AIBU to appeal a private car park fine for leaving site?

Rosesandthorns66 · 2026-08-11T04:13:00+00:00

Has anyone got any advice regarding a parking fine I have received in a private car park. I didn't over stay but instead of going to the shops first, I went to the bank to check my balance at their ATM. The fine says they've got a 20 minute recording in which period I did not return. Also, it says reason for issuing fine is: as its a patrons only carpark. To be honest, I didn't realise that, I only looked at the time that was allowed for parking which is 3 hours. When I returned, I did go to the farmfoods to do a small shop. Has anyone got any advice if I have grounds on which to appeal this. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I suppose I am in the wrong and unfortunately its an expensive mistake which I won't be repeating again.

Elieza · 15/08/2026 09:23

great result OP.

nice to see Farmfoods have acted decently in this matter, good for them and good to hear.

MN should keep a weekly tally of who saved what money by following MN advice lol.

Original poster

Rosesandthorns66 · 13/08/2026 10:53

Jacketpandbeans · 13/08/2026 07:43

Really pleased for you OP. I read your thread but didn't get a chance to comment on it. I'm glad Farm foods have done the right thing for you by cancelling. Those car park fines are money makers designed to catch people out and it sounds like the fine would have really impacted your family. You must be feeling very relieved!

Thankyou for your message.
Farmfoods have really been very supportive and acted with kindness.
It means a lot that they have cancelled my fine. I showed them my proof of purchase and I had been a customer at the store on the day.

OP posts:

Jacketpandbeans · 13/08/2026 07:43

Really pleased for you OP. I read your thread but didn't get a chance to comment on it. I'm glad Farm foods have done the right thing for you by cancelling. Those car park fines are money makers designed to catch people out and it sounds like the fine would have really impacted your family. You must be feeling very relieved!

RunningNananananananananana · 12/08/2026 16:00

Great news 😀

Original poster

Rosesandthorns66 · 12/08/2026 15:44

ParsleySageToiletDuckAndBinBags · 12/08/2026 13:06

Excellent news - I'm so glad for you.

But what a nasty thing to put people through in the first place, when all you've done is go out to buy groceries for your family. How many other people, who don't have confidence and support to ask for help and advice, will have just paid this without challenging it? Their victims will undoubtedly include a lot of vulnerable, poor people, who will see no alternative but to pay them and resign themselves to not eating properly or heating their homes for several weeks as a direct result?

I'm not condoning people abusing car parks at all; but the fines they levy and the way they harass and hound people who have made a genuine mistake - or even where the car park owner is the one who has made the mistake - is nothing other than corporate bullying. Imagine making your living as a parasite waiting to swoop and ruin somebody's day/week/month for the sake of parking for an hour or so without technically adhering to often arbitrary, unreasonable and deliberately obscured rules.

Yes I agree.
Customer services at Farmfoods have shown real kindness towards me in this incident. They have had the fine cancelled for me because I was able to show them proof of purchase. This showed that I was a customer at farmfoods.

However, its the people that park there for longer and don't even use the stores in the carpark, the fines are a means of deterrent for them.

OP posts:

ParsleySageToiletDuckAndBinBags · 12/08/2026 13:06

Excellent news - I'm so glad for you.

But what a nasty thing to put people through in the first place, when all you've done is go out to buy groceries for your family. How many other people, who don't have confidence and support to ask for help and advice, will have just paid this without challenging it? Their victims will undoubtedly include a lot of vulnerable, poor people, who will see no alternative but to pay them and resign themselves to not eating properly or heating their homes for several weeks as a direct result?

I'm not condoning people abusing car parks at all; but the fines they levy and the way they harass and hound people who have made a genuine mistake - or even where the car park owner is the one who has made the mistake - is nothing other than corporate bullying. Imagine making your living as a parasite waiting to swoop and ruin somebody's day/week/month for the sake of parking for an hour or so without technically adhering to often arbitrary, unreasonable and deliberately obscured rules.

GwendolineFairfax8 · 12/08/2026 11:35

@Rosesandthorns66

Great News 👏 😊

BalakayAARon · 12/08/2026 11:29

Fantastic news!

Original poster

Rosesandthorns66 · 12/08/2026 11:22

Thankyou to everyone who replied.

UPDATE WITH GOOD NEWS.

After I emailed my purchase receipt to Farmfoods customer services.
Farmfoods customer services have emailed me to say they have had the fine cancelled.

I absolutely appreciate the support that I have received from Farmfoods. They have shown a true gesture of goodwill.
It shows they value their customers.
I am so relieved.

OP posts:

Original poster

Rosesandthorns66 · 12/08/2026 10:54

ParsleySageToiletDuckAndBinBags · 12/08/2026 09:09

not everyone shops on cards. i have two friends who still use cash (as big brother is watching and they don’t want anyone knowing who they are/their business -personally i dont think itll work).

