surprise parking bill of $90 from trader joes lot in Bethesda

[Anonymous]

Take it to small claims court in MoCo. I’d be filing a complaint with the MD AG and calling Fox5. Get an old lady on camera and Fox5 will be all over this. It’s definitely a shake down.

It wouldn’t surprise me at all if the landlord installed this in order to play hardball with the current tenants to try to force them out.

[Anonymous]

Are you only ticketed if you park more than 2 hours? Are you an employee? Why were you parked there for more than 2 hours if you were just grocery shopping?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you only ticketed if you park more than 2 hours? Are you an employee? Why were you parked there for more than 2 hours if you were just grocery shopping?

It was in the OP

[Anonymous]

Found this--AG might be the way to go to protect consumers.

https://www.consumerfinancialserviceslawmonitor.com/2023/09/parking-company-ordered-to-pay-106000-in-fines-for-alleged-violations-of-the-colorado-fair-debt-collection-practices-act/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm honestly scared of the collections issue. Bc it seems legit. One of the BBB complaint says this:
07/13/2024

Complaint Type:
Billing Issues
Status:
Unanswered

I paid an attendant $15 for Special Event Parking in *********, ** to park in a lot with a sign stating $15 for parking. I receive a bill **** Vanguard parking solutions for $59.4 saying I had not paid for the parking with photos of our license plate which I disputed. I was told that while it was under dispute not other charges would occur. I received a second bill for $91.80 and then was told the owner of the lot would have to give permission to resolve the issue. There has been no other correspondence with them so I thought the issue was resolved until I received a bill from Penn Credit collections. I have already paid for this parking and shouldn't have to be blackmailed to pay again.

Just fyi for the future I once got a collections notice from a company that I had canceled my membership with (it was a nightmare and I went in circles with them trying all sorts of ploys to keep me as a customer). Didn’t get anymore bills then months later a collections notice. I called the collections company and asked for proof of debt. They then “looked in my file” and said they would close it out. I never paid them and my credit was never dinged.

Collections agents are scammy and hope people will get scared and just pay. Before paying anything in the future I would 100% at least try calling first and asking for some sort of proof.

[Anonymous]

I’m thinking about this and at the very least the stores can put up signage alerting customers of the new parking fee.

I feel the worst for seniors who aren’t tech savvy and quickly download an app, sign up for an account and pay in a couple minutes. They’ll be the ones who are most affected.

[Anonymous]

Yes--I'm thinking there need to be at the least regulations for signage/assent for these things. Typically in garages without an entry bar thing you have to drive through/get a ticket, there's a sign with barcode etc. in front of every space. And yes, anyone without a phone/capacity to do the tech is further harmed.

If a company sends something to collection, do they count it as a loss plus get to have a chance of collecting?

[Anonymous]

Was this lot previously free to park? I thought Trader Joe’s required free parking.

[Anonymous]

Yes it has been free for at least a decade

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Collections can impact your credit rating, right? The notice says that it goes up to $125.

"This is a parking payment notice for failure to pay for parking at 6831 Wisconsin Avenue Bethesda, Maryland 20815 monitored by Vanguard Parking Solutions. By parking at this facility, you have agreed to the Parking Agreement and the terms and conditions clearly displayed at the parking facility. You have an outstanding balance of $85.00, this amount is due 15 days from the parking payment notice date. If you pay within 15 days of the parking payment notice date, you get a discounted Parking Charge in the amount of $55.00, plus any applicable state sales tax and/or parking surcharges. If you failed to pay within the 15 days, then you are responsible to pay the full amount of the Parking Charge up to a maximum amount of $125. [this last sentence is underlined]

THIS NOTICE IS PRIVATELY ISSUED BY VANGUARD ON BEHALF OF THE OWNER. IT IS NOT ISSUED BY A GOVERNMENTAL AUTHORITY, AND IS NOT SUBJECT TO CIVIL OR CRIMINAL PENALTIES. HOWEVER, FAILURE TO MAKE THE PAYMENT MAY RESULT IN REFERRING TO COLLECTIONS, ARBITRATION, OR FURTHER LEGAL ACTION."

My credit is excellent. I could not care less if something like this goes to collections.

I pay 99% of my bills faithfully. But I went to the ER a few years ago and ended up getting balanced bill by an ER doc that was not in network, even though the hospital and every other doc I saw was in network. This is a heinous practice that has been outlawed in several states (and since my ER visit also in the state where this hospital is located). I refused to pay more than what my insurance determined was the allowed amount + my copay. The ER practice sent it to collection. I have been ignoring calls from the collection agency for over 2 years now (they go straight to voicemail--I did this instead of blocking the number so that I will know if they ever stop calling LOL). My credit remains excellent, and I just had no problem getting an excellent interest rate on a loan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Collections can impact your credit rating, right? The notice says that it goes up to $125.

