An Auckland man who was towed from a car park within the supposed 30-minute grace period says a parking app is just a booking system for a tow company.
Steve Bonnici used parking app Kiwi Parking to park in a central city car park on Hobson St on September 23, paying $2 for one hour.
When he returned to where he had parked his car late, he realised it was gone. Upon calling the number for Kiwi Parking, he was informed his car had been towed as he was outside the 30-minute grace period.
When Bonnici got to the tow yard on Symonds St, he began asking who got the money from his $320 release fee. He became suspicious that the parking and towing companies may be linked when the call centre for the towing company answered a call directed to the parking app.
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Once Bonnici paid his penalty and went home, he saw on his receipt he had actually been towed within the 30-minute grace period.
His parking had expired at 6.28pm and he had been towed at 6.55pm, the receipt showed.
Looking Kiwi Parking up on the Companies Office, he learnt it was owned by Craig Burrows.
“Then I did a search on his name to find out he owns pretty much every towing company in Auckland.