TAMPA, Fla. — A grandfather is speaking out, claiming his granddaughter paid to park at a downtown Tampa lot and still had her car towed.
Chris Ioquinto's 17-year-old granddaughter borrowed his pickup truck for a Lightning playoff game. He showed Tampa Bay 28 the $45 parking receipt at a lot owned by 717 Parking Enterprises. The receipt showed they were good to stay until 10:59 a.m. the next day, but the truck was towed before the game ended.
"She came back and there was no car," Ioquinto said. "This was my granddaughter. She followed the rules, she paid to park, and she still had her car towed.”
The truck had been towed to a lot three miles away, which is where Ioquinto went that night.
"They wanted $250 in cash, which most people don't carry, so I went driving around looking for an ATM," Ioquinto said.
On top of the towing charge, 717 Parking ticketed the family for being "double parked" and for an "unpaid parking fee," which totaled an additional $85.
Ioquinto disputed both charges. On the double-parking citation, he pointed to the condition of the lot itself.
"You'll see there's not too many lines on the ground anymore and she was parked next to another car," Ioquinto said.
Ioquinto also claimed a lot attendant was working that night and actually waved his granddaughter into the spot. His granddaughter, who was not shown on camera due to her age, confirmed that account.
"We got the money, bailed the car out, and were told if we had a problem call 717 parking, which we did, and they said they would get back to us within 48 hours; they never did," Ioquinto said.
Tampa Bay 28 Consumer Investigative Reporter Susan El Khoury left voicemails for 717 Parking and sent multiple emails, which received an auto-response.
While waiting to hear back, Tampa Bay 28 stopped by the lot during another playoff game and observed cars parked in the same row where the family says the truck had been. When that game ended, no cars were towed.
After still receiving no response, Consumer Investigative Reporter Susan El Khoury went to 717 Parking's downtown office. A manager said he would look into what happened.
The company declined an on-camera interview but provided a written statement.
"Following receipt of your inquiry, we were able to connect directly with the customer and had a productive conversation regarding their experience.
Prior to your inquiry, we did not have the customer's contact information, as they had not submitted their concern through our standard customer support or appeal process. Had we received their inquiry directly, we would have contacted them promptly after the incident to review the matter and work toward a resolution.
At 717 Parking, we pride ourselves on being a customer-first organization. The customer experience is of the utmost importance to us, and we believe that listening to concerns, communicating directly, and seeking fair resolutions are essential to maintaining the trust of the communities and customers we serve. Even when situations involve misunderstandings or unique circumstances, we view every interaction as an opportunity to improve our processes and strengthen the overall customer experience.
During our conversation, the customer shared valuable feedback regarding both the incident and their overall experience. We appreciate them taking the time to speak with us, and we will incorporate their feedback into ongoing discussions with our team, as we are committed to continuously evaluating our operations and identifying ways to improve the customer experience.
As part of our resolution, we have agreed to reimburse the customer for both their parking and towing expenses, void the associated notice, and provide complimentary parking during their next visit to Downtown Tampa.
We are pleased that we were ultimately able to engage directly with the customer, address their concerns, and reach a mutually satisfactory resolution. We are grateful that their contact information was shared with us, as it allowed us to review the matter thoroughly and respond directly to their concerns."
Ioquinto said he’s happy with the resolution and is equally pleased that 717 Parking told him they planned on repainting the lot lines, which Ioquinto hopes will help someone else.
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