In February 2020, the council made numerous changes to the parking system in the centre of Ballarat, which included smartphone parking via the CellOPark app, and also provided drivers with one hour of free parking.

According to City of Ballarat data, the new system has succeeded in its goal of delivering a more regular turnover of car parks, as about 75 per cent of drivers are now using the lots for an hour or less.

Commerce Ballarat chief executive Jodie Gillett said the new system had been "great" for businesses, but she would like to see a three-hour time limit imposed and more 15-minute parks introduced to ensure greater turnover.

But, now in its fourth year, it appears the system is not yet perfect, as multiple users of the smartphone app are concerned the new system isn't working for them.

Ballarat Central resident Caitlin Honeyman told The Courier, in 2023, she had allegedly incurred more than $80 in fees after she had ended her parking in the app, and had heard from numerous people who have had the same problem.

Ms Honeyman said in April she noticed she was charged for an entire day of parking, costing her $21, when she had used the park for less than an hour.

She then found the same thing had happened four times in February, meaning she had racked up $82.60 in unnecessary charges.

Ms Honeyman pays $1.99 a month for the premium version of the app, which includes the iMoved BlueTooth 'Auto-Parking-Stopper' feature.

According to the CellOPark website, the feature should automatically turn off the parking session when the phone connects to the car's Bluetooth system, and should also give users reminders to end their session.

Ms Honeyman said her parents experienced similar issues with the app, where they were charged for a full day of parking even though they both watched as they manually ended the session.

She said applying for a refund had been a long and complicated process, which included finding multiple documents and getting a statutory declaration.

"They're refusing to give back money, and the hurdles they make people jump through, it took me two-and-a-half hours to compile all the paperwork," Ms Honeyman said.

"I'm over it ... [they have] put the responsibility back on to me as the app user, to make sure the app is working."

After posting about the issue on Facebook, Ms Honeyman said more than 15 people had replied to her saying they experienced similar problems.

North Ballarat resident Kristin Harmer alleged she had also been overcharged for short periods of parking.

After forgetting to stop the parking meter several times, she said she had started putting a sign over the dashboard so she couldn't drive away without being reminded to turn off the timer.

After spending just 10 minutes in a candle shop, Ms Harmer was charged for the rest of the day when she was sure she stopped the timer.

"It was such a short time, that's why it made me so annoyed," she said.

Ms Harmer contacted CellOPark and City of Ballarat for a refund, but was rejected by both and was told she must have forgotten to stop the app.

"My insight is that this is a really good money-maker for them ... City of Ballarat are making a fortune out of it," she said.

"If I'm making that mistake there must be hundreds of people doing that every week.

"I don't even think I made the mistake, I stopped the app, but of course I can't prove that."

Ms Harmer said she avoided the app-controlled parking spaces, and wished Ballarat could return to the old parking system.

"They want people to be in the city, but it's just so much easier to stay away and go to the major shopping centres," she said.

"The reason I went was to go to the Essential Candle Co, a locally run business, and you want to support those guys, but they make it very hard."

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In a statement to The Courier, City of Ballarat growth and development director Natalie Robertson said the council was not aware of any ongoing issues with the CellOPark app.

"The City of Ballarat receives requests for refunds where individuals have been overcharged due to a number of reasons," she said.

"Each request is assessed based on merit and further information might be requested, with approved refunds to be processed via CellOPark.

"Users of the app are encouraged to ensure they have the appropriate setting to utilise all features of the app."

CellOPark was contacted for comment, but did not reply in time for publication.

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