Deceptive advertising by Lanier Parking Solutions and overcharged for parking (Atlanta: how much, hotel)

[Webwaster]

Hi, we came to Atlanta for Dragon*Con this year over Labor Day weekend. We parked in a parking garage operated by Lanier Parking Solutions. They said they don't own the garage and won't tell me who owns the garage so I cannot go directly to the owner. Here's what happened. We pulled into the garage (there was a flag man waving people in) with signs all over the place clearly marked "Event Parking $20 Flat Rate" which I photographed once I was charged. I realized this would be $20 every time I pulled my car out of the garage but we were planning on eating around the convention and so I didn't worry about it. When we left on Monday afternoon they said it was $100 and I was in SHOCK. I thought we would be paying $20 as the signs said. In talking to the ladies working the garage they kept saying you're going to have to pay and we just work here. They also said I wasn't the only one complaining and that I had been there 5 days and had to just pay. I asked for a manager and they said they were all gone for the holiday. They said I would need to call and leave a message. I left a message and got no return call so I called back on Tuesday. The receptionist was very nice and said their voice mail system was broken and they couldn't access it. She took my information and had a gentleman by the name of Edward Calloway call me back. He said on our sign it didn't say anything about having to only pay one time. I told him the sign clearly says Flat Rate and he said to me that he knew exactly how his sign read and that it was obvious it was not $20 one time price. I told him I understood I would have to pay $20 each time I left the garage and that's why I left my car there and we took a taxi to the restaurant which actually would have been less expensive to just move the car I later found. Their advertising appears to been in violation of the FTC code of deceptive advertising and looking up their BBB results for this branch of their office they get quite a few complaints. According to the BBB they appear to resolve these complaints, but I have been unable to get them to return calls. Edward Calloway is good about answering his phone and getting you to the right person and he can be reached at [FONT=&quot]404-372-8805. I've been trying to get in touch with his manager, [FONT=&quot]Cody Sheily, at [/FONT][/FONT]404-572-2900, but the attendant there, Carolyn insists she will get him the message since their voice mail system is broken and everything. As it appears I will not get a reply from Mr Sheily, I have left a message for Mr. Steven Taft at the corporate offices 404-881-6076. All I ask they do is make their signs clear by simply adding a sticker at the bottom that says "Per Day" and then refunding my $80 they overcharged me. It's not an unreasonable request. Had I know in advance it would be $20 per day I would not have parked there as there is a lot around the corner that offers monthly parking for $60 I believe was the price but am not positive that is uncovered. Why would I think that parking would be $600 a month in a deck when it's less than $100 a month on an open lot. I ask that anyone who has been overcharged by Lanier Parking Solutions, please call their offices and say hey give me my refund and change your signs. In researching this with the FTC, it seems if they lose a suit they are subject to 3X damages plus legal fees. Mr. Edward Calloway told me he thinks there are around 1300 parking spots in this deck so the damages would be $312,000 plus whatever attorney fees for just this deck alone. Mr. Calloway informed me that Lanier Parking Solutions has 6 parking lots/decks in the immediate Dragon*con parking area though he would not tell me which were managed by Lanier Parking Solutions. So if they average 1000 spots each that would be $1.44 Million for just the Dragon*con weekend. If there is an event each weekend, that's $74.8 Billion a year damages from just these 6 decks. You would think they would spend a few hundred bucks on stickers for all their signs and just advertise truthfully. According to their website, they have 400 properties in 50 cities. So if this is what they can do with simply one garage over one weekend think about how much they are stealing from us nationwide with 400. No wonder they don't want to tell you who owns the property itself. Why would they want to lose a cash cow like these? I hope Lanier Parking Solutions gets their act together and actually fixes this advertising issue and sends out refunds to those of you who request them. I don't really want to see a company crash having to pay out millions in damages, but I just want them to do the right thing. If I'd known how much it was going to be to park there, I would not have parked there. I was completely misled and I know that others were too, so if you know anyone who has been overcharged by Lanier Parking Solutions, please ask them to call the office. They generally answer the phone and if enough of us call maybe they'll fix the signs. The parking in my home city is not managed by Lanier Parking Solutions, but at least the signs don't mislead you like the ones from Lanier Parking Solutions. I've spent a lot more than $80 worth of my time trying to let people know the issue and try to get someone at Lanier Parking Solutions corporate office to go take a look at the signs, but they say they know their signs are fine. I still want my refund but it's more the principle of the matter than the money.


