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ParkChicago® App Complaints & User Negative Comments 2024
ParkChicago® app received 35 complaints, negative comments and reviews by users. Have you ever had a bad experience using ParkChicago®? Can you share your negative thoughts about parkchicago®?
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ParkChicago® for Negative User Reviews
✓ Forced Payment?I don't like how it forces you to pay a certain amount to replenish your card. What if I don't have that amount? What if I need X amount of money for something else. This is inconvenient and this app. What about if I want to move to another city or close my account down, then what? What if I'm moving to another city, why can't my account just reduce to zero why shouldn't be this difficult to close it. From what I've seen so far this would be the only option… not everybody has a money tree in their backyard. Not to mention the $.35 convenience fee they charge if you don't pay for the maximum hours. 🙄.Version: 6.3.0
✓ App doesn't workThe app has not worked for months now on my iPhone. I've let them know and a rep emails me once a month literally just asking "is it working now". No. It is not working. Why? Because nothing has changed or been fixed since the last time she emailed me. And she never responds after I tell her no. The following month she will just message again asking if it works now. Which the answer is obvious. Minimal customer service, requirement of twenty dollars every time you want to replenish account, fee if you use under a certain amount of time and oh-it doesn't work..Version: 6.3.0
✓ No customer support - illogical designFor going on 3 years now, there is no way for me to use my account and there is no way to access customer support. I would have to literally change my phone number to access an account on this app. So thanks to this app being poorly designed and without service, I have gotten several parking tickets over the past 3 years due to not being able to add more time to my parking, and not being able to make it out to my car to pay on the meter again in time. The poor design of this app has cost me a significant amount of money in tickets. Big thumbs down..Version: 6.4.2
✓ This App is a ScamI feel like i was robbed of $20. I went to pay online under the assumption that it would be easier to pay online than to go to the meter, then I found out you need to pre-pay $20 to your account. This would be fine, however, the app not only did not work, but it also does not let me have my money back. The user interface is also terrible and the app just looks ugly, which only makes the experience of losing $20 worse when you realize how empty the app is, and the only way of getting in touch with Park Chicago is through their website. All this just to find out that they do not return you the money, even when you changed your mind about using their horrible app..Version: 6.4.2
✓ Too expensive to be too good.The developer had clearly made the parking meter company rich and not have considered customers need. They have designated slot with minimum commissions automatically withdrawn. . If you really care customers. Do pay attention and reply back your update. 1. If parking customer have moved away from designated area the customer must be able to deactivate the meter stating he is no longer need and must be refunded the remaining amount. 2. There must not be two simultaneous active session. One must expire in order to begin second. Unless the customer is using for another vehicle. 3. Customer complaint must be in app it self, instead of emailing. With picture uploading facility. Just like Uber and Lift does so customer can leave a feed back. 4. If customer in error pays for parking and later realizes it’s a sanitation zone day or construction. A customer must have ability to cancel the transaction to begin a new one. I shall revive your service once above complaints are rectified. Until then your service is just money ripping and a shame to community..Version: 6.3.3
✓ Garbage AppThe convenience is alluring but honestly you're better off just paying at the meter. If it is cold or wet out you should be dressed appropriately regardless. This garbage app is a about fees (fine $.35, I get it) but it's the reload feature that feels like theft. Why $20? If I have $12 in my account and my parking is $6, I shouldn't have to add $20 to pay for my parking. LET ME USE THE AMOUNT ALREADY IN THE BALANCE!!! Is this run by people who need an account they can borrow from so everyone is part of their collective savings account with the $10 minimum. So many things seem wrong in this system but for some reason the app was never updated to make it not asinine. I will never use it again or recommend it. I'd rather have frost bite or be drenched in a monsoon than support the idiots who run this app..Version: 6.3.0
✓ Crooked! Just like Chicago...This app adds $.35 as a "convenience" fee every time you pay for parking if less than 2 hours. That also means if your meter is low and you need to add more. Total crap. Also, you have to always replenish with a minimum amount of $20. What if I don't need to put in that much? Yes, the iPass works the same way, but at least you pay less vs. going through the manual toll. There's a benefit there. This is just another way for the city to get their dirty hands on my money. Used it once, won't use it again..Version: 6.3.0
