Sea Tow - John Altenberg The self proclaimed captain is basically a pirate and will overcharge you once he has your credit card number Lexington South Carolina
At 0845 I called Sea Tow in Lexington SC due to a dead battery, and spoke to the self proclaimed Captain John Altenberg. I asked about purchasing a membership and the cost, and inquired if they could come less than 5 miles down the lake and give me a jump start. He said it would be an hour or so and I could purchase a membership from the guy that comes out and it would be $119. I told him to come.
At 0940 a boat shows up, he took my credit card info, and jump started my boat. He then proceeded to hand me a bill for $320. I explained the conversation that I had earlier with the so called captain, and questioned the charges. The young man on the boat said that they couldn't sell me a membership now and that it took two hours to get the ten mile round trip on the lake and that costs $320.
When I got home, feeling like a rape victim I contacted Sea Tow's corporate offices via email as it was a sunday, and I was sure that it was closed. I expected an email or telephone response from them but that didn't happen.
Instead they contacted The self procaimed captain to have him contact me (I guess that they thought that he would have sudden burst of honesty). He explained that he has been overcharging people at the same ungodly rate for the last two years, and that I shopuld count myself lucky that I wasn't in Charleston SC, because they are even bigger crooks than he is. Great sales pitch eh?
He also explained that this should teach me a lesson, and that he wouldn't sell me a membership when he has me over a barrel, and that it should encourage me to do business with Sea Tow.
These are my personal observations and lessons learned:
It doesn't take two hours to go ten miles round trip.. Jack Lalane can swim it faster than that. Captain Altenbergs word is only good until he has your credit card number. Sea Tow does not take any responsibility for the in discressions of it's franchise owners. Sea Tow Sucks!
Dsell
lexington, South Carolina
U.S.A.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
PMS Salvage
Santa Cruz,California,
USA
Some points rne
#2General Comment
Thu, February 17, 2011
Though I am a Vessel Assist tower and not involved it this case. I wanted to point out some things that I feel need to be mentioned. First is that the membership in the towing service is like buying insurance. So the same issue with buying insurance after your house burns down applies here. He already had a break down when he called so the insurance would not have covered it as it was a preexisting problem. You can't buy insurance after your house burns down.
Now as for the rate. Well a tow boat costs more than a tow truck to run. So the cost seems about correct for the service time involved. Actually less than what I have to charge for two hours. As for the time it took I can't say anything to that I wasn't there. We have a 285 minimum. Just to compare small tow trucks in my area charge 200 an hour and large ones 585 an hour. We charge 285 for our tow boat.
We all realize that this is costly so we encourage people to get towing insurance. But you do have to get it before you need it.
Capt C Wagner