Last week, Dunedin resident Melanie Marunui expressed her disgust at finding $28 withdrawn from her bank account when she used her Visa debit card to pay for a total of $4parking at two of the city's 150 new parking meters.
The software in the Global Integrated Systems-installed parking meters, which are in place throughout New Zealand, authorises the maximum potential value of the parking to be held until the actual amount is processed.
The $4 was deducted from Mrs Marunui's account in the middle of last week and the $28 was released on Friday night.
Dunedin consumer advocate Noel Angus said the practice was unjustifiable and immoral.
Global Integrated Systems (GIS) technical director Mark Oliver, of Auckland, said a warning might be added to all his company's card-capable parking meters.
Mr Angus, who is Dunedin Citizens Advice Bureau consumer team leader, said the lack of any signage onthe parking meters telling customers the maximum value would be withheld could be a breach of the Fair Trading Act.
Misleading or mischievous information, including not providing relevant information, was a breach of the Act, he said.
‘‘I think it is illegal and if it is not illegal then it is immoral."
In an email Mr Oliver wrote to Mrs Marunui,a copy of which he sent to The Star, he said the situation wasa result of the recent introduction of debit cards, for which the parking meters used the same payment process as credit cards.
‘‘This was fine for credit cards but clearly some sort of notification to customers is required," Mr Oliver said.
‘‘So we will look at adding a suitable warning message [before confirming the purchase] for all cards transactions."
In response to questions about who set the parking meter payment parameters, and the legality of charging and withholding the potential maximum value, Mr Oliver told The Star he would reply when he finished two weeks' work in Australia.
