I paid for unlimited airport parking. Then the company changed its rules.

Victoria Broer has parked her family van at USAirport Parking near Denver International Airport for a decade. The company held her keys for her in its office, and she felt safe -- so safe that she paid $1,825 every year for unlimited parking privileges.

And then everything changed.

The Parking Spot, which acquired USAirport Parking in 2024, stopped holding keys a few months after Broer renewed her annual contract. It offered customers a lockbox instead.

“They didn’t tell me,” she says. “A lockbox doesn’t work for us.”  

Now, Broer has lost $912, and the parking company is keeping her money. And she's left to wonder: Can a business change its contract terms after you've paid?

Broer’s case is a cautionary tale for all travelers And it raises three critical questions: 

• Can a company change its policies after you’ve paid -- -- and keep your money -- after you've paid? 

• Do verbal agreements hold weight if the fine print is silent?  

• What rights do customers have when mergers disrupt services?  

Let’s take a closer look at Broer’s fight -- and what it means for you.  

"They wouldn’t keep our keys anymore"

Broer renewed her $1,825 annual contract in October 2024 by phone. A Parking Spot employee mentioned the merger and urged her to "lock in" the rate before prices rose. 

What about key storage? Not a word, Broer says.  

Weeks later, her son discovered the policy change. 

“They wouldn’t keep our keys anymore,” she says. The family scrambled to find a new lot that would hold on to their keys. 

Broer asked for a six-month refund -- $912 -- noting the merger’s “messy” communication.  

The Parking Spot refused. 

“Your prepaid parking is valid for the entirety of the term,” a regional vice president wrote in an email. 

Broer emailed my advocacy team in frustration. 

“We shouldn’t pay for something we can't use," she told me.

Can a company change policies post-payment?  

Maybe. Unless your contract explicitly guarantees a service, companies often retain wiggle room in their agreements. Broer had no written contract with the Parking Spot or its predecessor. That's a red flag. Verbal agreements are binding but much harder to prove.

The Parking Spot’s terms contain a “services subject to change” clause.

"The Parking Spot reserves the right to change or cancel the TPS Monthly Parking Membership Program, in whole or in part, at any time in The Parking Spot’s sole discretion, without notice or liability, even though such changes may affect Program benefits already accumulated," it notes. "Such changes or cancellation will be effective when posted on the Parking Spot’s website or when you receive email notification of any such changes."

This isn't an unusual clause. Most large companies give themselves a broad license to change their terms whenever they want to and without consequence. 

Some would argue that Broer’s decade of key storage set a precedent, and that past practice can imply a contractual term. But does it?  

Do verbal agreements matter?

Yes -- to a point. 

Broer’s renewal call emphasized key storage as a perk. If the employee knew about the impending policy shift, that’s a material omission. You can’t upsell someone by hiding changes.  

But without proof? It’s her word against theirs. 

This is why I always recommend getting any agreement in writing. A solid paper trail can ensure your success. Unfortunately, even though Broer had the name of the employee with whom she spoke, it would have been his word against hers. And since the conversation happened so long ago, it's doubtful anyone would have a completely accurate recollection.

By the way, if you're going to renew a contract by phone and can't get a copy of the agreement, I highly recommend you record the call (except where prohibited by law). Some phones will allow you to record the conversation, but add an annoying notification. You're better off recording on a separate device and taking the call on speakerphone.

My phone (I have an older Pixel phone) does real-time transcriptions, which come in very handy when you're conducting business by phone. Just put your phone on "speaker" and then use a second device to record the call.

What rights do customers have post-merger?

Mergers often complicate contractual obligations. While The Parking Spot inherited Broer’s agreement, the question of whether it also inherited the implied term of key-holding is less clear.  Consumer protection laws generally require clear communication of “detrimental” changes to service. 

Contractual obligations: A merger doesn't automatically erase all previous agreements. The acquiring company typically assumes the existing contracts and obligations of the acquired company. You can contest the specifics of these obligations, especially if they are based on verbal agreements or established practices rather than explicit written terms.

Implied terms: Even if not explicitly stated in a contract, certain terms can be implied based on the conduct of the parties and the nature of the service.  Broer's decade-long practice of key storage could be argued as an implied term of her agreement with USAirport Parking, which The Parking Spot then inherited.

Material changes: If a merger results in a fundamental change to the service that a customer reasonably relied upon, you may have grounds to seek redress, especially if the change was not adequately communicated. The loss of key-holding, particularly when it was a long-standing practice, could be considered a material change.

Communication: Companies have a responsibility to clearly communicate changes resulting from a merger, especially if those changes negatively impact existing customers.  Failure to adequately inform customers of such changes may be a violation of consumer protection laws.

How to appeal a decision

If you believe a company has unfairly changed its policies or breached a contract after a merger, you have several avenues for appeal:

• Escalate within the company. Contact higher levels of management within the company. Keep records of all communication, including names, dates, and the substance of conversations.

• File a complaint with a consumer protection agency. Contact your local or state consumer protection agency or state attorney general.

• Consult an attorney. If the amount in dispute is significant, consult with an attorney specializing in contract law or consumer protection. 

You can also get in touch with our advocacy team. And that's exactly what Broer did.

Will she get a refund for her parking spot?

I reviewed the correspondence between Broer and the Parking Spot. Broer consistently emphasized the long-standing practice of key-holding and the lack of communication about the change. But she did not have a contract that guaranteed the new company would hold her key.

The Parking Spot relied on the "services subject to change" clause in its terms and conditions. But it, too, couldn't produce a contract that guaranteed (or didn't guarantee) a key-holding service.

I contacted the company on Broer's behalf, and it refunded the $912 she had sought. She says she's learned her lesson.

Companies bank on customers giving up. Don’t. Document every promise, read the fine print, and remember: Silence is not consent. As mergers reshape industries, your loyalty means nothing if you don’t hold them accountable.

Broer’s advice? Assume every perk could vanish tomorrow. Get it in writing -- or park your money elsewhere.