Retrieving a towed vehicle, whether done correctly or incorrectly, can be difficult.
If your vehicle is towed for parking in a “No Parking” zone or for another legitimate reason, you can take a few steps to get it back.
Steps to take when your car is towed:
- Try to figure out why your car was towed. Did you not see a posted “No Parking” sign? Did you miss a car payment? Did you return to a lot where you have unpaid citations? Finding the reason can narrow down the phone numbers to dial.
- Locate the vehicle. Most states, cities, or counties require towing companies to leave some form of contact information via a posted sign or sent by mail.
- Recovery dates and times depend on the company that towed the vehicle, but those times will be posted to the website or can be recited by a representative.
- Pay the fees. Be careful to be as prompt as possible, as some tow yards may charge storage fees by the day.
If you feel your vehicle was wrongfully towed, contesting the action can be done with the following steps:
- Be prompt – many states have a small window of time where it’s acceptable to file a complaint against a company that wrongfully towed the vehicle.
- Gather supporting documents: photos, emails, receipts, police reports, and witness statements if applicable. The more evidence, the better.
- Get familiar with your local laws, as laws for towing companies vary per state.
- Try speaking with the towing company. Sometimes it may have been a simple oversight, and the matter can be resolved quickly.
- Contact the Justice of the Peace in your area, as they may have more insight or resources to help. They are often utilized for towing cases.
- Talk to a lawyer. Many lawyers have free case consultations, and depending on the case, it may be worth it to utilize a lawyer.
That is why she contacted the local media to share her story, which resulted in a full refund.
In an email, Copeland explained her situation to a Walmart store manager.
“So, I decided to just send an e-mail to Walmart’s CEO, their head of marketing, whomever that I could find from the CEO all the way down,” she told me.
Walmart’s store manager, Jamie Cobb, stated that they gave Copeland $375 in cash to repay her and that they have ended their relationship with Always Swift.
Copeland was ecstatic with the supermarket’s response and said she finally feels at ease about the situation.
“I could not sleep because of this,” Copeland explained.
“I wanted my money back, but I could not sleep and had nightmares because it was not fair.
“And not only me. Others may not have had enough money to purchase a car.”
Walmart & Always Swift Towing did not immediately respond to The United States Sun’s request for comment.
