ComplaintsforAdvanced Booting Services, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  10/30/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  On Saturday October 28th, my car was booted. I was visiting a friends residence for the first time, so I had to go through all the parking procedures. In order to get into my friends building, I had to check in with their parking services office where I had to fill out information online and on a white slip of paper. This place is a gated community, so the only way a visitor can even park in the garage is if they have the white slip of paper they filled out at the service desk. I took a picture of it as proof just in case I needed it. Either way, I drive to the gate so I can get in and park. Mind you, once again no one is able to get in without this slip of paperso I did have it. I managed to park and then I got out my car to see that I also had to pay for parking as well. So I scanned the ** code on the wall and began filling out the information for the PayByPhone website. I stayed in the parking lot right next to my car doing this. I took a screenshot and got a confirmation email that my payment for staying for the next 24 hours went through. What no one told me was that the white slip of paper was supposed to be showing somewhere in my car. This resulted in my car being booted not even a full 24 hours later. The next day on October 29 at 4:20, I called to get the boot taken off my car, but the person on the phone said I still had to pay the $75 to get it off. To me, this felt like a scam because I literally couldnt get in the parking deck without that slip of paper, so it made no sense. Either way, I pay it anyway and I ask the person who came to take off the boot if I can dispute the charge because I have evidence of everything. She says yes and hands me a slip of paper with my information filled out and tells me to call the number for their office the next day. I called that number and got sent to voicemail 4 times. I have filled out the dispute docs as well. This company is a sham and all I want is a refund for them unlawfully booting my car.

• Initial Complaint

  10/18/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  This booting:towing company is illegally booting cars . They are not an authorized agent of LAZ parking and are setting traps in LAZ managed areas of Downtown Atlantas public streets to boot people and then collect the money to have the boots removed. They are setting these traps during the late night, after 10pm .In this case it specifically at **************** located inside

• Initial Complaint

  10/07/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  Im filing this BBB complaint in an effort to obtain a refund of $75 for the fraudulent charges I was forced to pay on Sept. 21, 2023 despite prepaying for parking in accordance with the posted instructions. When I arrived at the parking lot I walked to the payment area, but on-site payments were no longer accepted. Having not used the payment app before, I used my phone to load up the ** code and began setting up a ParkMobile account (a required multi-step process involving inserting personal and vehicle information) as I walked to the restaurant which is attached to the parking lot. During later phases of the setup, I realized I needed to come back for the parking lot zone number, which I did, and then promptly completed my payment for 12 hours within minutes of arriving. When I returned to my car over 3 hours later it was booted. I told the parking attendant I'd paid within minute of parking. He was able to validate, but he would not remove the boot on my vehicle without me paying a $75.00 fee. According to the attendant, even though account creation was necessary, by walking to the restaurant while loading to the application I'd left the lot and therefore was subject to immediate booting. The policy is not on the payment instructions, marked clearly, or identifiable as posted anywhere on the lot by the attendee. I filed a complaint the night of the incident and have promptly provided all requested information, but the company will not provide a refund. The one piece of documentation they have provided, a records log, also completely aligns with my complaint as it shows the individual monitoring the lot who began the process when he saw me leaving the lot (which I did right after scanning the ** code) scanned for payment at 5:59pm, just 3 minutes before my ParkMobile payment was processed. This timeline is about as fast as it is possible to set up an online account for personal/vehicle information when you have to walk back for the parking lot code.

• Initial Complaint

  09/28/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  Advanced Booting Services improperly booted my guests car on 9/28/23. We didnt have time to argue with the company at the time, so we paid the $75 fee to move on with the day. They claim that due to a misprint on the pass, the whole pass was invalid. Ive contacted our HOA and this is not true. Ive not heard back from the property manager regarding any further steps that can be taken. We dealt with this promptly, so $75 is a small fee, but this company is notorious for abusing their authority to boot cars on technicalities rather than actual parking violations. Another resident encouraged I file a report to the BBB. Other residents have fared much worse with this company and I hope they dispute the charges in every possible way as well.

• Initial Complaint

  09/26/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I was visiting ******* ******* from ************. Visited a restaurant in the area. Took a right hand turn at the street just up from the restaurant and saw public parking meters up and down the street. Used the machine and paid for two hours of parking. Came out of restaurant an hour and 15 minutes later to find a boot on my rental car. Called number and then found company employee **** near the car. Explained I had paid for parking and asked for boot to be removed. He refused and asked *********** number to text a link to pay $75. I had no choice but to comply and pay the $75 because I felt myself and my family were in danger due to multiple homeless and beggars badgering us on the street. They were not there when we parked. If there was any sign about using an app to pay for parking versus the clearly visible eye level street machines I did not see them. Thought we were doing the right thing and have never even got a parking ticket in my life. Employee **** stated he was just doing his job. It was clear he could have assessed the situation and make a decision to remove the boot but he choose not too holding my family essentially against our will and under his control. The boot could not have been on the car any more than an hour. Several other cars parked the same way we're not booted. He even parked his car (****) illegally across the street while walking around putting on boots. So the boot company has a special pass to parking and doesn't need to comply with paying to park or even being in a legal parking spot (he just parked in front of a closed business partially blocking the street). I feel this company placed my family in danger and essentially charged me $75 to get out of the situation. Will be contacting the ******* tourism staff and the local news papers. Not sure I ever want t visit or spend my money in this city again. I like a refund of the $75.

