Westfield slams 'dangerous' free parking hack: 'Could cause injury'
A video revealing how to evade Westfield parking fees has gone viral on TikTok, but Westfield representatives are far from impressed.
Victorian TikTok user @duckeeg posted a 30-second clip to his channel last week, which was viewed 600,000 times in a matter of days.
“I’m gonna teach you all a hack,” he told his followers.
The video then shows the TikToker approaching the exit gates at Westfield Southland, just south of Melbourne’s CBD.
As he approaches the automated gate, the payment machine displays that he owes $7 in parking fees to the centre.
The TikToker then reverses a few metres and re-approaches the boom gate, only to have the pay machine reset to $0.
The gates lift as the TikToker says “for free” and laughs as he exits the centre.
One TikTok user surmised the reason that the hack worked.
“Camera reads the number plate, the camera logs the number plate has exited, then when it re-reads the number plate it thinks it's a new car in the carpark,” they said.
Westfield ‘aware’ of hack: ‘Do not condone’
Staff at Westfield discovered the video early this week and a representative of Westfield Southland condemned the TikToker’s behaviour in a statement to Yahoo News.
“We’re aware of the video filmed at one of our centres. The issue is being resolved,” the spokesperson said.
“A period of free parking is available at all our centres and we encourage our customers to visit their local Westfield website to find out more before they visit us.
“We do not condone the behaviour displayed in the video. Reversing in a car park queue can be dangerous and could cause injury to pedestrians or damage to other vehicles.”
The video has since been removed from TikTok.
TikTok questions parking video: ‘That’s theft’
Hundreds of TikTok users took to the video’s comments section to share their view on the viral parking "hack."
“You’ll just reverse into the car behind you,” wrote one person.
“It’s got a photo of your number plate though,” said another TikTok user.
“Won’t be free now since you’ve posted this on TikTok,” commented a third.
“That’s theft and if caught you can get fined,” added a fourth.
In response to comments, the TikTok user retorted that he had tried his parking trick at two different Westfields, and insisted that he wasn’t breaking any rules.
“It’s not illegal because it’s opening itself - I’m not tampering with anything,” he wrote in the comments.
Other TikTok users who had tried the hack also chimed in with their take on the TikToker’s actions.
“Until one day when you get banned from the car park like I did,” commented one user.
“Got caught doing this once - they saw me on camera and didn’t let me out,” said another.
Westfield parking regulations clarified
Westfield Southland’s official website states that three hours of free parking are available to all visitors, with four hours free available for Westfield Plus app users until the end of February.
“Fees will be charged in accordance with the schedule or fees displayed in this car park,” their terms and conditions state.
“If you bring your vehicle into this car park you agree to pay the parking fee as set by us from time to time.
“We may prevent the exit of a vehicle from this car park until we are satisfied that any fee is paid and we will not be liable to you for doing so except to the extent that any liability is caused or contributed to by our negligence.”
Victoria’s Consumer Affairs department also outlines on their website that shopping centre parking fees must be paid by shoppers.
“When parking in a private car park that has appropriate signage, you enter a contract with the operator,” the website says.
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