I was given a £100 parking fine at Marks & Spencer – but it was quashed because I’m such a regular customer
A man given a parking fine won a rare appeal and had it quashed because he is such a "regular" customer at M&S.
Tim Hall, 63, and wife Eileen, have spent years shopping in their local branch of Marks and Spencer.
They do regular bi-weekly food and clothes shops at the shop in Truro in Cornwall.
The couple always pay for two hours parking at the nearby Tabernacle Street car park.
But on January 13 they went back to the car after "roughly an hour and five minutes" - long before the ticket was due to expire.
It then came as a "big shock" when Tim received a Parking Charge Notice letter in the post eight days after their visit.
The letter demanded an £100 fine reduced to £50 if paid after two weeks.
But Tim has now won a rare appeal against the private parking firm - on the basis he is a 'regular customer'.
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Tim, a retired ordnance survey mapper, said: "We regularly shop at M&S - we get all of our food there and occasionally clothing too.
"It's great and very convenient.
"We park at the car park every two weeks on a Wednesday or Thursday, and always pay £2.50 for 2 hours of parking.
"We are not the sort of people to not pay or be dishonest.
";We were very upset to get the fine and to be honest were not hopeful our appeal would be accepted.
"The news came as a surprise but we are very pleased.
"It's good news that on this occasion they decided to drop the fixed charge notice.'' Director of Napier Parking, James de Savary, said they decided to accept Mr Hall's appeal as he is a "regular customer."
He said: "We have received an appeal from the driver. We could find no transaction for the vehicle in question.
"This could be due to an incorrect VRM being entered, as an example.
"However, we have accepted the appeal as it appears that they are convinced they have paid and are a regular customer.
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"They will be notified directly."
He added that they always encourage motorists to appeal should they feel they have grounds to do so.