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[belleislerunner]

Everyone who parks in any city knows that the advertised price is per day. Heck even the airport is per day.

You may have been ignorant of that but its laughable you think anyone would refund you.

And if you wanted to be a stickler - Dragon Con was actually each of the days - you could buy a pass for just Friday, just Saturday, just Sunday or just Monday. So the sign was factually true - you stayed for Event 1 (DragonCon Friday), Event 2 (DragonCon Saturday etc). For ease of purchase - you just bought a pass for all the events at once.

You'll never win this won... nor should you...

[waronxmas]

Do you have that picture? Most of those garages do a flat rate of $20/per day. It's usually on the sign, in tiny print of course.

[bernsee]

Lanier Parking is an absolute joke. They handle the Garson garage up at Lindbergh MARTA, and they have totally destroyed the parking situation there.

First, they chased away all of the local businesses by establishing some sort of weird ticket validation system, where you have to get your tickets validated if you use MARTA so you can park for free. People who patronized the local businesses did not want to pay for parking and did not want to get tickets that they had to get validated so businesses lost out and many of them closed.

Then, for some reason, Lanier Parking still insists on keeping the 2nd floor of the garage only for people patronizing local businesses. Of course there are no local businesses left to patronize so the 2nd floor is often empty. This forces everyone that uses MARTA to park on the 3rd floor or higher, and to validate tickets to even drive up there, which takes even more time, which is a big deal when you're pressed for time in the morning.

To top it all off, when you leave the garage, sometimes and especially later at night, there is no ticket taker there. This forces us to use the machine to validate our tickets. A machine that often seems to malfunction for no reason, leaving people to wonder how the hell they're going to get out of the parking lot.

Lanier has screwed up the Garson garage parking situation as badly as anything I've ever seen screwed up. I call them to complain but they don't seem to care. They can rot in Hell for all I care.

[Onthemove2014]

Most parking lots aren't gonna let you pay do one day then let you keep the car there for as long as you want. How would they make money?

[cqholt]

Should have used MARTA!

[waronxmas]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Should have used MARTA!

The correct answer.

[ATLTJL]

I agree.

I can't comment on Lanier Parking specifically, but a parking rate is pretty much always quoted as a day rate. The term "event parking" does not mean that the rate is good for the entire event, it usually indicates that this lot is within walking distance to the event and this is the rate you have to pay today because of the event, not the posted prices which are generally much lower.

Parking in the city is almost always shady. I've never heard anyone rave about an awesome parking lot. I can see how this might have been decpetive to someone not from a city who thinks $20 would be reasonable to pay downtown Atlanta for an entire event, but those of us who live in the city would just immediately understand without even thinking about it that $20 is obviously a day rate.

Next time you should just park in the garage of your hotel. It will cost more, but at least you have recourse for any misunderstandings. You will get nowhere with Lanier parking.

[testa50]

Yeah, I'm afraid you're just going to have to pay. $20/day is more or less standard in a big city for overnight parking if it makes you feel better, and it's not like you made a terrible mistake by paying $100 for parking for five days. that's just what it costs.

Next time, either take MARTA (lower cost per day) or search for free parking on a surface street far, far away (watch the parking regulations carefully, though!). Monthly rates are typically for office workers or residents--often, those same monthly lots get used for event parking and charge ~$20/day.

Be thankful you didn't end up with a boot on your car or have it towed to southeast Atlanta. Either result was entirely possible.

[Onthemove2014]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Should have used MARTA!

If they are from out of town how would that have worked?