Complaint Review: Bruffy's Del Rey Tow

This is direct response to Rip-off Report #: 796874 by Carbon dated 11/10/11 and his Update dated 11/16/11. This response is being posted by an employee of Bruffys.
 
It is understandable that having been the victim of a crime, individual who posted this complaint (Carbon) is expressing hurt at having experienced a crime against his personal property. While Bruffys empathizes with Carbons frustrations, we find it unfortunate that Carbon intentionally chose to malign Bruffys rather than directing his attentions towards the individuals who caused him harm by stealing his vehicle.
 
Bruffys finds it disappointing that Carbon chose this forum to express his emotions rather than approaching the management of Bruffys with any potentially legitimate and resolvable complaint. Please understand that Carbon never offered Bruffys any opportunity to address/redress any complaint or issue expressed in this posting. Be clear that Carbon, through this posting, is making an opportunity to inflict harm on Bruffys reputation while remaining concealed behind the confidential nature of this website.
 
Carbons assertions here are discernibly incorrect and are actual libel. Carbon is specifically accusing Bruffys of several crimes which neither Bruffys nor any of its employees committed and is adversely reflecting on Bruffys fitness to conduct their business. Both of these are actionable offenses under civil and criminal defamation law.
 
While the posting is largely devoid of the specific information which would allow Bruffys to research the specific complaint, Bruffys was able to narrow down situation to a single logical vehicle release. Carbon needs to be made aware that his interactions with our staff members on the day he retrieved his vehicle were recorded by Bruffys security system. At all times, Bruffys employees remained courteous and business-like with Carbon. It is clear from reviewing what was recorded that Carbons recollection of what transpired onsite at Bruffys and is conjecturing happened off-site would vary from how any reasonable individual would interpret.
 
Bruffys is not complicit in the theft of Carbons vehicle. Exactly the opposite is true; Bruffys operated in its contracted capacity as an Official Police Garage to assist in the recovery of Carbons at the bequest of the Los Angeles County Sherriffs Department. The truth is that Official Police Garages are highly regulated by our local government and monitored by the Police Commission. As with all Official Police Garages, the City of Los Angeles and other law enforcement agencies contract Bruffys to provide towing and storage services. Our fees are set by our contracts with the City and County of Los Angeles and are posted prominently in our lobby. Bruffys strives to fulfill our duties in a responsible and courteous manner and Bruffys prides itself in its execution of those duties.
 
While Bruffys was and is not privy to any conversations between any law enforcement agency and Carbon, we can attest to the Sheriff Department waiving its mandated vehicle release fee for recovered stolen vehicles. It is important to note that this fee was, in fact, waived upon the release of the vehicle in question. While Carbon reported the theft of his vehicle to the LAPD, the vehicle was recovered by the Sheriffs Department and the vehicle was impounded under CVC 22651.C. Carbon obtained the release for the vehicle from the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department. The fees paid by Carbon were the fess mandated by our contract with the County.
 
In short, Carbon is violating the law (intentionally committing libel as evidenced by the postings above) because he feels that Bruffys should have violated its contractual obligations with a law enforcement agency.
 
The Los Angeles Police Department did not recover Carbons vehicle.  Again, Bruffys was and is not privy to any conversations between any law enforcement agency and Carbon, this includes Carbons conversations with LAPD. Any potential statement by the LAPD of fees to be paid upon release was not applicable to the situation at hand.  While it is lamentable that the car thieves that actually stole Carbons vehicle lacked the courtesy to abandon it within the city limits of the City of Los Angeles, Bruffys would have been contractually bound by the terms of that release if LAPD had recovered the vehicle.
 
Again, Bruffys is not a thief. Bruffys did not steal Carbons car. Bruffys did not illegally take Carbons money. Bruffys is not nor has it ever been affiliated with the Coast Nostra or the Mafia. The crass malfeasance that Carbon unjustly accuses Bruffys would endanger Bruffys status as a Official Police Garage. Bruffys was above board and acted transparently throughout the entire process AND the individual complaining about our reasonable, legal and ethical actions is attempting to conceal himself behind covert anonymity provided by this website.
 
It is obvious that Carbon utterly lacks even a basic understanding of how Official Police Garages (OPGs) operate within Los Angeles County. Only a limited number of towing companies are contracted to directly provide towing and storage related services to its law enforcement agencies. Official Police Garages do not initiate any towing or impound. The law enforcement agencies in Los Angeles County must contact their contracted Official Police Garages to initiate any impounds in their authority to impound. Official Police Garages only act upon the specific direction of the impounding officer.
 
