Woman pays R110,000 for parking ticket

Woman pays R110,000 for parking ticket

A woman paid over R110,000 after parking for just two hours at a shopping mall parking lot.

A parking meter with contactless payment
A parking meter with contactless payment/iStock/filmestria

We've all complained about having to pay R20 just for parking, but imagine paying more than R100,000 for it.

According to IOL, Yaditi Kava, a 39-year-old mother from Slough in the UK, ended up being charged a whopping R110,000 for a casual two-hour stop at Queensmere Observatory Shopping Centre.

It all started on a Friday night outing with her daughters. After a bit of shopping and a relaxing dinner, the family returned to find the indoor payment machines closed.

READ: Why mobile data expires in South Africa

She proceeded to the exit and tapped her card at the gate. When she saw "4,5" on the screen, she assumed she was paying £4.50 (about R108), but this was not the case. That "4,5" turned out to be £4,586, which is over R110,000.

The gate opened, and then her phone pinged with a banking alert that nearly knocked her off her feet.

It turns out the card machine was behind the error. Mall managers, Savills, labelled it an "isolated anomaly" and promised a refund. But the road to getting her money back was no easy ride.

It took three stressful weeks before the funds were returned. During this time, Kava had to delay legal payments and even considered cancelling her daughter’s birthday party.

READ: How to know if you're suffering from mid-year burnout

Feeling stuck, she reached out to a UK consumer rights show, and that’s when things finally moved. One phone call from the show’s host, and the refund was in her account the very next day.

Savills says they kept in touch with her and are now investigating the issue to prevent any future occurrences.

Tune in to the 'Breakfast with Martin Bester', weekdays from 06:00 – 09:00. Stream the show live here or download our mobile app here.

Listen to Jacaranda FM: 

Follow us on social media:

Image: iStock

MORE FROM JACARANDA FM


Show's Stories