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Private parking tickets / PCN from Sainsbury's Car Park, Ambiguous Signage on Max Stay vs. Charging Hours - Need Advice
« on: October 06, 2025, 04:41:30 pm »
Hi all,
I've received a Parking Charge Notice (PCN) for 'Overstaying the Maximum Stay' at a Sainsbury's car park and I believe the fine is unfair due to confusing signage. The car park is operated by Euro Car Parks
The Key Facts:
Entry Time: Friday at 18:11
Exit Time: Friday at 20:49 (Total duration: 2 hours and 38 minutes)
The Signage Reads: "Max 2 Hours" and lists "Charging Hours" as Mon-Sat; 7am-6pm
My Confusion & Argument: • My time exceeded the 2-hour maximum by 38 minutes. • However, my entire parking session occurred outside of the official 7am-6pm 'Charging Hours'. I interpreted the signs as the 'Max 2 Hours' being a condition for the chargeable/free-with-validation period. I assumed that outside of those hours, the car park was effectively unrestricted, or that the 'Max Stay' limit was no longer rigidly enforced.
• I was a genuine customer of the store.
The Question:
Is the Maximum Stay limit legally enforceable 24/7 even if the charging/operating hours stated on the sign have ended? Is this a common issue with supermarket ANPR cameras that don't account for the end of a car park's active management period? I plan to first contact the Sainsbury's store manager. If that fails, I will appeal to the parking company using the argument of ambiguous/confusing contract terms. Any advice on the success rate of this specific appeal argument, or what evidence to focus on?
Please follow this link to view my original post on Reddit:
https://www.reddit.com/r/LegalAdviceUK/comments/1nziz37/pcn_from_sainsburys_car_park_ambiguous_signage_on/
I've received a Parking Charge Notice (PCN) for 'Overstaying the Maximum Stay' at a Sainsbury's car park and I believe the fine is unfair due to confusing signage. The car park is operated by Euro Car Parks
The Key Facts:
Entry Time: Friday at 18:11
Exit Time: Friday at 20:49 (Total duration: 2 hours and 38 minutes)
The Signage Reads: "Max 2 Hours" and lists "Charging Hours" as Mon-Sat; 7am-6pm
My Confusion & Argument: • My time exceeded the 2-hour maximum by 38 minutes. • However, my entire parking session occurred outside of the official 7am-6pm 'Charging Hours'. I interpreted the signs as the 'Max 2 Hours' being a condition for the chargeable/free-with-validation period. I assumed that outside of those hours, the car park was effectively unrestricted, or that the 'Max Stay' limit was no longer rigidly enforced.
• I was a genuine customer of the store.
The Question:
Is the Maximum Stay limit legally enforceable 24/7 even if the charging/operating hours stated on the sign have ended? Is this a common issue with supermarket ANPR cameras that don't account for the end of a car park's active management period? I plan to first contact the Sainsbury's store manager. If that fails, I will appeal to the parking company using the argument of ambiguous/confusing contract terms. Any advice on the success rate of this specific appeal argument, or what evidence to focus on?
Please follow this link to view my original post on Reddit:
https://www.reddit.com/r/LegalAdviceUK/comments/1nziz37/pcn_from_sainsburys_car_park_ambiguous_signage_on/