Parking machine gives motorist credit note instead of change

Suanne Garelja got only a "credit ticket". Photo / Nick Reed

Faulty software has been blamed for a pay machine in Auckland's Downtown parking building gobbling up a motorist's $50 note and leaving her with a "credit ticket".

Auckland Transport says although the fault caused problems "for a short time" in one machine early this month, it changed the anti-virus software at all four of its central city parking buildings.

A spokesman was unable to say yesterday how many motorists other than Newmarket wholesaling general manager Suanne Garelja might have been affected "but we don't believe the issue was widespread".

The council body has offered to visit Ms Garelja today to square her up after the Downtown machine left her with just a $45 credit note, but with no contact details on it, or information about what to do with it.

Ms Garelja had arrived back from a family celebration on Waiheke Island to collect her car at 11.45pm on Saturday, July 4. Facing a parking fee of $7.50, she fed a $5 note and a 50c coin into the pay machine, but could not make it accept two $2 coins.

"The machine showed it accepted $50 notes - as this was all I had left in the wallet, in it went," she said.

"And that was the last I saw of my money."

Because there was no contact information on the credit note, and it had been many years since she had used a council parking building, Ms Garelja had to go online to look for a number to call Auckland Transport three days later.

But that just got her through to an Auckland Council receptionist, who followed up with an email saying someone would be in contact with her within 10 working days.

When she called back 15 days later to ask why she was still waiting, she was told all communications had to be by email and Auckland Transport did not take phone calls, advice AT indicated yesterday was wrong.

A third call, this Monday, elicited advice that the matter had been "escalated", and she would hear back soon from the transport body. But it was only yesterday, after she contacted the Herald to relay a reference number to AT, that she was phoned by a parking official with an offer of a refund.

She said the caller told her AT had no prior knowledge of her complaint, and she should have pressed a "help" button at the parking building to summon a roving attendant for a refund on the spot.

But Ms Garelja said she had not noticed the button, and the official told her the attendant had been busy doing the rounds of three parking buildings refunding motorists.

"So how long would I have had to wait if I knew about the help button and pressed it?"

The Auckland Transport media spokesman denied the problem went beyond the Downtown building, but said the same software at other locations was changed as well.

"As soon as we discovered a problem with the manufacturer's anti-virus [software] on one machine at Downtown, we changed all our machines.

"These machines are in four parking buildings."

He said it was wrong to say AT did not accept phone calls about parking problems, saying the number of 355 3553 was listed on its buildings and website. But it would consider adding a contact number to its credit tickets.