Lidl parking charge

[RahRahRa]

I do most of my weekly shopping at Lidl and have just received a parking fine for overstaying in the car park by 29 minutes, the time limit is 1 1/2 hours.

Yes I should have paid attention, it is a new branch that we’d never been to before and tbh I just didn’t think about the time limit.

This is such a shame, I love Lidl but have three kids all with varying levels of ASD who slow me down (I don’t take them all with me but often have one or two). I am also a bit of a ditherer and like to take my time choosing.

I will appeal the fine but I don’t fancy my chances of it being revoked. As I can’t risk this happening again, I have no choice but to not shop there anymore. Their prices have gone up anyway and we have closer supermarkets so no real loss to me - Apart from the parking fine!

Lidl say there’s nothing they can do as a third party looks after their car parks but they must be involved in setting the policies so why on Earth do they allow this to happen to loyal customers? 🤷🏻‍♀️

Ignore it. I got one when I was collecting for the Poppy Appeal and did a 3 hour stint. Lidl staff told me to ignore it so I did, and nothing happened.

Fair enough, then, maybe it's just been my mistaken perception about the differing sizes of all the branches I've been in around the country - but it still seems crazy when a large part of both of them is the random stuff in the middle, some of it costing hundreds of pounds.

I know they advertise some of the larger items on their websites in advance (with very few details to help you decide, mind), if folk have access and think to look there first; but am I the only one who wants to look carefully at the interesting but bulky 'investment' items, examine them and think very carefully as to whether I'd use it enough, where I'd keep it etc. before deciding to buy them?

Does everybody else really just spot a random gazebo, hedge trimmer, massive telly, mattress topper or whatever and stick it straight in their trolley without considering it for more than a moment? Must be all the MNers who earn the apparently standard 'high 6-figure' salaries....

I parked my car in one of these car parks where there is an ALDI and other shops including a 'Pets at Home'. I was buying pet food. It was lateish in the day and hardly any cars parked outside 'Pets at home'.

I was in and out in five minutes.

Later I got a letter telling me I had violated the parking rules by allowing my wheels to go on the designated lines. It was actually my partner's car so his company got the fine and not me.

They are not paying it.

I went into 'Pets' and told an assistant who said there is someone employed by the landlord who hides and runs out and takes photos of offending vehicles. Apparently this goes on a lot and there is some sort of local facebook group talking about it.
She said none of the shops like it as it is nothing to do with them but they are being penalised as people don't want to shop there now.

I would say to ignore.

Years ago when our children were all quite small DH and I could easily spend 2 hours in ASDA because we would do the shopping then have a meal in the cafe, and what with all the nappy changes and general baby time wasting, it would be a couple of hours. But we spent a lot of money. We couldn't do that now as ASDA has a two hour limit.

And because your children presumably no longer wear nappies

Anordinarymum

Bonkers, isn't it? If you really don't want customers to come to your retail business, for some unfathomable reason, just don't every unlock the doors in the first place!

It always used to be bad enough when you had many of the little independent shopkeepers who would stand in the doorways to their shops all day and thus provide a very effective barrier to anybody feeling comfortable (or physically able) to come in and spend money with them. Always baffled me why so many used to do that?!

Iaccept that most people don't need to take anywhere near as long, but disabled people do exist. I'm glad your grandma isn't that slow, but plenty of people are. What about people who not only have severe mobility problems, but also poor eyesight and food allergies, meaning that they have to scrutinise every label minutely? Yes, they're a minority, but they're also people trying to live their lives as best they can.

My grandma was that slow, with poor eyesight. It would take her a loooong time to shop. That’s my point, even then, it wouldn’t be 90 minutes.

Yes disabled people do exist. I live with one. But I would never expect any blanket policy to be made with her specifically in mind, because that wouldn’t work in many situations. What I do expect, and what generally happens is, a blanket policy exists and where it is unsuitable for her there is an exception made. If there isn’t already an exception, we speak to whomever we need to speak to and make sure one is put in place. That doesn’t make their initial policy ableist. It only becomes ableist if disability are not considered for exceptions.

Ignore the critics over the 2 hours. Big fucking deal! It took however long it took you

No point ignoring it, she has a fine as it took her over 2 hours, thats why it's a big deal!

