Customer charged 8 hours parking after leaving and returning to Christchurch mall

Wednesday, 24 April 2024

62 year old man Clive Hartley received a $85 dollar ticket that claimed he had been in the parking area for more than 8 hours, the fine has been waived.

Customer at Bunnings got a ticket for $85 after leaving and returning to the shopping complex’s car park
He sent the parking company an invoice for $85 for wasting his time
The parking company eventually waived the ticket

A man who got a ticket after he left and returned to a Christchurch shopping complex sent the parking company an invoice for wasting his time.

Parking Enforcement Services sent Clive Hartley a parking ticket for more than eight hours, but he’d left and returned to the Bunnings’ car park (file photo).

The parking company ignored that and eventually waived Clive Hartley’s ticket, but he’s frustrated they can threaten people with fines but there are no consequences when proved wrong.

Parking Enforcement Services, a division of Wilson Parking, sent Hartley an $85 ticket, claiming he’d been in the Bunnings car park at Tower Junction in Addington for more than 8 hours.

The first 180 minutes of parking at the complex are free, but his ticket said he had exceeded that.

Clive Hartley sent Parking Enforcement Services his own invoice, for the time he’d wasted explaining the wrongful ticket.

“While I am now 62 and my memory is not as sharp as I would like it to be sometimes, I knew that I did not spend that long in the car park,” he said.

Hartley had been at Bunnings about 9am on Sunday, April 7 for some nails and chalk before returning home to his house in Broadfield.

Later in the afternoon, he decided to get some new light bulbs so went to Mitre 10 in Hornby - only to find that only Bunnings had them.

He went back to get the light bulbs about 5.20pm, and thought nothing more about it.

Clive Hartley sent Parking Enforcement Services his own invoice.

That was until he got an invoice from Parking Enforcement Services.

Hartley said he tried to ring them and opted for the call back option, but that never happened.

So he emailed the company about the ticket and explained his two Bunnings visits, sending the receipts of both, separate purchases.

Parking Enforcement Services, a division of Wilson Parking, sent Hartley an $85 ticket, claiming he’d been in the Bunnings car park at Tower Junction in Addington for more than 8 hours.

“I did not spend any time in the car park between those trips and if your camera is unable to detect every vehicle movement that is not my problem,” he wrote.

He asked to be reimbursed for the time he’d spent explaining the “frivolous attempt to extort cash under false pretences” so attached his own invoice for $85.

Parking Enforcement Services responded, saying in a letter that based on the evidence and information provided, “there do not appear to be any other factors that might make the enforcement of the Breach Notice unreasonable in this instance”.

“As a result, the Breach Notice will stand.”

Hartley responded, saying: “I also remembered that before going to Bunnings to get the bulbs I went to Mitre 10 in Hornby since they are closer to my home where I spent most of Sunday the 7 April but they did not have the required bulbs”.

“I did purchase a storage bin there though and I have attached the receipt for it to show that I was there.”

Parking Enforcement Services initially would not waive the parking ticket.

He told Stuff it wasn’t about the money, it was about morals.

“What they are doing is wrong.”

Hartley thought it was unreasonable that he should have to provide so much evidence - including calling, and emailing twice with different receipts - to prove he wasn’t in that car park for as long as suggested.

“Why would I wander around Tower Junction for six hours,” he questioned. And go back into Bunnings to make two separate purchases.

“It just doesn’t make sense”.

Hartley got a response from the parking company on Monday afternoon, after Stuff made enquiries. They waived his fine.

While that was good news, Hartley said “I am still annoyed at their ignorance in thinking they can threaten us with fines yet make no compensation when they are wrong”.

“While I am thankful that we don't have the sue culture of the USA there should be some way to hold them to account.”

A Wilson spokesperson said it acknowledged a recent Christchurch customer received a parking infringement notice despite paying for their parking.

“Upon investigating this specific customer's case, we confirm that the first correspondence from the customer wasn’t an appeal, however, they subsequently wrote to us again, this time, with an appeal.

“The review process was effective and led to the breach being waived.”

They said it continuously worked to improve systems but technical issues could occur.

“We're continuously working to improve our systems but technical issues can occur. We are committed to addressing customer concerns and providing assistance as needed.”