I contacted Lidl and got this response, talk about passing the buck!

Dear Mr .....

Re: Parking Charge in our Store Unit 4, Aberconway Road, SM4 5LN Morden

We refer to your recent communication with us regarding the Parking Charge Notice you received, whilst parked in our Morden store.

As you are probably aware, Lidl UK GmbH is a national retailer.

As such, we have stores in locations with limited parking space and in common with many of our competitors,

our store car parks are abused to a significant and detrimental extent.

We have therefore judged it necessary to take measures so that our stores parking facilities are available first and foremost to our customers.

In order to ensure that sufficient parking spaces are available at all times to our customers,

Lidl employs third party contractors to monitor and control our car parks.

So far, this service has proved reliable and effective in reducing car park abuse and in freeing up spaces for our customers.

If you wish to contest a parking charge please contact the Car Parking Company directly via one of the following methods:

Athena

Email:

Phone: 08444 778 009

Mail:

Athena ANPR Ltd

PO Box 306

Chertsey

KT16 6ED

Legitimate appeals can only be submitted in writing.

To aid your appeal please send copies of any supporting documentation you may have.

Please note that we cannot cancel car parking charges on behalf of the Car Park Management Company

as we would not comply with the regulations set out by the British Parking Association.

In closing, we hope that you can understand our position on this matter and that you will continue to be a valued Lidl customer.

Yours sincerely,

For and on behalf of Lidl UK GmbH

[name edited]

Customer Service

Tel – 0870 444 1234

Hi varsity

Welcome to CAG

A new thread has been started for you.

The guys will advise as soon as they are available.

Hi and welcome to CAG

I take it you have received a letter in your name from Athena. If so, you can appeal to them and Athena will then reject your appeal ( they do this as a matter of course) It matters not that you may have valid grounds for appeal so, once they reject you, they should issue you with an appeal code to take to POPLA.

This is the chance to use the fact that the charge is not a genuine pre estimate of loss. Lidl car parks are free so what have they lost? Nowt!

Lidl can cancel the charge if they want to but they really cant be bothered to help their customers in this way.

Until recently they and Aldi used a "genuine customer" policy so it appears as though they have abandoned this,

probably at the insistence of ANPR, who must have been losing a fortune as a result of being told what to do.

Use the appeals process but also send a letter of complaint to the boss of UK Lidl making it clear that you are unhappy with their sudden

and unannounced changes to their policies, which amount to an implied contract anyway

and from now on you will consider that any visit to their store is under the condition that any parking charges incurred by your shopping there will be met by Lidl themselves.

This is a unilateral contract and should Lidl not agree to be bound by it then on each and every visit they must notify you that your custom

is not welcome by notification prior to your attempting to park your car for the purpose of shopping.

I doubt if you will get a response but it is as valid as the claim by parking co's of a contract so will casue them problems in the event of a dispute over contracts.

does it really say " fine"? or is that your interpretation of "parking charge notice"

varsity, All the above posts are correct. I followed advice from this site and "won" at POPLA on GPEOL.

What date was the number plate capture and what date did you receive the letter on your door mat?