Mclaurin Parking Company

Unfair parking citation issued due to lack of clear signage and policy information. Potentially unsafe conditions of lot not posted.We parked in a lot downtown Asheville for an overnight stay at the Windsor hotel. We arrived at 3pm intending to leave before 10am the next day. The signage indicated $1.00/half hour or $8/day. We placed $8 in the assigned cash box. There was a gentleman opening the cash box and collecting money and we verified that we would be okay for 24 hours. The next morning we had a citation. I spoke with a customer service representative who said that we 'misunderstood' the definition of "day" and that the "day period" ended each evening at midnight. This was indicated NOWHERE on the signage. I was also told that if we had called the customer service number upon arrival that this would have been explained to me ALSO that I would have been told that overnight parking I this lot is not recommended. Again, NOWHERE I the lot is there any signage indicating that a call should be made to customer service to get specific information on the lot and it's policies. I appealed the ticket but was denied.Desired SettlementI would like the citation dismissed and also for someone to look into the practices of this company, I feel they intentionally mislead consumers by lack of information in order to collect parking fines. I have a photograph of the signage at the lot on the day of the incident.Business Response /[redacted]/Contact Name and Title: [redacted] VPContact Phone: XXX XXX-XXXXContact Email: [redacted]@mclaurinparking.comThis complaint was received in our Raleigh office on March 12, 2015 and it has been forwarded to our Asheville office for comment. The complaint mentioned a parking lot in Asheville but no street name or any other way for us to know where the incident occurred. I also look to see if the ticket had been appealed online using the information above. We offer this appeal service to all customers who receive penalty tickets, but I was unable to find a record of the appeal without additional information. If we could have the citation # from the penalty ticket that was received or even a date when or location where the ticket was issued, we would be able to research the incident. We would also need to find the citation # to void the penalty, which we would be happy to do if the customer believes she was treated unfairly.We are also seeking the man that was mentioned in the complaint as "opening the cash box and collecting money" at the lot as we only have women in our Asheville office who have access to the cash in any pay station. Perhaps the customer saw one of our enforcement agents checking for payment in the lot. This person would not have access to the cash in the unit, but would be able to open the machine to view the payments. All of our locations should have a telephone number and/or website address posted in the lot that can be used to contact us. If we knew where this incident occurred, we would send someone to check the lot for this information. We will respond more fully when we receive additional information from our Asheville office or from the customer.Again, if we can get the citation number, we will void the penalty. The customer is welcome to contact me at the number shown below.Consumer Response /[redacted]/Final Business Response /[redacted]/I spoke with the customer and my staff to learn that the customer appealed the ticket and received a 50% reduction. The response to the appeal included the following sentence: "Please note that the reduced rate will increase again if not paid promptly." The customer waited several days before going online again to pay the reduced rate and the ticket had increased. After that, the Revdex.com complaint was filed. We have voided the ticket so that the customer owes nothing and I believe that the customer is in agreement that this case is closed.

given parking ticket after payment madeWhile staying in downtown Asheville above the Altamont Theater, We parked starting on Saturday afternoon, when we paid $5. Left the vehicle overnight then paid again on Sunday morning at 9 am again paying $5 to cover for Sunday. The citation number was XXXXXXX. We appealed and like other complaints, we were rejected because of no payment with a picture. I don't know if the company emptied the box earlier in the day or what but payment was rendered in cash on Sunday morning which the signage indicated would cover for the entire day. I think this company should review their internal procedures based on complaints.Desired SettlementVoiding of citationBusiness Response McLaurin Parking Company has specific policies for accounting for cars that are parked overnight in Asheville lots. When customers contact us regarding overnight parking, we ask them to pay for parking or move the vehicle by 8:00 a.m. On the Sunday in question, this lot was checked before 9:00 a.m. and no payment was seen for the space this car was in. The lot was not checked again until after 6:00 p.m. and no payment was found so a penalty ticket was issued. If payment was made, we do not know how we missed it as we always take a photo of the interior of the pay station when we issue a ticket. However, we will take this person's word that payment was made and void the ticket. I trust this action will satisfy the customer. Consumer Response Thank you.

