@lidluk unfair parking charges / Lidl / Athena car park

[Ross McHale]

Hi there

 

I would like to ask for advice re unfair parking charges at Lidl / Athena car park in Eltham SE9

 

Thanks

 

Ross

[mikeymack2002]

If on private land it is here http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/forumdisplay.php?88-Private-Land-Parking-Enforcement

 

 

if not the same area

[mikeymack2002]

Thx Scott..

 

 

Ross have you got any further details to post? Have you appealed the ticket yet if not have a read of the many threads on this matter. You have but a limited amount of time to do so. Also have you been back to take photographs of the signage as this may help your appeal...

 

Can you confirm if this is the correct carpark? see here >> https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.4520718,0.0554674,3a,88y,202.32h,90.79t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sVA45u6XyG1qQx0b2TayJXg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

[Ross McHale]

Thanks Scott & mikeymack

 

Briefly, I received two PCNs last week for two separate occasions. I do have some photos of signage, but haven't yet appealed. Will d so after reading those threads.

 

Lidls has allowed free parking to all ever since they opened in I think 2008/9

- with only time limitations, the latest being 1 hour.

 

 

Now it seems only Lidl customers who shop and register their car number at check out can park free for up to 60mins.

 

 

I wasn't aware of this along with many others I've spoken to so didn't even think about reading their signs.

 

There are 8 signs detailing charges and T & Cs plus a landscape banner in one small area which is only seen if you manage to find a space there.

 

Lidls could have erected a banner in a much more prominent position which would have been seen by the majority of people walking out to the store or High St - but they chose not to!

 

Yes that's the one

[ericsbrother]

Lidl have this system at many of their stores and you tell them your car reg in store an they can tell you whether the ANPR has picked it up.

 

 

Causing a certain amount of grief for the store staff who ahve to tell their customers to go back outside and punch the vehicle reg into the parking machine-

 

 

real pain as the first you know of this is when all of your shopping is on the conveyor belt with 10 irate people behind you.

 

What were the dates of the parking events and when did you get the demond through the post?

 

 

Dates are critical.

 

 

When we know that we will probably ask about the wording of the demand to see if that is compliant with PoFA

[Ross McHale]

Hi ericsbrother

Thks yr reply. Yes can certainly understand quite a bit of aggro if customer unaware of this. When I was taking photos one fraught woman came rushing out to person in their car - I need the car reg number - write it down for me quick!

 

First incident was 11/12/15 & issue date 15/12/15 - I got the PCN on 18/12/15. Second incident 14/12/15, issue date 16/12/15 & I got that on 19/12/15

 

Appreciate any advice - thanks

[ericsbrother]

can you post up a redacted copy of the NTK, remove your details (name, car reg etc) and the ticket/claim no but make sure the offending dates and times are visible as sometimes the companies fail to give the necessaries to show that the event actually occurred as stated.

[Ross McHale]

Hopefully by trial and error - I've managed to upload the 2 pages for each incident - hope it works!

[ericsbrother]

OK, when you can get on to the local council and ask them about the planning permission for the store and what stipulations in the consent there are for limiting the parking on site to 10 minutes. I bet that there is planneing permission granted for parking with a stay of an hour or two, often 3 ghours free parking . As this is now an obligation on the store they cant change that without going back to the council and reapplying for PP to shorten the stay. This menas that the contract they have with the parking co is unlawful so no contract with you.

[Ross McHale]

Right - thanks for explaining that. It will be interesting to see what the council says

[Ross McHale]

Can anyone tell me how to delete attachments once they're uploaded? I've tried various ways but nothing seems to work so I'm prob not doing it right!

[mikeymack2002]

Click on your profile the select manage attachments tick all those you wish to delete the well delete them.

 

 

For future reference you need to upload them as a PDF as Jpegs are far to small...

[Ross McHale]

Pleased to report good news on the PCNs.

 

I contacted Lidl and explained that I didn't believe signage re the change in parking T & C s was large enough or conspicuous enough at this store car park and therefore people were unaware of any changes so would not even think of reading the smaller signs.

 

Lidl accepted my claim, without suggesting anything was wrong, and have arranged for the PCNs to be cancelled.

 

Thanks to all who gave help for my case - it's appreciated

[Furious with Eltham Lidl]

Hi Ross

 

I was wondering who you contacted at Lidl to get the notice cancelled.

 

Same situation here. We moved from Eltham about a year ago and until then there had been free parking at the Lidl store for years, albeit reduced from 3 hours to 45 mins. We were visiting friends in Eltham on Christmas Eve and parked at Lidl to pick up some goodies. It was chaos at the checkout in Lidl (probably because of this new registration scheme!) so we ended up in M&S instead.

 

If the terms of parking had changed, I'd expect notices saying that they had changed because we didn't think to read them, thinking we knew the terms already.

