Station Car Park (over)charging?

[Mark V GTD]

I parked in a large station car park on a weekday and entered at 2.30pm in the afternoon. I left the car there overnight and picked it up at 8.30pm the following evening.

The charges, indicated on the car park info board, are:

Monday - Friday
Daily charge (Peak)
Valid for 24 hours.
Vehicles entering the car park before 9.30am.
Charges per day or part day: £17.00

Daily charge (off peak)
Valid until 04.29 the following day
Vehicles entering car park after 9.30am
Charges per day or part day: £6.75

It also says that "where a parking session, other than 'Long Weekend' extends in to a weekend or weekday, the total parking session is calculated at the peak rate per 24 hours".

I was charged £34.00 for 30 hours parking. When I queried it with the operator they replied this was correct as my stay extended beyond 04.29 on day 2.

Would welcome views on this as my opinion is that I should be charged £23.75.

Edited by Mark V GTD on Monday 21st November 14:35

[paulrockliffe]

Mark V GTD said:

I parked in a large station car park on a weekday and entered at 2.30pm in the afternoon. I left the car there overnight and picked it up at 8.00pm the following evening.

The charges, indicated on the car park info board, are weekdays, off peak (after 09.30): £6.75.
Weekdays daily charge (Peak): £17.00, valid for 24 hours.

It also says that "where a parking session, other than 'Long Weekend' extends in to a weekend or weekday, the total parking session is calculated at the peak rate per 24 hours".

I was charged £34.00 for 30 hours parking. When I queried it with the operator they replied this was correct.

Would welcome views on this as my opinion is that I should be charged £23.75.

Edited by Mark V GTD on Monday 21st November 14:25

I had the same, parked for 49 hours and was charged for 72, same information given about how charges are calculated, same fob-off when I complained. Work were paying and I was too busy to kick off, but yes, they are up to shenanigans now they've introduced a new app thing.

[Mark V GTD]

Its the caviat at the bottom that I think is confusing.

Edited by Mark V GTD on Monday 21st November 15:39

[QJumper]

Mark V GTD said:

I parked in a large station car park on a weekday and entered at 2.30pm in the afternoon. I left the car there overnight and picked it up at 8.30pm the following evening.

The charges, indicated on the car park info board, are:

Monday - Friday
Daily charge (Peak)
Valid for 24 hours.
Vehicles entering the car park before 9.30am.
Charges per day or part day: £17.00

Daily charge (off peak)
Valid until 04.29 the following day
Vehicles entering car park after 9.30am
Charges per day or part day: £6.75

It also says that "where a parking session, other than 'Long Weekend' extends in to a weekend or weekday, the total parking session is calculated at the peak rate per 24 hours".

I was charged £34.00 for 30 hours parking. When I queried it with the operator they replied this was correct as my stay extended beyond 04.29 on day 2.

Would welcome views on this as my opinion is that I should be charged £23.75.

Edited by Mark V GTD on Monday 21st November 14:35

Here's how I read it:

Day 1 - 2.30pm (ie after 9.30am) to 04.29am, off peak at £6.75
Day 2 - 04.30am (ie before 9.30am) to 8.30pm peak at £17.00

So I agree with your calculation.

[Bill]

Mark V GTD said:

It also says that "where a parking session, other than 'Long Weekend' extends in to a weekend or weekday, the total parking session is calculated at the peak rate per 24 hours".

This is the bit that's got you. If you stay into another parking session they charge peak rates for both.

[BertBert]

I agree with the OPs calculations. It's one off peak plus one peak. Just a question of the effort and success of arguing.

[48k]

£34 sounds correct to me. 2 x 17 peak charges per the final clause - your parking extended beyond 4:29 on the second day, which triggers a peak charge for the TOTAL parking session.

Edited by 48k on Tuesday 22 November 08:30

[Mark V GTD]

Thanks for the responses chaps, very much appreciated. I still cant get my head around the logic or the wording they used. But as some of you seem to agree with the charge methodology I will not bother to challenge it any further. What I will do is avoid using that car park overnight ever again so the operator will lose out more than I have in the long run.

[craigjm]

48k said:

£34 sounds correct to me. 2 x 17 peak charges per the final clause - your parking extended beyond 4:29 on the second day, which triggers a peak charge for the TOTAL parking session.