I received a Notice of Delinquent Parking Violation on 7-18-2016 without receiving a parking citation prior to the mailing.I visited Asheville, NC on June 30 and parked in a lot on Patton after 6pm. The signage indicated that parking was at no charge after 6pm, so I did not visit their cash box. Upon returning to our vehicle at approximately 8pm, we had a brief conversation about downtown conditions with the six homeless gentlemen playing cards on the hood of our Jeep. McLaurin claims that I owe under citiation number XXXXXXX with a total due of $30. I attempted contact with them via phone @ XXX-XXX-XXXX repeatedly to attempt a resolution.Desired SettlementMcLaurin should write off the $30 amount due and discontinue contact with me. I have already wasted more than $30 worth of my time attempting to contact them and reach a resolution. I am also contacting the Asheville Chamber of Commerce to voice my concerns about how McLaurin's business practices can harm tourism there. McLaurin should then take a look at using fewer CAPITAL LETTERS in their communicated threats for higher fines, booting, and towing.Business Response Contact Name and Title: [redacted] VPContact Phone: XXXXXXXXXXContact Email: [redacted]@mclaurinparking.comThe customer parked in a lot located at 29 Patton Avenue on June 30, 2016 shortly after 6:00 p.m. and failed to pay for parking as directed on the signs in the lot. The customer parked in space #22 immediately adjacent to a sign that specifies the hours that parking is available for public parking along with the fee ($5.00). There is no sign that states parking is free after 6:00 p.m. as the customer alleges in the complaint. Public parking is available in the lot for a fee from 5:00 p.m. until 5:00 a.m. Mon-Friday and all day and night on Saturday and Sunday. The penalty for failure to pay is printed on the signs and includes a ticket, immobilization, or towing. The customer received a ticket on the windshield with a penalty of $18.00. Perhaps the customer did not see the ticket upon returning to the lot, but there is no way that a collection letter could be mailed to the customer unless a ticket was issued.This customer called our office and we returned the call. Receiving no answer, we left a message. McLaurin Parking Company encourages people who want to dispute a ticket to appeal the ticket online as directed on the ticket and on the letter that was received. When anyone goes on line as if to pay a ticket, they are first given the option of appeal. This action gives us a record and allows us to respond to each and every written appeal within 48 hours. This customer has not appealed the ticket. More than 95% of our customers pay at arrival as directed in our Asheville locations. Out of fairness to the paying customers, we must take action when people fail to pay. Although we could tow cars out of the lot, we prefer to issue a small penalty ticket and we charge $18.00 to cover the cost of the enforcement process. If the initial ticket is ignored for seven days, the penalty increases to $30. After a month, the penalty increases to $60, and after two months, the penalty increases to $100. Cars that are parked without payment after ignoring a penalty ticket previously are subject to immobilization.If this customer would appeal the penalty ticket online, we will reduce the penalty back to the original amount ($18) for another seven days. We will attempt to attach a picture of the sign adjacent to space 22 to this response. Consumer Response I am willing to go online to their appeal site. My call was returned after I filed the Revdex.com complaint. I feel that the complaint was their only prompt to communicate with me. I see that the "threat" of immobilization is still their answer. I will not park in another McLaurin lot, and I will advise everyone I know who visits Asheville and Raliegh to avoid their lots as well.I am willing to pay the $5 parking fee that they say the sign stated. I feel that, at best, their signage is ambiguous to their hours of enforcement. If they put as much time and money into maintaining and monitoring their lots, perhaps their ticket would have been on my vehicle. It may have been the homeless gentlemen, and it may have been a careless employee. Either case should not be at my expense.Final Business Response As stated previously, this customer's car was ticketed at 6:48 p.m. on June 30, 2016 for failure to pay the posted parking fee. A sign stating the fee and the hours when public parking is available was located immediately adjacent to the space where the car was parked. A picture of the sign was sent along with the first answer to the complaint.Additional research has shown us that 107 people parked in the lot on June 30 and 105 payments were received. Two cars were unpaid showing a 98+% compliance rate with the signs in place. The customer contacted our Asheville office after receiving a letter on July 18, 2016. We returned the call on July 19, 2016, but apparently that was not quick enough as this Revdex.com complaint was already filed. The Asheville staff member who returned the call was not aware of the Revdex.com complaint until July 20 so the Revdex.com complaint had nothing to do with our response to the call as alleged in the complaint.The penalty ticket has been reduced back