FFS Tesco

[HaveringWavering]

I did a massive shop the other week, spent over £250 quid, spent ages browsing the clothes and homewares, stocking up tins and freezer stuff.

I’ve just received a sodding parking ticket in the post because apparently the car park has a 2 hour limit and I was in there 2 hours and 10 minutes!

I know they have them to stop people using supermarket car parks as all-day parking but 2 hours? It’s pretty easy to spend 2 hours shopping, and I’d have bought a hell of a lot less if I’d realised I had to be out quicker.

I know that Tesco subcontract parking to an independent company so no point complaining I guess. And no I didn’t pay attention to the signs, or think about what time it was when I was in the shop. Never occurred to me that the parking rules would apply to genuine shoppers.

Two hours in Tesco or were there other stores visited in the area while parked at Tesco ?

We can go into town, do a shop in Tesco, have a mooch around the other shops in town & even have time for a quick pub lunch in 2 hours.

We have been caught out in Tesco before now & stuck with a ticket, but accepted as it was our fault, it was a bank holiday, we met some friends, had a longer lunch than usual & went over the limit.

Many supermarkets do not offer any free parking, the local Tesco is a pay car park where you can reclaim the parking ticket (max 2 hours) when shopping as long as you spend over £10 in store. WE even have a local pub where the same rules apply, ANPR, registration number into parking ticket machine & get up to a 2 hour refund from your food/drink bill.

No other stores there, it’s just a standalone Tesco next to a dual carriageway.

That is gutting. I think you should try.,

^proper course is to appeal to the company (takes only a few minutes) and of the course they reject it but you are then supplied the independent appeal link which if you are in the right you will win (if it was only 10 minutes OP is in the grace period).

You can't have an independent appeal without appealing the company first... not all stores will cancel it for you though^

Given that the parking company will almost certainly reject the appeal as standard and Tesco will almost certainly get the invoice issued to a customer who stayed only just over the time limit because she was in their store spending a lot of money cancelled, on balance, it is likely to be much easier for the OP to approach Tesco first.

If the local store manager doesn't play ball, my next step would be a call to Tesco HQ, especially if I could demonstrate that I'm a regular high spending customer of the chain.

Unless the OP is keen to engage in possibly years of correspondence, ending in a court case, it's unwise to start with the parking company, even if it is for her own professional interest in the legalities of the matter.

Update- I have found the receipt, which confirms I checked out 9 minutes before my car was clocked leaving the car park. .

Love the idea of returning stuff to the value of the parking, but it’s all been opened, worn or eaten!

I called central customer services and the recorded message said “If you are calling about a parking charge notice, please contact the issuing company directly”. Fuckers.

I guess I could ask in store but it’s quite a way out of my way and we’re off on holiday tomorrow. The fine will go up to £70 if not paid by end of next week.

Tweet them, OP.

If you don't get a response from them before you go, pay the fine and then go and complain next time you're there. Say you want vouchers to the value of the parking fine or you won't be shopping there again.

"Update- I have found the receipt, which confirms I checked out 9 minutes before my car was clocked leaving the car park",

Doesn't prove anything other than the fact that you paid at certain time though, does it?

I assume the parking company has photographic evidence of you leaving?

I think in your shoes I'd put in a complaint asap - it will buy you some time before the fine increases.

Is there not a phone number for your local store OP? Or tweet Tesco?

You now have proof you were shopping in the store so your complaint is TO THE STORE that their car park timings are too short for a Tesco Extra.

As others have said the store have a way to cancel this in their system. They own/lease the car park. The parking company are just contracted to operate a service for Tesco and will go along with whatever Tesco say.

Update- I have found the receipt, which confirms I checked out 9 minutes before my car was clocked leaving the car park. .

That could mean that you did your shopping at other local shops then went into Tesco afterwards for all they know/care

Doesn't prove anything other than the fact that you paid at certain time though, does it?

Well it is relevant that I paid and left immediately afterwards, as it shows I didn’t wander off elsewhere while still using their car park.

It also shows how much I spent (which may or may not be relevant to Tesco for a goodwill cancellation in terms of my being a good customer).

