More than two dozen shoppers were forced to dish out hundreds of dollars after their cars were towed from Orlando Premium Outlets over the weekend.
The towing crackdown came during Florida's busy tax-free shopping period.
On a regular day at the Orlando Premium Outlets can be challenging.
"It's really bad. It doesn't get any worse than this," mall worker Bruce Gomez said.
"One of the worst parts of my day is trying to find parking," mall worker Harrison Rivera said.
Now factor in a back
"I feel like it's just a way of making money," Gomez said.
Mall workers told Channel 9's Mario Boone that they fielded several complaints from weary customers who said they spent $135 each to get their cars back.
"We had a customer actually come in and he bought some shoes from our store and came outside and found out his car was towed so he had to return the shoes," mall worker Harrison Rivera said.
In the past customers were allowed to park in a grassy area along the mall parking lot, but now some sticks and no parking sign in the center of the area indicates it is one of the spots targeted for towing.
The towing contractor for the Simon-owned mall said his drivers towed more than 30 cars at the mall between Friday and Sunday.
Mall management refused to talk to Boone about towing but released a statement saying, "We have signs clearly marking areas not designated for parking to create a balanced and safe shopping center for all of our visitors."
"It's not fair for customers to get their car towed," Rivera said.
The towing crackdown came during Florida's busy tax-free shopping period.
On a regular day at the Orlando Premium Outlets can be challenging.
"It's really bad. It doesn't get any worse than this," mall worker Bruce Gomez said.
"One of the worst parts of my day is trying to find parking," mall worker Harrison Rivera said.
Now factor in a back
"I feel like it's just a way of making money," Gomez said.
Mall workers told Channel 9's Mario Boone that they fielded several complaints from weary customers who said they spent $135 each to get their cars back.
"We had a customer actually come in and he bought some shoes from our store and came outside and found out his car was towed so he had to return the shoes," mall worker Harrison Rivera said.
In the past customers were allowed to park in a grassy area along the mall parking lot, but now some sticks and no parking sign in the center of the area indicates it is one of the spots targeted for towing.
The towing contractor for the Simon-owned mall said his drivers towed more than 30 cars at the mall between Friday and Sunday.
Mall management refused to talk to Boone about towing but released a statement saying, "We have signs clearly marking areas not designated for parking to create a balanced and safe shopping center for all of our visitors."
"It's not fair for customers to get their car towed," Rivera said.
WFTV
