Coronavirus News: 7 On Your Side investigates parking refund pandemic for former commuters

ByNina Pineda WABC logo

Tuesday, April 14, 2020

Drivers stuck at home seek parking refunds

The coronavirus pandemic has temporarily wiped out the normal morning commute for so many who travel to and from New York City.

NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- The coronavirus pandemic has temporarily wiped out the normal morning commute for so many who travel to and from New York City.

For those who used to commute by car, may no longer need a garage.

If you're a monthly customer, however, and have your fees charged each month, what do you do to get a refund?

One commuter went to 7 On Your Side to answer that question.

"It's like ridiculous," Alan Waller said.

The structural engineer got a monthly charge from his parking garage.

"I just had an inkling," Waller said. "So I went on my Bank of America."

That's when Waller found the full $696.99 charge for April's monthly lease to self park his Corvette everyday commuting from Yorktown Heights to the city.

Waller hasn't driven in since mid-March, but when he tried calling and emailing the garage for a refund, he ran into issues.

"They said no, you need 30 days," Waller said. "And no matter what I said, they didn't care. They said this is our corporate policy."

So he put the pedal to the metal and called 7 On Your Side.

We called his garage SP+ Parking, and within a day, he was out of neutral.

"Just like that," Waller said. "They said I'm getting my $696."

After our call, SP+ Parking said it is now working with clients on refund requests on a case-by-case basis.

The largest parking lot operator in the city, Icon Parking, said it is not offering across the board refunds, but it is working with customers experiencing financial hardships on a case-by-case basis.

Some big takeaways: Put all requests in writing and do it now -- don't delay it.

Remember, you can always dispute charges through your credit card.