October 6, 2004 12:38 PM PDT
Parkingticket.com finds cities in violation
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Years ago, the native New Yorker got sick of paying off the endless stream of tickets that he found pinned to his windshield. So, after running in circles to find the right methods to appeal the violations, Bolofsky decided to try to capitalize on his experience. In 1982, he started a company that sold a package of documents meant to help people navigate the frustrating maze of New York's parking-ticket appeals system.
By 1993, Bolofsky's enterprise had morphed into a software program for businesses that wanted information on fighting tickets. Then in 2001, he launched Parkingticket.com, which provides a ticket appeals service online. This year the company, which now operates strictly via the Web, will rake in more than $3 million in revenue providing ticket-fixing services for individuals and a growing number of corporate clients.
Parkingticket.com's list of customers includes large companies with huge fleets of delivery vehicles, such as Anheuser-Busch and Kraft Foods. Other corporate clients are television networks such as NBC and CNN, whose vehicles are notorious targets for meter maids.
The reason the system works roughly 75 percent of the time and has helped clear an estimated $100 million in tickets over its 20-plus years of operation, Bolofsky says, is simple. He believes that most parking tickets are themselves in violation. For instance, it is actually legal for most commercial vehicles to double-park while making deliveries, for up to three hours. General ignorance of such rules may be why United Parcel Service is another company that has approached the site about subscribing to its services.
"Most big cities use parking tickets as a method of generating revenue, not for creating an environment of safety for drivers and pedestrians, the reason why parking tickets were invented," he said. "If you begin looking at the actual regulations, you'll find that most tickets are not really enforceable."
The Parkingticket.com system is simple. If you're a resident of
The Web has proved to be the killer application for Bolofsky's scheme, as he has grown Parkingticket.com from a one-man operation in an apartment to an 11-person business based in Paramus, N.J. He said the collapse of the Web boom actually made it possible for him to launch the site, as he could only afford sufficient hosting services and site design services when prices began to plummet.
The company will launch services for Chicago and Los Angeles later this year, and has plans for similar offerings for people in Boston, London and Montreal. Among the consultants Bolofsky currently employs are retired police officers from New York and Washington, as well as a retired New York judge.
"These cities are becoming increasingly aggressive about handing out tickets, and for the most part, these are just trumped-up violations," Bolofsky said.
Calls seeking comment on the site from the parking departments of New York, San Francisco and Washington were not immediately returned.
14 comments
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power back!"
haha sweet
I initially gave them $15 to begin this process (half the value of the ticket you're contesting), then spent more on postage (copies, stamps, return receipts, etc.) only to have the request denied by the City. Then I mistakenly paid the ticket through them before finding out that you HAD to appeal the ticket in order to get your "guaranteed" refund. (When I paid the ticket, I had to pay the original $30 plus an additional $5 fee that they charge for the convenience of paying through them.) Here in DC, in order to appeal a ticket you have to send in another letter (more copies, stamps, return receipts, etc.) plus a $10 appeal fee. (Non-refundable.)
After losing the appeal (which means I'm out of pocket $60 right now) I tried to request my refund of $15 and found out I have to waste even more time by faxing copies of every letter I ever sent, letters I received from the city, copies of vehicle registration materials, return receipts, etc.
Assuming I want to go to all this effort just to get my original $15 back, I'll still be out over $45 for a $30 ticket and will have wasted about 2 hours of time dealing with this company on all this. (I think they're secretly a front for the DC Department of Motor Vehicles because the way their "system" works, it's encouraging you to just pay your tickets in the future to get it over with, regardless of fault.)
Obviously this service leaves a lot to be desired. It is also essentially useless for people who live in Washington, DC because they require that you appeal your ticket in order to get your money back from them which means you're spending an additional $10 on your ticket that you lose even if they grant your dismissal request upon appeal. (Which means not only do you waste a bunch of time using their service, but you will still have spent almost $30 dollars on a $30 ticket because you would have given Parkingticket.Com $15 which they keep because you "won", the City would keep the $10 for the appeal and the post office would make about $5-$10 on copies, postage, return receipts, etc.)
Sounds like a "dot.bomb" business model regurgitated to me.
I would like to take the time out and thank you for your
efforts in keeping my informed and updated. I do have to
say that your company conducts themselves in a very
professional mannor. I would also like to say that even
though we did loose two cases, that we did win one. I
would also like to add that I will contiue to use your
website with any other parking issues that arise becuase of
the way you and your staff conducts there business... Once
again, thank you for all your efforts thus far. CW
P.S. Please fell free to add my comments to your website if you would like.
