Jimmies Towing & Repair

This was on a Sunday; I was stopping by my employer's location in Clearwater and when leaving, car would not start.  A coworker was there and attempted "jumping" the battery, but to no avail. My insurance co. originally sent someone to "jump" the battery, and after contacting them again, finally sent a tow.  The driver from Jimmies was very nice, tested the battery, and determined was the alternator that was bad.  Put my car on the tow.  I asked him to tow me to my home and I would then see about service with a mechanic I have used previously in Dunedin, not far from my home.  He said he could take me to Jimmies and they could work on my car today (Sunday? - great..)  shouldn't take too long.  We arrived at the shop, nobody there and everything locked up.  His comment: oh, is it Sunday???  Did I mention we were in the middle of a torrential FL downpour?  I asked to be towed to Dunedin to the mechanic that I had used previously (and was pleased with) in Dunedin.  He then called his boss to advise.  Convinced me to let him leave my car at their shop and they would have everything taken care of first thing Monday morning.  OK, I was so drained by then, I agreed. Well, my driver side window was open in my car, so I asked driver to close.  Said he could not close since alternator was bad; asked if he could use my "rain poncho" (which was actually a very good quality Columbia raincoat) to put over window.  Like I said, I was exhausted, and drenched from the storm, so there went my jacket over the outside of my car window in the pouring rain and wind, and off we went. The tow truck was in really BAD shape, by the way, no AC, no window defrost, rattling and shaking the entire way; but I am a forgiving person, so just took it in stride, and thanked him for the ride.  I was just SO glad to be home after this all day ordeal.  Oh yes, this started in the morning.  I was home, I believe, about 2 p.m.  The next day, I spoke with "manager" at Jimmies who assured me they were working on my car, and it was definitely the alternator that needed replacing.  I apologize, I do not remember his name at this time; he kept assuring me my car was going to be ready that day, but I was not getting straight answers from him.  I had rented a car since I know not all repairs are same day.  I do not know exactly why he was "hedging", but even the following day, there were delays (as if nobody was moving forward on the work) about ordering parts, etc.  That is understandable, but please be upfront with the customer.  In the end, my car was delivered via tow truck to my house that afternoon, the second day (with many phone calls during my work day to get the job finished).  I paid bill of $381.94, which I was told included a discount of $80.00.  As far as I know, the work was done correctly, but seriously, this was just a bit of a circus.  **In sharing my details of this, I think I may be a bit too easygoing at times....but I really just wanted the to have my car repaired and get home.  I would NOT recommend Jimmies Towing and Recovery to my friends or neighbors.  Although, in the end, I believe the work was done properly (or hope so), but I would not feel confident referring or using their services again.  Thank you.

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When we decided to have it towed to another shop, they became angry and hostile.  They demanded $1080 for the 30 mile tow from our hotel to their shop.  This is crooked and criminal.  It's insurance fraud to intentionally overcharge the insurance company for services.  Not only that, it's a felony!!!  I have already filed a complaint with the BBB and contacted my insurance to dispute.  They are doing their own investigation into the charges.  The going rate for the 30 mile tow should've been around $250. Stay away from this place.

It went really smooth. They had my car repaired and ready for pickup within 24 hours!!! Being a single mom of 2, I feel they sensed the urgency and moved quickly due to my situation!

,After calling the mechanic to make sure they got the car etc., they confirmed the car was there but no key was in the drop-box.  I called the tow company and they stated that the car was locked with the key under the floor mat.  So I went to the mechanics with a spare set of keys but found there was no key anywhere in the car.  My wife and myself  tried multiple times to contact Jimmies to inform them of the situation.  The phone would ring repeatedly until it went to voice-mail, other times it would go straight to voice-mail and on more than one occasion the phone would be answered only to be hung up on instantly.  

