If you have spent any time in West Seattle it is easy to take for granted how easy it is to park here, relatively speaking. This is especially true of the West Seattle Junction whose free parking lots are a boon to local business and make life easier for shoppers.

But if you go downtown or to Ballard, Capitol Hill, or elsewhere you quickly realize that parking is a serious issue. You can of course avoid the issue entirely by taking mass transit or biking when possible but that's not the solution for everyone.

Not only is parking in many areas limited, controlled, ticketed, towed and tiny, some parking lot owners actually make the situation even worse.

The Better Business Bureau in a press release today provided news of their "F" rating for Republic Parking Northwest noting that "the company failed to respond to 19 of 53 complaints within the past three years."

"Patrons of the paid parking lots allege that the company failed to provide functioning and conspicuous pay stations, charged late penalties of more than 60% of original parking fees, and continued to seek payments—up to two years later—after customers claimed to have already paid."

The BBB offers these tips for those seeking parking:

While circling the block looking for spaces, consider some tips from BBB and PARK:
Prices: Look for signs that clearly outline fees, including time limits and additional charges.
Attendants: Be wary if approached by “lot attendants” who are not wearing company uniforms or ID badges.
Rules: Understand where to place parking validation stubs and only utilize the appropriate numbered spaces that were purchased.

Kiosks: Many complaints stem from problems at parking lot kiosks; if machines malfunction, fail to provide parking tickets or do not return proper change, call the contact number immediately and report issues."