Confusion at Alvis Retail Park led to £100 parking fine

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The charges have since been overturned



A couple looking to do some DIY were left with a shock after receiving a bizarre parking ticket from their trip to a retail park.

Jill Davies and her husband went to the B&Q store on Alvis Retail Park in Coundon on March 27, before returning the next day to pick up supplies, but days later they received a surprise in the post.

ParkingEye, the car park management company who operate the Alvis Retail Park, billed Jill, who lives in Allesley Green, for £100.

According to the bill, the couple had entered the car park on March 27, but had not left until March 28.

And the explanation for the bill could be as simple as the exit which the couple used to leave the retail park, which is located on Holyhead Road.

The are two entrances and exits to the park, and Jill believes that on the first day, they entered the one way, before exiting the second.

The following day, they went on to exit from the first entrance, which could potentially be the cause of their problems.

She said: "I don't think the cameras at the second exit were working, otherwise they would have seen us leave on the Tuesday.

"If we had broken the rules, then fair enough, we would have paid the fine. But when we have done nothing wrong, it's unacceptable.

"At first I thought the letter was a scam, and I think some people would just pay it because of the stress it causes."

CoventryLive contacted ParkingEye, who did not confirm whether the cameras at the Alvis Retail Park are working or not.

However, they did cancel the charge issued to Jill.

A ParkingEye spokesperson said: "We encourage people who have received a parking charge to appeal if they think there are mitigating circumstances, and instructions about how to do this are detailed on all communications and on our website.

"In this case, the driver has appealed and upon review we have cancelled this charge."

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Staff at Coventry retail park appeal parking fines for own customers

B&Q is appealing parking fines on behalf of customers following yet more complaints of unfair fines being handed out at a Coventry retail park.

Last month, CoventryLive reported the story of a Coventry couple, who received a £100 parking fine after shopping at the Alvis Retail Park in Coundon - having been incorrectly accused of staying in the car park over night.

This does not appear to be an isolated incident, and after yet another complaint, the DIY store at the park is taking action on behalf of its customers.

Staff have been appealing the fines handed out to customers by ParkingEye, the parking management firm which operates the car park at Alvis.

Unfortunately, despite B&Q raising concerns with their landlord at the Alvis Retail Park, the problem doesn't appear to be going away.

Coundon resident Keith Davies was stunned when he received a £100 fine through the post from ParkingEye earlier this month.

They alleged that he had spent some eight hours and 36 minutes parked at Alvis, which Keith, who lives less than a mile away from the retail park, disputes.

He said: "I went to Morrisons to do my shopping on the Thursday (April 26) morning, then drove home. I went in one entrance, and then out the other I think.

"Later in the day, I went to B&Q, but when I got the fine, it said that I had been in there the whole time. I feel like I'm being taken for a ride.

"If I had done this, then fair enough, I would pay it, no problem."

There has been some speculation that cameras on one exit of the park are faulty, and vehicles entering and then exiting from the opposite exit may not register as having departing.

Keith claimed that a staff member at B&Q told him that they hear stories of at least one fine being issued a week.

A letter obtained by CoventryLive shows that a manager at the B&Q store lodged a complaint on Keith's behalf.

A B&Q spokesperson said: “The car park which serves the B&Q store at the Alvis Retail Park in Coventry is owned and managed by a third party.

"We are aware of the issues customers have had with parking on site and have raised our concerns with the landlord.”

A ParkingEye spokesperson advised that they had nothing further to add, but Keith later informed CoventryLive that his parking charge has been cancelled.