to the original $18.00 amount as the customer states that the ticket was not on the windshield. The letter that was received on July 18 could not be produced unless a ticket was issued. We do not know what happened to the ticket after it was placed on the windshield at 6:48 p.m. on June 30, 2016.The ticket can now be paid online for $18.00, the same as the date it was issued. If the customer chooses not to pay the ticket, the only thing that may happen is another letter may appear in the mail. I regret that this customer did not pay for parking as 105 drivers did in this lot on June 30. However, we will continue to ticket unpaid vehicles instead of immobilization or towing. We invite the customer to return to the lot or any of our locations if they are convenient to the desired destination. We do ask the customer to include our responses to this complaint if he contacts other agencies or offices in Asheville regarding this incident.More Info received From the Consumer(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)I have been in contact with the city of Asheville and the Chamber of Commerce. They have both confirmed that this is not a municipal matter, and offered their apologies for this negative experience. I did reference this case number in my communication with both offices.As to the speed with which I received a call back, apparently my expectation of beginning my calls at 11 AM on 6-18, again at 2 pm on 6-18, again at 5 pm on 6-18, again at 8 am on 6-19, and finally leaving a message at about 10 am on 6-19 was not enough patience and effort on my part. When I had not received a call back by 4 pm 6-19, I opened my complaint with Revdex.com. I believe that most people would understand how I could interpret that it was the complaint that triggered a call back.As stated earlier, I will not park on McLaurin property again, and I will advise others to avoid the property as well. I am willing to honor my original offer to pay the $5 parking fee that I feel is fair, given my apparent misinterpretation of the signage

Obnoxious and unfair fine and unethical business practiceI parked in a parking lot that had a lot of "Reserved Parking for X" signs on most spaces, but had several in the middle that did not. I parked in one of those spaces and paid $1 to park while I purchased a loaf of bread and returned to the car around 10 minutes later. When I returned, a random woman told me I could not park in the space even though I paid. I told her that I paid, and I left.Now, around 3 weeks later, I get a bill from McLaurin Parking asserting an $18 fine and a $12 "late fee" (citation XXXXXXX). I go on to their website and challenge that fine, given the above facts, and they respond with the following claim:"This lot is a reserved parking lot Monday - Friday 5 am to 5 pm. You were parked in this lot on a Friday just after noon. The lot attendant told you that the lot was not available for parking. You chose to park in the lot anyway. The signage in this lot states that unauthorized vehicles (which would be anyone that does not work at the law firm) can be ticketed, immobilized, or towed at the owners expense. You merely received a citation. I will forward to the email address attached to this appeal a photo of the signage posted in this lot."This is blatant lie. I was not told by an attendant that I could not park in the lot and then decided to park anyway. The only interaction I had with someone was when I left. I also paid for the space. I also completely reject the idea that there is some kind of valid fine + **late fee**, given that I was never given any opportunity to pay anything before receiving this letter.Finally, to add insult to injury, McLaurin has decided that it will not accept any other input from me on thisthe citation is marked "final appeal denied", which is, to put it mildly, an unethical business practice.I also find the whole practice here, which is McLaurin essentially pretending to be a government entity (you should see the citation it's a textbook example of trying to mislead consumers) and trying to use the implied force of government to coerce payment from me.It's a despicable way to run a business.Desired SettlementEven if I was not supposed to park in that lot at those hoursand apparently I'm supposed to get an emailed picture of a sign in the lot that asserted thisI paid McLaurin $1, and I certainly owe no "late fee" for something that I was never given any actual notice on. So at a minimum, if the fine is $18, then what I owe is $17 (no late fee, and credit for the $1 paid to McLaurin for parking).The fact that McLaurin has refused to accept any other communication from me on this through their communications system also means that I have to go through this ridiculous process to get them to do something ethical here, and my time is not worthless, so if someone with knowledge and understanding of customer service from McLaurin is handling this, I think the proper move on their part is to dismiss the ticket entirely.Business Response We are sorry that the consumer did not read the signs (or did not believe they applied to him). We were called to the lot by the daytime attendant (employed by the lot owner) to ticket a car that had parked there, been asked to leave, and refused to leave. It is within our right to