$58.30 parking ticket at Bethesda Trader Joes/Target at 6:50 a.m
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Anonymous
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Apologies if I am duplicating my postings. It's my first time posting on DCUM and I don't know if my prior post went through.
I received a parking ticket in the mail today from that Trader Joes parking lot in Bethesda (above the Target on Wisconsin Avenue). It is for $58.30. It is form "Vanguard Parking Solutions" I was at the Target from 6:50 a.m. until 7:08 a.m (according to the ticket). I sat in my car until 7 am. until the Target opened, purchased an item and left eight minutes later. I have no recollection of whether I scanned the parking App on my phone. Even if I did scan the App, I can't prove it because whenever I am there and scan the app it says it can't send me a confirmation. So, I screenshot the proof and save it for a couple of days and then delete it. The letter says if I don't pay by x date in October the ticket will go up to $125. There is a website to dispute the charge but when I go to the link the only option is to pay the ticket. There is no dispute option. Should I just pay the ticket and never use that parking lot again? I don't want to ignore it and then hav the fine double. On the other hand most muniicipal parking lots do not even charge for parking until 8 a.m or 9 a.m. This seems like a huge scam. It is also a bit creepy that they have photos of my car and the time I entered and left the parking lot. Would welcome people's thoughts and advice on what to do. |
Anonymous
| If you paid, you should have a credit or debit card receipt. |
Anonymous
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Replying to 13:40
The first hour is free so no payment needed. |
Anonymous
deleted photos are still viewable unless you went to the deleted folder and deleted it form their. |
Anonymous
Didn't you say in your other post that they have time stamped photos? If so, then you should be able to contest. |
Anonymous
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To clarify, first hour is free if you use one of the apps. I can't prove that I did so. To the poster who suggested I check my deleted photos, I just checked and it's not there. . It looks like my iphone clears out the deleted photos every week.
Thank you everyone for trying to brainstorm solutions. I appreciate this very much. |
Anonymous
| I'd go to target and speak with customer service. Show them your receipt. They should be able to drop it. I've had to do this with other businesses. |
Anonymous
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There's already a lengthy thread about the shady practices of this garage management. Many people do not see the QR code they need to scan. Someone should start a lawsuit against this firm.
The best way to fight this, OP, whether you pay this fine or not, is to stop shopping there. There is a much better TJs on the other side of downtown Bethesda, and really no reason to use this particular shopping center. Vote with your feet. |
Anonymous
This is OP. I will no longer shop there. I found the other thread you mentioned. Thank you. I ran a quick google search and there are complaints on Reddit about this company (Vanguard Parking Solutions) both here in Bethesda and in Florida. It appears to be a FL based company. There is also a FL phone number for disputes, but it is an AI generated response that requests payment and hangs up. |
Anonymous
| Your deleted pictures should be in your deleted folder for 30 days. Retrieve them to your photo folder. |
Anonymous
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I'm sorry OP. I think this is just a new way for property owners to shake down consumers. It feels completely counterproductive, especially since that garage is nightmarishly small and both the TJs and Target are too small to be very useful.
Fwiw tHere's a similar thing happening around the newish development at Chevy Chase Lake (Connecticut Ave & Manor Rd, just inside the Beltway.) And at CCL it's street parking, not the garage, although I guess the argument is that it is a private street so the management company can charge for parking. For a while they had fake meter maids hanging around harassing people to use the app. Ironically no one seemed inclined to do anything about the insane double parking and speeding by Amazon Fresh drivers. For now the shakedown seems to have abated, so maybe complaints get heard? |
Anonymous
| Write a polite letter to Target customer service and explain the situation. If you have it, include a copy of the Target receipt for whatever you purchased. |
Anonymous
| Can't you ignore the ticket? |
Anonymous
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If you follow their dispute process they will likely drop it.
They make their money from people too tired to fight |
Anonymous
They'll harass you via credit report and might try to get a judgment eventually with extra fees. Or they might drop it. |