Warning of unclear parking rates after Hongkonger charged 7 times more than advertised

Some shopping centres in Hong Kong display unclear parking discount terms that often lead to disputes, the consumer watchdog has said, citing a case where a driver was billed HK$1,210 (US$155) for a full day, more than seven times the advertised rate.The Consumer Council said on Monday that complaints about car-park services had remained persistently high in recent years, with 120 cases recorded in 2025, reversing a dip to 96 in 2024 and broadly matching 118 in 2023.In one complaint, a driver noticed a banner outside a residential estate car park advertising “24-hour unlimited parking” for HK$145 and parked there overnight for about 22 hours.But when she tried to leave the next evening, she was charged HK$1,210 instead of the advertised rate.Staff later explained that the promotional rate applied only to vehicles parked in a designated area known as the car park’s “inner zone”, a condition not clearly stated on the large banner. As a result, the hourly rate of HK$55 was applied to her stay.Following the council’s conciliation, the operator refunded the HK$1,065 difference.