Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. 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.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/03/2025

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On February 5th at 5:15pm, I parked my car immediately next to the restaurant and the sign in my parking spot said customers only with the address: ****************************** I read the sign and believed I was in the correct parking lot, since I was a customer of the building immediately in front of my car. The signs are intentionally misleading as the restaurant is *****************, and few customers would be aware that this ********************** lot was not for the restaurant. I went inside, picked up the food I already paid for, and returned to my car, less than one minute later at 5:16. The individual who had just finished putting the boot on my car and was walking away had been hiding out of my view until I left my car. In order to recover my car, I was forced to pay $100 with my credit card and to sign the receipt confirming that they had removed the boot, even though he had not removed it and would not remove it until I signed. He also lied to me and said he was a volunteer. I complied because there was nothing else I could do at that time.I called the number on the receipt and the individual said there was nothing I could do and no one else I could speak to. He confirmed the person who booted my car was an employee. When I asked why the individual didnt just tell me Im about to boot your car since youre not allowed to park here, he said that they didnt want to harass people. When I asked him to clarify, he confirmed that informing someone they cant park there is harassment, but booting someones car and forcing them pay $100 to have it removed is not harassment. When I spoke with the restaurant, they confirmed this predatory business has been doing this intentionally harmful tactic for years and has rejected multiple attempts by the restaurant to purchase parking spots, have people pay for parking, etc. in order to prevent this from occurring. This business knows what they are doing is wrong, but their defense is that it's legal and lucrative. This should be illegal.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/30/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On 12/29/2024, I got charged $100 booting fee by Central Parking Enforcement. I remain concerned about the lack of clear signage indicating booting or fees. As shown in the photo I attached, I did not observe any visible notices in the lot, which may violate Austin city ordinances requiring proper notification.I am particularly confused by Central Parking Enforcement statement that El Patio is not involved, as I parked near the restaurant and the signage bears the restaurant's name. Being charged by an unaffiliated property owner with no clear indication of separate ownership led to significant misunderstanding. As a takeout customer of El Patio, I find it unreasonable to be penalized by a third party while supporting the business.The demand for immediate payment under threat of towing left no room for dispute, which felt coercive and unfair. While I understand the comparison to towing fees, the context is different as I was an active customer of the restaurant. I respectfully request proof of signage and reconsideration of the fee if appropriate notice was not provided.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/06/2024

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I parked my car, walked to where I was going to eat asked them if they would tow my car being parked at Dominos, she said yes so I walked directly back to my car to find a ticket and boot on my car In literally 3 mins they did this, complete scam I had to pay $100 to get the boot off my car

