Parking Settlement:
The company posted signs with wrong prices, made refunds almost impossible to get.
If you ever parked at public garage in Memphis and thought you got gouged on the cost, you might be eligible for a refund and all Tennesseans are eligible for some free parking soon.
Metropolis Technologies Inc. will pay the state $8.75 million to cover consumer refunds, court costs, and a free parking program in a settlement announced Monday. The company will also implement changes to its business practices to promote transparency and protect consumers.
The settlement comes after a years-long investigation into the company by the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office. That review came after the AG’s office received more than 100 consumer complaints about parking at Metropolis lots.
The investigation showed Metropolis misled consumers about its prices with inaccurate signs, charged surprise fees due to technology glitches, made refunds nearly impossible, and created confusion with notices that looked like government bills, the AG’s office said. The office has received over 300 complaints related to Metropolis.
The company will issue refunds to eligible drivers. You might be eligible for a refund if you parked in a Metropolis lot between July 2021 and January 2026. Instructions on how to fill a claim will come later, according to the AG’s office.
The settlement will also:
• Create the Tennessee Parking Program — $2.25 million in credits for free parking in Nashville, Knoxville, or Memphis for eligible vehicles with Tennessee plates. (Metropolis will notify eligible parkers via email.)
• Make the company display clear signals with current rates and a customer support phone number.
• Send text messages with parking rates on entry to lots with license plate reader technology.
• Never charge more than what is displayed on the signs.
• Give drivers a 15-minute grace period to enter and exit a lot with no charge.
• Stop the company implying any affiliation with any state or local agency in notices to customers.
• Comply with state and local booting regulations.
• Automatically issue refunds when their technology malfunctions and wrongfully charges a customer.