NEED TO KNOW
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A woman was charged nearly $8,000 in parking fees after visiting a California hospital for 45 minutes
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The exorbitant bill was the result of a computer glitch, the hospital said
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Almost a week later, the woman received a full refund
After parking for 45 minutes at a hospital in California last week, a woman says she was shocked to return to a nearly $8,000 fee.
On Friday, July 25, Cate Daniels went to Glendale Memorial Hospital for a medical appointment — only to get a charge of $7,829 as she was leaving the lot, local stations KCAL and KABC reported.
Daniels told KCAL that the ticket said she’d been parked since July 3, 2022, rather than less than an hour.
When she asked an attendant for assistance, she was accused of being in the lot for three weeks, she said.
The operator of the garage, Parking Company of America, said that the charge shouldn’t have happened. According to the hospital, the erroneous charge was a result of a computer glitch, KCAL reported.
“On Monday, we were made aware of a billing error by the parking company that resulted in an overcharge for one guest,” a hospital spokesperson tells PEOPLE in a statement. “Once notified, the parking company promptly acknowledged the mistake and began processing a refund.”
The spokesperson says the hospital is “committed to ensuring a positive experience for everyone who comes to our facility.”
Parking Company of America did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Almost a week later, on Thursday, July 31, Daniels received a check from the parking company with the full refund, according to KABC.
For Daniels, the stressful situation was personal: About a year ago, her husband died of cancer.
“I remember what it feels like to be in this state of crisis with health and with my husband,” she told the outlet. “Nobody needs something like that to have to contend with in the midst of all of that.”
Read the original article on People
