Popular retail chains have introduced parking meters in their parking lots, requiring ticket collection. This is to avoid a situation in which not customers park in the area belonging to the store, but, for example, employees of nearby companies, residents of nearby apartment blocks or people who need to leave their car somewhere. In this case, not having a ticket or staying in front of the store for too long results in a high fine. However, if you have received a similar punishment, be careful. Some tickets may turn out to be fakes.
A new scam in store parking lots. The company warns against false “fines”
The largest parking company in Poland is APCOA Parking Polska. Its representatives reported cases of issuing false payment requests in the absence of a valid parking ticket. Fraudsters provide a different bank account number on forms handed out to unsuspecting people, which is used to extort money. “We would like to inform you that these incidents have been reported to the appropriate law enforcement authorities,” APCOA representatives said in an official statement.
“We would like to point out that the request for payment issued by APCOA inspection services has a QR code redirecting to a website where you can read the details of the case. There you can see the request number, photos taken by the inspector, and learn the reason for imposing additional fee and submit a complaint or pay the payment request. This is a solution that allows you to quickly and conveniently check whether the issued payment request is real,” the company advised. In case of doubts, company representatives please contact us by phone or e-mail. The address and telephone number can be found on the website.
APCOA problems. Consumers complain to the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection
Extorting money for not having a valid parking ticket is not the first serious problem of APCOA Parking Polska. For years, complaints have been submitted to the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection regarding the operation of store parking lots and other company activities that allegedly violate consumer rights. In April 2023. At that time, APCOA Parking Polska required consumers to submit complaints only via a form on the website or by letter. However, it did not take into account other possible forms of filing complaints, such as e-mail or personal appearance. Additionally, she was supposed to change the complaint processing time on her own.
“The decision of the President of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection is not final, we have filed an appeal against it, referring the case to court proceedings. Similarly, the assessed penalty is not due. The Office of Competition and Consumer Protection has been conducting proceedings since October 2021. While examining a number of aspects of APCOA’s activities, the authority did not decide to bring charges in terms of the method of organizing parking lots, the principles of their operation, including charging additional fees or marking, as well as the method of resolving specific consumer cases. The President of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection admitted in the justification of the decision that the actions of APCOA ultimately questioned in the decision were not intentional. We also believe that in consumers did not suffer any harm as a result of our practices. Our business is based on honest relationships with customers and we strive to improve the high standards of our business,” the company explained at the time.
Source: Gazeta
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