"I was heartbroken honestly," said a man who doesn't want his face shown on camera out of fear of retaliation.
In early August he says he was making a purchase inside a McDonald's on Woodward and Canfield in Midtown.
After 10 minutes inside, he says he was stunned at what he saw happening just outside in the parking lot.
"I pick up the food, I emerge, and then I see my car loaded up on Breakthrough Towing," he added.
That tow would cost him a whopping $395 cash. It was his whole week's earnings.
He’s now part of a class action lawsuit that says Breakthrough Towing violated state law.
It’s a “tow and go” service that’s been causing quite the controversy, with Metro Detroiters concerned after seeing a viral video on YouTube from Jason Lanier.
Lanier’s car was towed after leaving it to go to a nearby restaurant.
After returning the next day, he saw the same company attempting to haul off the car of a woman and child walking out of the restaurant.
The video now has over one million views, enough to catch the attention of the Better Business Bureau, who was on site investigating the issue.
Since the video, AAA, once affiliated with Breakthrough, has terminated its relationship, saying in a statement to Channel 7 that: “the actions and behavior seen in this video are not tolerated by our company and do not reflect the values of the aaa brand.”
But what does Breakthrough Towing have to say about this alleged activity?
We don’t know because workers wouldn't respond to my knocks on the door. And they wouldn't comment on the phone.
The BBB also says it has not heard back from Breakthrough, leaving it with an F rating.
Meanwhile, 7 Action News has questioned McDonald's about why its contract in still in place.
In a statement, the franchise manager, Dominique Virgiles, said, “we are in the process of re-evaluating our relationship with the towing company.”