I'm currently in a UK seaside town where there are lots of businesses along the prom - and all of them have signs up either saying 'cash preferred' or 'we only take cash'. I think it's a mixture of no signal for online payment machines to work and small businesses trying to avoid unnecessary merchant fees.

Ironically, they have now started charging 30p a time to use the toilets, and they and the council-run car parks are now card payment only. You can't get an ice cream, bacon butty, bucket and spade, hire a deckchair etc. without cash; but you can't go for a wee without a card!

Lots of people prefer/need to use cash for all kinds of reasons; and many older people don't do online banking at all. Yes, most of them use bank cards in shops, but without online banking, you can't be sure how much is in your account... and if you go slightly overdrawn, then the banks will be there to rinse you with hugely disproportionately high penalties, just like their pals the car park cowboys.

Edited

Totally agree.
Thankyou for your reply.

OP posts:

Original poster

Rosesandthorns66 · 12/08/2026 10:51

I want to say Thankyou so much to everyone that has replied, all your replies are greatly appreciated.

I found my receipt and sent it by email to their customer services department.
Farmfoods have replied and will look into it.
I really appreciate their reply because it shows they care about their customers.

OP posts:

Original poster

Rosesandthorns66 · 12/08/2026 10:47

pouletvous · 12/08/2026 08:04

Send ypur receipt or screen shot of bank statement proving you shopped there

Thankyou for your message.
I have sent an email with the receipt attached to Farmfoods customer services and they have replied saying they will look into it.

OP posts:

Original poster

Rosesandthorns66 · 12/08/2026 10:42

ParsleySageToiletDuckAndBinBags · 12/08/2026 09:13

Ironically, if you hadn't bothered going to the cash point to check your balance or get cash, and instead had just grabbed what you wanted and run out of the store without paying for it, you would probably have had less/no punishment than you did being an honest customer.

Very true. Its very sad about how much shop lifting is happening. They pick the items and leave the store. I've noticed that shop lifters just get away with it as many aren't chased.

As its not worth being attacked by them.

Thankfully I haven't been brought up to steal.

OP posts:

Original poster

Rosesandthorns66 · 12/08/2026 10:38

ColdAsAWitches · 12/08/2026 09:01

So you could be one of them, and in order to shop at farm foods you required cash. hence your visit to the cash point prior to shopping. (if the receipt says you paid by cash).

That won't work. She paid exactly £3.30 in cash. You can't get that from an ATM.

I initially wanted to buy more items. I didn't have enough money. So I just used the change I had in my purse for milk.
As you can see from receipt, I have bought 3 milk bottles, as I try to save every penny. 3 milk bottles work out cheaper.
My children can have cereal at least they won't go hungry.

OP posts:

Original poster

Rosesandthorns66 · 12/08/2026 10:34

ColdAsAWitches · 12/08/2026 09:38

What she might have done isn't relevant. What she did in the past isn't relevant . She was caught breaking the rules. If she could have come up with a reason, with evidence, she might get away with it. But getting money to spend on a theoretical purchase that could have happened, but didn't, won't be accepted as a reasonable excuse

Show quote history

By just saying I went to Farmfoods most definitely will not help matters.
Anyone can come up with that excuse.
I was trying so hard to find my receipt and getting really worried.
I even thought maybe I didn't go to Farmfoods.
Thankfully, after searching for the receipt I found it under the car seat.

I have sent an email to Farmfoods as it is my first parking ticket, ever.
It will be appreciated if they can be supportive on this occasion and waive the charge as a gesture of goodwill.

I am their regular customer. My bank statement says I've spent over £160 in July at Farmfoods.
Hopefully they will be supportive on this occasion.

OP posts:

Original poster

Rosesandthorns66 · 12/08/2026 10:27

BalakayAARon · 12/08/2026 08:45

I'm a little overinvested. I asked before if the top of the sign said it more clearly than the small print, as the photo looked cropped. OP didn't respond to this, but as the thread is still going I just typed the car park name on Google Maps. There appear to be these signs all over it. It clearly says "For Customers of ... whilst you remain on the premises". A lot more obvious than the cropped photo provided.

Saying that, I hope the appeal works. I'm not sure if the reason of going to the bank will be the key, as OP didn't pay with a note from the ATM, but she clearly returned quickly and was a paying customer as the receipt shows.

Thankyou so much for your replies, they are really appreciated.
Yesterday I was feeling a little over whelmed, I must have forgotten to reply to your message.
As I initially couldn't find the receipt, then I called my bank to see if I made the transaction by card. Then I emailed Farmfoods to ask if they will look into it for me as I'm their regular customer.

Thankfully, in the evening I tried looking in the car again and the receipt was under the car seat. So I've emailed that to farmfoods.

