Parking Eye and Lidl car park - driver spending £ in store, 13 mins over 90 min limit - 2 questions

ronnie69

Hello,

I’ve read many threads on here and I’m trying to minimise my enquiry but I am time poor atm so hope you’ll bear with me. I’ll try to be brief.

Attached should be a Parking Charge Notice from a Lidl car park. Driver was in the Lidl shop and went nowhere else. Driver shops their frequently and on the day concerned spent about £94. Quite why driver was there for 1hr 43m (13m too long) is a mystery but driver was spending £ in the Lidl store (there’s nothing else there to visit).

Lidl website says parking is for genuine customers. Car park concerned has never been more than a quarter full whenever driver has been there and frequently is only 5/10% full.

As registered keeper, I spoke to store shift manager – useless. Asked for area manager’s details - no can do (data protection). Given a customer service number but from what I’ve read here they will tell me to appeal to Parking Eye and spending time on the phone will probably just wind me up and waste my time.

I plan to write to Parking Eye enclosing the receipt for £94 odd and other receipts showing weekly visits. 2 questions:

1.      whether I should bother including all the other arguments suggested on here? I don’t really have the time or inclination to draft all that if they might write it off as driver is a genuine Lidl punter. I’m inclined to say (I paraphrase)  ‘let me off; genuine punter, but if you don’t I reserve the right to set out additional grounds of objection later’.

2.      I’ve read on here somewhere that one should complain rather than appeal, presumably on the basis that appealing suggests they have authority to issue the notice in the 1st place. I now can’t find that thread. Does it make any difference whether I say appeal or complain or just send it in the alternative to cover my bases?

Many thanks

Gr1pr

Ideally you complain about it to Lidl head office or CEO, with copies of proof of patronage , plan A 

Appeal before the 28 deadline with proof of patronage if its not been cancelled with plan A

Car1980

Try emailing the CEO with your receipt ryan.mcdonnell@lidl.co.uk

skuther

https://customer-service.lidl.co.uk/SelfServiceUK/s/article/Why-have-I-received-a-car-parking-charge-1562147692460

Feel free to quote their own website back to them during your "complaint".

"We have parking restrictions in some stores to make sure there are spaces available for Lidl shoppers." ... Lidl shopper like you

"It is not our intention for loyal customers to receive a charge" ... as a loyal customer who has received a charge they should be cancelling it ASAP

Umkomaas

When you get around (if necessary) to appealing to PE, send a copy of your receipt, and I'd expect they will cancel for a genuine customer spending at that level. ~£30 seems to be a 'hidden' threshold above which cancellations are made. Don't miss the PE appeal deadline by waiting too long on getting a Lidl response. 

ronnie69

Thanks for the responses and CEO email address. I sent an email to the CEO late Friday with receipts. So far not even an auto acknowledgment although it's early days (and the weekend) I suppose.

Any thoughts on the 2 specific numbered Qs from my 1st post?

Umkomaas

ronnie69 said:

Thanks for the responses and CEO email address. I sent an email to the CEO late Friday with receipts. So far not even an auto acknowledgment although it's early days (and the weekend) I suppose.

Any thoughts on the 2 specific numbered Qs from my 1st post?

1. Either use the initial appeal template from the NEWBIES FAQ Announcement, first post (with copy of receipt attached), - no need for 'other points', they won't make any difference, or just your short 'genuine, regular customer, here's receipt for day in question, and other receipts to show how much Lidl will be missing out on in future if this parking charge is not cancelled, meaning I become an ex-customer' (you could cc that to the Lidl CEO with the letter marked as such). 

2. Appeal to PE, complain to everyone else!

Coupon-mad

Do 't use a template.

Just appeal with the receipt and quote Lidl's website promise about not penalising shoppers.