One of those private car park outfits has taken over at Lombardy and installed cameras all over the place. I was in Costa having a coffee and saw a stack of leaflets on the counter setting out the new terms.

Maximum stay 3 hours .... NO RETURN for 2 hours.

So... if I decide to pop into Costa's twice for a coffee within 2 hours, which is very possible, they send me a fine in the post!

Or say I go to Sainsbury's, then pop up to Hayes Town, drop into Costa for a coffee on the way back, or maybe even back into Sainsbury's, or decide I need a T-shirt from JJB I hadn't thought of earlier, a fine in the post!

I made my views very known to the staff in Costa, and they said LOADS of people were angry about it.

What a bonkers world when you can get the hassle of a private so-called fine in the post just for going shopping.

Not that I would consider even for a nanosecond paying such a "fine".

I rarely use that car park anyway. If they have cameras then they will likely be sending out fines to the innocent hoping they will pay without argument.

Thanks for the heads up.

I bet this is due to many using it as an all day park as it's very close to bus stops on the major east/west and north /south route (207/140). Similar situation as Hill Hosp car park used to be, then a short bus ride into Ux.

_________________
Lets be careful out there !

Nothing more than an under the counter extortion racket.
These firms have no legal basis in law to levy fines ignore completely all and any correspondence they send.

That said people who do abuse this by parking all day (for free) and going to work are taking the P a bit.

Big Brother, you were warned in 1984.

_________________
Its not always the biggest and the bestest, its them that make the least mistakes.

I have no issues about public enforcement services like the Police or Customs etc using number plate data to carry out their statutory functions, I simply cannot believe that such details are available for sale for supermarkets (or their landlords) to manage parking issues and increase their profits.

So if I buy anything faulty here and then immediately return for an exchange or refund - I may be fined??? Disgraceful!

After all, ANPR equipment relies on the car being registered - and that cannot be relied upon in this day and age.

Shop elsewhere and hit the pockets of the retailers as profits are the only thing these people listen to

I don't like sainbury's much anyway. Maybe the next step will be to do what they have in Uxbridge, you have to pay for parking and it gets deducted from your bill if you spend over £5.00.

I didn't think you had to pay "fines" set by these companies. There just not legal.

Many of the supermarkets already have CCTV/ANPR cameras for private use - I noticed them at Tesco in Yeading and asked about them and the rules are as said the first thread, stay for 3 hours max. no return for 2 hours - The ANPR is not connected to the DVLA but he information stored can be used by the private parking company to use their link with the DVLA to get the details for a charge to be sent to the owners. The ANPR is simply a way of recording all the cars that come and leave - It is a shame that the garage at Tesco in Yeading doesn't have it trained on their forecourt, use the parking company data for a fee and catch those driving off without paying - a friend tells me that there is upto a dozen drive outs each week and all Tesco seem to do is keep a note of the registration and advertise it on their window. My friend also says that false plates are used and then discarded in local streets.

On a slightly related point.....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-16746575









Proof if any was needed corporate greed will never allow inconveniences like the truth to get in the way.

Correct, Jolly's lane is often littered with them.

If I managed Tesco I would have an employee on the forecourt checking all number plates. The ploy is that they simply velcro or double sided tape them over the real ones. This could be easily detected and no fuel pump activation.
How much fuel are they losing per week and would that cover an employee's wages is the question.

Another facility would be for a direct link so when the garage CCTV views the plate it checks the make and model of car so the cashier can again refuse pump activation, the technology is there.

_________________
Lets be careful out there !