tow, immobilize, or ticket the car if requested by the daytime attendant (or for non-payment after business hours). We chose to ticket his car for improperly parking on the lot. His payment ($4 short of the amount that parking costs, after hours) does not allow him to park there illegally during the day. He arrived back at his car while the ticket was being written. He refused to take the ticket and nearly hit our ticket writer in his vehicle as he hastily exited the lot. The attendant on duty and the building manager were on-site and saw the reckless exit. The customer received a notice in the mail (as he refused the ticket on-site) and appealed the ticket online. The appeal was declined because the customer was trespassing ** the lot. The signs are large and clear. Additionally, the manner in which he treated our ticket writer as poor, erasing any benefit of the doubt. While he did exhaust his appeal online, our local office phone number is stated on the signs, so he easily could have contacted us if he wanted to pursue this beyond the appeal. If he would like to pay $17 fine ($18 minus the $1 he allegedly paid), we are fine to drop all other late fees. Thank you for your time, [redacted]More Info Received From The ConsumerI am attempting to contact the company via email now that they have indicated that they are willing to act reasonably and continue the appeal conversation, contra to their system.

Ticketed for parking even though their machine took my money.When paying for parking at McLaruin-Walnut Street in Asheville, NC, the pay machine took $1 but would not take the quarters I attempted to add for 1 hour parking. Machine would not return the $1. Paid additional $2 (1 hour rate) on debit card. Returned 4 minutes past the hour and received a parking ticket for $18 even though I had paid MORE than what was required because their machine took my money. Attempted to print a dispute form from company website but it would not download properly. Contacted the company 2 days ago through their website requesting dispute forms but received no response. I am disputing this ticket since the company received an additional $1 for the 4 minutes we were late returning to our car. I would like McLaurin to confirm citation #XXXXXXX has been cancelled, that no further payment is due, and that NO collection efforts will be made for this citation.Desired SettlementI would like McLaurin to confirm citation #XXXXXXX has been cancelled, that no further payment is due, and that NO collection efforts will be made for this citation.More Info Received From Comsumer (1/11/2016)I would like to update complaint XXXXXXXX filed against McLaurin Parking Company. I have received contact from the business and was able to file my dispute directly with them.I have since received contact from the business indicating the parking citation has been closed with no further payment due.As such, I consider this complaint closed satisfactorily.Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.[redacted] XXX-XXX-XXXX

I parked in their Patton Ave Asheville parking lot , paid my money as indicated on the sign and received a citation. I appealed but it was rejected.I parked in spot #4 in their Asheville lot on Patton Avenue on May 7, 2016. I folded a $5 bill as shown on their parking 'board' and then pushed the money in with their special key as indicated. Our car was there for about 6.5 hours and when we left, we noticed a citation on our windshield for $18. I called the phone number on the citation and was told they would reduce my charge to $9. I told them I was still not paying as I already paid. I then appealed via their online appeal process. I received an email rejection saying attached pictures showed no one from spot #4 paying. There were no pictures attached.and if there were, they'd show me paying with my daughter standing next to me. So I contacted the company using their online form on their website and all I got back was a bill for $21.My daughter and I will both swear that I put the money in correctly. I'm not sure what happened to my money but I paid once already. I'm not paying again. They have a glitch in their system. Either someone from the outside has figured out how to get into their parking 'box' or else someone from their company is stealing from them. Either way, not my problem. I paid.Desired SettlementDismissal of citation. We paid once. Not going to pay again.Business Response Customer received a penalty ticket on May 7, 2016 at 2:08 p.m. when no payment was seen in slot #4 while the customer's car was parked in that space. Customer appealed the ticket and the amount was reduced from $18 to $9 as a courtesy. In the appeal response we explained that we take pictures with every ticket and the photos do not show any payment in slot #4. We thought a reduced penalty would help the customer, but I guess it was not sufficient. We have voided the ticket so no payment is due. We know that the money cannot be removed after payment is made, so we are taking the customers word that payment was made and it somehow disappeared before 2:08 p.m. when the lot was checked and the penalty ticket was issued. We trust that the case will be closed with this action.Consumer Response Thank you to the company for canceling the citation. I did indeed pay $5 when I parked.