• Initial Complaint

  09/17/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  False policy procedure for parking, lot signs did specify on paying parking before leaving vehicle but instead all that was as advertised was payment required with ParkMobile

• Initial Complaint

  08/30/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Vehicle was booted on 30 August 2023 between 8:32 PM and 9 PM EST. After returning to the vehicle shortly after, around 9:10 PM, the number was dialed on the notice and the fee of $75 was paid. The individual reported they received payment and would be roughly 15 minutes to get back. After almost 30 minutes of waiting, we contacted the number again and they stated 5 minutes. Again, waiting 10 minutes, then the guy gets our of the car just across from us (the same street)!!! So, he had been sitting there the entire time. After he unboots the car, he proceeds to say he has an hour to respond and he made us wait almost the entire hour for NO REASON and then he gets an attitude about it. Some words were exchanged and I notice this guy has a glock on his hip. He acts like he is not going to get in his vehicle and instead acts like he is going to confront or fight us. This is ridiculous and a business should not be able to act like this and immobilize your car.

  Business response

  09/07/2023

  Advanced Booting Services does not engage in back and forth via the BBB portal since usually enough data isn't provided to do an accurate investigation into claims.  Please visit our website, www.advancedbooting.com and file an online dispute so we can better help you resolve your issue.

  Thank you,

  Advanced Booting Serivices.

• Initial Complaint

  08/04/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 8/3/2023 I went inside Blue Seafood to grab my order, I paid for 1 hour of parking only to return to see my car with two boots on it. I was told to by the individual who I paid to take the boot off I would need to call the company and file a complaint. I called the company and was hung up on twice. I have receipt of payment to show I paid for 1 hour.

  Business response

  08/11/2023

  Please go to our website, www.advancedbooting.com and file an online dispute.  Unfortunately not enough information was provided to the BBB to do a proper investigation into your claims.

  Thank you,

  Advanced Booting Services.

• Initial Complaint

  07/25/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I visited *******, ** from **** from 7/22/2023 to 7/24/2023. The location in which I stayed required paid parking. As my parking ticket expired at 12:09am 7/23, I went to purchase another ticket in order to avoid my car being towed or booted. After purchasing the ticket online, it stated I was good until 12:09pm. I woke up, my car was booted and the ticket on my window stated I had to pay $75 to get it removed. After I showed the same proof to the guy who booted my car, he told me I would still have to pay to get the boot removed from my car but I could appeal it and get my money back within 1 to 2 days (which didn't make sense because no appeal process is completed in only 1 to 2 days). I then gave him $80 and didn't get back any change. Fast forwarding to the appeal process, I explained everything, got an email back and the email stated that my time had expired. I then called and was sent to voicemail multiple times and after getting a hold of someone, the conversation didn't help anything as the customer ********************** representative was unprofessional and threatened to hang up on me multiple times. After the phone call I then emailed them again and got no response. And then called multiple times and was sent to voicemail EVERY SINGLE TIME. I'm highly disappointed with the way this is being handled and nothing has been done about it.

  Business response

  08/02/2023

  We received a dispute via our website and addressed it there.   This person paid to park, it expired and he didn't refresh his parking session at the time of his vehicle being booted.  We emailed asking for time dated proof that a second paid parking session was completed and we didn't receive a response so we closed the dispute.  

  Customer response

  08/08/2023

   
  Complaint: 20375126
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  All the information they asked for I gave to them. And it shows that I was the last person to respond to the email. They stopped responding to me after I asked the employee for more information about there company and I never got a response 
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

  Business response

  08/08/2023

  I don't care that he rejects this.  We asked for time dated proof that he renewed his parking session before his car was immobilized and it was never provided.  Apparently the complainer doesn't know what time dated proof means.  

• Initial Complaint

  07/18/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  Advanced Booting Services is a scam. you need to investigate and shut this down. On July 16, 2023, I parked at the Buckhead Public Library parking lot. Since it was off hours around 7:15pm on a Sunday, the signs at the Library instructed each patron to pay the kiosk which I did via my phone and the ** code on the sign. When I came back from dinner, there was a boot on my car even though I had already paid the kiosk. there were two other cars/residents in the same situation. This "business" left the orange paper on each car. (attached). We had to call them in order to get the boot removed. They showed up not more than **** minutes later. Held us hostage until we paid them $75 (attached receipt) to remove the boot. When I would not sign the receipt and told them this business is a scam, they laughed and further taunted me saying that I could wait then for a few more hours. I watched them unboot all of the other cars right before mine. told them I would have to call the police if they did not remove the boot and that I had paid their $75 hostage fee. They were intimidating and quite honestly, believe they were part of a gang. I have pictures attached and their drivers license. Please do not use my personal information or give them any of my personal info for safety reasons. I did report this to the ******* police department as well. I'm happy to answer questions if the BBB agent wishes to reach out. I entered my email here.

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