Car wars at Morrisons (or Euro Car Parks?)
It’s bad enough getting a parking ticket when you know you’ve overstayed your welcome.
But when you get FOUR parking tickets all at once – for occasions you swear you never went into extra time – and then get a threatening letter from the bailiffs, that’s when stress levels really mount.
Totnes Pulse reader Paul Harper contacted us after receiving a demand for £680 from Direct Collection Bailiffs Ltd.
He says this is the first time he was aware that he had – allegedly – fallen foul of the two hour time limit for free parking at Morrisons. Not once, not twice or even three times, but FOUR times, he was apparently stupid enough to leave his car for more than two hours.
He says he got this bailiff’s demand in December last year, but the fines dated as far back as November 30 2024. In January this year he got another letter, this time headed FINAL REMINDER and listed four occasions Paul was deemed to have overstayed, racking up four £170 penalties. £100 for the overstaying and £70 in “fees”.
If he didn’t pay the £680 they would recommend their client to begin legal action. Paul feared this could also mean his car being snatched. The client is Euro Car Parks, which manages the site for Morrisons. “I wrote to the bailiffs asking if this was a scam. They replied it was not a scam,” he said.
Paul can’t remember whether he visited Morrisons on the days listed on the final demand but insists he got no tickets at all until the scary letter from the Cheshire-based bailiffs. The car make and registration number is his car and he is the legal keeper.
Paul said: “I’m not paying and they can take me to court.” Back in December he asked Morrisons to help but was told by customer services:
“I apologise about the situation involving the alleged contravention in the car park at our Totnes store. I have noted your complaint in our system for the store management team to review. However, it is important to inform you that the car park in question is owned and operated by a private landlord, not by Morrisons. As such, we are unable to directly assist you with the charge.”
Paul, a former BBC World Service journalist, did some digging into Euro Car Parks; “I discovered that ECP has just been fined £473,000 by the Competition and Markets Authority for contravening the laws on providing information about its activities. ECP said it ignored official requests for the information because it assumed they were fraudulent attempts to scam it.”
“ECP is one of the country’s biggest private parking companies, issuing nearly two-million fines in a single year.” ECP has appealed against the CMA judgement.
PARKING TECHNOLOGY WTH A PERSONAL TOUCH
Paul vented his frustration by sending Morrisons a strongly worded article which said he was now “paranoid” about parking in the car park. Within days the press office got back to him, saying that “We have been working with the car parking team and ECP and are happy to cancel the fines you have on this occasion.”
Paul is mightily relieved, but I wanted to know whether it was ECP – the manager of the car park, or Morrisons – the actual land owner – who’d been merciful.
A spokesperson for Morrisons replied: “The car park is owned by Morrisons and we outsource the car park management to ECP – we have been in touch with them directly regarding Paul’s tickets.” Let’s hope ECP has told its bailiffs – the largest parking enforcement debt recovery company in the UK – that the £680 fine has been scrapped.
Paul is still puzzled though about why his car – which he agrees is his – was ticketed. “When I have had parking tickets in the past I got photos with time stamps, the discount for prompt payment etc. Whereas the demand from the bailiff simply said your vehicle has overstayed the maximum time allowed. No other details like time in and out.”
Morrisons car park is controlled by cameras, and ECP says on its website that “Because they never take a day off our 24/7 cameras capture and read number plates in the most challenging conditions. Our self contained cameras process the data and images internally – so they are simple and cost effective. “
A penalty notice should normally contain the date, time in and out, and often photographic evidence of the car in question. Paul says the DVLA has his current address so doesn’t believe any previous notices went astray.
Paul emailed ECP with this question: “Can you please supply the following information about the above parking charge? Date and time of the alleged offence together with any photographic evidence. From my records you appear to have proceeded directly to threat of legal action without providing any precise details of the alleged offence, a practice that clearly has worrying implications for users of your car parks. Your comment would be much appreciated for a report in the Totnes Pulse informing its readers about the danger they may face using their local supermarket car park.”
The email bounced back.
Calls to ECP’s number 020 7563 3000 resulted in being directed to their website or an extension number – but as I didn’t have an extension number, I got no further. Euro Car Parks – which says on its website provides “PARKING TECHNOLOGY WTH A PERSONAL TOUCH” is a member of the British Parking Association, which has a code of conduct for car park managers. But the BPA couldn’t help me when I asked about the rules companies should follow when sending out tickets. It said it was a trade body, not one for the public, although it does have a knowyourparking rights.org website for the public. But that didn’t enlighten me either.
I’m not paying and they can take me to court.
Private parking (as opposed to council run car parks and on street pay machines) is a massively lucrative business, as can be seen by ECP’s profits. In 2024’s accounts there is a gross profit of nearly £13 million. Direct Collection Bailiffs Ltd is also doing well, with gross profit of more than £5 million for 2024.
Meanwhile Paul, while pleased he won’t have to fight ECP in court, admits “I am a bit nervous about driving into Morrisons.”