McDonald’s customers are getting caught out by little-known parking rule costing them up to £100 in fines
- Penalty notices were received by customers at McDonald’s on Newmarket Road, Cambridge
- One customer was given two penalty notices that came to £100 for two visits
- Have YOU had a parking nightmare? Email [email protected] or [email protected]
Horrified McDonald’s customers are getting caught out by little-known parking rules costing them up to £100 in fines.
McDonald’s on Newmarket Road, Cambridge, has been a popular destination for diners even prior to its facelift in February last year.
But there have been reports from visitors of the restaurant who claim they were landed with several penalty notices after surpassing the 90 minute parking allocation slot.
Have YOU had a parking nightmare? Email [email protected] or [email protected].
Shapour Meftah, pictured, was one unlucky customer who received two fixed penalty notices coming to £100 after parking at the McDonald’s in Cambridge
UK Parking Control claimed Mr Meftah had surpassed the 90 minute allocation for McDonald’s customers at the car park
Shapour Meftah was one unlucky customer who had a particularly expensive dining experience when meeting his brother for a McDonald’s after work.
He parked his car at the restaurant and received two penalty notices through his letterbox from a private parking company, UK Parking Control, several days later.
The fixed notices issued by the company came to £100 for two visits to the restaurant on the evening of January 4 and 6.
The company claimed Mr Meftah had surpassed the 90 minute allocation for McDonald’s customers at the car park.
‘It was parking from hell – the most expensive McDonald’s I’ve ever had,’ said Mr Meftah.
If he does not pay the fine within a week, the amount that is owed will rise to £100 per ticket, he said.
He parked his car at the restaurant and received two penalty notices through his letterbox from a private parking company, UK Parking Control, several days later
‘There’s no sign inside McDonald’s that says you have 90 minutes to sit down, eat and go. You don’t want to rush your meal and we ordered quite a bit of food,’ he said.
Mr Meftah went to McDonald’s to appeal the penalty notice he had been given.
However, he said: ‘There’s no way you can get help from them. I tried talking to them and they said it was nothing to do with them. There’s no way on earth they’ll help you.’
Explaining the regulations at their car parks and fixed penalty notices, a representative from the company said that it is at the discretion of the parking control company responsible on the outcome of individual cases.
MoneySavingExpert advised that if you get a ticket from a private parking firm which you believe is unfair, do not just pay it automatically. [File image]
They said: ‘We have parking restrictions in place at a number of our restaurants, with a time limit to ensure there is adequate parking for all of our customers.
‘Ample signage regarding these restrictions is clearly displayed both as you drive into the car park and on various lampposts within it.
‘If a customer believes they have been issued a ticket incorrectly, they should appeal it as per the parking control company guidelines.’
MoneySavingExpert advised that if you get a ticket from a private parking firm which you believe is unfair, do not just pay it automatically.
An extract on their website states: ‘Private parking companies have no official right to fine you, though they may try to make you think they do. All they’re doing is sending you a notice of what they deem to be a breach of contract.
‘It isn’t the ability of private companies to issue tickets in itself that’s a problem though. It’s the unstructured system which puts unnecessary power in potentially unscrupulous hands.’
Mr Meftah has put in an appeal for UK Parking Control to revoke the penalty notice.
MailOnline has contacted UK Parking Control and McDonald’s for comment.
Have YOU had a parking nightmare? Email [email protected] or [email protected].
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