Furious shoppers claimed they were fined for stays of five hours in a supermarket car park - after popping in for just a few minutes. Customers who returned to the same store to pick up forgotten items said they had been slapped with hefty penalties.
Although some have successfully challenged their bill, they said it had caused "massive stress and inconvenience". Many of those who have fallen foul of the parking system at the Asda store in Lancashire, which is managed by a private company, have taken to social media to express their anger.
Lancs Live reports that most were furious about not being able to visit the supermarket, on School Street in Darwen, twice without being fined. Car parking management firm Parkingeye said there were 'prominent and highly-visible signs' showing shoppers the rules.
Courtney Brown said her partner received a £40 fine. She said: "My partner went to Asda for my baby's nappies in the morning, parked up and left after five minutes. Later on, I forgot something we needed, so he went back and then came home again after five minutes of being there.
"He then received a fine saying he had been there for five hours when this was not true. We paid the fine as it was a threatening letter, saying it would go higher."
Courtney said they received another letter a few weeks later stating that a fine had been issued. The couple disputed this fine and it was dropped.
She said: "We have lost money from the first time unfortunately, as we paid it so it didn't extend but we fought the second one. I think it's ridiculous, people should be able to travel twice to the same place without being charged. Darwen is also a very small place, there isn't much to do for five hours."
Caregiver Cheryl Magee, who also received a fine through the post after visiting the store on March 22, said it was a "massive stress and inconvenience" to her. She was fined £40, which if unpaid within 14 days, would have increased to £70 but said the fine was cancelled after she contested it.
She said: "I went in the first time round for no longer than 20 minutes. However, I forgot to collect my pants at Asda and then I went back in for another five minutes."
Other shoppers claimed they have been fined after apparently staying in the car park over the allowed hour duration, despite leaving the car park and returning at a different time. One woman said her partner had been fined twice.
She said she believed that the cameras only pick up the car entering the premises and not those going in and out. The customer said that she won both appeals after querying it with Parkingeye.
Another driver said they asked the company to prove that the fine she received was the same person driving and if they could provide evidence that the car had been parked for as long as the fine stated. She said she was later informed that the fine had been dropped.
Complaints have also been made by a local business who posted on social media, saying they have written letters and called Parkingeye about the issues at the supermarket. One shopper vowed never to return after the problems.
A Parkingeye spokesperson said: “The car park at Asda in Darwen is monitored by ANPR camera systems and has six prominent and highly-visible signs that give motorists clear guidance on how to use the car park responsibly.
“Parkingeye operates a BPA (British Parking Association) audited appeals process, which motorists can use to appeal their Parking Charge Notice. If anyone has mitigating circumstances, we would encourage them to highlight this by appealing to Parkingeye. The motorist Cheryl Magee’s PCN was cancelled following an appeal.”
Asda has been contacted for comment.