In addition, the number of items in the very long receipt (including homewares and clothing), from all areas of the store, is consistent with a long, browsing shop.

There is nowhere walkable from this store unless you fancy a stroll along a dual carriageway.

So have you been to the store to dispute it?

I'm fuming with Tesco at the moment, ours has totally changed all the aisles round for no bloody reason. Nearly reduced my dad to tears yesterday as struggles to walk round for long but can manage fine normally as he knows the layout. There was another elderly lady in there about to give up and walk out without half her shopping as well. Arseholes! Sorry, not the point of your thread.

But op said it was an extensive list, so surely the loooooong receipt would indicate a looooong time shopping?

Why is it relevant how you spent your time whilst using the car park? The only relevant fact is that you overstayed. The parking company couldn't give a shiny shite about how long your receipt is or what time you left the shop. They only care about getting their money.

Please fight this. In February the government released its draft policy regarding private parking companies and in the not too distant future they will not be allowed to hand out these extortionate 'fines'.
If you go on the moneysavingexpert forum they have a section dedicated to parking tickets. They can help you appeal the right way. They very rarely lose!
Not sure if it's been mentioned so far but private parking companies must give you a grace period to leave after the allowed parking time has expired... so if you are allowed 2 hours they should give you another 10 minutes grace to leave the car park. If they've tried to charge you for a 10 minute overstay they have likely broken their own terms.

I think you'll find you're wrong.....

My money is on OP getting the five cancelled or yes a giving vouchers to the same amount

Power to the people!!

Of course it's fucking relevant where she was for the extra 10 mins.

The charges are to avoid people parking all day and pissing off, not genuine shoppers, who bought so much they ran out of time.

You are not being unreasonable, I used to take my grandmother shopping in a very large TESCO and she was very slow and liked to take her time, I felt bad for rushing her or cutting her shopping time down, it was the only place she really went

Legally, they have me bang to rights. There was a sign, I overstayed, the car was photographed entering and leaving. I was exactly 11 minutes over.

You are correct that the parking company do not give a shit. However Tesco quite possibly do care about upsetting customers. While I was not exactly encouraged by the recorded message saying “speak to the parking company” I do think (especially based on others’ experience here) that Tesco may have the ability to override some fines if they think it appropriate to do so on a case-by-case basis to preserve customer goodwill. This may well be written into their contract with Horizon. Quite possibly the “behind the scenes” arrangement is that Tesco compensate Horizon for fines that they have cancelled. I can only try.

I’ll go to the store tomorrow and see what they say.

Well good luck! It's worth a try - you've got nothing to lose by doing so and hopefully Tesco will be sympathetic and make some sort of gesture in your favour. Let us know how you get on though.

"Legally, they have me bang to rights. There was a sign, I overstayed, the car was photographed entering and leaving. I was exactly 11 minutes over."

Please check with the MSE forum first. If people keep paying these so called 'fines' the companies will keep getting away with it. Was it a notice to keeper letter you received? For Horizon to hold you liable as keeper they need to have complied with POFA conditions. If they haven't then they can only chase the driver. Whenever you talk to anyone (tesco included) don't identify yourself as the driver.

If tesco are the landowners and therefore capable of getting the invoice cancelled (landowner is the only one able to take court action) you would be better contacting head office or even their CEO.

I mentioned there being at least a 10 minute grace period but there are plenty of perfectly good reasons why leaving might have taken longer than this (disability, traffic etc). Its not as black and white as 'you overstayed now pay'.

£250.00 on a big shop i would give my right arm to be able to afford £250.00 to use as a big shop ...infact i would love to be able to afford £250.00 at Tesco I think the parking fine is not the issue here and think that you are just bragging that you can afford £250.00 and afford to shop at Tesco when everyone else is struggling to shop at cheaper retailers ...pay your fine ffs

People brag about shopping at Tesco???

They can't say, "oh you spent loads of money so we won't fine you"

Well, yeah, they can, and they do. I know, because I've done exactly the same thing and they said - wait for this, it may shock you - "oh you spent loads of money so we won't fine you"

Just about to say the same!
They can and they do!