Shocking $3500 parking fee - warning for all drivers
- Replies 7
Have you ever parked your car in a busy area and cringed at the thought of how much it will cost you? Well, you're not alone! Parking in central parts of a city and some shopping centres can be really expensive, and it's always a relief when we don't get hit with a hefty parking fee.
However, a recent incident in Melbourne might leave you feeling shocked and frustrated. Sharon Micallef parked her car in a medical centre, only to be served with a fee that was way beyond what she expected.
Imagine spending over $3500 just for parking your car!
Here's her recollection of what happened: Sharon parked her car at a medical centre and used her mother's debit card to access the car park.
Four-and-a-half hours later, when she tried to exit the car park using the same card, the machine didn't recognise it. So she tried her personal debit card, which worked and allowed her to leave.
But the real shock came later when she checked her bank account and saw that a massive amount of $3536.94 had been deducted from her card!
It's hard to imagine the fear and uncertainty that she must have felt at that moment. And to make things worse, she couldn't even get in touch with the car park company, ACE Parking, for a full 24 hours!
Sharon contacted ACE Parking the next day, and the company conducted an investigation into the issue. However, it wasn't until Friday that they notified her that she would receive most of her money back.
But there was a catch: the refund could take up to five working days to process, and it was up to her bank to release the funds.
It's not hard to see why Sharon was frustrated with this outcome. She had been charged a huge amount unexpectedly, and it seemed unfair that she would have to wait so long to get her money back.
To make matters worse, she believes that she was charged for nine months' worth of parking, which is a staggering amount.
What's even more surprising is that this wasn't the first time that Sharon had experienced a similar issue at the same car park.
Sharon's dad was in the hospital with COVID, and during one of her visits, she parked her car and tapped her card to enter the car park.
However, when she tried to leave, she found that the boom gates were all up, and she assumed that there was a problem with them. So, she left without giving it much thought.
Unfortunately, this simple mistake ended up costing her a lot of money.
Because of the 'open session' she had created, she was charged for parking at the site for three-quarters of a year, even though she had only been there for a few hours. Imagine how frustrating and confusing this must have been for her, especially during a difficult time.
ACE Parking later confirmed in an email that there had been an issue with the machines on the day that Sharon had left in May, which seems to have contributed to her overcharging.
It's easy to see how stressful it would be to go through the same problem twice. It's hard to understand why the company didn't take steps to address the issue earlier or communicate it to customers, especially given that it had happened before.
Although Ms Micallef eventually received most of her money back, she was disappointed that it took five working days, while the parking company could take it out of her account in a matter of seconds.
Ms Micallef argues that there should be a limit on how much parking companies can take from a customer's bank account so that customers are only arguing over a small amount of money, not thousands of dollars.
Now, the mum is urging other drivers who use paid parking to double-check their bank accounts and make sure they are not being overcharged.
'I was lucky that I had the money in the account but other people may not have had money in the account and they live day by day. How would they survive having that much money taken out?' she said.
'Who knows how many people they have ripped off?'
James English, the director of ACE Parking group, has apologised for the incident, describing it as 'exceedingly rare' and assuring customers that the company takes customer service seriously and will take action to prevent similar incidents from happening again.
Sharon's story is a reminder for all of us to be vigilant about parking charges, especially when using ticket machines.
It's not often that we hear about such huge payment errors, but it's a good idea to always double-check our bank accounts to avoid any surprises. It's scary to think that we could be charged more than we owe just because of a machine fault.
Members, we can't emphasise enough how important it is to stay vigilant when it comes to card payments, not only with parking. Be sure to keep an eye on your bank balance, and discuss with your family and friends the importance of doing the same.
After all, we do not want to incur a charge any of us can't afford! It's also crucial to keep in mind that you should try not to leave the establishment (or in this case, the car park) without verifying payment.
Most importantly, if you do find yourself in a similar situation ask for help right away. Don't wait - call your bank to ensure that it gets straightened out as soon as possible.
What are your thoughts? Have you ever been overcharged? Share your story in the comments below!