Bruffys is the Official Police Garage contracted with both the City and County of Los Angeles. Bruffys is contractually obligated to impound and store any and all vehicles recovered within its contractually defined area of operation. If Carbons stolen vehicle had been abandoned by the car thieves outside of Bruffys operational area, it would have been subject to the exact same laws and charges at another Official Police Garage.
 
It was only the indiscretion of the miscreants that actually stole Carbons 1996 Honda Accord that determined which OPG handled the recovery of Carbons vehicle. Carbon would have paid the exact same charges had his vehicle been recovered in any unincorporated Los Angeles County area. There was no criminal action involved with this transaction; the charges actually were in strict adherence and compliance with the law that Carbon is so blithely accusing Bruffys of violating.
 
As stated above, neither Bruffys Inc. nor have any of its Principals have ever been involved in illegal actions, or in malfeasance, real or alleged. Bruffys and its Principals are not crooks and have never been so. To state or imply anything else is intentionally issuing a false and malicious publication printed for the purpose of defaming both Bruffys Inc. and its Principals. Bruffys, Inc. has continuously operated as an Official Police Garage of the City of Los Angeles since its inception. Bruffys Inc. has never had its license or operations terminated, cancelled, revoked, suspended or interrupted. As an Official Police Garage, Bruffys Del Rey Tow operates within full compliance all applicable municipal ordinances and state laws.
 
Carbon expresses feeling victimized. Rather than dealing those emotions in a constructive manner, Carbon, through this posting, is intentionally victimizing and inflicting harm on Bruffys reputation while remaining concealed behind the confidential nature of this website. Carbon specifically mischaracterizes Bruffys operations and chose to do the irresponsible, immoral and unethical thing by blaming Bruffys. Bruffys is not immoral and Bruffys is not unethical. Just the opposite is fact; Bruffys actions were moral, ethical, responsible and legal. Bruffys could not continue operating, if it operated within a gray zone or pushed any envelope. Apparently, these things can not be said of Carbon.
 
Rip-off Report provides a valuable service in allowing individuals that have been unduly wronged a voice; this is not one of those cases.
 
The truth is that Bruffys Inc. is contractually obligated to provide valuable services to the City of Los Angeles. The Police Commission has had continuous oversight of Bruffys operations. Official Police Garages are highly regulated and must operate within strict parameters to retain their license with the city. Bruffys Inc. must operate in a manner which reflects positively upon law enforcement or face termination of our contract. Bruffys has been acknowledged for contributing to the community at large on numerous occasions and looks forward to continue serving the City and our greater community for years to come.
 
Respectfully, Richard Adlof Comptroller, Bruffys Del Rey Tow

Perhaps you should re-read what I posted.   I NEVER stated you should be charged $200.  I was commenting on your "conspiracy theory" and posed the question as to what the LAPD said when you called them.  Which by the way you never answered that question.

You may very well have a valid complaint. But posting theories about how a tow company is willing to commit FELONIES to collect a tow fee, just about destroys what ever credibility you may have.

By the way I think the "same day pickup" you mentioned has more than a little to do with this fee.  So perhaps you can give more details of the chain of events in having your car recovered and exactly what you did to get it back.

" Stealing an old car that has no monetary value and moving it a few blocks so that the owner does not find it benefits no one but the tow company who is called to tow it.  "

   It is also the common M.O. of your neighborhood teen joyrider.   They pick older cars because there are fewer security systems in them.  They're not going to leave it miles away because they have to walk home, and they're certainly not going to return to the scene of the crime (even young scofflaws are not that stupid), so they abandon it a few blocks away after they've had their fun.   Now, what sounds more logical?  The above, or a sinister towing/car theft conspiracy?

Nothing better to do than make sure they are called to to tow a car?? Are you kidding me? What is it that they do then?? Deal drugs? Because that's the only business that would make more money!

News flash for you: Tow yards make their money from towing cars!!! Stealing an old car that has no monetary value and moving it a few blocks so that the owner does not find it benefits no one but the tow company who is called to tow it.

So $200 is nothing for you?? and you feel the need to defend a tow yard? Very interesting point of view from a "consumer"!!! Do you also feel that because my car my stolen I deserve to pay $200 to a tow yard for same day pickup?. This is no conspiracy theory but rather a 2+2=4. If you work for Buffy at least have the balls to say so. Thieves.

Conveniently placed in a location where only Buffys tow would be called.
- So I guess you are saying that Buffy's has nothing better to do than to steal cars and put them in a place where they know the LAPD would call them to tow it.  All this to get you to pay $200 to get your car back.  Well I've heard some really interesting conspiracy theories about tow companies but I think that one may be the most convoluted.

They charged me $200 for the same day pickup of the STOLEN car!!! Even though LAPD specifically had told me that I would not be charged.
- So what did the LAPD say when you called them.