Sweden’s Consumers: So you can get right against the P-companies

According to Maria Wiezell, consumer adviser And an expert on consumer law at Sweden’s consumers, one must make a difference in business morality and law in many of the cases where they happened to make mistakes in the parking apps.

Legally, there is often not much to do for those affected. It is established in the Supreme Court that it is the consumer’s responsibility to enter the right information. An agreement is entered into with the parking company as soon as you start the parking lot.

But is it reasonable for a misprint to cost thousands?

– You may think that it is immoral and unethical to demand an elderly person on this amount, when you immediately call and say it was wrong. And there is also nothing that prevents the companies from being more generous than the law states, says Maria Wiezell.

Neither the Consumer Purchasing Act nor the Consumer Services Act applies to parking.

But normally you have a right of withdrawal on parking agreements if you as a private person rent a parking space by a company, provided that you have entered into the agreement remotely, for example on the Internet or through SMS.

However, if you have purchased a parking ticket through an automatic, you do not have any right of withdrawal.

You also have no right of withdrawal after the parking time expired.

– So if you regret the purchase of a monthly ticket within 14 days or a single ticket, you should have the right to regret it. If you have not received accurate and complete information about the right of withdrawal, it is extended for up to a year. If you have received it, you can pay for the part of the parking period that has already elapsed, explains Maria Wiezell.

According to Wiezell you can turn to the parking company and say that you want to use your right of withdrawal.

– If it is a serious company, they know what it is and should adhere to it, she says.

This applies if you bought a parking ticket that has not yet expired. The same applies if you have received a control fee because you happened to provide the wrong information in the app, even then you can request to regret the purchase unless the parking period has expired.

If the parking company refuses to repay, you can report it to ARN, the General Complaints Board. But there are only cases involving at least SEK 1,000 in this type of case, and cases relating to control fees are not dealt with.

– On the other hand, they should try the parking cost and complaints of parking costs and any right of withdrawal, says Maria Wiezell.

How often the error presses in the app Leads to fines is difficult to say.

– But it is a problem that we encounter, and in particular I would say that it affects the elderly, which can have problems with vision, and motor skills. It can be wrong when you are a little stressed and not so used to using apps, says Maria Wiezell.

DN has also received reactions that the elderly are pulling to take the car because they cannot handle the parking apps, and are afraid to make mistakes. This was particularly problematic during the pandemic, when avoiding going collectively.