Berkeley Towing

Refused service to me.
Seemed disinterested when I initially called to get information about moving my vintage BMW from one garage to another. I thought I had a pretty reasonable request, and he definitely had the prerogative to decline a job (I guess towing is a good business where you can do so), but I don’t appreciate a business that 1.) doesn’t explain why they don’t want to do a job, and 2). being hung-​up on after asking for clarity.
Would definitely never call back and hope others don’t support disrespectful or entitled business owners.
Maybe he’s feeling himself with all the other 5 star reviews. Definitely now my experience.

Five stars all around. Should u be so unfortunate to be stranded w a broken down vehicle, call these guys. Great service.

Called Berkeley Towing after I locked my keys in the car and had no spare! Andy came to the rescue! Previous to this call, I called quite a few other locations and I was being charged an arm & a leg for a simple job. He was prompt and did the job really quick. His price was very reasonable and I could tell he truly enjoys his job and helping people. I wish Andy nothing but great Karma as he is very nice. I recommend you call him if you are in need.

Quick service and very nice. Needed a jump and they were very helpful! Would use them anytime I need help.

Was caught with a car that wouldn’t start in the rain; Berkeley Towing was the #1 rated business when I searched, and they were indeed great.
While they weren’t the fastest to arrive, the driver was super friendly and helpful, got my car started in a minute or so, and was half the price of the other towing shop I had to use when my car wouldn’t start last time.

Andy was quick to arrive and treated my car right when the dead starter left me stranded. He even found a great mechanic that was able to fix the starter right away while I waited. I would absolutely call Andy again if I needed a tow. Best price. Best service.

Excellent fast towing service, thank you Andy for towing my 72 chevelle and getting it back to my house.

Called to set up tow at 2:45p, gave all information and CC as hold. (Did not accept Amex to hold on visa, and was assured payment could be made via Amex)
Received call from tow truck driver at 2:50p saying eta 25 – 30 min.
Called tow truck driver at 3:20, no answer
Called dispatch at 3:25 and was told service was cancelled due to lack of communication on my end. Asked for service to resume and given another 25 – 30 eta.
Had my insurance call dispatch to arrange payment, insurance called me back to say dispatch would not accept payment, and called dispatch. They say my insurance would not cover, elaborating how they have the call recorded. Regardless, where is the tow truck?
Called dispatch at 4pm and they again took on another job ahead of me because they were unsure about payment, eta 40 min. I told them I would call my insurance and have them call them, regardless they have my CC on file, get a tow truck here now! Mind you I have a flight to catch and did not need an hr and a half wasted waiting on their negligence. 5 min later, As I am on hold with my insurance to figure out who’s the liar, knowing my insurance will reimburse me my payment, their manager calls me to reconfirm I want a tow truck, YES! Oh well, he refuses service.
Go to the next company, these guys are pretty good at wasting your time, lying and making you out to be the problem. They had payment set the whole time. What a waste of time.

I’ll keep this short, just like my experience.
car stranded on side of the road, phone call to set up same day service, got there quick, totally fair price (beat out other guys by around half, why you would try to charge me ~$ 250 to go from the edge of piedmont next to highway 13 to moraga is beyond me), great service overall.
¹⁰⁄₁₀ would hire again.

Andy was great. Brakes went out. Showed up with a flatbed in 15 minutes for the lowest price, and on a Saturday to boot.

He was awesome! I called him early in the morning (like around 9:30ish) and he told me he’d be at my location in 15−30mins (I live close to his business).
He was able to get my car out from the parking lot in my apartment complex and took me all the way to Richmond. It was $ 75 and he was informing me of local areas that could possibly help me. I have warranty for my car and thus had to go to the dealership where I bought it but I thanked him any ways for the advice. He’s friendly and it was a pleasant car ride.
I would definitely recommend him and if I ever need towing (which I hope won’t be anytime soon), I’ll definitely contact him. Oh and he accepts debit so that was a huge plus for me since I didn’t have cash on me. And just for future reference, don’t be mean and ask for the impossible, if he can’t do something because its out of his power then oh well, move on and call some other company if you can’t deal with it.
P. S. He doesn’t tow motorcycles. He explained his reasoning and I found them to be valid so if you’re looking for that type of services, look somewhere else.

No one wants to need this service, but do yourself a favor if you’re in need. I created a Unilocal account just for this review; Andy is that phenomenal.
Let me explain:
1) He doesn’t try to screw you over for money — and who doesn’t need money? When I called, he quoted me $ 60 to tow my car to my preferred mechanic several miles away. I paid more than that to have my car towed less than a mile.
2) Andy arrived at my house in 20 minutes! What planet is this? I mean… I would’ve given Berkeley Towing 5 stars even if he took the standard hour+ to arrive, but this was a strawberry on top (I don’t like maraschino cherries).
3) He’s the picture of humanity. He’s considerate, he talked to me instead of just getting the job done, he asked how he could help more, and he gave me great advice about my car. He’s also sliiightly funny.
4) When Andy found out the price my preferred mechanic quoted me (remember, we conversed), he called a place he’s familiar with to see if it would be more cost-​effective. It was. He took me there for no extra charge and made sure I was taken care of before he left. The place is on 4^th and Webster if you’re interested.
I’m done counting the ways.
Note: There are only 2 negative reviews. One has no specifics, and one makes no sense. Why would you even call a company to pick you up if you don’t know where you are?