I have contacted the insurance company who provided the tow company have filed a formal complaint.  However, not being satisfied with the lack of action, my wife decided to call Jimmies who then changed their story and said they did leave the key in the drop-box.  After a disagreement between my wife and the owner, the owner told my wife to have a nice life and to deal with it before hanging up on her.  The key in question is an aftermarket key I bought after buying the car.  With the cost of the key, shipping and the cost to get it cut the value of the key is approx. $75.  

So not only do I have an expensive key in someone's possession, but I now have the concern of wondering if my car is not going to be wherever I park it!  Due to their lack of honesty and professionalism, I don't put it past these guys to jump in my car and impound it when it suits them while they have my key!

I got a very reasonable fair price considering the late hour. They were considerably cheaper than the previous 2 companies I called. The tow truck arrived exactly when they said. The driver David was very friendly and kind. He definitely helped to put my mind at ease. He worked quickly and towed my jeep to the dealer. I was very impressed with him and his professionalism. I will definitely use this company again in the future. Thank you so much David!!!

This is a family run business and it shows.  They all go out of their way to fix your mechanical problem while making you feel like a member of the family.  They drove us to a restaurant during our wait, picked us up and returned us to their shop and just went out of their way to make sure we were taken care of.  Pricing was reasonable, mechanics are well trained and they tell you what is going on.  They create a trustful atmosphere.

I Initially used my insurance's roadside assistance to get my car towed by them to another auto shop. Although I was concerned about the cost and their reliability, I eventually agreed to have my car serviced by them as well. After a failed jump start, the driver was able to give me an estimate on the spot (for what we assumed was a broken starter) and ensured I would have my car fixed AND returned to me in just 2 hours. Even if my car wasn't fixable by the end of the day- the driver offered a rental car (due to my predicament). Although they finished the repairs in 2 hours, I didn't receive my car back until 3 hours later. I admittedly didn't mind the extra wait- I had no where else to be anyways- and my contact with any/all employees was pleasant. Although I wouldn't necessarily recommend them to any of my friends (I definitely could have gotten a better price elsewhere)- they were kind, quick and receptive to my needs. My car was also returned smelling of smoke- but it dispelled soon enough.
Overall- happy customer!

They were very nice to deal with.  They were very easy to work with, they arranged my car rental.  They restored my car to show room quality. 

My car broke down in a parking lot on a Sunday afternoon.  I had a difficult time finding a towing company that was open, but Jimmy's was able to tow my vehicle. The person I spoke with said that they could also repair it.  This sounded great to me because I would have to have it towed to a repair facility on Monday anyway.  
They took twice as long as they said to get to where we were, but they did show up.  They locked my keys in the car but didn't tell me about it until after they used a slim jim to open it. Once my car was on the flatbed, they drove me and my son home. I was told that they would look at my car in the morning and call me with an estimate. I got a call at 8 am from someone who was entering me into the system and he said someone would call me back in 1-2 hours with the estimate.  At 9 or so, I got the call for the estimate.  I gave them the OK to proceed and they called back at 11:30 to say it was done.  I had to call a cab to get there and that took a little bit, but when I got there it was ready for me.  However, they said that they didn't have time to clean it, and I said that was OK because I just wanted to get home.  I didn't realize that it was dirty inside... 
Then about two weeks later, there was a loud humming coming from the front end.   A friend said that I needed an alignment.  Well Jimmy's said that they did an alignment - and I paid for one.  So I called the shop and let them know this, and was promptly told that there was no warranty. NO standing behind the work they did, etc.  Frankly, I wasn't looking for a warranty, I don't believe that they actually did the alignment, or didn't do it properly.  My steering wheel was crooked - and never was prior to them working on the vehicle.
The day they were towing the car, my gut told me to check around for repair facilities. They offered a discount on the towing if they were going to repair it, and I didn't want to have to pay for a second tow on top of whatever the repairs were going to cost.  I just wish I had listened to my gut. The additional tow would have been nothing compared to the peace of mind I would have had if the repairs had been done properly.
I would definitely use them again for towing, but would find another place to do any repairs.  The men were very pleasant, and the price of the tow was competitive.