I was fined £70 for staying SECONDS late in carpark – it wasn’t my fault

A WOMAN who was fined £70 for staying just seconds late in a carpark said it wasn’t her fault.

Pip Olliver, 54, was on the way home when she popped into Asda’s Minworth store in Birmingham to use the cashpoint at 6.15pm.

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But after getting our her cash she returned to her Honda Civic to find it wouldn’t start with her battery flat.

The nurse quickly phoned her husband who arrived and helped her jump start the motor.

Pip and her partner left the store seconds after 6.45pm, just over 30 minutes after arriving.

But she was shocked to receive a £70 parking charge notice from Parking Eye – the company that manage the car park for Asda.

The shocked nurse told Birmingham Live: “I just needed the cashpoint to get some money out on a Sunday. My battery had been playing up but I didn’t expect it not to work.

“I went to Asda out of store hours. It was flat and I called my husband who came from home and we got my car started. I wasn’t aware of the parking restrictions and about a week later I got the parking charge for £70 (which says it is discounted to £40 if you pay within 14 days).”

She continued: “I appealed to Parkingeye – went on their website and you tick a box to appeal. I said if you check your cameras you will see my husband came in a few minutes after and both our cars left together. But I got an email back to say my appeal had been rejected.

“We went back and saw the small signs with very small print that said really you shouldn’t really be able to use the cashpoints, as you’re not allowed to park for any minutes at all out of hours.”

A sign above the cashpoints says ’24 hour cash’. But the signs in the car park state: “3 hours max stay. NO PARKING OUTSIDE OF STORE OPENING HOURS.”

Further details were found in very small print.

A disheartened Pip took to social media to complain before deciding to go to Asda, who cancelled her ticket.

She said: “Last Friday (March 10) I went to Asda’s customer services and explained the situation and they said we can cancel it but ‘just this once’.

“And said ‘next time if you break down you must come and tell us’. But the shop was closed at the time.”

Pip added: “I could have done without the ticket and the anxiety about how to pay the £70.”

Asda explained the restrictions had been put in place due to ‘anti-social behaviour’ issues in the area – believed to be groups of car enthusiasts meeting up and using the nearby A38 for car cruising.

An Asda spokesman said: “The purpose of the parking restrictions at this store is well known and we are pleased that there has been a marked decrease in the number of anti-social behaviour complaints since their introduction.

“We understand that the ATM’s are still regularly used outside of our stores’ opening times which is why there is a short grace-period, and having spoken to this customer we are pleased that the parking notice she received has been rescinded.”

While a Parkingeye spokesman said: “The car park at Asda Minworth features prominent and highly-visible signs throughout providing information on how to use the car park responsibly.

“Asda customers have a maximum stay of three hours and the signage clearly states that there is no parking outside of the store opening hours.

“The motorist received a Parking Charge Notice due to parking for over 30 minutes when the store was closed. However, following a review of the case, we have cancelled as a gesture of goodwill.

“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. All motorists are also entitled to a further appeal via the independent appeals service POPLA. (Parking on Private Land Appeals).”