Akaroa stalwart receives hefty parking fine despite paying the fee
An Akaroa resident was left furious after Wilson Parking refused to waive an $85 parking fine, even after she provided written proof that she had paid the parking fee.
Victoria Andrews was due to arrive at the Christchurch Town Hall at 9.30am on March 19 to receive her Queen’s Service Medal, awarded to her in the latest New Year Honours for services to heritage preservation and conservation.
The 74-year-old parked at a Wilson car park in the CBD and, running about five minutes late, she paid with her Visa using payWave and watched as “accepted” appeared on the parking machine screen for $21.60.
She didn’t have time to get a receipt. On April 5, Andrews received a letter from Parking Enforcement Services, owned and operated by Wilson, claiming she had not paid. The breach notice demanded $85, increased to $105 if not paid before April 18.
Baffled, she rang her bank and got printed verification that Wilson had accepted her payment and filed an appeal. Parking Enforcement Services declined it.
Andrews then lodged a formal complaint with Wilson Parking in Christchurch.
“I also said that I intended to pursue the matter through the Fair Trading Act and Disputes Tribunal if necessary.
“This is ridiculous, it’s just not on. I had verification and I had proof.
“I’m not going to be bullied into paying $85 when I don’t owe it.”
Wilson dropped the breach notice after receiving Andrews’ second letter.
But that was it, Andrews said – there was no recognition, no explanation and no apology.
“The average person shouldn’t have to go through all those hoops.
Andrews was not the only person to receive an breach notice that day.
When asked by The Press what happened, a Wilson spokesperson said there was a “technical issue” that disrupted the link between the pay machine and its other systems.
“Regrettably, a small number of customers, including the individual mentioned, were affected.” Wilson refused to confirm how many customers were affected.
The spokesperson said once the issue was identified, all breach notices were waived. “We deeply regret any frustration or inconvenience caused to the affected individuals.”
When asked about the appeal process, the spokesperson said there was an “oversight”
during the transition to the company’s new support team.
“The appeal should not have been declined, and we apologise for this error.” But Andrews wasn’t buying it. “[Wilson] refused to accept, or ignored, the evidence.
This is not the complaint The Press has received about Wilson Parking.
A Christchurch resident, who did not want his name used, received an $85 fine after using a central city car park, despite paying the $7.60 fee.
When he checked his bank statement, he saw the fee had been deducted and then reversed one minute later.
He sent the proof along with a letter to Parking Enforcement Services, disputing the fine. He received a response saying the fine would be waived, but it was “ultimately your responsibility to ensure you have a valid parking payment” and the company would “not be waiving any further breach notices under these circumstances”.
Wilson Parking told The Press the payment was reversed because the user did not press “confirm” – an explanation he disputes. It was not aware of other incidents where that had happened, it said.
According to Consumer NZ, operators of private car parks can charge only what is reasonable to cover their loss and to deter a breach.
Consumer NZ investigative writer Vanessa Pratley said when she received a fine from Wilson Parking last year, the possibility of debt collection was what swayed her most to pay it.
“However, your credit record only shows any unpaid debt from the last five years that was $125 or more, so don’t let that influence your decision to pay. If you’ve been wrongly issued a fine, appeal it as soon as possible in writing. Debt collectors can’t approach you while the debt is in dispute.”