West - Parking in Downtown Seattle

Drove up from Portland (OR) for the weekend. Parked at the US Bank Center (across from the Sheraton). In Saturday afternoon, out Monday morning. The parking bill came out to $94 (including taxes). :eek: The rates didn't seem that high on the posted placard when I drove in, especially the weekend rates posted. I questioned the sum to the attendant, but all I got was (to me) a confusing explanation that those rates didn't apply to overnight stays or something to that effect. If so, then perhaps my fault for missing this. But even so, I'm still trying to figure out (using the rate schedule (www.rpnw.com/seattle/monthly/lot.asp?id=267) offered online by the company running this garage) how the final sum came out to $94 (or $83 pretax) for 42 hours worth of parking (in Sat 5pm, out Mon 11am), or is that just what one normally encounters in Seattle? :confused:

At the very least, perhaps I can be better prepared the next time I visit Seattle if some here can provide some cheaper parking suggestions for the downtown area.

Are you sure it was US Bank? There are several garages next to each other on the block such as the W.A.C. (http://www.wac.net/0485.aspx). I would call and complain any way so hopefully you have a reciept or something. Maybe it was not a parking lot that was open 24 hours and they charged you a fee for being overnight which they may refund if you explain the situation. I parked at the Convention Center behind the Sheraton for a special $6 rate and returned at 1 am to find the garage had closed and I had a fine on my car. The security guy says it happens all the time since they do not advertise that the garage closes. I called, epxlained and they charged me a mere $6.

Thanks for the reply, westcoastman. I do have a receipt (unfortunately there is no breakdown of the cost apart from the taxes) and it must be the US Bank Center parking as this is what is printed at the top of the receipt (besides being posted at the entrance if I recall correctly). In any case, I was intending to call, but decided to post here first on the possible chance that I had missed something obvious (at least to those familiar with the parking situation in Seattle) which would brand me as an idiot in the eyes of whoever I reached on the phone. :o

As you pointed out, it may have been an overnight fee (and what the attendant was trying to say). If this was the case, given my confusion, the attendant must have realized my ignorance of such an overnight fee, but unfortunately, unlike you, I did not get that fee waived evidently. Which brings up another question, I was also considering parking at the Convention Center and see no mention of an overnight fee on the rate schedule. Indeed, it does give a rate of $16 for 12-24 hours parked, and from this one would assume that parking for 24 hours (which would necessarily include an overnight) is allowed. To then charge an overnight fee/fine on top of this rate (without posting the existence of such a charge) would seem to be more than a little unfair. Or again, is this something of common knowledge to locals?

If you go to the FAQ on their website:

What happens if the garage is closed when I come back for my car?
There are signs posted throughout each garage with the after hours release phone number. There is an after hours release fee of up to $30.00.

Though I think that would only be if you called for your car after hours. More likely since you left on Monday, it just used the $26 per day maximum. 3 days x $26 = $78 - assuming taxes could easily be 20% in downtown Seattle?