Parking citation was issued in a lot where the automated parking payment system was non-operational.During visit to Asheville (walnut street lot) on 9/30/2015 the automated parking system was not operational. The system appeared to be frozen and would not respond, and there was no way to pay for parking. After arriving back to my car it had been ticketed (citation XXXXXXX). I appealed the citation and it was denied, I was told that if the system was down I should have left that lot and found somewhere else to park. McLaurin has an obligation to keep THEIR systems up and running and the public should not have to pay citations to park in lots where they can't. After appealing the citation and waiting for a response my fine was now $30 which I paid.Desired SettlementA full refund of the $30 parking fine.Business Response /[redacted]/Contact Name and Title: [redacted] VPContact Phone: XXX XXX-XXXXContact Email: [redacted]@mclaurinparking.comThis customer parked in our Walnut Street location on Sep 30. We did have a brief outage with the pay station on that day, but the problem was corrected within 5 minutes after we were notified of the problem with another customer. Apparently the customer who filed this complaint did not call us when he had the problem. Our number is printed on signage in the lot. Also printed on the pay station is a message that payment can be made using the telephone or the passport parking app. Other signs in the lot direct customers not to leave their car in the lot unless they have paid for parking. There is no sign in the lot that states parking is free if you have a problem.The telephone option is always available and signs direct customers not to leave a car in the lot unless payment is made. Customer could have called us for assistance. We would have instructed customer to wait 3-5 minutes for our staff to correct the problem, pay using the phone or move the car out of the lot. While the ticket was issued on Sep 30, customer did not appeal until Oct 5. The appeal was answered on Oct 6 the ticket did not increase until Oct 9. Customer paid the ticket on Oct 30. We do not understand why the appeal was not made for five days or why the customer did not pay the penalty while it was $18.We can reduce the penalty back to $18. Customer could have easily avoided this problem by not leaving his car in a space if he was unable to pay.

I used the McLauring Parking Deck at the BB&T building in Raleigh, NC,\r\non January 29, 2016. I parked near the door and was pulling out of the lot\r\nin just a few minutes. \r\nThe lady said, \"Two dollars.\" I asked if I could swipe my debit card; she said, \"No, that is only for when the booth is closed.\"\r\nAs I was looking over my recent bank statement I realized I was charged $12.00 AND $2.00!\r\nWhen I called they said my card was swiped for $12, and an hour later for $2.00\r\nImpossible, I live almost two hours from Raleigh; this was my one and only visit to this building, and, as stated before, I was in the parking lot a very short time.\r\nThey asked for my card number in order to reimburse me.

I park my car in the parking lot McLauren manages and payed the $6 in the money slot that's Payed for the entire day. They ticketed me for non-paymentI park my car in the parking lot McLauren manages and payed the $6 in the money slot that's Payed for the entire day. They ticketed me for non-payment. I called that very day and spoke to the manager and she explained to me to dispute the claim and if I had put the money in the wrong slot etc that they will look up all the money from that day and pull the reports and if the $5 dollar bill with the $1 bill was put in the wrong slot they should catch it. I disputed my claim and that very next day they emailed me saying it was denied and now the $18 fine has claimed to $30. I have had parking tickets with them in the past and the parking manager (same lady that answers every time) is always extremely rude to me and sarcastic. I believe they did not even look into the claim I made and just denied it because of all my past tickets, and the absolute rudeness of the manager. I payed for my day and I have proof from my manager on duty as seeing me put money in the meter. I feel McLauren I'm turning a blind eye because of my past tickets, and I feel the manager has been very unprofessional to me as well. I'm not going to be parking or given them any more of my business and going to turn people away from using their lots as well. I want my ticket dismissed.Desired SettlementI want my $30 ticket dismissed or refunded if it's already paid by the time this complain gets to them. Business Response This customer received a parking ticket for no payment in one of our Asheville locations where we provide a mechanical pay station for cash payment (at arrival) and a phone number/app for credit card payments. The customer appealed the ticket stating that payment was made at the appropriate space number or perhaps at a specific