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Fleet Operations & Compliance

CMA investigates Euro Car Parks over appeals process

The CMA also issued letters to other private parking operators, outlining concerns over appeals processes, and "unfair additional charges".

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The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has opened an investigation into Euro Car Parks, examining its practices around petrol station parking fines and its appeals process.

The CMA also issued letters to other private parking operators, outlining concerns over appeals processes, and “unfair additional charges” applied when seeking to recover unpaid parking charges.

By investigating Euro Car Parks, the CMA will decide if its practices at petrol stations, and handling of appeals (both at petrol stations and car parks), have breached consumer law.

It has not yet reached a conclusion.

The investigation will consider if it is fair for some drivers to receive parking charges when queuing for or using petrol pumps and other forecourt services.

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The CMA has called on the wider parking sector to ensure practices are consistent with consumer law.

It also made recommendations to Government on an updated Code of Practice for parking, which includes recommendations that parking companies should be required to make drivers aware of their rights, improve their appeals processes and improve the ‘consideration period’, where the driver is given a chance to consider the car park’s terms and conditions, and decide if they would like to park there or not.

Parking charge notices (PCNs) examined by the CMA were often issued to drivers that had been in a car park for between five and 11 minutes.

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The CMA said that this is unfair, as drivers often left the car park due to not being able to find a space, payment machines being broken, or the site not having suitable bays for their needs, such as Blue Badge bays.

Emma Cochrane, executive director of consumer protection at the CMA, said: “Being issued with a parking charge can be a stressful experience.

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“Costs are high and often unexpected which is difficult when people are budgeting carefully.  

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“Parking companies must treat motorists fairly at all stages – and a clear and consistent appeals process must be at the heart of this.  

“We’re setting out a package of actions and recommendations to help drivers and we’ve launched an investigation into the practices of Euro Car Parks.  

“It’s time for all private parking operators to comply with consumer law or risk action from the CMA.”

Simon Williams, head of policy at the RAC, said: “The CMA’s findings and recommendations are a major step forwards in ensuring drivers are treated fairly by private parking operators.

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“The points made by the watchdog in open letters to the Minister and private parking operators highlight many of the issues we’ve been trying to get action on for years and confirm that drivers aren’t consistently getting fair outcomes when they challenge tickets.

“The timing couldn’t be better because it comes ahead of the Government’s response to the latest consultation on getting the withdrawn Private Parking Code of Practice back into force to protect drivers.

“The CMA has shone a much-needed light on the appeals process and found major problems that need to be addressed. We strongly hope the code will give us a single independent appeals body, instead of the two we have now – one for each of the two trade associations.

“It’s also very positive to see a recommendation that drivers who appeal parking charge notices should retain access to the early payment discount and that time spent deciding whether to park should count towards the overall parking period.

“We also welcome the proposal that operators should seek additional evidence from drivers before deciding appeals.”

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Euro Car Parks was approached for comment.

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