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.

Are you in Scotland? If you are, you can simple refuse to pay it, and they don’t do anything about it. (Although I don’t think large places have these limits.)

Lock her up. She was 10 minutes too long shopping.

Some of you need to grow up.

I would go into Tesco with my bank statement to show the purchase and ask them what to do next. It will probably be overturned

Ignore all the other posters OP

I wouldn’t pay.
My dn just ignores private parking tickets. Never had to pay yet.
I ignored an Aldi one, I didn’t know that I had to put car reg in, I was only 20 minutes.
I knew they wouldn’t win if they took me to court so just binned it.

I'd speak to them and see if there's anything they can do. The worst they can do is say no.

And when you both find out there's certain things you're not allowed to do because you have CCJ's against you? What then?

Don't ignore it. But definitely appeal it. I know people who have had them overturned upon showing receipts.

Both supermarkets in my town charge for more than two hours of parking. I don't think I've ever done a shop as big as yours but I do sometimes like to try clothes on or have a coffee in the cafe. I just tell customer services that I am likely to go over and they can give permission to stay longer. The rules are to make sure there are spaces for shoppers to park, not to penalise genuine customers but I do think you need to tell them. It is worth contacting them to appeal the decision imo.

Of course you can complain. Go on money saving expert and follow the guidance. As long as you have a copy of the receipt they should cancel the ticket. Don't roll over and take this!

The customer service at my local supermarket were really helpful when this happened to me. They took the ticket and told me not to worry about it. No fuss, no challenging required. I did have my receipt but imagine you will have some evidence of your payment at least. Try it

Tesco can overrule it . My car broke down in a Tesco’s car park and I knew I would go over the time before the AA came . I went to customer services . They were lovely and had some way to input my reg number - I guess they do the same for staff parking all day . Take your ticket and receipt to customer services and see what they say .

Did you pay by card if so you have proof. Contact them

Ugh I'm not sure if I spent over two hours in Tesco myself yesterday. I have four kids and went shopping for summer clothes and spent 450 that my credit card decided was fraud and declined. Ages on phone to bank- credit card- to fraud team who are very busy and won't be answering phones for an hour. Discovered you can find your debit card details in the banking app. Added them on to apple wallet and managed two transactions of just under 100 then it declined. Luckily I have a second debit card so I added that on and managed another two transactions of just under 100 but it declined a third. It was a complete disaster but at least I was able to complete most of my purchases. Only really noticed the 2 hour limit when I got back to the car. Am now trying to remember what time I left the house so I can work out when I made it to the store. It's within ten/ fifteen minutes of the two hours.

Agree with PPs and email the he store manager to complain you probably aren’t the first person who has been caught out like this.

My local massive tesco has loads and loads of different concessions inside, like Holland and Barrett’s and different clothing brands, it’s more like a mall and is over two floors. You could easily spend a couple of hours in there if you was browsing clothes, seeing the chemist, had an opticians appointment and did a food shop as well

I think today I might contact customer services with the receipts, explain the situation and ask them to add my reg number if they can. It's a hire car as well so any ticket will take ages to reach me and cost a fortune as discount period will have expired.

Go to Tesco with your card statement and explain that you were doing a big shop. I appealed a "parking charge" issued by Parkingeye who have form in turning down appeals in spite of submitting evidence showing I was a customer at the time. They then tried intimidation saying that I had the right to appeal but charge could escalate if I lost. After no action resulting from phone calls, I returned to the hotel, which had subcontracted their parking, and the manager cancelled the charge.
There's a lot of info online about supermarkets cancelling these parking charges when seeing proof that you were a customer at the relevant time.

download something that proves your spend - bank statement for example.
Complain. Try the shop manager and if no job write a letter to customer services. There is no way I would accept that easily.

Our tesco is large, has the clothing, nake up, nail bar section. Also, a garden centre, an aquatics shop and a cafe. A community room for baby groups. Very easy to spend many hours there. Yanbu. 2hrs is nothing

I'm another who's appealed a similar charge and had it overturned when showing a bank statement that I'd been spending (it was a large retail park with many shops). Worth a try!

Our local “big shop” has this rule. It’s because the car park is undercover, in town centre and within walking distance to most offices and near a residential area.

pre this rule people used to park for work there for free.

our sports centre also has this rule. They are right next to a bus stop which services the main route into town. People were parking all day for work for free then getting bus in.

As others have said, I would appeal. A local shopping park to us has a similar rule - lots of clothes shops. M&S with cafe, fast food outlets etc.

A friend took her two toddlers and exceeded the time by something like half an hour but could prove using receipts / bank statements / loyalty cards that she was genuinely shopping and having lunch with two small children (kids meals on lunch receipt) at the time and they waived it.

It doesn't matter how you paid Tesco will be able to locate the receipt for you, as you have the date and approx time you paid. It's straightforward to do.
If you go to customer services explain the situation they can contact parkingeye, or whoever does their car parks, and request it is cancelled. If not, ask for a copy of the receipt and send it to the contractor.
It's a bit of a faff, but Tesco can help you. I used to do it when I worked in a competitor supermarket.

This has happened to me before and I took the receipt into my local store - the manager sorted it out for me. I was very grateful. Lovely chap.

I feel your pain @HaveringWavering I live near a massive extra too but have to admit have never read how long I can be there? The Sainsbury's near me has a big sign saying 3 hours only you can't miss it but I can't recall the Tesco Extra having a big sign, I think you should return some items (if still tagged) and say you have your credit card or whatever receipt (unless you paid cash!) And return the amount of the car park ticket and say this is why I'm returning! But extreme but then I'd get the CCTV from the parking company and show them how many bags of shop you had and you were only over 10 mins. Give it a try at least they might half the fine etc

Just give Tesco’s a ring and explain - they can cancel it.