✓ App buggy as hell not simple to register or useDoesn’t allow you to pay less than 20$ which is exorbitant when you are there for 30 minutes..Version: 6.4.2
✓ Ended up getting a ticketUpdated: I used this app to park and paid 14 dollars. My parking time was still not expired, but my car was towed because today was the Christmas lighting day and no street parking was allowed. Shouldn’t the app reflect that information? This app worked well until recently. I only received a reminder at 10 min before expiration. Talking to friends made me forget the time. I was a couple of minutes late to extend the time from my phone. When I returned to my car, I saw a ticket issued during that a few minutes window. If a ticket has been issued, shouldn’t I be notified? This experience made me feel that the app is being used to ticket people as soon as the time expires..Version: 6.4.4
✓ PSA: Hidden ChargesThere are certain streets of Chicago that have eliminated the ability to buy a parking pass (and putting it on your dashboard). Now, you have to pay by entering your license plate every time you park, or downloading this app. When you download this app, you have to load your card with at least $20 worth of credit. Also, anytime time less than two hours is charged a “convenience fee” of $.35. Don’t let the words trip you up: the convenience is for them. They now have an influx of cash by people like you pre-loading your app, whether you use all the money or not. It’s convenient for them so they can easier write you a ticket without having to check your dashboard..Version: 6.3.2
✓ Extra fees for the max amount of time nIt’s a complete ripoff that this app charges you the 35 cent fee when there’s less than the amount of time left on the meter for the day for it to be considered “maximum.” For instance if its 8:45 and paid parking ends at 10, so i buy the maximum of 1 hour 15 minutes, and I still get charged the “convenience fee” because it’s not 2 or 3 hours. It’s a scam and it takes away from the money I put on. Also, why do you have to re-up with 20 dollars or more every time? What a racket living in Chicago is..Version: 6.3.3
✓ Horrible app uses data against usMakes updating my credit card painful. Doesn’t say what’s out of date and doesn’t remember any numbers. Everything must be re-entered When it refused to accept a payment, it took a 5 minutes to redo everything. Didn’t remember where I had tried to do a Parking session had to re-enter that also. Worst is I think the city uses this to target meters that are expiring. Got a ticket the exact minute that my meter expired! Big brother is watching all of us and optimizing their income..Version: 6.4.2
✓ This app is designed to take more money from you.Paying for parking via mobile is great, but every time I use this app, I can’t help but feel ripped off by their system. The app works on a padded account, where you start by paying $20 to use anywhere for parking in Chicago. When that $20 empties and you’re at $0, the app will automatically charge you another $20 to replenish your account. Personally, I wish they would allow me the option to load up however much I wanted to, or just charged me the specific amount of time that I wanted to park per-purchase. But no, no option for what whatsoever. Additionally, after you enter your credit card information and allow yourself to be charged with the upfront $20 pre-load fee, the app prompts you that you will be charged an additional 35¢ processing fee per purchase under the max amount of time. So basically, if I wanted to use this system to park somewhere for 10 minutes while I run into a store, a 25¢ deduction automatically turns into a 60¢ deduction. The service fee should only hit one time during the initial $20 charge/reload if it were actually for service and not only for profit. I’m going to go back to using the pay boxes after attempting to use this app. Do yourself a favor a follow suit. DO NOT USE!.Version: 6.4.2
✓ TIME RESTRAINT SCAMWill only allow you to pay for three hours at a time! I have gotten so many tickets while using this crappy App because of the time restraint. They will not allow you to pay for a full business day from 8am -10pm. I have to keep waking up from my sleep to add more time and anyone who works nights know how hard it is to get back to sleep in the day time. The developers should consider making longer hours an option. Until then this is the most corrupt Chicago type of thing that exists in this crooked city..Version: 6.4.2
✓ Convenient when it worksThe app is convenient and great for not having to run out to meter to reload. But tickets still happening because meter attendants not paying attention to it. And major WARNING! If you have a vanity plate with letters at the end, you must use those letters as well I’ve used the app for years without them and no problems but just got ticket for not having the letters. The meter maid admitted when I came to car that she knew i had paid but gave me ticket on the technicality..Version: 6.3.3
