'Genuine mistake’: Drivers hit out at Belvoir Castle parking system after big fine
DRIVERS who were given a parking charge at Belvoir Castle say the system is "made to catch you out".
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Melanie Fletcher, 58 and her husband, 57, say they made a “genuine mistake” when they underpaid for parking. They visited the historic Leicestershire castle in May, and said they were advised by a receptionist to pay when they left.
When they went to pay, they claim the ticket machine didn’t show the exact amount of money owed.
Because of this, they ended up underpaying by 36 minutes.
They were subsequently issued with a parking charge notice.
The charge was £80 but would be reduced to £60 if paid promptly.
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The couple appealed the charge to Initial Parking Ltd, but this has since been rejected.
Mrs Fletcher says the parking system “seemingly waits for you to make an error” and “is just made to catch you out”.
She told Nottinghamshire Live: “It's one hour free, we had been here another two to two-and-a-half hours. He has paid the parking and it transpired at this point we underpaid the parking by 36 minutes.
“You do not realise you have made that mistake until you get a notice through the post to say you made an error.
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“It automatically clocks you as you go in anyway, so it knows you are there.”
"When you come to pay for your parking, they ask you for your registration so they can tally up the payment with the car.”
The couple said that the machine did not display the exact amount that they owed.
The appeal was rejected, and they received an automated response which they claim said: “If you do not hear anything from us for a while do not assume this issue has gone away”.
After the notification, the Fletcher’s said they received no other information until Debt Recovery Plus said they had missed two payment deadlines, with them now owing £170.
A spokesperson for Initial Parking said: “All visitors parking in the main car park at Belvoir Castle receive their first hour of parking time free and can purchase additional parking time at any point during their visit.
“The motorist, who was on site for two hours, 36 minutes and 27 seconds, only paid for one hour of parking in addition to the one hour of free parking, resulting in them correctly receiving a parking charge notice.”
The parking service claimed that the couple could have appealed through POPLA, an independent appeals service.
However, Mrs Fletcher maintains that Initial Parking never communicated with the couple and they she would have appealed further had she known all her options.
Belvoir Castle, in Leicestershire, is a popular tourist attraction in the Midlands, with many coming to wander the grounds.
This is not the first time a driver has complained about the parking services at Belvoir Castle.
Last October, a driver was left “furious” when she received a £100 parking charge notice for a similar issue.