I was fined £40 for parking at Asda for 5 hours but I was there for 10 minutes

ASDA shoppers were furious after being fined for parking for five hours – although they said they only stopped for 10 minutes.

Courtney Brown, who lives in Darwen, Lancashire, said she and her partner were fined £40 after he parked outside the shop twice in one day.

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Courtney said her partner stopped for five minutes every time he went to the Asda.

she said lances live: “My partner drove to Asda in the morning to get my baby’s diapers, parked and left after five minutes.

“Later I forgot something we needed, so he went back and came back home five minutes later.

“Then he was given a fine saying he had been there for five hours when he wasn’t.

Weeks later, the couple received the same letter.

Courtney added: “My partner emailed them and they didn’t even check anything, they just dropped it. It seems they accuse people for no reason, it seems to be a scam.

“Unfortunately, we lost money the first time because we paid for it, so it didn’t extend, but we struggled the second time.

“I find it ridiculous that people should be able to travel to the same place twice without being charged. Darwen is also a very small place, there isn’t much to do for five hours.”

Parkingeye, the company that manages the lot, claimed the car was parked there for five hours and said the fine would increase if not paid.

Carer Cheryl Magee said she was fined £40 after visiting the same Asda in Darwen on March 22, which she says caused “massive stress and inconvenience”.

She was told the fine would increase to £70 if she didn’t pay within two weeks.

Cheryl told Lancs Live that she was in the store “no more than 20 minutes.”

“However, I forgot to pick up my pants from Asda and went back in for five minutes.”

NOT GOOD

A spokesman for Parkingeye said Cheryl’s fine was “overturned following an appeal”.

One buyer who was also fined even said he would never go to Asda again.

Parkingeye said in a statement: “The car park at Asda in Darwen is monitored by ANPR camera systems and has six prominent and highly visible signs providing clear guidance to motorists on how to use the car park responsibly.

“Parkingeye operates a BPA (British Parking Association) audited appeals process that allows drivers to appeal their parking charge notices.

“If anyone has extenuating circumstances, we would encourage them to highlight this by reaching out to Parkingeye.”

Asda declined to comment.

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