"This is a parking payment notice for failure to pay for parking at 6831 Wisconsin Avenue Bethesda, Maryland 20815 monitored by Vanguard Parking Solutions. By parking at this facility, you have agreed to the Parking Agreement and the terms and conditions clearly displayed at the parking facility. You have an outstanding balance of $85.00, this amount is due 15 days from the parking payment notice date. If you pay within 15 days of the parking payment notice date, you get a discounted Parking Charge in the amount of $55.00, plus any applicable state sales tax and/or parking surcharges. If you failed to pay within the 15 days, then you are responsible to pay the full amount of the Parking Charge up to a maximum amount of $125. [this last sentence is underlined]

THIS NOTICE IS PRIVATELY ISSUED BY VANGUARD ON BEHALF OF THE OWNER. IT IS NOT ISSUED BY A GOVERNMENTAL AUTHORITY, AND IS NOT SUBJECT TO CIVIL OR CRIMINAL PENALTIES. HOWEVER, FAILURE TO MAKE THE PAYMENT MAY RESULT IN REFERRING TO COLLECTIONS, ARBITRATION, OR FURTHER LEGAL ACTION."

My credit is excellent. I could not care less if something like this goes to collections.

I pay 99% of my bills faithfully. But I went to the ER a few years ago and ended up getting balanced bill by an ER doc that was not in network, even though the hospital and every other doc I saw was in network. This is a heinous practice that has been outlawed in several states (and since my ER visit also in the state where this hospital is located). I refused to pay more than what my insurance determined was the allowed amount + my copay. The ER practice sent it to collection. I have been ignoring calls from the collection agency for over 2 years now (they go straight to voicemail--I did this instead of blocking the number so that I will know if they ever stop calling LOL). My credit remains excellent, and I just had no problem getting an excellent interest rate on a loan.

I should have added: like a PP, when the collections agency first called, I too asked them for proof of debt--what exactly was I paying for. They could only tell me it was a medical bill. I said to send me the details. But there were no details--no name of the doc, no service, no service date (it was a date range). Perhaps that may be why this hasn't dinged my credit? But that hasn't stopped them from continuing to try to collect from me. They can whistle for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Collections can impact your credit rating, right? The notice says that it goes up to $125.

"This is a parking payment notice for failure to pay for parking at 6831 Wisconsin Avenue Bethesda, Maryland 20815 monitored by Vanguard Parking Solutions. By parking at this facility, you have agreed to the Parking Agreement and the terms and conditions clearly displayed at the parking facility. You have an outstanding balance of $85.00, this amount is due 15 days from the parking payment notice date. If you pay within 15 days of the parking payment notice date, you get a discounted Parking Charge in the amount of $55.00, plus any applicable state sales tax and/or parking surcharges. If you failed to pay within the 15 days, then you are responsible to pay the full amount of the Parking Charge up to a maximum amount of $125. [this last sentence is underlined]

THIS NOTICE IS PRIVATELY ISSUED BY VANGUARD ON BEHALF OF THE OWNER. IT IS NOT ISSUED BY A GOVERNMENTAL AUTHORITY, AND IS NOT SUBJECT TO CIVIL OR CRIMINAL PENALTIES. HOWEVER, FAILURE TO MAKE THE PAYMENT MAY RESULT IN REFERRING TO COLLECTIONS, ARBITRATION, OR FURTHER LEGAL ACTION."

My credit is excellent. I could not care less if something like this goes to collections.

I pay 99% of my bills faithfully. But I went to the ER a few years ago and ended up getting balanced bill by an ER doc that was not in network, even though the hospital and every other doc I saw was in network. This is a heinous practice that has been outlawed in several states (and since my ER visit also in the state where this hospital is located). I refused to pay more than what my insurance determined was the allowed amount + my copay. The ER practice sent it to collection. I have been ignoring calls from the collection agency for over 2 years now (they go straight to voicemail--I did this instead of blocking the number so that I will know if they ever stop calling LOL). My credit remains excellent, and I just had no problem getting an excellent interest rate on a loan.

Medical bills are different. They do not include go on a credit report.

[Anonymous]

OP here--there is now a *federal* regulation called the No Surprises Act that outlaws what happened to you. It was made for ERs and those situations, ambulance rides, etc., specifically. I'm sure you're aware but there hasn't been a ton of coverage on it.

Sounds like you're still being harassed by the collections+ point of origin. There are fines they should be subject to, at the least.

Here is a link from the Maryland AG that may be more user-friendly than CMS

https://www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov/Pages/CPD/HEAU/NSA.aspx

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That location is just so annoying anyway! The parking lot is cramped with tight turns, the building is dingy and has a weird, unpleasant, layout. The elevators take forever and the stairs are outside. The aisles of the TJ's are super narrow. The Target had sewer smells the last time I went, and always looks like a dump.

I bet this extra issue brings a lot more business to the new Trader Joe's, also in downtown Bethesda. Parking is great there.

Have they resolved the walk-off parking issue at the new TJ's in Bethesda? I stopped going there because the garage was full of cars but clearly not all of those people were in the store. The last time I was there, I had to wait for a spot, and there were maybe 3 other people shopping in the store. Even factoring in employees, that's a lot of other cars.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Take it to small claims court in MoCo. I’d be filing a complaint with the MD AG and calling Fox5. Get an old lady on camera and Fox5 will be all over this. It’s definitely a shake down.

It wouldn’t surprise me at all if the landlord installed this in order to play hardball with the current tenants to try to force them out.

Small claims my expletive deleted. A class action for fraud for a hundred million dollars.