Advanced Parking Systems

I was in downtown Vancouver 2 days ago. After finally finding a parking spot on Robson corner Thurlow, I put in 2 hours worth of parking. Walked around and went to have lunch. We used ‘paybyphone’ app, which is very convenient. It notified us 10 min before the meter was to expire. We went to add another 90 minutes and lo and behold we could not add time because apparently there was a limit of 2 hr parking. Who does that in a downtown area? Restrict people from enjoying time downtown and, more importantly, spending money in the downtown core?
I had to walk back the 8 or so blocks to my car. I wanted to see if I could add more time using coins. It would not allow me. That is when I noticed on the meter that there was a 2 hour limit. Are you kidding me? It was suggested that I move my car to another spot. You are definitely kidding me. It took some time to actually find that parking spot, now I’m supposed to physically move my car and put more money in ‘another’ spot… what is the difference if I put money in another sport or in the very same spot that I was already parked in???
I have ‘never’ seen such a stupid parking system in my life! We get to have the convenience of pay by phone and reminders when our time is running out to extend it, but we are limited to 2 hours.
So much for spending money in our lovely city.
I will NOT be going downtown for a leisurely afternoon again, nor will I be going downtown to spend my money on shopping. Instead, I will stay in the burbs and spend my money in the Malls where I can actually park for free.
What a shame and a pity that such a metropolitain city like Vancouver has such a narrow mind on their parking. What a shame!

I dealt with this company to clear a parking ticket that was lawfully issued. My complaint is that it took one hour on the phone to get it cleared as a one time exception for an error I made in entering the stall number and the time to park. To the company’s credit, they waived my ticket as an exceptional occurrence. To their detriment, it took me telling them I was going to lodge a complaint and then crying on the phone because it was a parking ticket at BC Children’s and my child was going in for surgery. One is not thinking straight in such circumstances.
So, they get points for humanity, but they could have more open lines for dealing with the exceptions because it took so long to get through to them and lodge the request for waiving the ticket.

Overal could be not bad experience but the last event destroyed all positive experience. I finished using their services. They requested parking permit back, despite I was not obligated to send them according to agreement. They indicated that I need to send it within 7days and I need to provide them a refund address (I purchased the permit from them). Hmm. I called them to confirm if I, m going to get a refund as I was not obligated to send them anything. A representative said, of course!,. And of course i got nothing. Attempted to call them to resolve the issue, always the same response: it, s your problem that you sent us the permit for free…
And almost forgot. Smaller companies around offer monthly parking services 2x cheaper than these people.

I love their high-​tech parking machines, the pay by license plate ones. Generally you also need the stall # too so adding time later is more convenient. Their machines’ full keyboard is a nice easy push buttons, don’t jam like those old yellow ones found mostly on ground surface lots.
For the Dynasty Chinese Seafood, they have 1 machine at the parade ground level and another one at lobby right in front of the restaurant.
Well-​lit stairwells but the rest could use a bit more lighting.
Gates here close 11pm.

Read the fine print! Despite being happy to sell you a ticket that’s good until 6:00am the next day, their gates close at 10:00pm. You have to call them to have someone come and let you in, at which point you have to pay them $ 40.00!
The only signage that warns of this is a tiny board at the entrance. Nowhere on the ticket or near the ticketing machine does it advise you of this shakedown.
Avoid!

This is possibly one of the least organized most frustrating companies I deal with on a regular basis. A few of their representatives have been very helpful and courteous, but the majority have just been breathtakingly bad.
First, despite being an account that spends a significant amount of money every year, we have no personal representative. Every time I call I am forced to go through the same security song and dance, and then speak to someone completely different who has no clue what I’m calling about aside from seemingly incomplete notes left by the previous agent.
When Advanced Parking makes a mistake and I call, or I call them dissatisfied with the way they’ve handled something I too often get nothing but dead air. Their agents (unlike a dedicated representative, which they lack) come across as powerless to resolve issues. The only time I have ever been contacted personally without a long and terrible struggle of phone tag has been when I pulled over half our account. Apparently the only way to get their attention is to no longer be a customer. Our account fluctuates, and is only even slightly treated with care during our high volume periods.
If you are looking to organize a large volume of parkers and permits I encourage you to look elsewhere first. Advanced Parking is nothing but continuous frustration and hassle.