Win against LIDL Eastleigh and Athena APNR

beamerguy

Modern wrote: »

I received the email saying “on this occasion” we will cancel it and “Athena will confirm this in writing in due course”

The sheer ignorance of Lidl make me laugh

"on this occasion" ?????? = wrap on knuckles but here is a lollipop to make it all better :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:


Makes you wonder if they fully understand who the customer is ?

CardinalWolsey

Whilst I'm not a fan of the practices of these private parking companies, I do wonder how people expect the likes of Lidl to maintain parking for their customers? I have to say, I think Lidl are one of the better and more responsible stores in this regard. Our local Lidl suffered with people abusing its car park, and introduced a parking system where you had to scan your receipt and enter your registration when exiting the store: a truly awful system that lots of people complained about. So they changed it. Now you don't have to scan your receipt, you don't have to enter your registration, the ANPR manages it.

I think the limit at this Lidl is 90 minutes. I truly fail to understand how someone shopping in Lidl would ever exceed that time, from entering the car park to leaving it. Unless they went shopping elsewhere, in which case they only have themselves to blame.

My daughter got caught out under their original system - forgetting to scan/enter her registration. She didn't have her receipt, but a polite letter to Lidl customer services and the ticket was cancelled. No fuss. No scaremongering.

So how would people like stores such as Lidl maintain their car parking? Pay and display with someone physically checking windscreens? Entry / exit barriers? PPC behaviour may not be brilliant (far from it, in fact), but that doesn't mean what Lidl does is wrong. It's protecting an asset of the store, and for those people that get caught out that are customers there is an easy route to have the charge cancelled. For those that get charged and weren't customers of the store - take it on the chin and park somewhere else next time.

Fruitcake

Some places need car park management, some don't, but using an unregulated company that scams genuine customers is not the answer.
Having someone in the car park directing them to parking spaces and reminding them of the parking limit and handing parking charges to the driver would be a much better way of managing a car park.

Your comment, "the ANPR manages it" is totally incorrect. ANPR systems are seriously flawed and not fit for purpose which is why the UK Government has banned their use in council and local authority car parks.
Unregulated private parking cowboys use the flaws to generate revenue.
They cannot direct someone to a free space. They cannot stop misuse of disabled bays. They do not record parking time, only time in site. During busy periods the clock starts at the car park entrance no matter how long it takes to find a space or leave when stuck in a queue of traffic, or even gridlocked.
They cannot determine if a disabled user or breastfeeding mother, protected by the Equality Act 2010, or a motorist changing a wheel need extra time.

Judges in court cases have already stated that driving around looking for a space is not parking.

Umkomaas

I think the limit at this Lidl is 90 minutes. I truly fail to understand how someone shopping in Lidl would ever exceed that time, from entering the car park to leaving it. Unless they went shopping elsewhere, in which case they only have themselves to blame.

I assume you are unaware that in a number of cases, stores such as Lidl, built on land previously occupied by former businesses, that planning permission is granted with codicils that parking is also made available for those using other nearby shopping areas within the town?

Where Lidl are ignoring such by imposing their own restrictions, I wonder who you now think have themselves to blame?

Like everything in the private parking industry, there are far too many extremely naive assumptions and comments.

Coupon-mad

Whilst I'm not a fan of the practices of these private parking companies, I do wonder how people expect the likes of Lidl to maintain parking for their customers?

How about clear signs, so people are IN NO DOUBT, and in-house charges of say, £25 for any overstay with half that money going to charity?