The Government has rejected advice to cap wheel-clamping fines at $50, instead doubling the maximum fine to $100.
Last year, they promised action on 'cowboy' wheel-clampers, promising to slap a $100 limit on wheel-clamping fines.
But documents obtained by Newshub reveal officials wanted the figures to match other fees, like parking tickets.
- 'Horror story' wheel clamping fines could become thing of the past
- New penalties to crackdown on 'cowboy wheel clampers'
They show $50 was the proposed maximum fee Consumer Affairs Minister Kris Faafoi took to Cabinet, but it came out looking pretty different, with an agreement on a $100 cap.
Consumer New Zealand says that is too high.
"That's surprising, yeah," Jessica Wilson, Head of Research at Consumer NZ told Newshub. "We would have liked to see a fee capped at a lower level."
Faafoi defended the move, telling Newshub he thought $50 was too low for those doing "legitimate business".
But Consumer NZ says clamping should be banned completely.
"That is a lot of money, especially if you consider the offence a consumer might have committed was just overstaying a few minutes in an empty car park," Wilson said.
The Minister said legislation capping wheel clamping at the $100 mark is expected to come before Parliament "very soon".
Newshub.
