Make sure your parking information is correct or you could end up with another bill.
SAN ANTONIO — A San Antonio man paid to park but still ended up with a letter claiming he owed $92 for nonpayment. At the same time, the machine and QR codes at the parking lot were working correctly. The collection letter was later dismissed, but read on to make sure this doesn’t happen to you.
Andrew Harris was celebrating his birthday with a relative downtown at the River Walk last month. He parked at a lot near the Alamo and walked up to the kiosk to pay and get a receipt.
Harris said other people had just walked away from the kiosk. He said it had selections for how long he was paying for, and he picked an option. He then printed a receipt and then put it in his car.
Harris didn’t realize he had missed the prompt to put in his license plate number.
It’s a small mistake that can have big consequences. Some parking lots in San Antonio are monitored by cameras that catch drivers going in and coming out. If your license plate doesn’t match your ticket, a collections company will come after you for nonpayment.
Harris received a notice from PRRS the next week that claimed he now owed $92.
“It hurt my pride some because I don’t go around trying to skate a bill. When this showed up like that I was angry,” Harris said.
Harris did try to contact PRRS and prove that he paid but he couldn’t find his receipt at that time. He tried providing a bank statement but the company asked him for more information. Finally, he called KENS 5.
KENS 5 has seen parking glitches in downtown San Antonio before, so we checked out the lot where this happened.
In this case, the kiosk and machines at the lot were working correctly. They did, however, require users to enter a license plate number. It turns out, while Harris paid, his plate number did not end up on his receipt.
KENS 5 then contacted PRRS, explained the situation, and provided proof that Harris had paid. PRRS then canceled their notice.
They said via email, “Your notice is dismissed. Please remember to enter the proper vehicle identification, including your complete license plate number, when you make a payment to park. This will avoid any future notices for nonpayment.”
Drivers parking downtown should always keep their parking receipts (or at least take a picture of them) and should make sure your license plate number is correct. If using a QR code, the driver needs to take a screenshot of the receipt on their phone.
This way, regardless of whether there is a user error or parking system error, the driver will be able to prove that they paid.
Harris is glad he didn’t have to pay the extra $92 after all and he’s glad he called KENS 5.
“You’ve helped me a bunch and I really appreciate it,” he said.