Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  10/18/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On July 19, 2023 I filed a complaint in writing with Colonial Parking #*** at *** * ***** *** Alexandria, VA *****. I have received no response to date. On July 9, 2023 I parked in the garage and someone had a problem exiting the garage which backed up the exit for about 20 minutes. When I finally arrived at the exit booth there was no attendant, the machine could not produce a receipt, and the charge was $20.99 for a period of less than 2 hours. The charge was not clearly posted at the entrance and was higher than the charge posted on the website. A charge of $20.99 for any time over an hour is exorbitant. I requested a refund and have heard nothing. I would like the BBB to ask for a refund from Colonial Parking. Thank you.

  

  Business response

  11/07/2023

  ****************:  Good morning.  Please see our attached response.  As always, we appreciate your time and consideration.  

  *******************

  Customer response

  11/07/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  

  For the record I have reattached the original complaint because the garage manager wrongfully denied that I contacted him by email the first time. He responded to my second email asking that I fill out the attached form that I sent as requested. 
  

  Charging anyone over $20 for less than 2 hours parking and not providing documentation upon exiting after a long wait is an unacceptable  business practice. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ***************************

  *********************************;

  Apt ***

  Alexandria, VA *****

• Initial Complaint

  08/23/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I need my service cancelled and this is my last resort my own company cant help since they didnt not set it up according to my supervisor.I attempted to end my account before the next due cycle monthly bill they changed their system i could not cancel in garage suddenly i had to use a login portal, I needed to access and create an account login first turns out they made one for me so i needed to recover password to gain access, then the portal was glitch i could not end it i sent out a email they messaged me back later in the month telling me i owe them 2 new billing cycles and can not end or stop services till the account was paid in full the bill is now ******** they filled in all my info for me have the info wrong never been in Massachusett but some how my car is registered there no year make or model no phone number and the license plate numbers are wrong at this point they billing me for someone else and using my name if i have to pay 1 month so be it i just want the service to end this is a company paid for expense they is paid out monthly through company card. also some how all my history for the last year since December of last year has been erased i only started apparently in may this year parking there there are 2 duplicate cars now and 2 access methods but i only have one access card that is not used and they will not take it back in garage.

  

  Business response

  09/08/2023

  September 6, 2023 
  
  Dear *** ******: 

  We received your letter dated August 24, 2023, regarding ****** *******'s request for a billing adjustment for parking at the garage at *** *** ****** ** in Washington, D.C. ***** (location no. ***). 
  

  Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. Colonial Parking, Inc. ("Colonial") takes these matters seriously, and we appreciate you providing us with an opportunity to respond so we may cooperate in reaching a mutually agreeable resolution. 
  

  We would like to extend a sincere apology to *** ******* for the frustration he experienced. Our records indicate parking was correctly invoiced and paid for through April 30, 2023. Monthly invoices continued after April because an account closure request form was not received to close the account. However, we share responsibility for the situation because Colonial was transitioning between billing systems at the time, which may have created confusion on which process the customer was supposed to follow to close the account. We apologize if the process was not explained clearly. 
  

  We agree that *** ******* is entitled to a billing adjustment. We have updated his account to reflect a zero balance. No charges are due for May through September 2023 when the account was inactive. Enclosed with this letter are invoices marked "paid" for *** ******'s records. 
  

  As a gesture of goodwill, we would like to offer *** ******* a $50.00 ****** gift for our failure to rectify this oversight sooner. We fell short of our customer service standards, but we will use this situation to help improve our service and provide a positive experience for *** ******* the next time we have an opportunity to do so. Please confirm if this response is acceptable so we may send a gift card. 
  

  Sincerely, 
  

  Chief Operating Officer Colonial Parking, Inc. 

  Customer response

  09/11/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ******** and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 

  thank you for your assistance in this matter it has turned out even better than I was expecting for a last-ditch effort. I thank you for all the work that you do.
  
  Regards,
  
  ***************************

• Initial Complaint

  08/01/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I am still continuing to be billed for parking at Location *** when I am no longer parking on the level that is managed by Colonial Parking. I requested to cancel my parking account in May and I have been directly paying **** for parking in ** and ** since May via the parking fee in my rent statements. I followed up with colonial parking multiple times over the past three months via email and phone and they keep telling me that they'll look into it but the issue is never resolved and I am still being charged for services not rendered after I have cancelled them. I was incorrectly charged $200 dollars on August 1, July 1, and June 1 for a total of $600 and demand to be refunded.

  

  Business response

  09/06/2023

  September 5, 2023 
  
  Dear *** ******: 
  

  We are in receipt of your letter dated August 3, 2023, and follow-up letter dated August 19, 2023, regarding *** *****'s account for monthly parking at the garage located at ** * ******, NE, in Washington, D.C. ***** (location no. ***). 

  Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. Colonial Parking, Inc. (“Colonial") takes these types of matters seriously, and we appreciate you providing us with an opportunity to respond so we may cooperate in reaching a mutually agreeable resolution. 
  

  We would like to extend a sincere apology to *** ***** for the frustration she experienced. According to our records, *** ***** is correct in her assessment of account charges. We discovered a discrepancy with her credential that has now been resolved. We agree that *** ***** is entitled to a full refund in the amount of $600.00 as she requested, which represents $200.00 per month for the months of June, July, and August 2023. A paper check (check # *****) was processed at our corporate office on August 24th and sent to *** *****'s home address. 
  

  As a gesture of goodwill, we would like to offer *** ***** a $50.00 ****** gift to make up for our failure to rectify this oversight sooner. We fell short of our customer service standards, but we learn from our mistakes, and we will use this situation to improve our service and provide a positive experience the next time we have an opportunity to do so. Please confirm if this response is acceptable so we may send the gift card to *** *****. 
  

  Sincerely, 
  Chief Operating Officer Colonial Parking, Inc. 

  Customer response

  09/23/2023

  Hi *****,

  I have received the refund from Colonial Parking and I am satisfied with the response from the business. 

  If you could, please let *********** ******* at Colonial know that I am thankful for his prompt response and that I accept the resolution.

  Thank you,

  ******

  Customer response

  09/25/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ****** *****  
  

• Initial Complaint

  07/04/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Subject: Formal Complaint Regarding Unacceptable Professionalism, Verbal Abuse, and Safety Concerns Dear Colonial Parking Corporate and HR,I am writing to express deep dissatisfaction with the unprofessional conduct of one of your employees during a recent visit to your garage. The incident occurred on July 3, 2023, at Location ********************************, Washington, DC. I do not know the employee's name, but he was an older bald ********* man working the night shift.Instead of a normal respectful treatment we expected as we were leaving the garage that we paid $40 to access as a typical customer, we were subjected to verbal abuse, creating an atmosphere of fear and hostility. This behavior is unacceptable in every sense, even if he does have mental issues, and this should never have happened.The incident left us feeling unsafe and uncomfortable, particularly given the location and the fact that we were leaving a family outing at the ********* Ball Game.I regret not filing a police report at the time, but I urge you to address this matter seriously and urgently. Please confront your employee and consider removing this person from your staff to prevent similar incidents in the future and damage your company's image and reputation.Customers should feel secure and valued when interacting with your employees, not subjected to verbal attacks. I expect a prompt response detailing the actions taken to address this complaint. By promptly and effectively addressing this matter, you can rectify the harm caused and demonstrate your commitment to a respectful and customer-centric environment at your garage.Thank you for your attention. I look forward to your response and the steps your company has taken to address this issue.

  

  Business response

  07/17/2023

  July 14, 2023 
  

  Dear *** ******: 
  

  We are in receipt of your letter dated July 6, 2023, regarding an alleged incident that occurred on July 3, 2023, at the parking garage located at ** * ****** ** in Washington, DC *****. 
  Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. Colonial Parking, Inc. ("Colonial") takes these types of allegations seriously, and we appreciate you providing us with an opportunity to respond and cooperate in reaching a mutually agreeable resolution. 
  Colonial's employees are expected to treat customers courteously and respectfully and act professionally. Employees whose conduct is inconsistent with our expectations are subject to progressive disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment as deemed appropriate under the circumstances. 
  We regret to hear that *** ******* did not have a pleasant parking experience. We have notified our Human Resources Department, and they are conducting an internal investigation and will meet with the employee to discuss the situation and review his recollection of the situation. If it is determined that the employee acted inappropriately, we will issue swift disciplinary action. 
  As a gesture of goodwill, we would like to offer *** ******* a $50.00 ****** gift card and a sincere apology to make up for an unpleasant parking experience. Please confirm if this response is acceptable so we can send the gift card to *** *******. 
  

  Sincerely, 
  Chief Operating Officer Colonial Parking, Inc. 

• Initial Complaint

  04/02/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  For over a month, this company has not refunded over $600 in erroneous charges. I signed up for monthly parking, and at the start of the second month, my credit card was triple charged. I sent multiple emails that were completely ignored. When I called, the representative admitted fault and promised that I could expect a full refund for both overcharges within a few business days. More than a week passed with no refund, so I called again. This time, they claimed on the phone that they had never spoken to me. Using my call records, I pointed them to a specific date, time, and duration for my first call. They said they would only credit one of the two erroneous charges while they “investigated” the other charge. Rather than giving a refund, they told me they would apply a credit to the next month’s parking cost. They promised my card would not be charged on the 1st of the next month. But my credit card was just was charged again, so I’m back to the starting point. There are two charges totaling over $600 that this company has stolen from me and is refusing to refund. This has now been going on for over one month, and I’ve spent more than an hour on multiple phone calls with them so far.

