To be freaked by Car Park companies watching and photoing me and mine?

[ValuesPrivacy]

Lidl in Andover has introduced new 'free' parking for customers. But the customer mustn't "leave the premises" or gets £90 charge. To enforce this, according to the Lidl manager (quote!), they have a "man in a van who watches all the Lidl customers" to make sure they don't sneak off to Waitrose too. Never mind that neither term "customer" nor "premises" have been adequately defined to stand up in Court, I don't like the thought of some creepy guy following and photographing me and mine, because how else are they going to prove the customer left? Well that's £100 pw my family will from now on be spending in Sainsbury (who have (hassle)free parking). How supermarkets shoot themselves in the foot!

I can't see how that could possibly stand up in court! How can they possibly track every single person and which car belongs to them. I'd have a bit of fun with disguises - get out of car in a big coat and hat, then leave wearing a wig and sunglasses and nip out of carpark

I like the disguise idea. Is everyone in the car required to troop into Lidl or can passengers maybe do some kind of limbo-dance and escape to Waitrose without being caught?

My first thought is this is a bit like warning of bogey men to keep the more credulous in check .

A cursory run through of facts suggests it's a crock. A man (£5.30/hour minimum). A van (daily hire rate c. £60 = £6/hour for a 10 hour day) ...

Is the car park gilded, or home to a unicorn nest ?

I agree. I once received a parking ticket with a photo attached to it which must have been taken when my son and I were sitting in he car.

Quite creepy and I told them so and refused to pay the ticket (I had other reasons too).

A local car park near me also does this - it is next to about 6 shops - if you go out of the car park and over the road to another shop they will "fine" you even if you go in one or all of the 6 shops as well.

No bogeyman. I've been sent a parking ticket; I've seen the van (too late!).
It's a company called LDK Security Group which operates out of a lock-up in Milton Keynes. Our local news website is full of complaints from people who've been given parking tickets. www.andoverandvillages.co.uk/andover-news-in-andover-and-villages/andover-local-news-headlines/3980-customers-furious-at-lidl-parking-fines
BreconBeBuggered you've put your finger on it - the signs don't define whether it's the driver who's not allowed to leave, or the person with the wallet in the passenger seat. Unenforceable I would say, but I'll let you know if LDK tries to take me to court!