New Walmart policy: U.S. shoppers to be penalized for this behavior

Walmart has quietly rolled out to implement changes at one of its American store, and, it's leaving customers with a lot of questions. Starting in Honolulu, Hawaii, the retail giant is imposing unexpected fines for anyone who exceeds the parking time limits.

As customers face the possibility of hefty fines and even towing, the mystery deepens. Will this parking policy become a nationwide trend, or will it remain a one-off experiment?

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What Walmart's new policy will affect U.S. shoppers?

According to an article in El Diario NY, Walmart is charging for parking overtime at its store in Honolulu, Hawaii. The policy is to charge an extra $3 for every 30 minutes one parks beyond the three-hour limit.

This is only being done in the Honolulu store presently, and it is questionable whether this practice will migrate to other stores around the country. According to the fees, a person may end up paying as much as $48 for a day.

That's not all: if you're over $50 in debt, which would occur if you were over a day parked in the lot, your car can be towed. The program is designed to prevent the misuse of parking spaces by non-customers, such as people parking their cars to take the bus or to work in the area.

How do Walmart's new parking fine works in the U.S.?

The source reports that Walmart has installed surveillance cameras at the Honolulu store on Keeaumoku Street to capture photos of car license plates entering and exiting the car park. The company can thus track how long each car occupies a parking space.

Also, the entire process will be computerized: plates will be captured automatically, and there will be a fee-paying system, so customers may directly pay their fee if necessary. Majority of the customers have complained that three hours will not be enough time to shop and leave the parking lot without extra charges.