Belgium's Economic Inspectorate has launched an investigation into parking apps amid concerns about the hidden costs of using them.
Het Belang van Limburg reports that the investigation has been launched at the request of Minister for Consumer Protection Rob Beenders (Vooruit).
A recent study by Testachats showed that the apps often conceal extra costs and are unclear about rates.
According to Testachats, there is a lack of transparency regarding parking rates in apps such as 4411, Seety, EasyPark, or Yellowbrick.
Customers often have to look up the rates themselves, and if special, temporary rates apply, they are not listed in the apps. As a result, costs can turn out to be much higher than expected.
Furthermore, the 4411 and Seety apps state that they are not responsible for the accuracy of the rates they display. Charges are also applied for SMS notifications.
The Federal Public Service Economy informed the newspaper that the investigation has just started.
“The Economic Inspectorate will check for potentially misleading business practices and price transparency. Exactly which companies will be investigated is subject to the secrecy of the investigation,” says a spokesperson.