  

  Business response

  05/09/2023

  After careful review, we have concluded that the monthly account in question has been closed and a full refund has been processed back to the original payment method used to open the account. 
  We consider this case closed. 

  Thanks.

• Initial Complaint

  02/09/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I reached out in October to request a parking spot with this company. I never received any communication on whether I was approved or a spot was available. I was then randomly charged a prorated amount of $77.48 for a spot that I never received, never used, and was not available. I tried to get in contact with them about this incorrect charge and was unable to. I subsequently canceled my request because they were incorrectly charging me for a spot I never received. Then, in January, after three months of no contact/charges, I was randomly charged $159.95 for monthly spot about which I had canceled and have received no information. I tried to contact the company again and received response. I disputed this second charge with my credit card company and tried again to get in contact with the company. I have still not received contact from them or information of any sort.

  

  Business response

  03/23/2023

  The account has been closed and fully refunded. We have also spoken directly with the customer and she is fully satisfied. 
  
  We would consider this issue closed successfully. 
  

   

  Thanks.

  Customer response

  03/23/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ***********************
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  01/02/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Stayed in a hotel where this agency hosts parking. The hotels parking rate is different than the parking rate others would pay to use it; however, no one told us that you needed a key to get out of the lot on the final day. We were charged $52 when it should have been $30. We couldn't go back nor did they have a call button. The hotel couldn't accommodate because they are not responsible for the parking. Colonial parking has not returned a phone call yet.

  

  Business response

  01/26/2023

  We recently updated our parking rates as it was incorrectly charging hotel self-parkers. We updated our rates recently to reflect $30 for 12-24 hours. The change took effect on January 3rd after the customer entered the garage.
  
  The correct rate that should have been charged to the customer is $30. We will refund the customer the total amount of $52 for the inconvenience.
  

  Thanks.

• Initial Complaint

  12/28/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Would refund of $12.95 paid on 11/29/2022. Blocked in parking space no. *** for 1 hour, 30 minutes. Attendants did not keys to vehicles in adjacent 2-car lanes, as required by signs.

  

  Business response

  01/09/2023

  We would need additional information in order to research:
  1- garage location
  2- time of incident
  3- does she have a receipt for payment?
  
  Thank you. 

  Customer response

  01/12/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: location and date was provided in initial complaint.  Yes, I do have a receipt.
  
  Regards,
  
  ***************************
  

  

  Business response

  01/31/2023

  Please have the customer contact our VP of Customer Care & Sales Solutions to resolve this issue.  

  *********************

  ***********************************

  Thanks.

• Initial Complaint

  12/05/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I rented a space for $120 a month in the garage at ******************************. from Colonial Parking in June 2022. On November 11, I found a notice on my car dated Nov. 2 and telling me that my car would be towed and that I should contact them immediately. I did so, and Mr. Rondie S************* told me that because I only took the car out infrequently, I had to pay $230 a month on Nov. 12 because supposedly I had a reserved space (the space wasn't reserved). I found another garage and started parking there. Colonial Parking wouldn't let me cancel the space without agreeing to pay for December parking, even though I wasn't going to be using the space. I orally and writing told them that I refused to pay for December. In addition to the fact that they changed the rate they were going to charge me less than 30 days before December 1, I also began finding used condoms and empty beer cans near my car. Today they sent me a notice informing me that I had to pay December's fee.

  

  Business response

  12/08/2022

  We consider this complaint closed as the account was terminated and our 30 day notice policy was waived as a courtesy. 
  The customer was not securing or paying for a reserved space but was leaving the vehicle in the garage for long periods of time. 

  Thanks.

  Customer response

  12/08/2022

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Regards,
  
  *****************************
  

• Initial Complaint

  08/30/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Attended ************** in Tysons Corner VA on Saturday, August 20, 2022 for the 8:00 pm show. Pre paid parking for $20.00 at the Colonial Parking Garage located at ***************************. Per the instructions on the receipt, upon leaving the garage you were supposed to show the attendant your confirmation. However, there was no attendant. Therefore, in order to leave the garage we had to pay again. Which means I paid twice for parking. I emailed Colonial Parking twice after the second email I was given the email for the Tysons Garage and told I needed to deal with them directly. I emailed Tysons  on 08/25, 29 and 30, 2022 requesting a refund. I have not gotten a response even though it was indicated a response could take 24 to 48 hours.

  

  Business response

  09/14/2022

  A full refund has been processed and we do apologize for the inconvenience.

  Thanks.

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