to consider not paying this parking charge notice?

[FreyaFridays]

I'm sure I've seen a similar thread on mumsnet before, I've read some stuff on some consumer action websites, but I just wanted to get a general consensus from some 'telligent folk before I do anything about this.

Yesterday, I overstayed my welcome in a supermarket car park by 20mins (this part is unreasonable of me, I know, I took too long), and when I arrived back at my car, I had a parking charge notice from a private parking firm.

I've read before that this is just an invoice, and that they legally have no right to charge me anything. Does anyone know if this is true? Would I BU to not pay?

Have a look at Martin Lewis' Money Saving Expert website, it gives you all the details of what you can do.

I would take it up with the supermarket manager if you have a receipt for a weeks shopping

Yes I think you'd be unreasonable. You overstayed the time so you should pay, private charge or not. Don't supermarkets have a 2 or 3 hour limit anyway? Plenty of time.

I second money saving expert, i got one in staples (and I was honestly in there!) it said you don't have to pay it, I didn't, got a couple of threatening letters and now they have left me alone!

Thanks, whatshallwedo, I'll make sure I do that.

I don't think I can contact the supermarket over it, Ghanagirl, as it's a private company who run the car park.

www.honestjohn.co.uk/faq/private-parking-penalties/

Cheers, Beanymonster, I thought I should expect the letters and usual stuff, glad to hear they left you alone afterwards.

The limit on the car park was two hours, I was having a coffee and got chatting away to friends.

www.pepipoo.com/ for detailed advice.

Sparklyma - how much money do you think the supermarket lost by the OP overstaying? Because I'm willing to bet that their parking 'ticket' doesn't represent a realistic assessment of the losses incurred by the OP's overstay.

Thanks Julia and DoJo, a friend who avoided paying a fine told me to take a look at Pepipoo as well, so I'll definitely check it out.

I overstayed by 10 mins at Asda in Wrexham and got a ticket. I followed advice on Martin Lewis site and didn't pay, and after 3 letters of increasingly threatening tone (including one which gave me a court date), all went quiet and I never heard from them again.

I don't think it matters DoJo. The consequences to overstaying are all over supermarket carpark signs. Stick to the 2 hour limit (plenty of time) or pay up. Why should people who struggle to find a parking space on a Saturday have to drive around looking because selfish people overstay.

It wasn't today, sparklyma, it was during the middle of a working day (I had a random day off work), car park was largely empty.

Thanks for your post, Harriet. Out of interest, what did you do when you received a court date?

Sparklyma. Its quite possible to need more than two hours in a supermarket. By the time me and dd have both had an eye test in the opticians and chosen glasses, then had lunch in the cafe, done a weeks shopping and picked up dry cleaning. Why should people be fined for using the facilities available? I've never seen a supermarket car park totally full apart from at Xmas.

OP, you're right you don't have to pay. Chances are after a load of nasty letters they will drop it. Technically you're better disputing it and getting a POpla code. You then appeal via POPLA who will back you up. Legally they are only allowed to charge for any money they've lost. Seeing as you don't pay in a supermarket car park they haven't lost out on any money.

If it was a £1 per hour carpark they'd only be allowed to charge you £1 per hour you over stayed your ticket.

So they're in the wrong for trying to intimidate you into paying unlawful charges.

Cheers, Viva, what you've written is just about identical to the advice I'd seen elsewhere online. Much appreciated.

I've ignored these before to no effect. I find them entirely unreasonable akin to the private clamping companies which were banned eventually I believe.

Viva. If you were in town you might have had to move the car. That's life. Its a 2 hour limit.

Thanks Twinkle, really appreciate your reassurance. I suppose I'm biased in making my decision as to whether to pay or not, as I really disagree with the way these companies use intimidation tactics to make people believe they have any legal right to demand money. Bullying, really.

The law has changed in the last year and the old advice of ignore ignore ignore has changed. Privavte parking firms are now taking people to court -the thieving bastards-

Read the pepipoo and honest john sites for info.

Ps I recently paid a £135 similar fine after mistakenly following advice to ignore then receiving an official court summons. The company was Parking Eye.

I am going to reiterate previous posters, do not ignore, go to either the moneysavingexpert site or pepipoo for expert advice.

Yup, the rules have changed. It is no longer advisable just to ignore, ignore ignore.

Get help on money saving expert and PePiPoo as earlier posters have advised.
It's unlikely you will end up having to pay but you need to do a few things first.

Don't ignore it, appeal it. If you have a receipt for the shopping you will be tickety boo. Start a thread on mse just to get help on the wording, there are posters on there who are experts at this stuff. Even if you don't have a receipt you should be fine.

It's easy to overstay in supermarket if you do weekly shop with small children or babies, I once had to do weekly shop with breast fed baby twins, so after shopping, changing nappies x2 plus x2 breast feeds, plus cup of hot milk for me in cafe we overstayed, but the amount of money they earn from parents def entitles you to free parking, and yes I did say "entitled"

Not atall unreasonable.

It's not enforceable it's a scam.

Only councils can enforce

Also your not bring unreasonable staying for 2 hours

DO NOT PAY