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Original poster

FFS Tesco

289 replies

HaveringWavering · 07/07/2022 02:43

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.

OP posts:
Toddlerteaplease · 07/07/2022 04:35

2 hours do do a supermarket shop?!!! Unless you had a coffee in the cafe I can't see how it could take that long!

BEAM123 · 07/07/2022 04:44

Toddlerteaplease · 07/07/2022 04:35

2 hours do do a supermarket shop?!!! Unless you had a coffee in the cafe I can't see how it could take that long!

And why shouldn't a customer have a long relaxing shopping trip and have coffee there....even coffee before and coffee after if they wanted to! It's in Tesco's interests too.
I mean, it wouldn't be my idea of a relaxing day out but it would for some people. It might be one of the big branches that has electricals and loads of stuff.

Trifecta · 07/07/2022 05:03

Getting a parking ticket while parked in their car park and patronising their business is not right. While two hours may seem a long while, I’ve done it myself. Tesco needs a better system for tracking parking because this one is faulty.

User74936782 · 07/07/2022 05:11

At our Waitrose you can speak to them at customer services if you think you may need longer, I would probably speak to Tesco as they may be able to cancel it.

Maybebabyno2 · 07/07/2022 05:14

I think 2 hours is ridiculously short. If you had lunch at the one by us you normally have to wait about 40 minutes for food as they are so slow, then you would only have an hour, what if there are long queues for the tills etc? I have queued for over an hour in Tesco at Christmas.

I would absolutely appeal this fine!

User74936782 · 07/07/2022 05:17

Two hours is short for one of those Tesco Extras, they are almost like a shopping centre.

Twocrabs20 · 07/07/2022 05:28

Appeal to the store manager with proof of your Tesco receipt. If this fails, write to Tesco’s UK CEO directly and raise a complaint. I would expect this would resolve the situation

Goodskin46 · 07/07/2022 05:37

That is so ridiculous. Could you possibly appeal the fine by showing the time stamp on your receipt? Surely they have cameras that can prove the time you entered the car park

Yy to this, the transaction will be on ypur bank statment. Either take this to the stores customer services or go directly to head office via email. If all else fairs try a consumer rights programe like money box. Tescos will despise the negative publicity and would I suspect drop it quite quickly. Or if you CBA pay it.

MontyDonsBlueScarf · 07/07/2022 05:39

I've always found the people on the Customer Services phone number to be extremely helpful. They seem to have a lot of autonomy in creative problem solving - a couple of times they have not only solved my problems but spontaneously offered money off vouchers as compensation. I would give them a call and see what they can suggest. They seem to know all the systems inside out and at the very least they'll be able to tell you who has the authority to do something about this. Good luck.

lightisnotwhite · 07/07/2022 05:41

HerRoyalHappiness · 07/07/2022 02:47

Never occurred to me that the parking rules would apply to genuine shoppers.
So you knew the rules? Yet still went over your allotted time? How can they tell who's genuine and who's just a twat using the parking space? They have to have the same rules for everyone. They can't say, "oh you spent loads of money so we won't fine you" rules are rules and if you break them there are consequences. As an adult you should understand that and move on.

Why can’t they?

Of course they can tell a genuine shopper/ reason for running over from someone taking the piss.

ReneBumsWombats · 07/07/2022 05:41

Yes that's stupid. If you don't have the receipt, find the transaction on your bank statement and try to appeal.

ItWasTheBestOfTimes · 07/07/2022 05:42

We've had this before OP. We appealed directly to the parking company with a photo of the receipt to prove I was a genuine customer and they dropped it immediately. I read that it's usually in the contract between the parking enforcer and landowner that they should overturn for any genuine customers.

WhoWants2Know · 07/07/2022 05:43

I had a similar experience recently. You can approach the manager of the Tesco first and ask them to cancel it. If you don't have any joy, there's a thread on Money Saving Expert that tells you how to get the parking company to cancel it.

Roselilly36 · 07/07/2022 05:43

Just take your bank statement to customer services, and I am sure they will sort it out for you. We were ages the other day sorting out our kitchen order, the assistance asked us our reg no, as otherwise we would have been fined. So they do have some discretion.

QuinkWashable · 07/07/2022 05:49

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

What? Of course they can! - these are man-made rules, not edicts from an angry god!

