Parking at Aldi

[Davey]

There was a discussion a while back about parking at supermarkets. When I was in the local Aldi the other day, for the afore-mentioned Battery Charger, I saw a posted notice that they would soon be requiring customers to key in their license plate details at a computer terminal, to allow 1 1/2 hrs. free parking. Staying beyond that would render the driver liable to a penalty. The penalty was not specified, but the requirement is not yet in force, so they have time to sort that out. Would it be legal to not specify the penalty, but still impose one? I see that there is a Court decision on ParkingEye due today.

I wonder what allowance there will be for mis-keying. Some of the people in there cannot even find their wallets or purses, let alone key in numbers on a computer terminal, if they even realise that it is needed. There was one notice, which was noticeable only after cashing out one's purchases.

At least the driver won't have to go back and forth from his car to a Pay and Display thing, though, which is what happens at all the town car parks.

[Huge]

They can whistle for that. I have successfully told both the parking operator at the local railway station and Sainsbury to go forth and multiply when they tried to stick me with parking "penalties".

[Davey]

Excellent! I would also have thought that imposing a parking penalty would be the best way of discouraging that shopper from ever going there again. I rarely shop at our Aldi, but it is the best place to park for the pet food shop over the road. I usually walk through Aldi while I'm there, just to have a look, but only the tools hold any interest, and the clientele mostly speak Polish or Lithuanian.

[Robin]

The Supreme Court's judgment in ParkingEye v Beavis is not due until 4 November. But if they uphold the Court of Appeal judgment car park operators may well pursue more vigorously - and successfully - such charges where people have genuinely overstayed.

[Robin]

I expect ALDI will make the charge (NB not penalty) clear before the new scheme comes into force

Not due until 4 November. But if they uphold the CoA judgment I don't why see ALDI's scheme shouldn't be enforceable. If the contract requires you to enter your reg. no. and you don't you haven't complied.

[tim.....]

I'm sure that we can expect this to change considerably if the SC find in favour of the parking companies

tim

[F Murtz]

Exactly when an aldi ran a system that you had waste your decrepit legs and time to go to a machine for a ticket and back to your car if you did not you were automatically booked, I just ceased to use that Aldi.

[F Murtz]

They usually get a third party to run the scheme, then it is not their fault.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

That at least is an improvement from the one I talked about where the checkout person asks you if you have a car then types in the number. It's more like the many others which use this sort of system.

Basically, it will only accept a number for a car it's already seen on its camera. So unless there is another car in there with the number you've typed. you should be OK.

Yes - a local Tesco uses it. You have to pass the terminals on your way back to your car, so should be prompted to do it. I can't remember if they had barriers to prevent you exiting if you'd not done it though. That was the problem in my case - I had know way of knowing that things weren't right. Until the letter arrived.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

But had you actually overstayed the free period - or used a 'free' carpark provided by a store, but not made a purchase?

[tim.....]

not who's fault?

(FWIW the operation of the system by a third party has been tested in court and was found to be irrelevant to the forming/efficacy of the contract)

tim

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Doubt many object to some form of control in this sort of carpark. After all, if they want to shop there and it's full of non shoppers, no one benefits. Other than those free-loader car parkers.

But it is in the interest of all to make the system as foolproof as possible and handy to use. That there are so many variations says they're not.

[Tim Streater]

whose

[Brian-Gaff]

Most of the local hospitals and health centres now have a terminal like this and you have to input the first few bits of the registration and a screen of cars and numbers comes up then you touch the one which is yours. This mostly works, but some people are a bit rough and the thing tends to break down a lot. Also in one case a person had to come to reception while I was standing there saying my car is not coming up. I never did hear the end of that one as some unobservant nhs drone asked me to go through the doors over there and sit at one of the chairs under the dental sign. As I had a long white cane with me, I must suppose the gent was blinder than I am. Its very hard not to get cynical and unleash sarcasm when your day seems to contain such individuals queuing up to make stupid requests of you. I blame the speed of life these days, its far too fast for normally intelligent sensible people to see what is in front of them. Brian

[Huge]

In neither case had I overstayed. The operators were taking the piss.

[Another John]

I don't understand. Our local Aldi has cameras for entry and exit: if you overstay your 90 mins, the cameras do the paperwork. If there is a camera (as you mention above Dave), why would you have to punch in your reg number?

J.

[tim.....]

cos there's an additional requirement to actually (not pretend to) be a customer

tim

[ARW]

What if the shop does not have in stock what you want to buy?

Are you still a customer? You used their car park to find out that the shop was out of stock.

[polygonum]

Or if you are returning an item - maybe a defective good?

[Another John]

Aha! And "Oh shit!" I thought that there'd be a good reason, and probably associated with the "advancement of progress", Northwards up the country ... I just couldn't figure out what it was.

I actually do 90% of my shopping at Aldi. Unfortunately Tesco is right next door; just occasionally I want to go to Tesco only. Ah well - any excuse to visit Aldi is ok in my book :-D

Thanks Tim John