Parking charge in Stansted Short Stay

[madthinker]

Hi all,

 

Two weeks ago, I drove to Stansted for a weekend away. There were 3 car park options - "short", "mid and "long" stay. Figuring that a weekend is usually as short as anyone gets a plane for, I followed the signs to the short-stay car park.

 

Having got to the barrier, the prices were shown (I do not believe they were shown on any sign before this, but am not 100% sure). It was immediately obvious from the prices that the "short" stay was not appropriate, and I decided I didn't want to use this car park.

 

Unfortunately, the barriers are located a short distance down a one-way 'slip' road. My options were either to reverse the wrong way down this road, or to go through the barrier, take a ticket, and scoot round to the exit. I presumed that car parks do not charge when this occurs. I'm sure I have done this a few times (and definitely at least once) before. As you can guess, I was surprised therefore to be asked to pay £2.80 to get out of a car park that I didn't want to be in, in the first place.

 

Could those in the know advise what the legal status surrounding this is, in particular.

- Is it not normally the case that a person can either easily back out of the barrier area where the prices are first visible, or go through and nip round to the exit without paying any charge.

- Given that I was only shown the prices at a point where I could not avoid entering the car park, have I entered into any contract?

- What is the situation with their refusal to open the barrier? Is it not illegal to impound a vehicle in this manner?

 

I know £2.80 is not a lot, but I just don't think it's right to force people into a situation where they have to pay for something that they did not want.

 

Any advice much appreciated.

[Andy77799]

I agree, normally like at Gatwick they say no reversing, drive straight through at no cost, first 15 mins free. I think stanstead are awkward ********s anyway. should be shut down.

Hope someone comes along soon to advise.

[Ashmann]

The drop-off charge at Stansted is now £2.80 for the first 10 mins, £3 for 15 and £50 if over 15 mins!!

Who do we complain to, these guys are a world to themselves. Would that Boris Johnson bloke have anything to do with this?

[dx100uk]

its a private car park/roads

 

if you want to reverse away

 

there is no law stopping you

 

dx

[Ashmann]

Ah, so you are a world to yourselves, I'll go one better than reversing out, just won't use Stansted anymore. If more people did that, maybe it would make you re-consider your smug position.

[Kiki1]

The drop-off charge at Stansted is now £2.80 for the first 10 mins,

 

Which infers if you can confirm to the 'authority' that you were not in the process of 'dropping off', payment of the ticket is not required.

[Homer67]

Ah, so you are a world to yourselves, I'll go one better than reversing out, just won't use Stansted anymore. If more people did that, maybe it would make you re-consider your smug position.

 

Hmm, are you under the impression that DX owns Stanstead Airport?

 

I get that you're annoyed I really do, but attacking posters on here who have given you the advice you asked for is the wrong way

 

Boris is the Mayor of London, Stanstead is in Essex and while he may have an opinion, he has no power or say in the running of any airport.

 

As you have been advised Stanstead car park is privately owned property and you can choose to ignore their speculative invoices, road markings and instructions or pay their fees, your choice.

Edited November 15, 2012 by Homer67

[Ashmann]

First of all,

as this is my first time on this forum,

let me apologise if I am not following the correct etiquette.

 

I "assumed" that dx is in some way associated with the airport/carpark authority.

 

And yes,

I was a bit peeved last night.

 

A bit of a story but,

 

the new system has been introduced since I was last there (couple of months).

 

I had told my Candian neice that I would pick here up at the forecourt.

 

Imagine my surprise when I could get nowhere near the forecourt and she didn't know where to go.

 

I eventually found her, at a cost of a fiver for parking.

 

You had to be there to see the chaos....

[dx100uk]

no need for the sorry...i'm siteteam here ..

 

lets put it this way

 

i know the chaos very well

 

lived there +30yrs, know lots of people still there

 

inc taxi drivers.

 

iused to work on the compulsory purchased woodland before the expansion in the 70's

 

its al private land

 

if yiu want to reverse down the grafitti painted road

there's no law against it.

 

dx

[Ashmann]

Thanks dx.

 

I guess there is no rule or law that these companies are breaking, so we just have to vote on our feet!!

[dx100uk]

you might find it useful to watch watchdog daily from today

 

via iplayer

 

dx

[Andy77799]

DX I thought at stanstead it was one way system for the drop off? Is there now a barrier or do you have to park?

At gatwick the idiots want taxi`s (local) to park to pick up... Staff just want the car to pull up, get in & go.

 

Either won`t be accepting jobs "from" Stanstead or the price goes on the fare. Always been a greedy

place to pick up with A******* wardens.

[Yukiko]

Thing is that gets my goat, everyone says Stansted is private land, yet, on traffic cops, they're regularly tugging people all over the place for no insurance. If it's private land, you don't need insurance to drive on their roads?

 

The drop off/pick up points are a joke too... I had to pick up an old boy that is one of the family friends and he asked me to meet him out the front. Within 30 seconds I was rowing with a parking warden about stopping to collect him.

 

Paying £2.80 and causing more grief to the old guy I was collecting didn't seem the right way, especially seeing as it's much shorter to walk straight out the door. Bring back the old days when that pathetic bus lane out the front was a pick up/drop off bay!

 

They've got barriers up now to "direct" traffic away from the front of the building when there's a "High threat" of terrorism. Where does all the traffic go when it's coned off...? The £2.80 car park. Must be for when they're feeling a bit poor.

[Raykay]

Thing is that gets my goat, everyone says Stansted is private land, yet, on traffic cops, they're regularly tugging people all over the place for no insurance. If it's private land, you don't need insurance to drive on their roads?

 

They may be on private land, but if they are considered to be a public place, you do need insurance - s.143, Road Traffic Act 1988.

[sameagle]

I recently stood in a car park in a local "Tesco" store, watching the DVLA vehicle going around with it's camera's, and the driver clamping vehicles for no tax etc.

 

The land belongs to "Tesco", and UKPC are ticketing in there as well.

 

Either it's private, for UKPC to do their evil stuff, or public for the DVLA to rip people off, or are there two fiddles being worked here?

 

And who say's that the land is a public place - my garage is in a group of 14, on private land, but anybody can drive onto it from the road, but my deeds, [it's a freehold garage] state that only those that have vehicle stored there can enter, is that what we use to tell DVLA and the Police to leave the land?

 

Sam

[Raykay]

Vehicle licensing is different, and DVLA can enter private land, such as a Tesco car park, to clamp unlicensed vehicles - Schedule 2A, Vehicles Excise & Registration Act 1994.

 

 

The generally accepted description of a public place is if the public are permitted to have access - if they are permitted to have access to places like Stanstead airport or Tesco's car park for instance, they would be considered to be a public place. If the public are not permitted to have access to land - such as to your garage area, it would not be considered to be a public place.

[madthinker]

Incidentally, thanks for the replies.

 

I only got the first notification of a reply to this thread, and presumed it had died a death. It's only by logging on 5 months later (for a different reason), I realise there were a number of replies.