Car Park Charges Puzzle

[AppleJane]

I’m planning a day at the coast, arriving at the car park at 8.30am and leaving at 12.30 in the afternoon. According to the below car park charges, how much can I expect to pay?

Daytime charges 9am to 4.59pm

1hr £2
2hr £4
3hr £5
All day £6

Evening charges 5pm to 8.59am
£2

An outrageous £8 for 4 hrs

The all day £6 rate, because even if you arrive before 9am you'll still be using the car park for over 3 hours of chargeable time.

6 quid

I'd get the £6 all day one

£8 because you will be arriving while the evening charge is valid so £2 for half an hour plus £6 for the next four hours. If you just buy an all day pass you risk being ticketed between 8.30 and 9am. Charges clearly apply 24/7. It’s ridiculous but there you go. If you want to pay £6 you need to arrive 9 onwards.

I'm inclined to think it's going to be £2 plus £6

Get there for 9 instead? And leave at 1. Does it have to be 8.30am you get there?

We've had this staying at a hotel before, if you're a minute before or after 9am you're charged both rates, £2 plus the £6 day rate.

I'd arrive at 9am. There's not much to do before then anyway.

I think this probably depends on the machine.
I have been in car parks where th emachine can't handle the transition over the night/day line.

So, on some machine, as you put money in, it will tell you how much you are paying for, so you shoudl be able to see if you've paid up to time you leave.

I think as you put the £6 in, it will calculate it as all day.

Or if you do want to get there super early, you might find street parking for the whole time, or move your car after a few hours.

£6. Because you will be over 3 hours in chargeable time.

Where are people getting £8 from?!

It'll take a good while to travel so I think we'll still set off early but wait until 9am to enter the car park. Some family members can't cope with an additional walk if we park further away.

It's almost like they want it to be confusing!

£6 all day charge.

All day could also mean any period over 3 hours, up to 24 hours whether or not it straddles their bizarre 9 am cut off period, but I think to be sure, I'd plan to arrive after 9 am if you don't want to pay the extra £2.

Have you tried googling the car park in question to look for reviews about the pricing structure? If people have had tickets or been confused into paying more than they'd expected, you can guarantee there will be people moaning about it on the internet.

Based on the info you've given it's £8.

@BarbaraofSeville
I've tried googling but it's mainly people discussing if you can get away with sleeping there overnight!

I fancied a very early walk with the dogs on the beach so I might convince my DP to set off even earlier and straggle the hourly costs and go elsewhere later!

Thanks all. Nice to see it wasn't just confusing to me.

Even if I was to ring the council or parking company I'm sure I wouldn't get away with a fine just because 'Bill' told me it'd be okay!

Does depend on the car pack & machine. I have found if there is an overnight charge, that sometimes, when you tip the coins in it 'allows' the first part which should be at the night rate for free. I'd take £8 and see what you need. £8 is cheap compared to central Reading £8 would get you between 2 hours up to 4 hours depending on car park!

I don't see what is confusing. They've specified that their "day" is 9-4.59pm.

If you're there at any point outside of those times you need to add on the "evening" charge

If it's a pay-and-display, then presumably when you put money in the machine at 8:30am, once you've put in £2 it will show an expiry time of 9am and won't accept any more cash. You would then need to return at 9am to buy a ticket to cover you until 12:30am which would then be £6.

@DadDadDad which wouldn't be so bad if they let you buy an evening ticket and a day ticket immediately else it's pretty pointless getting there early to hang around until 9am to get another ticket!

No. That won't happen. If you put £2 in at 8.30 it'll show an expiry time of 9am. If you put £8 in it'll show an expiry time of 4.59pm.

Do you people never park in car parks?

Of course people park in car parks. I have hundreds/thousands of times.

But I don't think I've ever seen one where the day starts and ends at 9 am and if you want to pay for the whole day at 8.30 am, you have to finish paying for the evening before first.

Tbh Dolly I don't park in car parks much these days apart from supermarkets!

And as @BarbaraofSeville said, it's weird to pay for the evening first.

I'll take £8 and fingers crossed I can just get what I want. We've had a couple of bad weeks and just want a relaxing day not having to worry about watching the clock or getting a fine

Why would it be £8? It is £6 for all day which is what you need. This is the standard charging format in all car parks I use.

We think @ApolloandDaphne that they'll expect anyone arriving before 9am to pay the evening charge of £2 also which expires at 8.59am.

I'd like to walk the beach super early before crowds arrive