However, a recent incident in Melbourne might leave you feeling shocked and frustrated. Sharon Micallef parked her car in a medical centre, only to be served with a fee that was way beyond what she expected.
Imagine spending over $3500 just for parking your car!
Here's her recollection of what happened: Sharon parked her car at a medical centre and used her mother's debit card to access the car park.
Four-and-a-half hours later, when she tried to exit the car park using the same card, the machine didn't recognise it. So she tried her personal debit card, which worked and allowed her to leave.
Parking can be a real pain, so imagine how you'd feel if you were suddenly charged thousands of dollars for a mistake you didn't make. Credit: Unsplash/Stanisław Gregor.
But the real shock came later when she checked her bank account and saw that a massive amount of $3536.94 had been deducted from her card!
It's hard to imagine the fear and uncertainty that she must have felt at that moment. And to make things worse, she couldn't even get in touch with the car park company, ACE Parking, for a full 24 hours!
Sharon contacted ACE Parking the next day, and the company conducted an investigation into the issue. However, it wasn't until Friday that they notified her that she would receive most of her money back.
But there was a catch: the refund could take up to five working days to process, and it was up to her bank to release the funds.
It's not hard to see why Sharon was frustrated with this outcome. She had been charged a huge amount unexpectedly, and it seemed unfair that she would have to wait so long to get her money back.
To make matters worse, she believes that she was charged for nine months' worth of parking, which is a staggering amount.
Customers may park at ACE Parking without having to worry about tickets—they only need to scan their cards upon entering and leaving the lot. Credit: aceparking.com.au.
What's even more surprising is that this wasn't the first time that Sharon had experienced a similar issue at the same car park.
Sharon's dad was in the hospital with COVID, and during one of her visits, she parked her car and tapped her card to enter the car park.
However, when she tried to leave, she found that the boom gates were all up, and she assumed that there was a problem with them. So, she left without giving it much thought.
Unfortunately, this simple mistake ended up costing her a lot of money.
Because of the 'open session' she had created, she was charged for parking at the site for three-quarters of a year, even though she had only been there for a few hours. Imagine how frustrating and confusing this must have been for her, especially during a difficult time.
ACE Parking later confirmed in an email that there had been an issue with the machines on the day that Sharon had left in May, which seems to have contributed to her overcharging.
In an email sent to Ms Micallef, ACE confirmed that there was an issue with the machines on the day she left back in May. Credit: Google Maps.
It's easy to see how stressful it would be to go through the same problem twice. It's hard to understand why the company didn't take steps to address the issue earlier or communicate it to customers, especially given that it had happened before.
Although Ms Micallef eventually received most of her money back, she was disappointed that it took five working days, while the parking company could take it out of her account in a matter of seconds.
Ms Micallef argues that there should be a limit on how much parking companies can take from a customer's bank account so that customers are only arguing over a small amount of money, not thousands of dollars.
Now, the mum is urging other drivers who use paid parking to double-check their bank accounts and make sure they are not being overcharged.
'I was lucky that I had the money in the account but other people may not have had money in the account and they live day by day. How would they survive having that much money taken out?' she said.
'Who knows how many people they have ripped off?'
This story just goes to show that you can't be too careful when it comes to paying for parking, especially in these difficult times. Credit: aceparking.com.au.
James English, the director of ACE Parking group, has apologised for the incident, describing it as 'exceedingly rare' and assuring customers that the company takes customer service seriously and will take action to prevent similar incidents from happening again.
Sharon's story is a reminder for all of us to be vigilant about parking charges, especially when using ticket machines.
It's not often that we hear about such huge payment errors, but it's a good idea to always double-check our bank accounts to avoid any surprises. It's scary to think that we could be charged more than we owe just because of a machine fault.
After all, we do not want to incur a charge any of us can't afford! It's also crucial to keep in mind that you should try not to leave the establishment (or in this case, the car park) without verifying payment.
Most importantly, if you do find yourself in a similar situation ask for help right away. Don't wait - call your bank to ensure that it gets straightened out as soon as possible.
What are your thoughts? Have you ever been overcharged? Share your story in the comments below!
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