Getting a parking ticket is never fun, but in some cases, it’s also not fair.

In this case, a woman got an unwarranted parking ticket, so after her appeal was denied, she decided to bring out the big guns.

Let’s read and take notes!

Give me a parking ticket for a spot I paid for, I dare you

About 10 or so years ago, I went to a concert an hour away from me in Indianapolis. Decided to make a day of it going to several museums and spots around the city.

Each time paying for parking in a garage for 2 or so hours then going to meander around the area. Finally, I go park close to the venue and paid for parking until the time it was free.

Total I probably paid $40-50 for parking throughout the day.

I enjoyed the concert, but come back to a parking ticket on my car.

That’s never a pleasant experience, but this time, it also wasn’t fair.

I think, “this is odd,” but I am tired and chalk it up to a mistake.

But I decide to take photos of my parking spot (both spots on either side were taken) and all the signage and head home for the evening, figuring I would sort it in the morning.

The next morning, I review the ticket, the photo of my spot and my parking receipt.

The ticket did not line up to the spot my car was located in and my receipt shows that I had valid parking at the time of the ticket.

Something was definitely wrong, but it wasn’t going to be easy to prove it.

So I submit an appeal thinking this will be easy; it’s obvious that a mistake was made.

The appeal was denied.

The ticket was for the spot that was not paid for, ergo it stood.

I called the office, and the lady said they did not make a mistake as my receipt showed that I paid for spot X-1 and the ticket was for spot X.

I ask about the photo proof that my car was in spot X-1.

She said, “Well you could have moved the car”.

Things were about to get to a boiling point.

Note that the parking receipt included my license plate number and everything (think park mobile-like system).

I noted that there were cars in spots on either side of me and that the entire street was full because of the concert.

And honestly, I don’t think they bothered to look at the photo. Even had that not been the case, I had proof that that license plate had a paid parking spot.

No matter what, no dice.

Since they weren’t willing to collaborate, she had a better idea.

I am feeling petty over this $25 parking ticket at this point.

So, I called Visa and asked if I could retract the amount I paid for the time that I had parked since it didn’t count. I submitted all the evidence and documentation to Visa.

Visa, in what was the greatest thing Visa has ever done in my opinion, they agreed that if my parking receipt and transaction number weren’t proof I had paid for parking, then clearly I had paid for a service I did not receive.

Wow.

And they extended my initial request of canceling the one transaction to include all the parking spots I had paid for through the system that day, valued at more than the parking ticket.

Then they filed a formal complaint on my behalf with a letter explaining why they were refunding me.

I would not have been nearly as satisfied if I had not spent the entire day playing tourist in the city and wracking up a large parking bill all with the same vendor.

What a comeback!

A reader shares their thoughts.

This commenter shares their opinion.

Someone learned from this story.

This reader shares a personal experience.

Another commenter chimes in.

A compliment.

I bet they didn’t expect someone to fight this hard over a $25 ticket.

They were wrong.

If you liked that post, check out this one about an employee that got revenge on HR when they refused to reimburse his travel.