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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Should my parents pay this supermarket car park fine?

211 replies

Afternooninthepark · 05/12/2019 19:44

My parents always shop in our local Lidl supermarket.
My dad has just received a car park fine stating they were 15 minutes over the allotted 90 minutes. TBH, they were totally unaware it was 90 minutes and assumed it was 3 hours like many of our local supermarkets.
My dad says he will pay the fine as he doesn’t want any hassle but I don’t think he should because of several things :-
A) They spend over £80 in that supermarket (and have the receipt) and regularly shop in that store.
B) They are both in their late 70’s and quite slow (mainly because of mum, see below)
C) Mum has Alzheimer’s, osteoporosis and a disability parking permit

Dad is panicking and says he wants to pay it but I think that would be wrong as they spent money in the store and didn’t wander off and leave their car in the car park to do other things, why should they have to pay a fine after genuinely spending money in the store?
AIBU thinking they should challenge this?

OP posts:
Original poster
Afternooninthepark · 05/12/2019 21:41

Mrsmadevans I didn’t know you could register for extra time allowance, I’ll ask the store about that for the future, thanks.

OP posts:
MonkeyHarold · 05/12/2019 21:45

Send the following email, attaching a copy of the parking fine notice and a copy of the receipt. I've done this three times and have never paid.

To. [email protected]

[email protected]

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am the registered keeper of the vehicle shown in the attached.

I totally understand the need to have parking restrictions in Lidl car parks. However, I frequently spend a considerable amount of money in your stores and this takes a considerable amount of time.

As you can see in the attached, I spent over £120 on the day in question. As you can also see, the time I spent in store was increased by the queues.

As I was shopping, queuing etc for the entire time my car was in the car park, I think it is unfair to expect me to pay the charge demanded. I would therefore be most grateful if you would arrange for the said charge to be cancelled.

What would be your recommended course of action should I be shopping in the future and realise that I'll be unable to complete my purchases and leave the car park in the allotted time?

Your's faithfully,

Kirigiri · 05/12/2019 21:45

Good luck 💐

Mrsmadevans · 05/12/2019 21:53

This was 3 years ago @Afternooninthepark but l am sure it will be the same. They gave them double time.

aspoonfulofyourownmedicine · 05/12/2019 21:54

I got a fine in a Home Bargains car park. I'd spent £50+ in store, got back to my car, strapped DC into car seat for him to vomit everywhere. I left the car and went to the local medical centre across the street to wash him down in the loo and change his clothes, then went back and cleaned up the car. This took me over the time limit without me realising. I emailed Home Bargains CEO dude with copies of bank statements and receipts alongside a letter stating my son had become unwell and I had to clean him up. They waived the fine x

lidoshuffle · 05/12/2019 21:57

I drove out of a Lidl carpark unaware it was charged (the one in my town is free) and was fined £90. I politely emailed with my scanned receipt and they were very nice and cancelled it straight away with no problem.

One happy customer and good PR! So worth a try OP.

londonrach · 05/12/2019 21:59

That a long time in the store however if it took that long to shop def complain op

AlexaAmbidextra · 05/12/2019 22:04

I’m not sure what grounds you think they have for appeal? Neither age, disability, ignorance of parking restrictions, or the amount you spend in the shop entitle you to park for more than 90 minutes.

You sound so kind and understanding Illeana. Hmm

AliciaFleas · 05/12/2019 22:08

I would send a letter.

Justaboy · 05/12/2019 22:09

I'd go in there and make my displeasure known to them and a lot of other people, if thier stupid enopugh to piss off regular custmers who as there're a bit old and slow then simples!

Fuck them!!

Smurfy23 · 05/12/2019 22:09

My mum managed to do that twice in Aldi- shes a pensioner, moves fairly slowly and feels the need to examine EVERYTHING in the shop (I mean everything). Both times she has gone in with her receipt and explained to the manager that she was in there the whole time and bought a lot. They waived it for her. Definitely worth trying it.

moolady1977 · 05/12/2019 22:14

My dparents both registered disabled had this happen to them in a local Aldi store they went back in-store spoke to the manager who got it cancelled and now they got 3 hours to do their shopping ,I hope you manage to get it sorted out for them

NoProblem123 · 05/12/2019 22:18

I got a parking eye one and never engaged with them right through fine (it’s an invoice not a fine), through legal letters, up to court and ccj threats. Nothing came of it.
So that’s what I advised my friends to do.
1 got a big fine and court costs ☹️

Appeal to the store and if you get nowhere pay it. Then vote with your feet and shop elsewhere.

Yarboosucks · 05/12/2019 22:19

Hi OP

I have not read the whole thread so apologies if others have suggested the same, but I would post to Lidl GB on Twitter - explaining that parents have health conditions and do take some time with their shopping. I have found this to be very effective.

Sorry that you had some negative posters....

BillHadersNewWife · 05/12/2019 22:20

Let him pay it then tweet on their behalf on Lidls twitter and write to customer relations. They should refund.

foobio · 05/12/2019 22:24

Is it parking eye? It was really easy for (my husband) to get the fine cancelled (2 weeks running) for me, all you have to do is send the shopping receipt. Ours was Aldi and it's quickest if you call customer services and give them the receipt number.

TorysSuckRevokeArticle50 · 05/12/2019 22:25

I've appealed, I went direct to Lidl customer service, sent a copy of my receipt and they cancelled the fine with parking eye. It's worth trying.

ivykaty44 · 05/12/2019 22:28

Don’t pay the parking fine op as payment of the fine is the end of the matter

Thestrangestthing · 05/12/2019 22:29

Contact them if they refuse to let it go, I just wouldn't pay it. Unlikely for a private car park fine to be taken to court, it costs the company too much money.

Thestrangestthing · 05/12/2019 22:30

If you pay, its very unlikely they will refund.

BellatrixLestat · 05/12/2019 22:36

They spent nearly 2 hours doing a supermarket shop?

They're in their late 70s. Don't be a dickhead.

Flavabobble · 05/12/2019 22:37

The management team will have the facility to override the fine for a genuine customer.
I used to work for a store that had a 90 minute limit - anyone with a disabled sticker could give us their reg and we’d make sure they didn’t receive a fine through the post.

ivykaty44 · 05/12/2019 22:37

It states that if you pay the charge at any time then you’re accepting the parking charge

Nongoddess · 05/12/2019 22:39

Sorry, I haven't read the whole thread, but absolutely what @monkeyharold says. Don't let them pay it!! The same thing happened to my elderly parents in LIDL and then to me in ALDI a few weeks ago when I had a toddler disaster and was just a few minutes over. It's really easy to challenge, you can do it for them online with parking eye, they got back to me within 24 hours and cancelled it when I used exactly the same sort of formulation as monkeyharold. But don't ignore it, do send in the objection right away, on the website parking eye have a special button for registering that you want to contest the fine.

Or send me the stuff and I'll do it for them! Seriously (well, not really, as you don't want to send me your elderly parents car details, I guess, but I'll happily help you write the email). I'm so irate about some of the silly things said on this thread about people not obeying the rules. The only purpose of the fine is to stop people just randomly using the carpark, not to stop people taking a while over their shopping, for goodness sake!

All the best to your poor parents. Getting old's no fun at all, and they're lucky to have you fighting their corner...

blackteasplease · 05/12/2019 22:42

I’d give it a try with Lidl. My exh (then h) fell asleep in the parked car while baby ds was napping and they let him off the fine when he explained.