AN EXASPERATED driver claims he had a 'nightmare' after using an app-based car park only to be overcharged and then bombarded with emails.
Commandery Road Car Park in Worcester now only accepts payments via the RingGo app or by calling a phone number and using an automated service.
Phillip Hall, of Worcester, had tried to pay for a parking space on Commandery Road Car Park via the RingGo app but ended up being charged more than he believed he should have been.
Worcester City Council said it would contact him to establish what happened.
"I tried using the RingGo app to pay for parking in the car park," he said.
"My wife went across the road for an eye test at the clinic and I noticed the car park wasn't very busy so I thought I would park over there.
"But you cannot pay by cash on this car park, you have to use RingGo. I downloaded the app and it showed £2 for two hours parking, which I paid for.
"I then had 23 emails from RingGo, one saying I had been charged a transaction fee of 20p but it was actually £2.40.
"I rang the council but it took me ages to get through to them because of the amount of options you have to go through and although they understood my problems, I kept being put through to the wrong person.
"I'm nearing 70 but there are many people older than me who don't understand this new technology.
"I understand what they are a business but it wasn't clear.
"Unless you're a blue badge holder you can't park there without having to go through paying on the app."
Mr Hall said he had spoken to other residents who had also complained about the payment method on Commandery Road Car Park.
A spokesperson for Worcester City Council said: “We are in the process of contacting this customer to establish exactly what has happened in this case and to offer him our assistance.”
Worcester City Council announced last April that five of its car parks would move to app and phone payment only in response to a steep drop in the value of cash payments at each of these car parks.
The car park holds up to 30 spaces, including three disabled spots for badge holders, but no longer accepts payment through a pay and display machine.
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