Credit note irks carpark user

Robyn Moore was left with a $5 parking credit instead of her change in the Civic Carpark. Photo / Nick Reed

Motorist ‘livid’ Civic machine gave voucher instead of cash to herself and another driver

A Mt Albert mother of two is "livid" after she and another woman were given credit notes instead of change after paying for parking in the CBD on Sunday.

The incident comes two months after a similar one at Auckland Transport's Downtown carpark, which was blamed on faulty software.

Robyn Moore said she and a woman using the machine beside her at the Civic Carpark paid cash, but were given credit notes in lieu of change, without warning.

Though Ms Moore's credit note was only for $5, the woman next to her - who she thought was a tourist - had put in a $50 note.

"She had a $40 credit note and she didn't know what to do - and I was just absolutely livid," Ms Moore said.

"She pressed the little button on the machine to try and get help, and a voice said they'd have someone around in about 10 minutes to come and talk to us, so she had to stand there for 10 minutes and wait.

"I had to go because I had my family in the car - but she was left standing there because she needed the money."

Ms Moore decided to leave and deal with the ticket later.

"The woman waiting looked like a tourist - she was with her husband and their child, who looked about 2. They seemed very irritated. It would be just terrible for a tourist."

On her way out of the parking building, Ms Moore asked a staff member who was directing traffic if he knew how to redeem the ticket. "He said 'I don't know what you do with them - I guess you send it in and they mail you a cheque or something'. He had no idea," she said.

Once she got home she went online to find out how to redeem the note but there was nothing on the ticket that explained what to do.

After she filled in a form she found on Auckland Transport's website, she was told to expect a response within 10 working days, but she was contacted by an Auckland Transport staff member yesterday, after the Herald made inquiries about the credit note. "It's only $5 - it's not the end of the world, but it's the principle, really."

AT spokesman Mark Hannan said machines would issue credit notes if they were short on change, but if customers didn't want the credit note, on-site staff had a petty cash float.

"There were three staff in the Civic at 1pm yesterday. The customer needs to press the help button and then our staff would have been summoned."

Mr Hannan said the credit note could be used in the machine to pay for future parking. "If the customer wants cash they can contact our call centre at anytime on 355 3553 or use the feedback form on our website."

In July, a machine in the Downtown parking building left a woman with a credit note after she put $50 in the machine. As a result, AT changed the anti-virus software at all four of its central city parking buildings.