✓ Must have - bust will screw you overThis app is essential for Chicago residents with vehicles. It allows you to add time without going back to your car and provides the safety and convenience of paying the meter from your car. 2 major flaws, which are likely by design, are that you have to “load” you account. This is so that pretty much every user will eventually leave a small amount that they never use (if they move away or get rid of their vehicles, etc). The other major flaw is that when you are paying for a spot, it doesn’t let you know that you are low on funds and once you hit “pay” and assume you are good to go, you never notice the re-load screen and you in fact have not paid yet. Nice $70 parking ticket is now waiting for you (or maybe worse). The company won’t do anything to remedy this, so don’t bother wasting a couple hours on hold or emailing them. Just make it a habit to always make sure you see the screen with the timer counting down before you close the app..Version: 6.4.5
✓ Buggy and disappointingThis app has let me down many times and it doesn’t work when you need it most. It randomly will not allow me to reload my balance. The credit card on file is still valid and works fine elsewhere but ParkChicago tells me the payment method needs to be updated. Then I put the same CC info in, the app seems to accept it but I cannot use the balance to park for a period of time—usually I have to kill the app and restart, sometimes multiple times. On top of the bugs the User Interface is confusing and unclear. There are many times where I’m left wondering if a transaction went through. Also, I’ve been double and triple charged many times by this app..Version: 6.4.2
✓ App stopped working for iPhonesI thought it was just my phone but I’ve talked to a few other friends who have the same problem. Trying to open up the app on the iPhone it immediately closes and prevents you from getting parking. If you do get through it takes 10 to 15 tries. Then when I’m in a high-rise, I can’t re-up the parking because it won’t open the app again. ParkChicago suggested just logging into the website but that becomes difficult in some areas so you expect the app to work. I will be standing outside of my van and trying to open the app and it pops on and pops off..Version: 6.4.2
✓ This app is outrageous-as bad as possibleThis app is the only one I am aware of to assist with Chicago street parking. It must have been given a monopoly, because otherwise someone would have provided better and less expensive service. It charges 35 cents every time you use it. The minimum parking time is one half hour, so if you want to go in a store for five minutes you get charged about $3.00 instead of 50 cents. Now let’s talk about re-setting it if, as happened to me, I had not used it for a time and had forgotten my passcode. The app wanted my old credit card to re-establish it. Of course, the card had expired and the replacement had a new number. The app would not allow me to start anew even with my new phone or let me use another card. Nor did the app provide any alternative means of getting it restarted. I had to research it online and then contact the app operator. Ridiculous..Version: 6.4.2
✓ My first experience pros and cons...I give two stars and here is the reason why.. This apps is good and I have no problem with it. It’s good to use while your doing something busy and don’t have time to pay up front by pay box. You don’t have to go back and forth. You can reload it anywhere, anytime. What I don’t like is, they actually tells you that you can’t stay no more longer than the time they expected at that hour. I wish they could just extended the hour 24/7 or any costumer options to do so. I just think they could give an options for Costumer to transfer money to bank or credit card or other options when you don’t need it anymore. I don’t live chicago but I go there for concert or other events. The cost of using online apps is highly expensive to compare to the pay box. I don’t think that’s a great deal and there’s no point. However, I thought it’s the same and cheap. I’m disappointed. I honestly think it needs more updates, more optional for better use..Version: 6.3.2
✓ Absolutely infuriating to useI was locked out of my account years ago because I no longer had my payment method that was on the account. In order to get back into my account, I had to provide the details of the credit card I NO LONGER HAD because it was stolen. There is no way to get back into the app in cases like this. This is the only app I’ve ever used that locks you out if you can’t provide the exact details of a payment method you once had on the account. Im shocked that this is how the app functions and I hope they change the login page to use a username/password instead..Version: 6.4.2
