Complaint Review: Mile High Towing and Recover

On Friday, Sept. 24, 2010 at 6:00 (when we parked AND PAID), we had the exact same thing happen at this SAME location that dickp had in a recent citysearch complaint.. My wife and I went into Benny's to meet some friends and came out only and hour and half later to find our truck gone. WE PAID.

Some additional facts:

- lot attendant immediately knew it was our truck (how? unless she had observed us walk up to the slot and already pay for that parking space); she was observed talking with a driver of a tow truck; who is she working for?

- another lot attendant collecting the money from the slots suggested that she "watches" as people park and pay and that she "works for the towing company"

- when approached to ask her what had happened and why our truck was gone, she got belligerent and walked away from us - why?

- when we called MHTR, they were immediately very rude on the phone and never mentioned needing to pay cash

- 20 minutes later we get a cab, head to the lot on 43rd and Elati (not a good neighborhood)

- no one there so we call the phone number for MHTR again to find out the status of the driver meeting us there

- they curse (yes using profanity) at my wife claiming they are closed "and that we should have to pay the $30 a day to wait until Monday" and "but will send someone as soon as they can"

- while we are there 2 other vehicles show up trying to get their cars out

- I get out of the cab (who had graciously waited there so we had a safe place to stay) to talk with the other victims; that's when I find out we needed to pay cash

- we go get cash, come back and two tow trucks are there helping the other folks

- one of the young women attempting to retrieve her car after paying, came back to the office to ask why her car steering wasn't working and it was stuck (damaged due to towing?)

- I take a picture of the shed that is an office so I can keep a record of the events that night and I get threatened by a tow truck driver that I can't do that and he will keep my car longer, again, at $30 a day

- no one would give me their name nor the name of the person who wrote the $25 ticket at the parking lot even though her name was at the end of the ticket/tow security record and contract

- we finally managed to pick our kids up 3 hours later

- all this because of a "honest mistake" or because the laws and situation are HIGHLY STACKED AGAINST THE CONSUMER and so they can get away with this and we have not way to prove or have no recourse??

- I would refuse to use the slot style parking boards and only park where they have installed the electronic ones you can pay and get a receipt

We called the tip lines for NEWS4, Channel 9 News and posted the situation on several blogs, forums and all the social media outlets we can think of. We also called the Denver Police but couldn't wait around until they got there as we had two small children to pick up.

What else can we do?