wrong space number. The appeal was declined when we reviewed the photos taken when the ticket was issued. The photos show that no payment was made for space 41 where the customer parked and no payment was present for space 31 where the customer states she might have paid. This is the first time that this customer has used our online appeal process, but it is not the first time that the customer has received a ticket for insufficient or no payment in one of our locations in Asheville.1. On Nov 22, 2014 this customer parked without paying in lot #121. This ticket ($18.00) was issued and was not appealed, and the customer did not call our office until March 19 when this ticket and two others she received (see below) escalated to $100.00. On March 19, 2015, a McLaurin Parking Company representative listened to the customer describe problems with a sick child and limited work hours, then reduced the penalty back to $18.00 on all three tickets and encouraged the customer to pay promptly. The ticket was paid on March 19, 2015.2. On January 9, 2015 the customer parked with insufficient payment in lot #119, A ticket was issued and did not appeal until calling our office on March 19, 2015 after the penalty amount had escalated to $100.00. See #1 above3. On January 16, 2015 the customer parked again in lot #119 without payment. Again the customer did not use the online appeal and waited until the penalty increased to $100.00 before call our office on March 19. The penalty was reduced back to $18. See #1 above.4. On June 24, 2015 the customer received another ticket and did nothing until the ticket escalated to $100. 5. On August 23, 2015 the customer received another ticket for failure to pay for parking in the same lot as the one above.6. On August 25, 2015 the customer received another ticket for failure to pay for parking in the same lot as the one above. Our policy dictates that anyone who receives a ticket with unpaid earlier tickets is eligible for immobilization. The car was booted and all penalties, including the boot removal fee ($50) was paid. The total payment was $186.00 for three tickets (4,5, & 6 above) and boot removal.7. On Nov 17, 2015 the customer received another ticket for failure to pay for parking in lot #26. Again she did not appeal, but called our office on December 21, after the penalty had escalated to $60.00. Our site manager reduced the penalty back to $30 and the ticket was paid on December 21.8. On February 12, 2016, this customer received another ticket for failure to pay for parking in lot #20. For the first time, the customer appealed online on February 19, 2016. She claimed that she paid for parking in space #41, but she may have inadvertently paid for space #31 instead. Our photos (taken with every ticket) showed no payment for space 41 or 31 and the appeal was denied. The customer then complained to Revdex.com.In her complaint, the customer states that our employee was rude. However, the same employee assisted this customer on four previous tickets by significantly reducing the penalty after the customer did nothing to appeal for assistance until the tickets had escalated to $100 (3) and $60 (1). Due to her lack of effort, her penalty tickets totaled $360.00 and we reduced the amount to $84.00 as a courtesy. I do not believe our employee was rude in the appeal dated February 19, but more likely, the customer did not receive the dispensation that she thought she deserved with this last ticket (her 8th ticket).On February 12, we only visited lot #20 two times. The first visit was shortly after 10:00 a.m. and the customer's car was not in the lot at that time. Our second visit was just before 2:00 p.m. and the car was in the lot (space 41), but no payment was made for space 41 or 31 at that time. If this customer paid, the payment was made after the ticket was issued at 1:59 p.m. and after our enforcement agent left the lot. Every time we have spoken to this customer, she has been encouraged to use the Pay-by-Phone option when parking with us. This method of payment will give the customer a time-stamped receipt on the phone and a record of payment will exist. Likewise, using the online appeal process provides a written record of the appeal and our response. This customer used a telephone call for the first three tickets and the only record we have is the action that we took to reduce the penalty amount. Of course, we also have a photographic record that shows that no payment was made before 1:59 p.m. on February 12. We do not understand why this customer has parked without payment eight times over the last 15 months. We ask this customer not to park with us again unless proper payment is made at arrival. We have assisted this customer by reducing penalties multiple times previously, and cannot continue to reward the customer for this type of behavior in the future. This customer can contact me directly if additional information is needed.[redacted] Parking CompanyXXX XXX-XXXX direct dial