Parking fine help/advice/experience needed

[streetylight]

I'm pretty sure I will be getting a parking fine as I think I stayed a few minutes after the free 90 minutes allowed at my local Lidl.

I parked, shopped and then walked most of the way home ! I couldn't believe I had forgotten I had driven there after taking my son to school. I put it down to the tail end of a migraine. By the time I realised I was almost home, so instead of carrying my shopping back I dumped it in the kitchen and rushed back to the store. I knew it was going to be tight and thought about approaching a member of staff but I was so embarrassed by what I'd done I chickened out. I paid with cash and can't find the receipt for that day so have no proof I actually shopped there.

I'm dreading the post.

Anyone with a similar experience? Should I just pay or do you think they would actually understand what I did? I've almost done it before. The supermarket (Lidl) is only a 12 min walk away and I enjoy the walk normally.

If you've no proof of purchase then you may struggle with approaching the store. You can still ask but may not get very far. I think Lidl take a picture of you entering and leaving the car park for proof.

Take a photo of the stuff you bought w sell by dates as proof?

The shop will have a copy of the receipt, they just might not want to give it to you. Make a note if the day, time, amount and which till you went through.

Look again for the receipt. It mihht turn up. Then I'd forget about it because you might not get a fine.

Was there a parking charge notice on the car when you got back? If not, likely you got back in time.

I have just been hit with a parking charge notice for an Asda (which I in fact have never visited, it was a hire car which Europcar appear to have taken out to do some shopping before delivering it to me) so I did some research on this and took advice from MN at the time.

Here is the advice from MoneySavingExpert about these 'fines', which are in fact just charges. The first thing I would do, if/when the charge notice arrives, is contact Lidl and explain what happened, and ask them if they'd be willing to waive the charge as a gesture of goodwill to a regular customer.

Your photo is taken when you enter and leave the car park. I tried to work out time and I'm pretty sure I'm a couple of min over or it's going to be very close.

Your bank statement will show the transaction if it wasn't cash. Ask nicely, doesn't hurt to try.

you asked for advice & mine is:

Don't worry about it. It may not happen.

It was cash, specialsubject. But I agree, if it happens the OP should ask nicely and see what Lidl say - it can't hurt to try.

Private parking charges are invoices not fines. If you follow the advice from Money Saving Expert then you'll almost certainly get off. In particular, don't ignore the letter they send you, but don't reply to it until you've read what MSE have to say about it.

Good luck!