Call Kurtis: I Was Charged Three Times For The Same Parking Spot

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) -- Paul McMahon still isn't sure why he was charged three times for the same parking spot.

McMahon said the machine gave a card-read error message twice when a credit card was swiped in May, so he paid with cash instead.

And then he found the machine processed his payments after all, he said.

He wondered if it had happened to anyone else.

When he said he couldn't get a refund, it was time to Call Kurtis.

McMahon parked in a $5 parking lot in Midtown Sacramento, and he said the parking pay station wouldn't accept his card.

"Twice it said card not read," he told Call Kurtis.

But inside the covered receipt window, he found three receipts -- a minute apart, and all for the same parking spot, he said.

Wanting the $10 he overpaid back, he said he called the phone number on the sign, but said the company, Priority Parking, didn't call him back.

He left his address on voicemail and later got a handwritten letter asking for his credit card number, he said.

Even then, the company said a refund would be weeks away, he said.

"How many people is this happening to?" he said. "Who has the time to chase down their money?"

Consumer attorney Stuart Talley said if there's a pattern, this type of overcharge could lead to a class action lawsuit.

A refund like this should be processed right away, he said.

"It's very clear from the evidence here there was something wrong with the machine," he said.

A Call Kurtis producer contacted Priority Parking, which said it would investigate and has disabled the machine until they can verify it's working.

The company refunded McMahon's money right away saying, "This was the only multiple-charge transaction for the entire day."

Priority Parking also sent McMahon a voucher for a free car wash.

Still frustrated, he's glad to get his $10 back.

"It's about time," he said.

The parking lot owner said he couldn't find anyone else who had the problem, and said the machines appear to be running correctly.

Remember, you have protections with a credit card which could have gotten McMahon his refund right away.

Though the City of Sacramento does have a parking ordinance, no public agency oversees private parking lots to make sure they're running correctly.