Andy was fast, friendly, efficient and very kind to a shaken up woman ! His rate was very reasonable, and I would call him again, should I ever need a tow.
Thanks Andy!

There I was, trying to make the best of a sad situation. Stranded by my allegedly trusty car at night. My roadside assistance insurance said it would be an hour and a half. But at least it was a safe neighborhood. At least I hadn’t been rushing to an appointment. And at least my car had chosen this moment to die, instead of a few days before when I was on a solo road trip, poking around remote desert roads in Nevada and crossing Death Valley.
I got tired of this mental litany of what to be grateful for after the first half hour, and thought of trusty Unilocal!I pulled out my phone and found Berkeley Towing. Many glowing reviews and a matched set of crank-​pots, who seemed best to ignore. The owner himself answered late on a Sunday night. Yes he could get there in 20 minutes, yes he had the flat-​bed truck needed for an all wheel drive car, and Yes his price would be reasonable. 20 minutes was inaccurate, he showed up in 15 minutes! Not only that, but he was a really nice and reassuring person.
He skillfully and securely maneuvered my car onto the truck in the time it took to call the other company to cancel. On the way to dropping the car near the mechanic I use, I asked if he was returning to his office in central Berkeley as I preferred to call a cab from there instead of waiting in an iffy location. Instead, he took me all the way home, an incredibly kind and unexpected act.
If Unilocal had 10 stars I’d give them all to Berkeley Tow!

Berkeley Towing came through right on time and with great service — and at half the price of the service I’d used a few days earlier.
I highly recommend them.
Our car died unexpectedly and left us stranded. We had it towed to one shop via AAA, but then had to have it towed to another shop for a second opinion. The first company was great, but we got sticker shock. When we finally towed our dead car home, we used Berkeley Towing. I called them and they said they would be there in 30 minutes. 29 minutes later, they drove up to the shop and efficiently loaded up the car and took us home. The service was fast, courteous and efficient, and the price was right.

I’ve never experienced having my car breakdown! I didn’t know what to do! But I called around to find out rates to get to Vallejo from Berkeley and Berkeley Towing had the best rate! Other places were offering prices over $ 200! I refused to pay that much!
Andy was very helpful, friendly, and the ride home was not awkward at all, he can hold a conversation.
If you’re reading this, trying to decide who to call to come tow your car, call Berkeley Towing!

Super fast and excellent service! Going to use him all the time! Referring to everyone!!! Thanks sooooo much for your service and your referral to fix my vehicle. The best in the bay

Basically I was having a really crappy day when my engine wouldn’t start this morning! However Berkeley Towing really helped me out. The owner was super nice, amicable, and not awkward or mean. Really really helpful and friendly!
I highly recommend this business, especially after experiencing bad tow truck companies before. Also they’re cheaper than other places as well!
I don’t write reviews very often but this is definitely one of the local businesses I’ll always keep on call just in case my car breaks down again.

Andy loves his work. He thinks ahead, at lightning speed, asks a handful of pertinent questions, then shows up ready to convert panic and havoc into what will ultimately amount to a pretty good day.
My lowered Mazda3 decided it was done with axles, shafts, struts, etc. right in the middle of a tiny residential street. I called my mechanic, who’s always good for local, close-​personal referrals. Thought I knew whose number to ask for. I was wrong, by about 4x the budget my ins. said I could spend, through them if I didn’t mind waiting a couple hours. Pfft. He sent me to Andy with a laudatory «he’ll get you out of there fast and won’t take you for a rube.»
Andy’s a very good listener: he asked for directions to where I was, which is kind of cool coming from a tow operator. You know they know their territory, but its a good idea to ask anyway, in case of high-​drama traffic calmer interference. I forgot to mention that the car is lowered, so maybe wants a flatbed, but lo: that’s what appeared, 10min sooner than expected. It was a custom heavy duty Ford converted to a flatbed, and fit neatly on that tiny little street. My neighbors, car guys and contractors, were impressed. I learned a lot about the tow rig, on the ride into the shop. That’s the third criteria for earning my lifelong loyalty if hopefully not *too* much repreat business. He’s chatty, personable, and inclusive: made me about as smart as I wish I was, about internal combustion, suspension, etc. We were at the shop in record time, not a scratch on my poor collapsed car. I’ve had good tows before, but he treated my car as if it was his sister’s: that really helped me recover what I could from a day full of obligations I couldn’t fulfill, 100mi away, not having factored rental car office skulking into my drive time budget. He helped me make the most of what I could, with a smile. That’s a pretty great attribute to bring to a job where most transactions are initiated by consumers in panic, feeling betrayed by their equipment and whomever built it, unsure of the expense they’re facing or whether their ins. will cover it [Progressive was thrilled. see next sentence.].
His rates are competitive. His timing: superb. Put him in your phone with the rest of your ICE contacts. Hope your paths cross again, and light up when they do.
This Andy chap is an ace tow operator, and all around good guy.

After calling numerous tow services and getting voicemail — which, btw this is the next day and NONE of them called back — I called Berkeley Towing and Andy picked up the phone immediately. He told me he could meet me in a few minutes, and he did. It took him about ten minutes to get to me, he carefully got my car on his flatbed without damaging anything (‘ve had careless tow people break my car in the past) and took me to my destination.
Andy was not only professional, he is a very cool dude — he makes you feel more like a friend than a client (or maybe we just clicked). Afterwards, he even suggested that he could refer me to some good mechanic friends of his if I am not satisfied with the one I went to. would recommend Berkeley Towing to anyone in a heartbeat.