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

Tuesday, April 14, 2020
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.

MORE CORONAVIRUS COVID-19 COVERAGE





UPDATES
Grieving the lost: Tri-State residents who have died
New York state
New Jersey
Connecticut
Long Island

RESOURCES
Where are the testing centers
See how our communities are making a difference
Free educational resources for parents and children
How you can help victims of coronavirus

RELATED INFORMATION

Share your coronavirus story with Eyewitness News
Stimulus check scams and other coronavirus hoaxes
Coronavirus prevention: how clean are your hands?
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on coronavirus
Total count of NYC COVID-19 cases based on patient address
Copyright © 2024 WABC-TV. All Rights Reserved.