The Hong Kong Consumer Council has raised a red flag on unclear parking rates at some shopping centres. This came after a driver was charged HK$1,210 (US$155)—over seven times more than the advertised rate of HK$145 for 24-hour parking. The incident happened when the driver parked outside a residential estate for nearly 22 hours. The large banner displayed “24-hour unlimited parking” for HK$145, but the rate applied only to vehicles parked in the so-called "inner zone," a detail not clearly stated. Instead, the driver was charged the hourly rate of HK$55 for her entire stay. After the complaint, the car park operator refunded HK$1,065 following Consumer Council’s conciliation. The watchdog also reported that complaints about car-park services remain high, with 120 cases recorded in 2025. This number bounced back after dipping to 96 in 2024 and mirrors 118 cases in 2023. The Consumer Council urges clearer parking discount terms to prevent such costly surprises.