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/05/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  While working for **** eats on Sunday evening I parked at a gas station to pick up an order from a food truck attached to the parking lot of said gas station. No spots were available so I parked my car next to the entrance side walk with my hazard lights on. It took maybe *********************************** that time the man booted my car and demanded $100 to free it. This is the worst kind of predatory practices. Absolutely shameful.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/17/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I parked at a restaurant which my family ate at. We finished our meal and realized our car had been booted. I went to access the situation and was berated and bullied into paying a substantial amount of money for them to remove the boot. This is injustice and inhumane.Nobody should be treated this way under any circumstances. Its shameless.All I wanted was to have a nice evening with my family and they destroyed that. What a horrible company to be employed by, and being directly *****. I wish them well, and hope their karma comes back. America is better than this.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/08/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On 8/7/24 around 7 PM, I parked against a restaurant, ****************************** in ******, in a parking lot directly behind said restaurant. There was a sign on the building I was walking into that indicated parking was only for customers of a certain address. As a reasonable person, I assumed the sign would not be on this building if it was not directly referring to that building. There were many open spots as well. When I returned 30 minutes later, my car has a boot on it and I was immediately accosted by a man in a plain white shirt telling me I owed him $100 to remove the boot. This man has nothing on his person identifying him as a parking enforcer (which according to ****** ordinance is a must) and refused to give me his name, his professional license number, or the name of the business/person who has directed him to boot my car. I felt threatened, and the man could give me any info other than "follow the instructions on the receipt." I also saw his car when I parked in the lot, and could have very easily redirected me to another parking lot. Due to the nature of this, I felt I was being scammed and, immediately after getting my car back, had to cancel my credit card because nothing about this felt legitimate. I subsequently called the number on the receipt for Central Parking Enforcement where I was connected to a man who was unwilling to discuss the issue with me, and refused to help me with any internal method to resolve this dispute. He also refused to talk to me about the steps to challenge the fee in court, stating "follow the instructions on the sheet, I won't give you any more information than that." This business is unethical at best and willfully extorting people and paying bounties to their parking enforcers per boot at worst. $100 for boot removal when I could have easily been given a warning or ticket is simply predatory.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/20/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  8/19/2024 I had parked quickly in the almost empty parking lot in Front of *** Ex on ********* Stteet in Austin Tx. Im not from ****** and this was my first & last visit here! I proceeded across the street to pick up A package once I exited my vehicle and stepped on the sidewalk. There was a truck pulling up behind me at first I thought it was just college students dropping one another off then I saw it stay there. I ran into the building wasnt even gone one minute, grabbed a package and came running back, and the truck was still behind my vehicle, then proceeded to move & headed parked in front of the ************* office as I neared my vehicle again to re-enter it but saw they put a boot on my tire! I proceeded to immediately call the number on the sign. The person that answered said THEY would dispatch somebody out well then out of the blue out of the bushes this Mr. ********* came saying I needed to pay him $100 to get it off! Again this is agter hours after 7 PM mind you a closed business and I definitely made sure that the ***** office was already closed , The businesss across the street have zero parking and being on a major street they have no front or back parking & no street parking in front of there place soeither theres not even designated pick up spots. for 5/10 minute parking! This company *** is fully aware of this and prey on people stalking them from this black unmarked truck & are very rude unprofessional sketchy, and I felt violated, harassed & stalked! This Mr. ********* proceeded to approach me out of nowhere as it was getting dark to let me know that I needed to pay him $100 for my vehicle release. The vehicle they use is a black unmarked pick up truck with no license plates no tags and no markings whatsoever. When I address this with him he says the pick up truck doesnt leave the parking lot and it was his truck! He claims he did not put the boot on, but yet I saw his pick up truck behind my car, leaving from my car and movifrom my car

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/09/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Yesterday, 8/8/24, I visited the ****************** on (*****************************************************) to pick up to-go food at the ************ food trunk. The gas station parking lot was completely blocked off with cones plus a man standing with the cones not letting us in. We parked in the only available area, the parking lot of the LifeStorage next door. We walked to the taco truck, saw it was closed, and walked back to my car at 8:23PM. WE WERE GONE FOR LESS THAN A MINUTE AND MY CAR HAD A BOOT ON IT. The man placing the boot was still writing the fine and the time he had written was 8:23PM. We were literally standing at my car at 8:23PM. We asked him to remove the boot and he immediately had an attitude, and was arguing with us. This was such a scam. The parking lot for the gas station was blocked, no where at all for patrons to park. And this parking company had their employee parked in the same LifeStorage parking lot waiting for people who were unable to park at the gas station parking lot. He was laughing at us while writing the fine. He then told us he was going to sit in his truck and wait 1 hour until unbooting my car. I called the company phone number and a man answered and said he would handle it. He called the employee and they were joking and laughing on the phone calling us a******* and dicks. I felt absolutely disrespected by the employee, the company. This whole situation was a scam. I was going to call the police but didn't want to sit in that parking lot any longer. I am still considering reaching out to the police. They are a predatory company making their money from scamming and extorting people.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/08/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Date: August 7, 2024 To Whom It May Concern,I am writing to formally lodge a complaint regarding an incident that occurred on August 7, 2024. I parked my vehicle in a designated business spot within a plaza. After entering the business, I briefly left to pick up a to-go order from a neighboring establishment. My absence from the premises was no longer than 60 seconds.Upon returning, I observed a man in an unmarked, personal vehicle exiting his car and placing a boot on my vehicle. This individual had been waiting in his car, just three spots away, seemingly with the intent to boot my car the moment I left the property. This action was both unethical and aggressive, as I was still actively engaging with businesses within the supervised plaza. I was made to pay $100 to remove the boot. I question the legality of my vehicle being booted within such a short time frame, especially while I was still on the property. The behavior exhibited by this business and its employees is predatory and highly concerning. I believe that such practices warrant investigation by the ************************ to ensure they are not violating any regulations and to protect other patrons from similar experiences.Thank you for your attention to this matter.Sincerely,*************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/05/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Employee was handing out parking violations and putting on parking boots whilst illegally parked in a handicapped spot