Horizon Parking 'Fine' - Tesco

prowla

I always find the magnanimous "gesture of goodwill" reduction ironic.

Nellymoser

If we all started to return goods purchased in stores saying we can no longer afford them as we have to pay a pcn to the PPC you employ to manage your store's car park. It may make stores/landowners reconsider their ability to help.

fisherjim

What people don't know, are not told, it's not on the signage, and indeed it's not easy to find on the Horizon Pay To Park website (hands up who knew that existed), is that many Tesco car parks "managed" by Horizon can be used on a pay to park basis, this one is no exception.

You can actually park here all day for £2.50, I suspect that Horizon would rather get the inflated PCN money it's far more lucrative!

https://www.horizonspaces.co.uk/locations/show/1030525169

I found this out by accident as I live in a seaside town with a Tesco Extra with a huge 2 hour limit car park, however you can park all day for £3 which is a bargain compared to the council car parks.

In actual fact this is almost like entrapment, the fact that you can pay for parking to avoid an inflated parking charge but there is no signage or details at the actual site and the only way to pay is on a completely separate Horizon website only in advance, very fishy!

Nellymoser

Asda and sainsbury also offer their parking spaces to non customers for a fee. While this is a super idea it does kill the PPC's argument parking management is needed to free up spaces for the store's customers.

fisherjim

Nellymoser said:

Asda and sainsbury also offer their parking spaces to non customers for a fee. While this is a super idea it does kill the PPC's argument parking management is needed to free up spaces for the store's customers.

Indeed the first line of this sign makes them look like a bunch of idiots:

nopcns

So much discussion about a simple Horizon, non-PoFA NtK. @Equix, email the CEO of Tesco with a complaint about being invoiced by an unregulated private parking company for being a patron of their store. Request that they get the PCN cancelled or lose you, your family and friends as customers.

If you have not received notice that it has been cancelled just before the appeal deadline, send the following (verbatim) as your appeal:

This is an appeal by the registered keeper - No driver details will be given. Please do NOT try the usual trick of asking for driver details in order to get around the fact your NtK does not comply with PoFA. As there is no keeper liability, therefore, liability cannot flow from the driver to the keeper and so, is an automatic win at POPLA. Please cancel the notice or issue a POPLA code at which point you will auto withdraw.

Do NOT tick or select anything that suggests you were the driver. You are appealing as the keeper.

Why do people think that complaining to a lowly customer service lackey that anything will be done? Aim as high up the management food chain as you can go. Go on social media and websites such as TrustPilot etc and highlight the stupidity of these companies who shoot themselves in the foot by contracting ex-clamper thugs to infest their car parks. Warn as many people as you can that they risk getting an invoice for up tp £100 just for being a patron of their store.

Coupon-mad

Well said, @nopcns

I was going to say the same. Why so much discussion and going down rabbit holes?  No criticism of the OP who is rightly seeking advice, but it should have been sorted in the first reply!  Just appeal as keeper.  Very easy. 

Why are we on page 2 and why did we ask to see the NTK when we all know (and the NEWBIES thread says) that Horizon don't use the PoFA.

This is the easiest one in the world to kill off.

  

Equix

I've just had the time to ctach up on this thread and I'd like to thank everyone who has commented for their advice and time, I do very much appreciate it. I'll do the appeal now and update you all as soon as I hear back!

Equix

Wait sorry I jumped the gun a little there, I'll first email the Tesco CEO an then if no luck proceed with the appeal.

Equix

Hi folks, here's the lengthy email sent to the CEO. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Dear Mr Murphy,

 

I hope this finds you or your assistant(s) well.

A couple of days prior to sending you this email I unfortunately received a PCN (see attached) from Horizon Parking, one of the predatory car park management companies responsible for supervising Tesco's car parks. 

 

I am a frequent patron of Tesco and a clubcard holder, I make weekly routinely visits to your Southport Extra store despite it being a 30min drive away from me, and also despite the fact that on the way to the aforementioned store, I drive past an ASDA, LIDL and Morrisons, yet I actively choose to travel and shop at Tesco, as I have always been happy with my shopping experience there. 

 

However, on my most recent visit I have been penalised for spending too long in one of your stores, a total of 4 hours. Now I appreciate this may seem unusual, but I was not only conducting a rather large shop (of which amounted to £200 (see attached)) I also happened to bump into an old friend that I hadn’t seen in quite a few years and we had a catchup. Now as you can imagine time flies in these scenarios and as such this resulted in the ‘overstay’. Large shops at Tesco aren’t unusual for me and my routine shop does usually take a couple of hours each week as I usually spend between £150 – £200 a week, and I’ve never been stung with a parking charge before.

 

As soon as I received the PCN I contacted Tesco Customer Service via Phone, and the assistant I spoke to was of no help at all, and was actually questioning me with a tone that almost insinuated I was wrong for spending so long instore. There was no resolution to the phone call and she recommended I “just go through the appeal process with Horizon”.

 

In all honesty, I’m not happy at all and this experience has left a rather sour taste in my mouth.

Inaction sends a very clear message in my eyes, and so far Tesco actually supporting companies such as Horizon (who are notorious for predatory tactics to the point the government is having to regulate them this year) sends a very clear message to me – the customer – that Tesco cares little for circumstances that may unfold in their stores and that you just want us in and out. Just hurry up, spend your money and go.

 

I can confidently say that me and my family’s future patronage at your stores depends completely on how you choose to respond to this email. If no resolution is met, then I simply cannot shop in your stores anymore in good faith. I shouldn’t have a looming cloud over my head when I visit a Tesco that I’m on the clock to get out otherwise risking a £70 surcharge to every shop I do. I’ll simply take my business elsewhere.

This will include me no longer using Tesco’s petrol stations, as my vehicle requires 99RON fuel due to the nature of the Engine, and I know Momentum is held in a similarly high regard to Shell’s V-Power but at a much more affordable price.

 

I hope we can get this resolved, but I also urge you and the corporate team to genuinely think over as to how having a maximum stay period in such large stores that contain Cafe’s, Clothing, Homeware, and Groceries, is in any way beneficial for the business.

 

Tesco’s motto is ‘Every Little Helps’, I implore your team to reflect on how those words should extend to all facets of the business, not just the prices printed on the shelf labels.

 

In a world currently plagued with the socio-economic troubles we are all facing, be better.

 

Regards,