Does everybody else really just spot a random gazebo, hedge trimmer, massive telly, mattress topper or whatever and stick it straight in their trolley without considering it for more than a moment? Must be all the MNers who earn the apparently standard 'high 6-figure' salaries....

I think we consider it for more than a moment, but for less than 2 hours. HTH.

@ManifestDestinee

Does everybody else really just spot a random gazebo, hedge trimmer, massive telly, mattress topper or whatever and stick it straight in their trolley without considering it for more than a moment? Must be all the MNers who earn the apparently standard 'high 6-figure' salaries....

I think we consider it for more than a moment, but for less than 2 hours. HTH.

Could someone please tell me how to get a gazebo into the back of a Mini?

Thanks

Does everybody else really just spot a random gazebo, hedge trimmer, massive telly, mattress topper or whatever and stick it straight in their trolley without considering it for more than a moment?

What tends to happen round our way is, a post goes on Facebook saying Aldi has xx in their aisle of cack, and loads of people then go to buy one. It may seem random, but our wheelbarrow shell exploded one weekend and the next time we were in there they were selling wheelbarrow wheels.

The point is, they wouldn’t stock anything that doesn’t sell, and they have been doing this for a very long time. I suspect the vast majority of non essential stuff bought anywhere is bought on impulse. The thing about these things being in Aldi is, you don’t need a 6 figure salary to be able to buy it.

*wheel

Could someone please tell me how to get a gazebo into the back of a Mini?

Two in the back, two in the front…no, that’s elephants.

Take their hats off…hang on…that’s Popes.

You can try giving your ASD sob story and receipt to the parking company

@WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll….there’s the ableism you were looking for 😆

Even for just one simple non-technical solution, they could announce the number plate over the tannoy after an hour and a half and very easily confirm if the customer is still inside the shop.

Have you any idea how much resource that would take to implement?

@BoredZelda

Could someone please tell me how to get a gazebo into the back of a Mini?

Two in the back, two in the front…no, that’s elephants.

Take their hats off…hang on…that’s Popes.

This is not helpful.

I have been in the car park for over two hours trying to get a gazebo into my Mini and now I have a parking ticket.........

I have been in the car park for over two hours trying to get a gazebo into my Mini and now I have a parking ticket.........

You don’t, it has to really want to get in there….no, that’s spiritualists.

Fish….damn, that’s surrealists

@Anordinarymum

Ok, I’ve got it, unpack the canopy, tie it to the back doors, then drive through the car park really quickly. The updraught will then cause the canopy to lift, and you can fly home.

I don’t know if it’s the same for lidl, but this happened to my mum in Asda once (they have a cafe and obviously clothes/home section) so easily done, and she just had to show her receipt as proof of when she paid to show she was in store and not just using the car park.

For future reference, it really is always worth checking the signs. We have a retail park near us with a three hour limit that has roughly 10 shops (including clothes shops, furniture stores etc), cafés and a supermarket. I can easily see how you could overstay the time there and always keep my
eye on the time.

That said, I did a fairly big shop yesterday (£150) and was in and out within 50 mins and that included a look at baby clothes, but I was on my
own so I would say the fines in your car park must be fairly rare for overstay so it is worth appealing and stating the reasons you’ve given here.

@Fluffypastelslippers

Up in Scotland we just ignore them and they stop sending letters.

This poster obviously doesn't speak for everyone in Scotland!

If I was given a parking fine for staying over time I would pay it. I have had them for not displaying a Blue Badge before and paid up because the fault was mine.

I didn't say I did, the we I was referring to was my DH and I.

But more fool you for paying, they are not from the council nor the police. They're a request for payment from a free car park, they've lost zero money by someone overstaying the arbitrary time limit.

In our Lidl you have to put your number plate in a machine behind the tills as you go out , or you get a fine, we never shop there .

@ManifestDestinee

Ignore the critics over the 2 hours. Big fucking deal! It took however long it took you

No point ignoring it, she has a fine as it took her over 2 hours, thats why it's a big deal!

I meant ignore the posters criticising 🧐

My DS son worked at a supermarket and people would use it and then walk into the town centre. When they were caught they came up with all sorts of excuses as to why they had been 3 plus hours in the store.

In our Lidl you have to put your number plate in a machine behind the tills as you go out , or you get a fine, we never shop there

How dare these budget supermarkets keep their prices low for everyone by making sure only those who use the car park pay towards it.