RedRobin100 · 07/07/2022 05:51

ehat Is the current law on these private parking company “fines”?

i wouldn’t be rushing to pay it without finding out first - look on Martin Lewis etc.
these private penalties are largely unenforceable as private companies don’t have legal authority to “fine” you - only to sue for their loss (which would be negligible here)

I have not paid these before and withstood the many many chasers before they dropped it. I have also written back to them offering to pay their actual loss if they tell me what it is (ie not the £45/£90 or whatever shite it is they fined me). Again I never heard back from them.

worth considering as that is bullshit and I’d be ragin.

also agree to go via Tesco and ask them to get it waived.

paddingtonstares · 07/07/2022 05:55

I got a ticket at the beginning of the pandemic when people were panic buying and I was stuck trying to get out the car park. It took nearly 4 months to sort it out.
Tesco outsource the car parking 'management' and I pointed out that they actually needed to manage the car park then. If cameras pick up that I had overstayed they also picked up the queuing to get out! I vented on the fb page of the store too.

Heatherjayne1972 · 07/07/2022 05:57

We have that limit in our Tesco
before the ‘two hour ‘ rule came in my sister and used to spend the best part of a morning shopping and then in the cafe
We don’t go in the cafe much now and its quite empty (when I pop past to use the loo)

id go in and see if there ticket can be cancelled tho. It’s worth a try

Moon22 · 07/07/2022 06:01

Oh this would annoy me too. Have you checked if the parking company are genuinely allowed to fine you? I know alot of them don't have a legal leg to stand on. Tesco I'm sure will tell you it's nothing to do with them.
I could easily spend over 2 hours in a supermarket, especially as I like to go for coffee whilst I'm there too!

FernlovingNodosaur · 07/07/2022 06:03

Another who would not rush to pay, as a parking fine is only enforceable for private companies' in this case Tesco. If they can prove that you over staying your allotted parking time has cost them money and with your big spend it would be hard for Tesco to prove it did

RustyShackleford3 · 07/07/2022 06:05

You shouldn't be paying to park in the supermarket carpark if you were actually shopping in the supermarket. I don't care if you were in there for 5 minutes or 6 hours. That's such a stupid rule and I can't believe that people on this thread are actually trying to defend it.

I would speak to the supermarket and ask them to sort it.

IamtheDevilsAvocado · 07/07/2022 06:06

HaveringWavering · 07/07/2022 03:02

It’s a fuck off massive Tesco Extra. What ‘a the point of having all that stuff to browse if you expect people not to hang about? I probably spent half an hour alone in the kids’ clothing section and another 20 minutes looking at makeup.

Show quote history

Id deffo appeal...

As you say... 2 hours is nothing in a huge store.
Do you have any credit /debit card printout to show you've spent this amount..??

If any appeal doesn't work... Shame them on twitter...

Of course the rule is there to stop people using it as a long stay whilst they go off to work /play etc....

TheLadyofShalott1 · 07/07/2022 06:11

HaveringWavering · 07/07/2022 02:58

My point is that they have chosen too short a time limit. I didn’t read “2 hours” on the sign and think “oh that won’t apply to me”. Rather, I didn’t bother to read the detail on the signs because I naturally assumed they were there to deter piss takers, so would not kick in until after a reasonable shopping time.

Show quote history

and what if @HaveringWavering you had fancied a cup of tea and a slice of cake after all that shopping? I do think that you should challenge the fine with both the car park managers and Tesco's themselves - if the worst comes to the worst Tesco can pay your bloomin fine!
ps. I think it should be a 3 hour minimum of free parking. I am in a wheelchair, and if I did a biggish shop, had a cuppa, and then went to do a wee, that would definitely take me over two hours!

IamtheDevilsAvocado · 07/07/2022 06:12

Toddlerteaplease · 07/07/2022 04:35

2 hours do do a supermarket shop?!!! Unless you had a coffee in the cafe I can't see how it could take that long!

Easily... In these huge places I never go in just for bread and milk... I always go to somewhere much smaller...

For example at our megastore....i did the usual food shopping.
Spent some time looking for uni stuff for my niece
Tried on some holiday clothes I needed.
Browsed their garden centre for presents for relatives unwell at mo...

Had to join a lengthy queue... Both at customer service and at check out..

That was not even stopping for coffee/lunch

Hyvsvaar · 07/07/2022 06:13

This happened to me when I wanted to support ‘high street shopping’ rather than online and went to a retail park and didn’t realise and got a huge fine…I haven’t been back