Parking Fine Fury: £100 Error Sparks Outrage
A furious motorist alleges he received a parking fine after mistakenly entering the incorrect registration number, even though he paid for his parking twice. Niel Kirk, 52, said he went to Pizza Hut with his family and paid the £2.40 charge for a two-hour parking period using the Euro Car Parks machines in Kidderminster.
Leaving, though, he realised he'd been charged twice and had also put the wrong registration number in. The father of three then got a £100 fine, even after explaining the 'simple' mistake to the company – something he maintains 'could happen to anyone'.
Niel, from Blakedown, Worcestershire, has now pledged to boycott the car park entirely following what he describes as an 'unjust' parking penalty.
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He explained: "We got a text receipt to confirm we had paid for the parking and our bank statement shows the payment came out twice. When we realised it was the wrong registration, we replied to the text to explain, but about a month later, we got a £100 fine through the post. We realised it must have been a number you can't reply to, but thought it would be an easy fine to resolve as it was just a simple mistake."
Niel explained that he went through the appeals process, pointing out that they'd made an error when entering the car's registration. He also provided evidence that they'd paid for two hours of parking and hadn't overstayed, but the appeal was unsuccessful. Niel, a senior project manager, then contacted the managing director of Euro Car Parks, only to be told again that the money was still owed.
He said: "After submitting the evidence, Euro Car Parks offered to reduce the fine to £20. In hindsight, I probably should have paid the reduced amount, but we paid for the parking.
They practically admitted as much by lowering the penalty, which makes it feel even more unjust to still be charged. I was informed that we'd violated the terms of the agreement by entering an incorrect number plate when parking.
"This is why they still fined me. It is unscrupulous and so draconian.
"Euro Car Parks have not been very responsive and are uncompromising even when we made a genuine mistake. It could happen to anyone.
"The letters are also quite scary for people when they threaten to increase the fines or involve debt recovery if unpaid. It can really affect people.
"I will never park there again. I'm lucky that I am able to walk and have good mobility, so I can park elsewhere, but I feel for those who are not as mobile and have no choice but to use the car park.
"I've noticed the car park is barely used as much as it used to be since they changed the payment machines. It will start having a negative impact on businesses and I really think the owners need to review the changes that have been made.
"People just need to be really careful. Make sure you type in the registration correctly and don't exceed the time limit. I'd really discourage people from parking on the car park if they can."
Weavers Wharf is under the ownership of LCP Estates Ltd, a division of M Core, with Euro Car Parks overseeing the car park management.
A representative for M Weavers Wharf said: "We are sorry to hear about this individual's experience; however, the car park at Weavers Wharf is managed independently by Euro Car Parks. We understand the matter has been raised directly with Euro Car Parks, who are best placed to respond."
Euro Car Parks has been approached for a response.