Parking operator "Park Expert" faces hundreds of complaints over disproportionate fines
Latvia's Consumer Rights Protection Centre has received over 160 complaints about parking operator "Park Expert" and launched a review of its business practices, as customers report unexplainably high penalties.
Riga resident Sergejs Muzikins, on a trip to Jurmala, tried to buy a city entry pass through a mobile app but mistakenly paid 20 euros to parking operator "Park Expert" instead of the five euros he intended for the pass. When he tried to get his money back, he was told he would first need to pay an additional 30 euros for a "camera check" just to determine whether his car had even been in the company's parking area. Muzikins has filed a complaint with the Consumer Rights Protection Centre (PTAC).
A similar case involves a client of attorney Arturs Margevics — a legal entity that was hit with a 35-euro penalty for roughly an hour of parking the client valued at about two euros. The attorney has publicly stated that the company could not explain how the penalty amount was calculated, arguing the case raises a broader question about whether private operators may impose disproportionate contractual penalties. Since the dispute is between legal entities, it will be resolved in court.
Hundreds of complaints
By July 12, PTAC had received 277 complaints about parking services overall, of which 164 — nearly 60% — concerned "Park Expert" specifically, far more than for other major market players. As a result, on July 21 PTAC announced it was launching a review of the company's business practices, focusing particularly on penalties issued immediately after a five-minute grace period expires, including at medical facilities.
"Park Expert" disputes the assessment, calling it damaging to its reputation and noting that complaints represent less than one percent of its total transactions. The company has pledged to revise its rules, improve the visibility of signage, upgrade its complaints process, and train staff by year's end.
Media reports document other past incidents involving "Park Expert" — from rules posted too high to be read, to fines issued to people with disabilities and to drivers hit by technical payment failures, some of which the company later cancelled after media inquiries. PTAC advises consumers who receive a fine to keep all evidence, including payment confirmations, screenshots, and app error notifications.
