Parking at St Peter's in Mansfield causes discomfort
Parking at St Peter's in Mansfield causes discomfort
Our poll found the majority of people didn't ike being spied on by ParkingEye cameras
Our poll found the majority of people didn't ike being spied on by ParkingEye cameras
Some drivers are 'livid' with the parking cherges dished out at the retail park, and others even said are considering a boycott.
An online poll by the Chad revealed an overwhelming majority of 87 per cent of respondents said the camera system made them reluctant to shop there.
Some 72 per cent said they were not comfortable parking in the retail park, with 46 per cent considering boycotting the retail park entirely.
“This firm make me livid. My 69 year old mother is being hounded by them for a parking fine issued to my father, who has since passed away. They continue to send threatening letters. We’ve now had to send in proof of his death certificate.”
Helen Barnes
What our readers had to say
We asked all the stores on the retail park, including TK Maxx, Greggs and Boots, to respond to evidence that shoppers are being put off from the retail park, and of those only Poundland responded.
A company spokesman said: "We understand why people want free parking, so it’s no surprise to hear that savvy shoppers who appreciate amazing value have been left feeling disappointed after using St Peter’s Retail Park car park.
We are all about championing low cost and can understand why customers would want their entire shopping experience to reflect this."
David Tillyer initiated what is now mounting on pressure on the retail park over ParkingEye cameras.
The poll came after 50-year-old David Tillyer complained about an “unfair” ticket. He received a parking charge notice of £85 after exceeding the free 45-minute period at the retail park, including 15 minutes he spent looking for a space.
He said: “These fines are harsh. They prey on the elderly and people who are not so savvy and will quickly pay a fine out of fear.
“I will not be parking there again if this is how they treat their customers.”
“So, because of the actions of ParkingEye, the companies on that retail park will lose my business.”
I Spent 40 minutes there, had a call from my daughter who had picked up some heavy shopping, so went to pick her up from Sports Direct, an entirely separate car park – and got a fine. I’m not paying - I’ve been resold to a debt collection agency.
Eligra Netsrik
Businesses respond to our poll
St Peter's
“We offer 45 minutes of free parking which can be topped up by buying a ticket at any time before leaving the car park, even if shoppers return to their cars after the free parking period has ended. Charging for parking is a condition of the centre’s planning permission and the system gives shoppers every possible opportunity to avoid a fine. The well-being and convenience of our shoppers is always of paramount importance to us and is the reason the automatic number plate recognition system was introduced more than five years ago. The system is fair to all of the three million plus shoppers that visit the centre every year and ensures they are able to park near to the shops they have come to visit."
ParkingEye
“ParkingEye adheres to the British Parking Association’s guidelines on grace periods and as the driver overstayed beyond this period a parking charge was incurred. ParkingEye operates an audited appeals process and encourages people to appeal if they feel there are mitigating circumstances. If a motorist disagrees with our decision they have the option to appeal to the independent appeals service (POPLA). In this case the driver did appeal to POPLA, who upheld our original decision.”