Family fined for spending too long at Bristol McDonald's
A family went to a Bristol McDonald's for lunch – and ended up with a £50 "fine" for staying too long.
Chay White, 42, met his wife Bobby, 38, and their two-year-old daughter, Chaya, at the fast food restaurant in Brislington for lunch and thought nothing more of their visit until they received a demand for payment from a parking enforcement company.
It told them they had stayed 21 minutes longer than the one-hour limit on parking at the site and demanded they pay £50 within 14 days or face an increase in the fine and possible court action.
Mr White, who visits the restaurant around twice a week, said he was disgusted to be charged for using the free car park while visiting as a paying customer.
Although there were notices up advising customers of the time limit, along with a series of other car park rules, he said it was wrong for McDonald's to demand people eat their food in a certain time.
And he claims he has been unable to discuss the issue with anyone at the parking enforcement company, MET.
He says the firm's telephone helpline is simply a recorded message telling him to complain in writing.
Charges levied for parking on private property are not official fines. They are claims for breach of contract that can only be pursued in a civil court.
The family from Hartcliffe received their notice on Tuesday following their visit on Tuesday, March 3.
Mrs White had parked the family Renault at 12.06pm. She now knows this because her car was filmed by a CCTV camera as it arrived.
She waited in the restaurant drinking coffee while their daughter tucked into chicken nuggets before Mr White joined them on his 30-minute lunch break.
Mr White, who works for a fixings company near the McDonald's outlet in Brislington, arrived shortly before 1pm and had a cheeseburger and a milkshake.
The family left at 1.27pm.
Two weeks later the notice from London-based MET, arrived saying the car had been parked for 81 minutes.
The notice showed photographs of the car at the car park which has signs stating there is free parking for an hour and advising people not to leave the premises while parked at McDonald's.
MET used the registration number to get the family's address from the Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency.
If the charge was not paid within 14 days MET said it would be doubled to £100, after which it threatened court action.
Mr White, who has two other children Adele, 15 and Scott, 12, said: "It's not as though we were parked there all day – we were paying customers.
"There were notices up but you wouldn't really read them because you wouldn't think that you had to eat your meal in a set time.
"Most of the time you have to queue for 20 minutes to get served anyway.
"Chaya is two-and-a-half and takes ages to eat anything.
"McDonald's have said that there's nothing they can do but the company is working for them and they shouldn't fine us for eating at their restaurant.
"There were plenty of parking spaces that day so this feels like a real kick in the teeth.
"If you only have 14 days, are you really likely to be able to sort it out by post if you have to write to them?
"It's absolutely scandalous."
McDonald's spokeswoman Alison Purves said: "It is important to McDonald's that our customers have an opportunity to park in the car park adjacent to our restaurant at Brislington.
"The use of our car park by people parking up all day while working in the near-by industrial estate or going to college, meant that spaces were not available for our customers.
"Therefore, we were forced to impose time limits on parking at the site. This is clearly communicated to customers throughout the car park via 15 large signs as well as being communicated inside the restaurant via leaflets.
"If customers require extra parking time, they are very welcome to request this by speaking with our shift manager who will then contact MET Parking."
DVLA spokesman Darren Wheatley said information could be passed on under the Regulation 27 of the Road Vehicles Regulations 2002 for purposes connected with the investigation of an offence or parking contravention or anyone with a 'reasonable cause' – which includes car park enforcement companies.
96 Comments
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by Raymond Berry, Effingham Surrey
Monday, April 20 2009, 12:00AM
“All these coments about the parking fine's at McDonalds,
I know that there are sighns all over giving rules and regulations, but has anyone stopp't and thought about the disabled that have to struggle into the restraunt that could take you up to( ten minutes, or moor) then getting served could take up to fifteen minutes,(or moor) then to eat your food and rdink your coffee another thirty minutes, and if you need to use the toilet who know's if your in a disabled condision,
After all that have you got time to ask the Manager for permision to park for an extendead period of time,
Well after all that I calculate 50 minutes now I have to get back to my car with indigestion because I have boltead my soggy burger and greesey chips, by this time its to late mate and you have been put on camera and there's a ticket winging its way to your address like I recieved on the 14/4/2009 its discuting is there no human beings out there any longer, and I would like to add all you people that write the most stupid comments on here, just look into the future it could be you one day that's unwell and find it hard to mannage the thing that you all take for granted in life, Please exuse me if there are any spelling misstakes in this but my vision fails me sometimes up close,
McDonalds you should be ashamed of youselve's !!”
by richard, England
Saturday, March 21 2009, 11:35PM
“What the hell were you doing taking your two year-old daughter into a Mac Donald's restaurant.... please, god, please tell me you didn't feed her any of the crap they serve up as 'food' there. If you did, I personally beseech Social Services to remove your child because condemning your child to nutritionally-void, high trans-fatty food, and early obesity with the related diseases and ailments is an act of gross negligence. Do the whole family a favour, go to a fresh salad bar and get some vitamins.”
by Pin1onU, Bradley Stoke
Friday, March 20 2009, 7:43PM
“I read with dismay the misrepresentation in the article about McDonalds. First up it's not a ticket. Its an invoice for an alleged breach of contract
Its also an un-enforceable invoice for two reasons.
