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Warning of unclear parking rates after Hongkonger charged 7 times more than advertised

admin

2026年2月16日
2 min read
advertised car-park services charged Consumer Council consumer watchdog daily packages free parking Hong Kong Hong Kong drivers Hongkonger metered parking spaces night parking discounts parking parking bargains Private cars promotional materials rates residential estate car park Times unclear unexpected charges vehicles Warning

Warning of unclear parking rates after Hongkonger charged 7 times more than advertised插图

Some shopping centres in Hong Kong display unclear parking discount terms that often lead to disputes, the consumer watchdog has said, citing a case where a driver was billed HK$1,210 (US$155) for a full day, more than seven times the advertised rate.

The Consumer Council said on Monday that complaints about car-park services had remained persistently high in recent years, with 120 cases recorded in 2025, reversing a dip to 96 in 2024 and broadly matching 118 in 2023.

In one complaint, a driver noticed a banner outside a residential estate car park advertising “24-hour unlimited parking” for HK$145 and parked there overnight for about 22 hours.

But when she tried to leave the next evening, she was charged HK$1,210 instead of the advertised rate.

Staff later explained that the promotional rate applied only to vehicles parked in a designated area known as the car park’s “inner zone”, a condition not clearly stated on the large banner. As a result, the hourly rate of HK$55 was applied to her stay.

Following the council’s conciliation, the operator refunded the HK$1,065 difference.

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