✓ Fees and minimum balance is shady...The app works fantastic. I'll echo what others have shared about minimum balances and fees. Again, this IS Chicago we're talking about. My issue is this: I've been ticketed twice in two months for supposedly not paying the meter while using this app. Perhaps they could work on better communication between the app and the parking meter employees who write up tickets? It's ridiculous, tedious and time consuming for me to have to contest these tickets that aren't valid..Version: 6.3.2
✓ Needs something for less than $10 or $5 even.Needs for less than $5.Version: 6.4.2
✓ Too many steps and if you get sidetracked it’s costlyI hate this app. There have been too many times that I have forgotten to finish my purchase. You click and click and click and you still haven’t made your purchase. If you are paying for parking and receive a call and forget you were only on step 3 of four (even though it feels like you finished because there are sooo many steps- for example every time I need to confirm the only car license plate I’ve entered is the one I want to use). I did this today and got a $50 ticket because I didn’t complete the final step. I think the app needs to have a feature to remind users if they haven’t completed their purchase. I was gonna pay for two hours, left after just an hour, found a ticket, unlocked my phone for the first time since receiving a call as I paid for parking and there it was my $4 charge that I hadn’t actually okayed. So instead of $4, parking cost me $50. Please make your app more user friendly by helping them not get tickets due to incomplete purchases.Version: 6.3.2
✓ I don’t know how this is so highly rated as it currently is…While I appreciate street parking has been moving from meters to mobile apps this one is absolute garbage. First off as a visitor from out of town here for work, the requirement to preload a minimum of $20 is ridiculous. Say I only use $10 with of parking. Now what? I have to hope I remember the next time I’m in Chicago that I have $10 of credit left? Will that even still be available when next I visit? Second and final really, once I bit the bullet and paid the $20 min account funding the app just won’t work. I get to the login page asking for the pin I created. I enter it. It takes me to “update information” page. The current and correct info is already there. I save. “Your info has been updated and saved”. It returns me to the login page. I enter my pin again. It brings me back to the update info page again. There are no other options except “save”. I closed the app multiple times and no matter what when I reopen it’s the same issue. I was just robbed $20 by the city of Chicago and it’s garbage parking app. In conclusion just find a parking garage or meter. At least when they steal from you as far as price it actually results in a designated and safe parking spot..Version: 6.4.2
✓ Does not work. Zero stars.The meter I parked next to has a broken touchscreen, so I can't pay at the meter. Might as well finally get the app I was told I should have. The account creation process asks me for a PIN and my name/email, then my card. I put in DEFINITELY VALID card info, the app returns "invalid card." I go to restart the account creation process just in case. I can now only put in an existing PIN. I do so, and I'm taken to the "Update Profile" page to change my name and email, my phone number is locked. I hit save, and the app kicks me back to the PIN login. Over and over. Ad nauseam. Reset my PIN, then, I think. I'm at least allowed to re-enter my card info here. Then I go through the PIN reset and I'm taken to the profile page again, this time with only my phone number populated, and again locked. I hit save...and I'm kicked back to the PIN reset. Whatever shoddy two-bit developer made this garbage has the "save" routine include a "previous page" command, so there is literally no way to use the app at all. Thanks a lot. I guess I'm not parking here, or anywhere else where the meter's touchscreen is wet..Version: 6.4.5
✓ Update neededI’ve been using this app for years and still they cannot add a “wheel” function to select your specific hour and minutes. Want 45 minutes? You have to touch the screen at least 45 times — once per minute — to arrive on 45. That’s just silly and unnecessary. But that’s Chicago, or anything associated with this second-rate city. I’ve sent them feedback multiple times to no avail. Surely, it cannot be difficult to modify the app to make it easier to use. But that would be too logical, right?.Version: 6.4.2
✓ Disappointed with the “convenience” feesI have not had any issues with the functionality of the app, but I am upset that my credit card is billed for $20 which is stored in the app as a “credit” and then get charged a $.35 convenience fee (per use) if I do not book the maximum amount of time I am allowed to park in that specific zone. The app billed my credit card once, to save them money in transaction fees on each charge I make, so why I being charged transaction fees on each transaction? This isn’t right. The way it should work, if they insist on charging transaction fees, is they should charge you a transaction fee of 2% on the $20 up front. The way this is done now is basically a cash grab. I have only exclusively used the app instead of the pay box because of the pandemic. I should not be charged a premium because it’s not safe to use the free version. Ideally, there should be no fees until COVID-19 no longer poses a threat..Version: 6.4.1
