CampusParc — Attraction in Columbus

If what CampusParc does to the employees and students of OSU isn't criminal, it should be. Never in my life have I been subjected to such god-awful, pointless, needlessly expensive "services." As a new hire you are strongarmed into purchasing a parking pass at a level you either will not need, or do not want. The prices only start at about $400 a year, and go up from there. My question is for what purpose? Where is this seemingly arbitrary price point coming from? There are thousands of students, staff, and faculty at OSU, and each one of them renders tribute once a month or once a year for a service they may or may not be able to use. CampusParc will happily distribute tickets for the smallest reasons at $35 each. They then take this obscene sum of money, and I can only presume they cast it into some pit. The lots and garages are in such horrible disrepair that the suspension of my car has had to undergo extensive work. You simply cannot avoid the potholes in the "Polo" lot. There have been absolutely no efforts to expand parking in any meaningful way. The bare gravel across the street from the Polo lot stands, gloating, as a testament to all the wasted minutes of your life, dollars out of your pocket, and gallons of gasoline spent in the desperate search for somewhere to park.

That doesn't even begin to scratch the surface. After navigating these death-trap lots, you're hard pressed to ever find a parking spot. CampusParc distributes thousands and thousands of parking permits. Far more than they actually have spots for people to park in. What is their remedy for this? They plan to close one of the biggest lots on campus in 2017. "Oh but you can park in Ackermann lot and bus over" They explain, supposedly apologetic crocodile tears in their eyes and pockets bulging with our money. That is unacceptable. I have spent money on my own car for the express purpose of not having to take a bus anywhere. I have paid hundreds of dollars to leave said vehicle in a convenient location that I might be able to simply walk to my place of employment, and do my job to help the patients that find themselves similarly battling the absurd rulings of CampusParc.

And in the end, these are the true victims of CampusParc and their larcenous ways. Students trying to find an education are forced to endure these beasts and their bizarre rituals. Patients and families simply trying to seek out healthcare are made to pay for the privilege, and then lashed roundly if they don't park to exacting standards. Doctors, nurses, everyone involved at OSU in any capacity have all endured a sizable bite taken out of their paychecks. We've all felt the sting of that little slip of paper tucked into our wipers, another tithe for an infraction we either had to commit to maintain a livelihood, or one made up wholesale in an attempt to extort an extra payment for the month. There is, of course, an appeals process, but even if you manage to successfully navigate the kangaroo courts of CampusParc you are still expected to pay a fee as retaliation for outsmarting them in a business practice I can only imagine that they gleaned from the Devil, who is...

You may argue that all these bad reviews are just infuriated students that are mad because they got a ticket, and take the review with a grain of salt. do not do that to yourself. Take all these reviews seriously for your own sake. This company is beyond bad, I would say its nearly illegal. Even if they make a mistake or things are highly questionable and you get a ticket overturned, there IS STILL A $8.75 PROCESSING FEE. no matter what you are gonna drop a damn good meal anytime you see a slip on the car, at the very least. Also they hound and hunt anything, any violation even if its excruciatingly forced and dickish. I used to be in a club, and we were temporarily parking in front of the building for the club to drop off supplies, AND THEY RAN THROUGH TICKETING US WHILE WE UNLOADED. WE WERE PULLED UP TO THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING DESIGNATED TO US, but we were close to/in the A pass area. Shame on us I guess also. they have a direct link to registrar holds. A vicious one, worse than any other hold on campus. If you don't pay for a class or club fees, the hold on your account rolls around some point early or mid semester. Sometimes classes will drop if you don't pay them and then the holds removed. Very common sense stuff. Campus parc makes it a point to slam that hold as soon as possible. The department and registrar itself cannot even override it. Furthermore there is no way to circumnavigate it besides paying the bill outright. It is the hardest shut down you can receive besides academic misconduct. That is really bad. This obviously can show you what the customer service quality and understanding of mistakes is going to be. Students with loans on a hyper crowded campus with a plethora of commuters, ability to instant bar from classes or academics, and the anonymity of hiding behind the universities "services". You aren't going to be their "customer", you are their prey. For whatever reason you cant avoid using their service, and they will hunt any amount of extra cash they can harvest from you. Although some people have a lot of gripes about campus, I don't mind much of the complaints, but campusparc is one of the biggest jokes in this entire establishment. AVOID AT ALL COSTS. which most of you can't. if that's the case, always see them as an enemy. Do not ever trust them. Do not ever risk anything. Every once and a while you will get a really nice student employee ticketer or customer service rep, that is willing to understand the issues of campus. This is rare and should be taken as a blessing from the gods of Columbus and not an actual genuine service. Props to those miracle workers, but other than that, prepare to have a battle on your hands. AND ALWAYS CHECK THE TICKET AND KEEP IT. THEY WILL OVERCHARGE "BY ACCIDENT". My friends and I commute, we have ran into them enough times to know the games, and yes you are buying into a predator on prey game when you use campus parc. Blatantly unacceptable, nearly unavoidable, and even protected from the universities command. Seriously, student...

Buying an OSU student parking pass is a mistake I won't make again*. It makes more sense financially (and emotionally) to pay for street parking every day of school, or to utilize free parking near student housing. I have had a student C-pass for 2 years and it's practically worthless to me. The most competitive and stressful part of my day is finding a parking spot at my school. If I want to be within walking distance, and I do not get there before 7am (when the spots are usually all filled), then I have to pay for street parking. Which I do, every week, and usually multiple times each week. Since you seem more responsive to grievances here than the appeal process or on your direct phone line--and last week was so wrong-- I’m compelled to say that I think it is really cruel that you gave me no way out of a ticket, unless I triple-paid to park for my exam--the last transaction would have required me to violate the honor code regarding use of phones. There was absolutely no way for me to park without getting a ticket. I parked right next to where I would regularly park for free, except it was on the street. My exam was 3 hours. The maximum allowed parking is 3 hours. I parked 15 minutes before my exam started. So my parking was 15 minutes past the amount of time I paid. I would have paid for more time if that was an option. My sincerest apologies Campus Parc--this was impossible to ask from me. And I should not have to pay for this. When I saw the ticket, the disgust I felt was unreal. My brain had to do the opposite--I laughed out loud. It’s so hilarious I laughed. Or maybe it’s sad. What do you expect from students? We are not the audience to be taken advantage of financially. But that is exactly what is happening. You limited my ability to park for “free” with my permit (do you sell too many permits?), requiring me to pay for street parking, which you limited to less than the what my student schedule requires, and then ticketed me. Your demands conflict with students' needs--and I am hardly the only person who has problems with parking in your lots. The bone chilling potholes (watch out for the puddles) and crooked/misleading street signs are not what make you unique. It's the taking advantage of vulnerable students is what makes you so egregious. It feels like such a scheme: other than the few instances where I have honestly forgotten to pay (like 3-5 in my life maybe?), I always pay to park. I would have paid .50 to park longer. I didn’t care-- I had an exam. But that’s the point. Students don’t have many options. If you’re going to be student parking, be for students parking. We really shouldn't have to pay more than once to park. Is it not obvious we couldn't find a spot in a lot? Or do you just not care about hurting people? I am finding no other reason other than greed for ticketing valid parking permits. I just want to go to school, not be angry about parking lots. *Please do the right thing and stop ticketing students who...