£50 for an overstay in an otherwise free car park. Smells like a penalty charge(same as the banks) to me and that is against case law (Dunlop).
It also breaks the unfair terms in consumer contracts act as it puts an unfair burden on the consumer by using a non-negotiated amount for breach.
There is a MDs at Gatwick and another at Billingsgate (which does exactly the same thing.
See
( ALL the double u's dot) consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/parking-traffic-offence/186294-met-parking-services-private.html
The best thing to do is to ignore these invoices which have no legal backing and get on with your life. They are not legal, are dressed up to look official (which breaks the current consumer regulations) and often misrepresent the real position by insisting that the registered keeper is responsible for the debt. Any allegation of debt should be addressed to the driver on the day and not the RK. The RK is under no obligation to provide the parking company with the name of the driver.
If anyone has received one of these invoices they can get help and support on how to deal with it for free on the consumer action group forums.”
by Pin1onU, Bradley Stoke
Friday, March 20 2009, 6:05PM
“This is an un-enforceable invoice for two reasons. It is a penalty charge like the banks issue and that is against case law (Dunlop). It also breaks the unfair terms in consumer contracts act.
There is a MDs at Gatwick and another at Billingsgate (which does exactly the same thing.
See this link http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/parking-traffic-offences/186294-met-parking-services-private.html
The best thing to do is to ignore these invoices which have no legal backing and get on with your life. They are not legal, are dressed up to look official (which breaks the current consumer regulations) and often misrepresent the real position by insisting that the registered keeper is repsonsible for the debt. Any allegation of debt should be addressed to the driver on the day and not the RK.
The RK is under no obligation to provide the parking company with the name of the driver.”
by bert, bristol
Friday, March 20 2009, 1:32PM
“Steven, North Bristol
your redundancy package will be worth jack s*** if your employer goes to the wall.All you will get is the current government hand out which is about £250:00 one off payment”
by s, bristol
Thursday, March 19 2009, 8:05PM
“I sympathise with the man for getting a parking ticket for eating with his family... however there are about 15 signs all over the carpark (which have been up since december!!) stating you only get an hour! leaflets all over inside saying that if you are going to be any longer than 60 min to tell a manager! simple as that! Is that too hard for some people to grasp... how to read a sign, and speak to someone!!!
Its a shame this has had to happen due to people abusing the system and parking there cars where they shouldn't! Asda down in bedminster have a similar scheme!
However i think that this issue making the front page is pathetic! surely there are much more pressing issues within our community! The man is clearly trying to get some money (prob to pay for parking fines as he cant read!)
Also to all those out there... isnt the issue a parking fine and not the food, or about what "title" goes to working at McDonalds!!! It's time people GOT A LIFE and stopped taking every opportunity to criticize!”
by bell ringer, bristol
Thursday, March 19 2009, 8:03PM
“In the know, Bristol, alarm bells ? you could fit church bells in a head like that !!!!”
by s, bristol
Thursday, March 19 2009, 7:43PM
“I sympathise with the man for getting a parking ticket, however... there are signs all over the car park that have been there since december! And leaflets inside stating that if you are going to be longer than a hour to see a manager! easy as that! learn to read! Asda in bedminster have a parking scheme too! sometimes this to has happen because people have abused the system and spoilt it for everyone! As for going to the paper and making front page news!! GET A LIFE!!! Somebody trying to get free money!! (prob to pay for all his parking fines!!)
And isnt the issue a parking fine and not the food or the job! people cant help but whinge and mouth off!!!!”
by In the know, Bristol
Thursday, March 19 2009, 7:12PM
“Did alarm bells not ring in his head when he arrived to find there were many spaces available? If he is a regular as he states he should have known something had changed!! If the signs had been read, which Mr White decided not to do, even though they state the car park is a managed site, he would have known that if his visit exceeded 1 hour, all he had to do was approach the shop manager at the time, and they would have contacted the parking company with his details and they would not have received a fine!!!! Surely this is not discriminating against the customers in any way. If people are silly enough not to do this, then they deserve all they get. As far as I am aware, this scheme was only introduced because REAL
customers were unable to visit as they were unable to park. I have been there before when the carpark was full, but noone was in the shop. It seems that whatever McDonalds does, they are criticised for. People should read and take note, if they need more time, it will be granted, just follow the simple rules!!!”
by Laura, Whitchurch
Thursday, March 19 2009, 6:30PM
“I've got a spare five mins what shall I do. Ah I know, moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan”