Parking fine outrage!

[catnip]

Hallo

Get this as an unjust car fine situation. Last saturday DP and I went off to B&Q, bought some plants, some paint and a loft ladder, had a cup of tea from the van outside and went home. Thought nothing of it until...
......this morning, I got in the post a ?95 (!!!!!) parking fine for having overstayed the 90 minute limit on their car parking, which wasn't signed anywhere that a normal customer would see it, and that we overstayed spending money in their frigging store!!!!!
Couldnt believe it! I want to kick up a stink and contest it because it is so obviously a cynical move on their part to make money. BUT I have a question which is ..... I want to pay up and claim the money back, as it's ?75 if you pay within 14 days and I am concerned that they might keep ratcheting it up. If we do that, have we undermined our case? And any ideas of how to make the biggest stink - I am thinking consumer pages in papers, but once we have gone and had a look to see how clear the sign is would consider a small claims court case. I normally pay up for a quiet life, but I think it is f*ing outrageous that they can treat people with such cynicism and disrespect - and that amount of money is a big blow to anyone who isn't on a pretty comfortable income
Grrrrrrr

Piece here from Watchdog on a company that used to clamp and now fines.

Another bit here from the Times

Haven't read them throughly but both seem to be the same situation as yours. The Times one says:

And not seeing a sign is no defence by the looks.

The DVLA is SELLING names and addresses

Blimey! Thanks Preftendfriend. It is really outrageous isnt it. But if as Watchdog says here is no legislation governing parking on private land it means a) obviously we have no means of redress and b) they don't necessarily have a legal right to issue fines. But they are such bullies, we end up pretty helpless.

There probably is a test case in here somewhere but I'm not a lawyer, and don't think I have the energy

have they actual photographic proof that you were there for longer than 90 minutes though? can they prove you hadnt stayed for an hour then returned 15 minutes later?

You could sign up to Which legal service and see if they can help. You get telephone advice with that, and can have letters drafted for a fee.

Thanks Pretend, I didnt know about Which legal service, deffo worth looking into.

Jampots, they have photographic proof of when we left, not of any other time but I bet they have other footage. Anyway tbh, i dont want to pretend we did something we didnt, all we did was park in their carpark and shop in their shop!

They may well have photos, jampots - even our local Tesco, a very small one, apparently routinely photographs cars entering and leaving because someone local made a big fuss a few months ago when he'd been in and out twice the same day, several hours apart, and they managed to overlook the middle bits and fine him on the basis that he'd been there all day. (I think he won because he could prove he'd been elsewhere in between)

90 minutes is a bit restrictive for a DIY store though - you can easily spend longer than that in there and you shouldn't have to watch the time when you're spending money in their store.

catnip, are there other shops around? It could be that some people are leaving their cars in the B&Q carpark and going to other places - you could try appealing on the grounds that you were only in B&Q (and at the tea van of course ) and they would be able to check that on their CCTV.

There aren't really other shops around, nor is there a train or tube station, that's what's so cynical about it. It's on a roundabout next to a waste recycling place!

I could understand their logic, sort of, if people were taking the p* and using it for free car parking but I really can't imagine that anyone is

Anyway, I'll talk to Which and see what they say, but basically the moral of story is to always triple check for any signs at all when parking anywhere

Thanks Pretendfriend for all advice and info

if this happened to me:

Dear B and Q,

I am enclosing a cheque for £75 in payment of the parking fine reference xyz.

During the time we were parked in your car park we spend £x in B and Q. Whilst I appreciate the need to regulate parking I am appalled that you levy such huge fines on your customers, after such a short period of time. Many spend a lot of money in your shop, and need considerable time to make decisions about their purchases.

I am given to understand that I have no way of legally challenging this fine, hence I have included the cheque. However I feel strongly that this is extremely poor customer service and I ask you to reconsider your policy and not to cash my cheque.

Without a change in your parking policy I will be withdrawing my custom from you, as I wish to make any DIY purchases at my leisure and cannot afford to incur such a fine again.

Yours etc

and if they cash your cheque go to the local paper

[you probably have to send cheque to some car-parking compay, in which case do so, and send letter to customer services, adapted accordingly]

Great letter, thanks for that. Will put that plan into action! x

Great letter, thanks for that. Will put that plan into action! x

It's prob not run by B&Q though. Write/phone the store and complain to them abuot the parking people.

Try here horrible B&Q for a way around it and other helpful bits.

Update - I rang up the B&Q helpline, to get the address to write to to make a fuss and they said the store manager would ring. I was amazed, but he did ring, and apologised, said he would put in writing that there would be no fine and that if we ever overstayed the limit again then just to mention it when we paid, and we wouldnt get a notice. I couldnt believe it

Before he rang I did ring a number provided in that link that Amelie had posted and the guy there was pretty helpful too - so my conclusion is that they know they are on thin ice with this one and weren't going to put up a fight that might bring bad publicity.

Anyway, thanks for all advice everyone.