Tesco parking and opening hours - Sunday

Sea_Shell

Our Tesco Extra allows 3 hours free parking during opening hours, but only half an hour outside these times.

Their advertised opening times on Sundays are from 10am...but, they open the doors at around 9.30am for browsing.  So not "official" hours.

Their car park is handy for my gym, in which I spend about an hour.

Would I be ok to park at, say 9.10am.

What do you all think.  Is Tesco's parking the same around the country?

Gr1pr

No they arent the same, neither are the other supermarkets, especially not near me, nor even in the different countries, but I would suggest that if a private parking company is involved with ANPR or MNPR cameras, parking outside normal hours will attract a PCN , even if its forbidding signage 

McKneff

You might get away with it at 9.30 but no guarantee. They could argue they are not 'open' till 10am.

At 9.10 the shop is no open at all for selling so you risk a ticket

I wouldn't even attempt to park before 10am

la531983

The Tesco near me has a 15 minute max parking time from midnight-10am, and 6pm to midnight, on Sundays, as per the signs. The branch is open 11am until 5pm.

The OP needs to check the signage as its possible the half an hour restriction ends at 9am at his branch (an hour before opening)

Sea_Shell

It's operated by Horizon.

You've confirmed my wariness of parking there on Sundays.  Midweek is fine, as it's open 24 hours.

I wonder if browsers, who park up before 9.30am and wait for the doors to open, ever get caught out.

I ran past there the Sunday before Christmas, and there was a lengthy queue outside waiting for the doors to be opened for browsing.

badmemory

My local tesco has a 3 hour limit.  It is used by those going into town & the market & I have never heard of anyone getting fined.  So I would say they are all different & you need someone local only to help with this.

la531983

Sea_Shell said:

I wonder if browsers, who park up before 9.30am and wait for the doors to open, ever get caught out.

Probably not, as per my post the hour either side of the official opening on Sunday is likely fine, the OP needs to go down there and read the signage

KeithP

...and even if one does get a PCN during that 'browsing time', a complaint to Tesco's in store Customer Services desk will see it swiftly cancelled.

Brie

Apparently there is a concept in law where the simple conditions of a sign take precedence over the more complicated ones.  

So what you, me and everyone see when we look at the parking sign is "3 hours free parking".  So that's what we expect.  What you, me and the rest don't take in is the "except on Sundays or after 10 pm on Saturdays etc etc" when parking might be as low as 15 minutes (well that's what our Tescos have).  So legally if you park after 10 on a Saturday you should be able to expect to have 3 hours free parking.  

So legally you should be ok.  But that won't stop the parking clowns from sending you a PCN.

Gr1pr

its also worth noting that usually the free parking is for CUSTOMERS ONLY, not for convenient parking whilst a person goes off site to a nearby gym, especially if they are not customers of the business

its what is on the signs that counts, typically in smaller font than the 3 hours free parking that entices a person in

I doubt that Tesco`s has an agreement with the nearby gym that allows gym goers to use the Tesco car park for free

my nearest Tesco extra is limited to 90 minutes for customers only

fisherjim

Brie said:

Apparently there is a concept in law where the simple conditions of a sign take precedence over the more complicated ones.  

So what you, me and everyone see when we look at the parking sign is "3 hours free parking".  So that's what we expect.  What you, me and the rest don't take in is the "except on Sundays or after 10 pm on Saturdays etc etc" when parking might be as low as 15 minutes (well that's what our Tescos have).  So legally if you park after 10 on a Saturday you should be able to expect to have 3 hours free parking.  

So legally you should be ok.  But that won't stop the parking clowns from sending you a PCN.

I think you are getting this all a bit mixed up, this is about an unregulated parking industry and your over simplification of the terms and conditions will not play out very well.