Parking firm fires back in ticket row

A Wellington man says he was bullied by a ‘‘money gouging’’ parking company after he contested its penalty fees over an unpaid ticket.

But Valley Parking has rejected the complaints as ‘‘insulting and abstruse’’, and said the family should not have ignored the initial ticket.

Pharmacist Ant Simon accepts his son should have paid a $65 ticket for failing to pay and display in Tory St, central Wellington, last month.

But the family were then billed for an additional $45 ‘‘late fee’’ by Valley Parking Services and, when they queried that, they were told they would face an extra $80 admin fee and the car could be put on a towing register.

They questioned the $45 late fee after reading advice in from Consumer NZ chief executive boss Sue Chetwin, urging people to challenge parking fees if they felt they were unfair.

‘‘If you had $110, plus $80, plus Baycorp – whatever they add on – plus if they’re threatening to tow you that’s another $400 ... it adds up,’’ Simon said.

Yesterday, he paid the $45 late fee, but remained upset at Valley Parking’s attitude, believing a reminder notice, rather than additional fees and threats, would have sufficed.

Valley Parking Services said it believed its charges to be fair and reasonable.

The ticket clearly stated that unpaid accounts would incur late payment fees and collection costs, a spokesperson said.

‘‘I’m sure it wouldn’t have been ignored had his vehicle been towed.

‘‘We are trying to go down the path of issuing parking breach invoices, rather than more conventional methods [such as towing], but it appears we still bear the brunt of those that believe they are above the rules everyone else has to follow.’’

Chetwin said yesterday that, although she found the accumulating costs excessive, the family should have contacted the company to challenge the ticket, rather than ignoring it. ‘‘The fairness works both ways.’’

The parkers’ lot, Editorial C4