Lidl Parkingeye PCN - Lidl claim they cannot cancel?

_MrBojangles_

Umkomaas said:

I think I'd be asking Lidl to confirm whether or not they have, in their contract with PE, given them authorisation to sue Lidl customers through the civil courts. 

I'd also ask at what spend point does the cancellation of a parking charge becomes automatic. You believe that there is a threshold point which is a 'hidden term' within a contract and which offends against contract law. 

So on the assumption that they wouldn't provide this information (I doubt it's on their boilerplate responses list and I get the feeling the customer service aren't capable of writing a coherent sentence unless copy & pasting it) you reckon I should eschew the 'safe' option of appealing to PE and see if they'll take it further after the 30 days are up?

hullensien said:

I have exactly the same problem

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6307247/parkingeye-overstaying-in-lidl-carpark

I had a look and yes it seems apart from a couple of (invariably misspelled) introductory words they all copy and paste from the same hymn sheet.

patient_dream

I do wonder if Mr Häertnagel the CEO actually knows what is going on with whoever operates his customer service

Does he ever see complaints .... probably not. Is he relying on a "jobs worth fool" probably yes.

In an interview with THE GROCER ... the leading voice for supermarkets 

They asked Mr Häertnagel   .... "What advice would you give any aspiring CEO? 

HE REPLIED .... Retail is detail. And never lose the connection to your core business. Lidl wouldn’t be as good as it is if it didn’t know what was happening on the shop floor. That’s where we spend a lot of our time talking to people. And be down to earth and treat people how you’d want to be treated

FACT HERE
https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/people-news/the-big-interview-christian-härtnagel/554891.article

A letter to THE GROCER about your experience will get to the CEO 

Mr Häertnagel needs to know what an incompetent ignorant customer service dept he has

Coupon-mad

Yes you should always appeal with evidence of the receipt or bank statement.

_MrBojangles_

Coupon-mad said:

Yes you should always appeal with evidence of the receipt or bank statement.

I was mooting the idea of deliberately not appealing to see if PE will then pursue further. The assumption is that Lidl won't endorse their customers to be sued by these parasites...slightly risky gamble though! 

Coupon-mad

Very risky IMHO when a receipt of over £30 will likely kill it and free your life of this crap.  They really are not worth your time so I'd do whatever is needed to kill it.

_MrBojangles_

Totally agree but on the other hand I feel terrible for the other genuine Lidl customers who are getting fleeced by these parasites and aren't savvy enough to avail themselves of the selfless and helpful people on this forum and others. Thought that by being stubborn and getting on the soapbox it might make someone at Lidl HQ realise how !!!!!! PE et al are - but realistically I know I'm !!!!!! in the wind. 

Coupon-mad

There's more than one way to skin a cat, and hopefully the worst practices will be laid bare once the Government get their teeth into the industry.

_MrBojangles_

Just a small update on my Lynchian nightmare with Lidl customer services: they've asked for a phone number but are yet to call. In gratitude I am pounding them daily with emails and just got an auto-reply from this email address:

customerservicemanagement@lidl.co.uk  This may be a useful email address to add to the list as I reckon emails sent here are less likely to be seen and answered by a copy-pasting drone.

Coupon-mad

On another thread, a poster was told by a Store Manager this week that Lidl "can't" cancel any more because, apparently, ParkingEye are making a charge for cancellations.  I'd ask about that if I were you and tell them how easily people still get them cancelled by Asda and Morrisons who don't have that clause but do use ParkingEye.

_MrBojangles_

Ahhh that's good to know, thank you.

If true then what muppet at Lidl HQ agreed to this clause?! You almost have to admire the sheer brass neck of PE in expanding their remit to include the predation of their customers as well as their customer's customers!