A dad was slapped with a £100 fine after parking outside a B&Q store for 21 minutes.
Michael Guy told how he parked beside the DIY store between 6.37am to 6.58am on February 20 and was later shocked to be hit with the levy.
The 31-year-old Uber driver, who was working at the time, was fined for parking overnight.
Michael said it was his “natural instinct” to go in a car park as he “doesn’t want to park on a dark road” with his engine running.
He said the fine from Smart Parking didn’t arrive at the address where the car is registered until March 27, and he didn’t see it personally until two days later.
The date of issue on the letter was March 8.
Michael claimed this lost him the chance to pay the discount price of £60 as it went over the 14-day threshold. He had parked by the Edge Lane Shopping Park in Liverpool.
Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, he said: “It doesn’t give a postcode, it doesn’t give an address, it just gives the name of the car park. So when you Google it, it comes up as the new Edge Lane Shopping Park.
“My guess is, as I tend to go to the B&Q in the corner, so that must be classed as Edge Lane Shopping Park car park too. I have basically parked in a B&Q before 7am and have tried to class it as overnight parking.
“They have been so slow to process, it is £100 now, when I have never even had the opportunity to pay the £60 and even if a person wants to fight there is no one to talk to.”
Michael, who has a seven-month-old baby, added: “Your heart just sinks and I don’t have £100.
“I have a seven-month-old baby and for £100 fine to just drop like that on the top of your head is just not nice. It is another five hours work and you can’t work every hour of the day.”
A Smart Parking spokesperson said Michael, from Liverpool’s Wavetree area, received the fine as there is no overnight parking between 8pm and 7am, Monday to Sunday.
After being approached the Echo, the firm said it has reinstated the discount period to April 14 to allow an appeal at the discounted rate.
A spokesperson for Smart Parking spokesperson said: “The car park at Liverpool Shopping Park (Car Park 2), has clear signage throughout advising motorists on how to use the car park. This signage is approved by the British Parking Association and includes highly-prominent guidance on how there is no overnight parking between 8pm and 7am, Monday to Sunday.
“The motorist correctly received a parking charge notice for parking between these hours on February 20. Smart Parking operates an audited appeals process which we would encourage motorists to use if they have mitigating circumstances for breaking the rules of the car park.
“In this case we have not received an appeal from the motorist however we have reinstated the discount period to April 14 to allow an appeal at the discounted rate.”
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