 

Was hoping you could let us know who the contact person was at Lidl so I can try and get the notice cancelled without appealing which is such a stress.

 

Thanks so much in advance.

[Ross McHale]

I sent an email to Lidl Man Dir - Mr Gottschlich ([email protected]) explaining what had happened & like yourself I had not even thought of reading the notices as I was unaware of any changes. The only banner which gives a clue to that is located on the fence on the right as you enter the car park. Most people are unlikely to see that unless they park in that small area - as of course drivers are looking ahead - for a space & watching out for oncoming cars - of which there are usually several.

I pointed out to him the above and also suggested Lidl should have positioned any banners advising of the changes in more conspicuous places.

In reply I received an email from Customer Services Management saying Mr G had passed my email to them for reply and that they would arrange for the PCNs to be cancelled. I was grateful of course and thought it was very fair of Lidl to take that action - perhaps not many others would have done so.

 

Perhaps if you do same, Lidl will look kindly on your appeal to them and cancel the PCN. I hope so.

 

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

[Furious with Eltham Lidl]

Ross that's great. Thanks for your help. Much appreciated.

 

Will let you know how I get on. x

[Furious with Eltham Lidl]

Was excited to receive an email from Lidl customer services this morning. Was hoping they would cancel the PCN but have not been as fortunate as you Ross.

 

Lidl are asking for evidence of my former address in Eltham and evidence of being a former customer at Lidl.

 

Thankfully, neither are a problem and I have evidence of both so fingers crossed it will be ok but I have also formally submitted an appeal just in case Lidl don't exercise their discretion in this instance.

 

The saga continues.....

[renegadeimp]

If theres only one sign in a closed area of the car park and you have to get out of the car to stop and read it, then you can get them on inadequate signage etc.

[Furious with Eltham Lidl]

There is signage inside the car park but inadequate signage at the entrance of the Lidl Eltham car park. I did mention signage in my formal appeal:

 

INADEQUATE SIGNAGE

In the car park in question there is wholly inadequate signage in the vicinity of the entrance to the car park. The signage is beyond the entrance and therefore it is impossible to expect a driver to read the signage from a distance, whilst manoeuvering a car and driving safely as to avoid pedestrians and oncoming vehicles. (See photo below). No driver would be able to read this sign before entering the car park itself and become registered on the ANPR cameras. It is therefore impossible to make an informed decision as to whether to accept the terms before parking.

[Ross McHale]

Hello again

 

Have you had any good news from Lidl?

 

Ross

[Furious with Eltham Lidl]

I did!

 

I provided Lidl customer services with bank statements showing that I was a previous customer and they confirmed that they would cancel the PCN. Have heard nothing from Athena directly even though I lodged a formal appeal but I suspect an email from Lidl is enough.

 

Met up with some old Eltham friends last week and half of them had been stung and generally avoid the car park now. Wouldn't be surprised if its affected Lidl's trade. When it was free, you'd pop in and pick up the odd thing. Seems to be that now you have to go in and shop, it's deterring some people.

 

Thanks for your help. It definitely gave me the confidence to argue my case.

[ericsbrother]

I would write to the boss of Lidl and thank him for his intervention but mention that you have not had the decency of a formal response from Athena. Then say that you had the joy of meeting up with a couple of old friends and that they gave the same story and that Lidl are currently suffering if this small sample is anything to go by and that the parking control problems are the sole reason for the lack of custom amongst your group. Say that you appreciate that people will abuse anything that is free but there are better ways than allowing a company onto your land and making a fortune at your own expense when margins in retail are very tight. Introducing a P&D machine that is refunded inside the store is one answer as long as all of the money is retained by Lidl rather than going to an external outfit that has produced nothing and provided no benefit to the store or its customers.

That way they will understand it is how things are done rather than parking control that is the problem

[Ross McHale]

I did!

 

I provided Lidl customer services with bank statements showing that I was a previous customer and they confirmed that they would cancel the PCN. Have heard nothing from Athena directly even though I lodged a formal appeal but I suspect an email from Lidl is enough.

 

Met up with some old Eltham friends last week and half of them had been stung and generally avoid the car park now. Wouldn't be surprised if its affected Lidl's trade. When it was free, you'd pop in and pick up the odd thing. Seems to be that now you have to go in and shop, it's deterring some people.

 

Thanks for your help. It definitely gave me the confidence to argue my case.

 

You're welcome - glad to hear your good news.

 

I have also heard recently that the banner which Lidl tied to the railings plus the signs attached to the lamp posts outside the carpark were not approved by the council so were unauthorised. Lidl has been told to remove them all - and this should have happened by now. I know the banner has been taken down. I think from what I've read on this forum that would render any parking notices null & void?