Edited by 48k on Tuesday 22 November 08:30

Yes this. It does need more clarity though

[normalbloke]

Mark V GTD said:

Thanks for the responses chaps, very much appreciated. I still cant get my head around the logic or the wording they used. But as some of you seem to agree with the charge methodology I will not bother to challenge it any further. What I will do is avoid using that car park overnight ever again so the operator will lose out more than I have in the long run.

Care to mention the location and scheme operator for future reference? I did some chauffeuring for the family at the weekend, and dropped them off at Redhill Station. There was a15 minutes grace for drop off, and I couldn’t pin down whether any revisit would be chargeable or not, so made an alternate pickup. All driven by ANPR…

[Voldemort]

normalbloke said:

Mark V GTD said:

Thanks for the responses chaps, very much appreciated. I still cant get my head around the logic or the wording they used. But as some of you seem to agree with the charge methodology I will not bother to challenge it any further. What I will do is avoid using that car park overnight ever again so the operator will lose out more than I have in the long run.

Care to mention the location and scheme operator for future reference? I did some chauffeuring for the family at the weekend, and dropped them off at Redhill Station. There was a15 minutes grace for drop off, and I couldn’t pin down whether any revisit would be chargeable or not, so made an alternate pickup. All driven by ANPR…

You've been here long enough to have heard of rule 5.

[Largechris]

Voldemort said:

You've been here long enough to have heard of rule 5.

Rule 5?

No officer with false teeth should attempt oral sex in zero gravity?

[Voldemort]

Largechris said:

Voldemort said:

You've been here long enough to have heard of rule 5.

Rule 5?

No officer with false teeth should attempt oral sex in zero gravity?

[normalbloke]

Voldemort said:

normalbloke said:

Mark V GTD said:

Thanks for the responses chaps, very much appreciated. I still cant get my head around the logic or the wording they used. But as some of you seem to agree with the charge methodology I will not bother to challenge it any further. What I will do is avoid using that car park overnight ever again so the operator will lose out more than I have in the long run.

Care to mention the location and scheme operator for future reference? I did some chauffeuring for the family at the weekend, and dropped them off at Redhill Station. There was a15 minutes grace for drop off, and I couldn’t pin down whether any revisit would be chargeable or not, so made an alternate pickup. All driven by ANPR…

You've been here long enough to have heard of rule 5.

It’s not naming and shaming though is it.

[Largechris]

Must admit this is the sort of battle against petty tyranny that I live for. The hatred keeps me alive.

I'm tempted to go down to this car park and park as the OP did just to fight the legal battle afterwards. Love this stuff.

On a quick reading I would think the contract wording:

"peak rate per 24 hours"

Is misleading, as that suggests an hourly rate, not the (whole) day rate.

"peak rate for 24 hours" would be correct.

So plenty to argue and waste their time with.

Edited by Largechris on Wednesday 23 November 09:59

[Mark V GTD]

Hi Chris, yes its that part of the wording that is confusing to say the least I think. Should it say 'per 24 hours or part thereof' but that would then reduce the charge and what they are really saying is if you stay a second day your first day will be treated as a full days peak stay regardless of what time you arrived? The fact is its just not fair to charge in that way and if they really want to they should have made that aspect much clearer on the info board.

'Normalbloke' - will PM you details.

[BertBert]

Mark V GTD said:

Hi Chris, yes its that part of the wording that is confusing to say the least I think. Should it say 'per 24 hours or part thereof' but that would then reduce the charge and what they are really saying is if you stay a second day your first day will be treated as a full days peak stay regardless of what time you arrived? The fact is its just not fair to charge in that way and if they really want to they should have made that aspect much clearer on the info board.

'Normalbloke' - will PM you details.

That's what I was thinking too!

[normalbloke]

Mark V GTD said:

Hi Chris, yes its that part of the wording that is confusing to say the least I think. Should it say 'per 24 hours or part thereof' but that would then reduce the charge and what they are really saying is if you stay a second day your first day will be treated as a full days peak stay regardless of what time you arrived? The fact is its just not fair to charge in that way and if they really want to they should have made that aspect much clearer on the info board.

'Normalbloke' - will PM you details.

Thanks, appreciated.