Fined after parking
I have been a loyal customer of Parclick and FirParking, but my latest experience in Florence has left me furious and disappointed.
The Issue:
I booked a "Pase ilimitado" parking service through Parclick (reservation L9R5K87) for July 29-30, 2025. The service was supposed to grant unlimited ZTL access during my stay. Nowhere in the booking confirmation, terms and conditions, or on-site instructions was it mentioned that the ZTL authorization would become invalid the moment I left the garage.
As a result, I received a fine (Z/5889353 - 831606/2025) for re-entering the ZTL after leaving the garage: something I was never warned about. FirParking admits this is a common issue due to GPS misdirection, yet they fail to inform customers properly.
Worse Yet:
The photo evidence for the fine is blurry and unclear, making it impossible to confirm who was driving. It could be the garage personnel themselves.
I've already paid two other unjust fines (references: betaald_250730_36084206NJTCCJZ3600104 and betaald_250805_36084221NJXZCDV2774367) without protest, but this time, I'm drawing the line.
FirParking's response? "Not our problem: take it up with the police."
No refunds, no apologies, just blatant disregard for customer rights.
Why This Matters:
This is not just about money: it's about principle. FirParking and Parclick are knowingly misleading customers and letting them get fined for something they never explained.
What Needs to Change:
- Clear communication about ZTL limitations BEFORE booking.
- On-site warnings when leaving the garage.
- Accountability for their role in these unfair fines.
My Advice:
- Avoid FirParking and Parclick if you're parking in Florence.
- Check your fines carefully: you might be a victim too.
- File a complaint with the European Consumer Centre (ECC-Net) if this has happened to you.
- I've already escalated this to the ECC-Net and will pursue legal action if necessary. Do NOT let them get away with this!
Update, October 2026:
FirParking has now replied, seven and a half months after this review. Three facts for anyone weighing their reply against mine.
First, the "clearly stated on our website" argument. I did not book on FirParking's website. I booked through Parclick, and neither the Parclick confirmation nor the garage itself told me that the ZTL authorisation ends the moment you drive out.
Second, FirParking's own staff wrote to me in February that this exact fine happens to many of their customers, because the GPS sends them back through a ZTL gate after leaving the garage, and that they have reported this to the Municipal Police several times. So they know. A single sentence at the exit would prevent it. That sentence is still not there.
Third, consistency. In February the same General Manager wrote to me that this fine had nothing to do with the ZTL at all, but was for driving in a bus lane on Via Senese before I ever reached the garage, and he warned me that my review might constitute defamation. He was looking at a different fine. The fine in this review was issued at Piazza Nazario Sauro, inside the ZTL. Today, the same manager describes it as a re-entry into the ZTL after leaving the garage, which is what I said from the start.
My advice stands: if you park in Florence, ask explicitly at the exit whether your ZTL access is still valid, and plan your route out of the zone before you start the engine.
Reply from firparking.com
Dear Customer,
We are sorry to read your review, but we feel it is necessary to clarify a number of points, as some of the statements made do not reflect the information provided to our customers.
The information regarding access to Florence’s ZTL and the conditions of the service is clearly stated on our website. Therefore, it is not correct to claim that these conditions are not communicated or that FirParking knowingly misleads its customers.
The licence plate regularization carried out by the garage applies to the access required to reach the parking facility, according to the applicable procedures. Any subsequent entry into the ZTL made independently by the customer after leaving the garage cannot be attributed to FirParking.
We fully understand the frustration of receiving a fine. However, we do not consider it fair to hold our company responsible for a journey made independently after leaving the parking facility, particularly while publicly claiming that FirParking intentionally withholds important information from its customers.
Regarding the fine and the photographic evidence, FirParking is neither the authority that issues the fines nor the authority responsible for managing or cancelling them. This is why you were correctly advised to contact the relevant authorities should you wish to challenge the fine. This does not mean “it is not our problem”; it simply means that we have no administrative authority to cancel, modify or review a fine issued by the competent authorities.
We are always available to provide our customers with information and assistance. At the same time, we believe it is important that responsibility is attributed on the basis of the actual facts and the conditions of the service that were communicated.
Kind regards,
Andrea P.
General Manager
Dear Mr. van Kooten,
You continue to attribute to FirParking information relating to a booking made through Parclick.
The wording “Pase ilimitado” that you refer to belongs to Parclick’s offer and commercial communication. FirParking cannot be held responsible for how a third-party platform describes or markets its service.
Regarding the ZTL, our responsibility is to regularize the vehicle’s licence plate for the relevant access connected with the stay at our parking facility. Any subsequent re-entry into the ZTL after leaving the garage cannot be attributed to FirParking.
As for the timing of our public response, the fact that we chose to reply publicly only recently does not alter the facts of the case, which had already been addressed directly with you at the time.
We believe we have provided all the necessary clarification regarding this matter and have nothing further to add.
Andrea P.
General Manager
