I was fined £40 for parking at Asda for ‘5 hours’ when I was there for 10 MINUTES

ASDA shoppers have been left furious after being slapped with fines for parking for five hours – despite saying they stopped for just 10 minutes.

Courtney Brown, who lives in Darwen, Lancashire said her and her partner were fined £40 after he parked outside the shop twice in one day.

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Courtney said her partner had stopped for five minutes each time he went to the Asda.

She told Lancs Live: “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.”

Weeks later the couple received the same letter.

Courtney added: “My partner emailed them and they didn’t even check anything, they just dropped it. It seems they are charging people for no reason, it seems like a con.

“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.”

Parkingeye, the company that manages the car park, claimed the car had been parked there for five hours and said the fine would increase if not paid.

Caregiver Cheryl Magee said she was also issued a £40 fine after a visit to the same Asda in Darwen on March 22 which she said caused “massive stress and inconvenience”.

She was told that the fine would increase to £70 if she did not pay within two weeks.

Cheryl told Lancs Live that she was in the shop 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.”

NOT FINE

A Parkingeye spokesperson said that Cheryl’s fine was “cancelled following an appeal”.

One shopper who also received a fine even said they will never go back to the Asda.

Parkingeye said in a statement: “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.”

Asda declined to comment.

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