✓ ConvenientIf you live in Chicago and own a vehicle, having this app makes your life considerable easier. Sometimes you’ll find yourself somewhere for longer than you intended and this makes it super easy to add time to your parking without the hassle of running in and out. But I have two issues — the service fee is a bit much and the app developers should really consider allowing users to transfer time by simply changing the zone number. Like I said it’s convenient but it’s definitely not perfect..Version: 6.3.3
✓ App is great, but really costs $10The functionality of the app is fine. Works just as it should and is convenient. The best feature is that you can reload the meter from your phone and don't have to walk back to the car. I would give this app five stars if they were upfront and honest about the cost. The developers need to admit up front that the app costs $10. Their prepaid system is shady. You load your account with $20, so you would thing you'd have to reload once the balance gets low. Nope. You must reload with an additional $20 when you get to $10. Example: I had $11 left in my account. My $4 parking would have left me only $7, which is below their $10 minimum. So it charged me $20. In summary, I needed $31 in my account to pay $4. I can never use that last $10. I contacted the developers about this previously, asking if I could get a refund since I very rarely need parking in the city. They said they don't give refunds. So if I can never use that $10 in my account for parking and I can't get the $10 refunded, why not just admit that you're keeping my $10 as a cost for using the service? Just charge me 10 bucks and then show my actual usable balance in the app..Version: 6.3.0
✓ Just like the City of Chicago to charge fees for everything 🙃UPDATE 4/8/17: Had to add a fake debit card into the app so it would stop RELOADING my account after I was going under $10. Like really???$10 gets you a lot of parking but for some reason the app won't let you go under $10 to use. So this app is very "smart" making you load your account with $20 before getting anywhere with it. So I did that. Thinking I live here in chicago and park frequently. Park LESS THAN 2 HOUR = $.35 "convenience" fee. So there, you're already uncharged 35cents more. Shows you a timer of how much time you got left. But once your funds get low, makes you pull out another $20. In going to try to put a fake card in to stop it from that.Version: 6.3.0
✓ Is this a ScamI downloaded this app yesterday and it has done nothing but take my money and crash. I am unable to sign into the account created yet the so charged me twice for payment after saying the payment failed. I am out of money and I cannot use the app because since attempting to log in the app now crashes when I try to click on anything. I keep clicking sign in and it keeps sending me to update my profile. It never logs me into the account and the refund for requires an account number to be listed. I don’t know what type of scam this is but I wanted to warn others..Version: 6.4.2
✓ What Happened?What happened to this app? It use to work pretty much without fault. Lately it’s failed to connect to the credit card I’ve had on file 2 times. It gave me a declined message and when I called the credit card I was told there was NO attempt to charge my card. The creators of the app have fallen asleep placing the blame on the credit card thats been used for 5 plus years. At the top of the food chain I’m sure its another financial problem due to the city being broke. Thanks Chicago, go F yourself!.Version: 6.4.2
✓ Might be the worst mobile app I’ve ever usedThis thing is simply insane. Asks you to deposit $20 straight away, because unlike every other parking app I’ve used, you can’t simply pay as you park. Why? Who knows, but I backed out of the $20 ask when I first downloaded app and just used the pay box. Now, when I re-open the app, I’m in an endless loop where I can log in (with a pin, for some reason) and update my contact info and nothing else. When I do that, it logs me out. Not that I want to drop $20 on this thing, but there’s no way to even do so (much less pay for parking) if I did. I’m pretty sure the only way I even could see that screen is to delete the app, redownload and start over. Congrats to the small child who got Chicago to pay for such a lousily-made piece of trash..Version: 6.4.2
✓ Costs $10I love how convenient this app is to use and the fact there is a timer to remind you if you need to pay for additional time. The $10 charge for this app is what throws me off So pretty much if your balance drops to below $10 you have to replenish your account with AT LEAST $20 more. I had an $11 balance and I had to pay $2 for parking, but since my balance would be below $10, I needed to replenish $20 to pay for a $2 parking session. I don’t understand why I would need to keep a balance of $10 in my account—rip off!.Version: 6.3.0
🙂 ParkChicago® Positive Reviews
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