ParkMobile in Atlanta — a frustrating experience I think people should know about.
I paid $6.42 through ParkMobile for parking before a show at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta. The reason I use ParkMobile is for the convenience of having a guaranteed, clearly identified place to park.
The problem?** The parking spot/location I paid for was not actually available as described. The lot was ** Deck C Garage, 58 6th St. Atlanta, GA 30308,
We followed the directions provided, drove around the garage, turned and went down the ramp, and looked for the designated ParkMobile/ParkWhiz spaces. There were none. The spaces we found were reserved for another company, with signs warning that we could be booted if we parked there. There was also no way to pay for those spaces.
We were running late for the show and ultimately had to give up and pay another $30 to park on the street.
I contacted ParkMobile expecting them to make this right. Their initial response was essentially that purchases are non-refundable and that they don’t have the ability to refund the money because it goes to the parking operator. After I pushed back and explained that the parking we paid for didn’t exist as directed, they agreed to submit a $6.42 refund request as a “one-time courtesy,” subject to approval.
Yes, it’s only $6.42. That’s not really the point.
If you take someone’s money for a parking reservation, there should actually be a usable parking space/location corresponding to that reservation. And if the information provided is wrong or the parking isn’t available, telling the customer that the purchase is non-refundable shouldn’t be the answer.
I use ParkMobile because I want parking in Atlanta to be easier, not to spend 20 minutes driving around looking for a space that apparently doesn’t exist and then pay another $30 because I’m now late.
Sharing this so others know to double-check the actual parking location and signage before relying on a ParkMobile reservation.