Sincerly,
Mr. Craig M. Waller
I just wanted to say thanks. My ticket was dismissed and it saved me $50! I previously spent hours trying to fight to tickets with pictures, etc. on my own and still ended up with a guilty verdict. This site did it so quickly and painlessly. This is a great service I would highly recommend.
-Carolyn.
by Mr.CraigW October 19, 2004 10:24 AM PDT
To Parking-Ticket.Com and the Help-Team,
I would like to take the time out and thank you for your
efforts in keeping my informed and updated. I do have to
say that your company conducts themselves in a very
professional mannor. I would also like to say that even
though we did loose two cases, that we did win one. I
would also like to add that I will contiue to use your
website with any other parking issues that arise becuase of
the way you and your staff conducts there business... Once
again, thank you for all your efforts thus far. CW
P.S. Please fell free to add my comments to your website if you would like.
Sincerly,
Mr. Craig M. Waller
No shame in posting fake reviews on CNET,
then following it up with a real reply.
Oi, I had really wanted to use this site but I cant help but feel that it is run by a bunch of frauds.
Even if it was in 2004, How does that old saying go- is it once a lying colluding business model, always one?
Buyer beware.
Hi,
This email is to inform you that in accordance with our Terms & Conditions, your request for a refund on ticket #341813113 was not approved for the following reasons:
A review of the paperwork you submitted shows that our Copyrighted document(s) have been edited or modified in the following way(s):
The parkingticket.com Copyright Mark does not appear on the Dismissal Letter.
Refund Request not filed within 30 days of date of final Hearing Determination
If you have any questions or feel this is in error, please contact us promptly by responding to this email. Please note, we answer all emails on a first-come, first-served basis.
Thank you,
The Support Team
parkingticket.com
The copyright issue is a scam since you can't cut and paste the logo. I coppied the letter word for word and didn't change a thing. I was also out of town for 2 weeks and didn't meet the STRICT 30 day window. An honest and reputable company wouldn't nit pick like this. STAY AWAY. They are scammers and everyone should report them to BBB.
chris - VA
After getting a ticket and towed by the city...i saw that this company was recommend by the news. After doing exactly what they told me to do.
I ended up having to pay the ticket as well as a fee to them.
This company has said that if they lose I would get a refund.
1-I have faxed them the information needed twice..which they have claimed that they have not received it.
I asked for an address to so that I can send the stuff to them so I can get a return receipt...and they refused to give me an address.
2- The second time I sent it to them...it took them a month to tell me that they did not get the information...and then...have the nerve to email me this.
"And time is running out:
We simply ask that all refund requests be submitted within 30 days of
the final hearing decision. Your submission made well
beyond this timeframe. We simply cannot allow for an
infinite amount of time for the process to take place, any more than a
retail company would allow an infinite time period in which merchandise
could be returned or a rebate could be claimed. "
3- They still will not give me an address to send the stuff. And well I do not have to much faith in
A company that will not give you an address. I
Next time I would just pay the ticket...you cant beat city hall.
I've heard this again and again. Time to fight back. Besides an email complaint to BBB. I intend to file a class action lawsuit on these scammers. If you have a similar story email me at espnfan@lycos.com ALso plan to host a website telling all the denial of refund stories. Interested? let me know.
Thanks
Chris
Hi,
This email is to inform you that in accordance with our Terms & Conditions, your request for a refund on ticket #341813113 was not approved for the following reasons:
A review of the paperwork you submitted shows that our Copyrighted document(s) have been edited or modified in the following way(s):
The parkingticket.com Copyright Mark does not appear on the Dismissal Letter. Refund Request not filed within 30 days of date of final Hearing Determination
If you have any questions or feel this is in error, please contact us promptly by responding to this email. Please note, we answer all emails on a first-come, first-served basis.
Thank you,
The Support Team
parkingticket.com
Here is a tip if you have been scammed by the parkingticket.com scam site and you want to get them back.
Call your credit card company and say you would like to dispute the charge. They will ask you the date and info about the the transaction. They will have you send you letter you need to sign and detail the information about the reason you are disputing the charge. You will get credited the amount you paid parkingticket.com and to put some icing on the cake!! parkingingticket.com will get charged a dispute fee of $25 to $50 depending on there merchant credit card processor. So for all you people that have been scammed by these scammers, please call your credit card company and dispute the charge now. If enough people call in and dispute the charges to there credit cards parkingticket.com will be shut down. Tell your friends and post this to message board on the internet to spread the word. If we all do it no one else be fall into the parkingticket.com scam!