My husband had to wait in a long queue at the carwash at the Applegreen petrol station near our home in Bristol, and was shocked when a £100 fine (£60 if paid within a fortnight) arrived in the post from the car park management firm Parkingeye.
We appealed and sent it evidence: the actual carwash ticket, the receipt and credit card payment – but it was rejected. We went back to the petrol station and the staff there promised to get the fine cancelled.
But we have since received a “final notice” from Parkingeye for the £100, which threatens further action, including hiring a debt recovery firm or pursuing legal action if we do not pay. We tried going back to the petrol station but the staff seemed unable to help. This doesn’t seem fair.
MW, Bristol
I receive a fair number of letters from readers battling parking charges, with the proliferation of parking apps and number plate recognition software turning the once simple process of using a car park into a technological nightmare.
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In this instance, the cameras monitoring this forecourt clock the time a car arrives and departs rather than what the owner does while on site, which in your case involved sitting in a queue.
However, when we contacted the Applegreen head office, they intervened, and the fine has been cancelled. They also contacted you directly to apologise.
Applegreen said: “The customer shouldn’t have been charged in this instance. When they contacted Applegreen locally to query the charge, the fine should have been cancelled at that point, as it is clear they were waiting for a carwash. Unfortunately, this didn’t happen. We are happy to resolve the matter and again offer our apologies.”
You were determined not to pay this charge despite the threatened consequences as it was “so bizarre” to be fined for queueing at a carwash. This is not the first time this has happened and is a reminder to be vigilant of signs setting out the maximum stay allowed. Still, a parking tale with a happy ending.
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