I am their regular customer and have spent over £160 in July in Farmfoods.

Update:

Farmfoods customer service have replied to my email and will look into it. My receipt definitely will help the matter because I was at the till in Farmfoods at 9.40am.

OP posts:

GwendolineFairfax8 · 12/08/2026 09:47

ColdAsAWitches · 12/08/2026 09:38

What she might have done isn't relevant. What she did in the past isn't relevant . She was caught breaking the rules. If she could have come up with a reason, with evidence, she might get away with it. But getting money to spend on a theoretical purchase that could have happened, but didn't, won't be accepted as a reasonable excuse

Show quote history

It is very relevant. How many parking tickets have you successfully appealed?

I have not said she didn’t breach the contract - she did.

I am saying to write to the store manager as she has a history of being a good customer and was likely to need more cash - or to know how much cash she had available to spend at the store.

ColdAsAWitches · 12/08/2026 09:38

GwendolineFairfax8 · 12/08/2026 09:31

She did not know how much she was going to spend! She might have seen products she wanted to buy for £20. She has spent much more at the store in the past.

Show quote history

What she might have done isn't relevant. What she did in the past isn't relevant . She was caught breaking the rules. If she could have come up with a reason, with evidence, she might get away with it. But getting money to spend on a theoretical purchase that could have happened, but didn't, won't be accepted as a reasonable excuse

GwendolineFairfax8 · 12/08/2026 09:31

ColdAsAWitches · 12/08/2026 09:01

So you could be one of them, and in order to shop at farm foods you required cash. hence your visit to the cash point prior to shopping. (if the receipt says you paid by cash).

That won't work. She paid exactly £3.30 in cash. You can't get that from an ATM.

She did not know how much she was going to spend! She might have seen products she wanted to buy for £20. She has spent much more at the store in the past.

ParsleySageToiletDuckAndBinBags · 12/08/2026 09:13

Ironically, if you hadn't bothered going to the cash point to check your balance or get cash, and instead had just grabbed what you wanted and run out of the store without paying for it, you would probably have had less/no punishment than you did being an honest customer.

ParsleySageToiletDuckAndBinBags · 12/08/2026 09:09

not everyone shops on cards. i have two friends who still use cash (as big brother is watching and they don’t want anyone knowing who they are/their business -personally i dont think itll work).

I'm currently in a UK seaside town where there are lots of businesses along the prom - and all of them have signs up either saying 'cash preferred' or 'we only take cash'. I think it's a mixture of no signal for online payment machines to work and small businesses trying to avoid unnecessary merchant fees.

Ironically, they have now started charging 30p a time to use the toilets, and they and the council-run car parks are now card payment only. You can't get an ice cream, bacon butty, bucket and spade, hire a deckchair etc. without cash; but you can't go for a wee without a card!

Lots of people prefer/need to use cash for all kinds of reasons; and many older people don't do online banking at all. Yes, most of them use bank cards in shops, but without online banking, you can't be sure how much is in your account... and if you go slightly overdrawn, then the banks will be there to rinse you with hugely disproportionately high penalties, just like their pals the car park cowboys.

ColdAsAWitches · 12/08/2026 09:01

So you could be one of them, and in order to shop at farm foods you required cash. hence your visit to the cash point prior to shopping. (if the receipt says you paid by cash).

That won't work. She paid exactly £3.30 in cash. You can't get that from an ATM.

BalakayAARon · 12/08/2026 08:45

I'm a little overinvested. I asked before if the top of the sign said it more clearly than the small print, as the photo looked cropped. OP didn't respond to this, but as the thread is still going I just typed the car park name on Google Maps. There appear to be these signs all over it. It clearly says "For Customers of ... whilst you remain on the premises". A lot more obvious than the cropped photo provided.

Saying that, I hope the appeal works. I'm not sure if the reason of going to the bank will be the key, as OP didn't pay with a note from the ATM, but she clearly returned quickly and was a paying customer as the receipt shows.

AIBU to appeal a private car park fine for leaving site?

Original poster

Rosesandthorns66 · 12/08/2026 08:44

ThePeppyOpalScroller · 12/08/2026 08:41

What does all the small text at the bottom of the sign say?

If I understand everything correctly. You parked, left the site to go to the bank, upon returning, you went to farmfoods and bought a few items. You later recieved a charge notice for preaching the rules for patrons only.

Does the signage say anything about not being allowed to leave the site?

Yes the small text at bottom says no leaving the carpark.

OP posts:

ThePeppyOpalScroller · 12/08/2026 08:41

What does all the small text at the bottom of the sign say?

If I understand everything correctly. You parked, left the site to go to the bank, upon returning, you went to farmfoods and bought a few items. You later recieved a charge notice for preaching the rules for patrons only.

Does the signage say anything about not being allowed to leave the site?