Winnwood Shopping Center

Were you or a loved one affected by the Winnwood Shopping Center Mardi Gras towing? 👎 We’ve parked here often and shopped at these business before without any issues, but today was pretty awful. This was a public event, and we saw no signs saying we couldn’t park. What we’re speaking up about is how everything was handled. First, many car-less people asked the men hauling away more cars away (two cars at a time), where the cars were being taken and how much it would be to get them back. They cussed at many of us parade-goers and said “how would they *explicit* know”. We ultimately found out through Peach Cobbler Factory Lafayette LA where the cars were taken. 🍑❤️ I then called the tow company and asked if they could bring my daughter’s wheelchair and my purse back. I was told it “wasn’t their problem” and the owner of Winnwood shopping center hired them and to call the police. I did make that call after being spoken to unprofessionally and hung up on by their office staff. When finally making it to the tow yard, Any Body Towing & Recovery LLC were charging $300 (cash only) per vehicle to release them. Conveniently, there was an ATM on site for a small fee. 💸 The lack of communication, the cash-only demand, the refusal to provide reasonable assistance to access a wheelchair and my purse, and being told to “call the police” instead of being helped…it was not handled professionally. Is this the norm? Anyone else experienced this at Winnwood Shopping Center during Lafayette Mardi Gras? Happy-ish Mardi Gras, y’all.😓

We parked in the this shopping center for a Mardi Gras parade. We don’t remember seeing a “no parking” sign, we came in a back/side entrance not from Johnston. We came back to the lot to get in our vehicle, and tried to nicely ask the man in the driver seat of the tow truck for information on where our vehicle was taken and if he knew around how much it would be to get it back. He told us that it was “not his problem” and drove away. I had to ask a business worker in the center for the information. It’s not necessarily the “we got towed” that was the issue, it was the driver specifically that dehumanized us in that situation. Very rude. I also want to note the man in the passenger seat seemed as if he wanted to give us information, but didn’t want to speak up to his “coworker”. In previous years my family and I go to the center where our cars are parked for food and snacks between and after the parades, never again. I also spoke to a business owner in the center and they told me that they were very sorry this happened, we agreed on the call that this towing hurts business in this area by decreasing foot traffic. Very unprofessional towing company that the owner of this shopping center has hired…sad Mardi Gras. :( P.S. VERY sketchy yard that our vehicle was taken to.

There are some good business in this shopping center but you will be towed. The owner of the shopping center hired this shady towing company called any body towing & recovery and you will be towed even if you are going in these business. Me and my family will never set foot near this shopping center.