Customers complain about towing at parking lot

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Valerie Walker thought she did the right thing.

She parked in a parking space, went into a sub shop and then ran next door to Dollar General.

She says when she came out, someone had booted her vehicle and told her she was in the sub shop's parking not the dollar store's parking and she should have changed spaces even though the stores are almost next to each other.

"Frustrated. Angry. Panicky. Confused," she said.

She and seven other customers complained to the Better Business Bureau.

"Consumers are just not happy," said Tom Bartholomy, president of the local BBB.

It was enough for the BBB to issue a warning and give the towing company, United Towing, an F rating. It's the same company accused of predatory towing at the Dilworth Starbucks last year.

United Towing invited Eyewitness News to tag along. Channel 9 saw how people ignore the signs, go into the wrong businesses -- even right next door -- and end up with boots.

The stores there can't thank the towing company enough.

"People just take up our parking spaces and then they get mad when they get booted and it's like you're not even customers here," said Twiggy Cerniglia with Visart Video.

While they may lose some customers like Walker, they say booting helps more than it hurts.

WSOC