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Compared two parking apps in Seattle for a week and one was clearly the winner
ParkMobile dinged me for $8 in fees over 5 uses while SpotHero actual cost matched the signs exactly, so has anyone else noticed the hidden charges stacking up on one app?
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kelly3851mo ago
The whole "every food delivery app has fees that change depending on your phone's battery life" thing you said really hit home. I actually read a piece last month about how these apps use dynamic pricing based on demand, not battery, but it sure feels that random sometimes. I also saw a local news story about Seattle parking garages having their own separate fees on top of the app tags, so the app might show one thing and the kiosk adds more. That's probably what happened with your SpotHero garage, the lot owner is the one sneaking in the extra charge, not the app itself. I've been burned by both apps in different neighborhoods, so I'm with you on tracking it longer. Honestly, I think the real winner is whichever app lets you see the final total before you tap confirm, and even then it's a gamble.
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Eight dollars over five uses is like a buck sixty a pop, which is annoying but also the cost of a fancy coffee drink. I get the principle of it, but I parked with SpotHero in Belltown last month and the app showed one price, then the garage added a "convenience fee" at the kiosk anyway. It's kind of like how every food delivery app has fees that change depending on your phone's battery life, seems random half the time. Maybe you just hit a weird week where the lots had different owners, or the ParkMobile payment system glitched on a specific garage. I'd track it for another couple weeks before declaring a winner, because these apps all find their own sneaky ways to grab a few bucks.
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