Forum Topic

Morrisons supermarket sinks to new low in customer relations

Our local friendly grocer (i.e Morrisons) have introduced a car parking scam.   They've installed cctv cameras which monitor you going in and out.   If you go over 2 hours, they will send you a "penalty charge notice" demanding £90 (yes, £90!!).  There is nothing official about this - they have hired a private contractor who would have to take you to court to get you to pay.  But I doubt they would win - this is an illegal and unenforceable penalty, so do not pay, challenge it and shop elsewhere. This compares with other supermarkets which operate proper gate and ticketing.  So if, for example, you go over the 2 hours free parking you pay something like £5. Nice to know that Morrisons value their local customers.

Anne Brown ● 5774d25 Comments

I suppose the trouble is that people abuse the system by parking all day and catching a bus along the Uxbridge Rd to, say, Westfield or wherever. They did staff the gates in the early days (though I suppose it was Safeway then) but that is quite labour intensive.They might be better off with something like they have at Sainsbury in Chiswick; automatic gates, a set period of free parking and payment machines.They are going to alienate people with huge fines. Are there proper warning notices?

Susan Kelly ● 5774d

I received a penalty notice,having parked for slightly over the two hours. I thereupon wrote to the collection company stating I was a regular customer of Morrisons,copied it to Morrisons head office and that was the last I heard of it.It appears that the collection procedure is totally unenforceable.Worth a shot!

Roger Foreman ● 5774d

The other alternative which also works very well is not to respond at any time to any letter however threatening.Eventually - after about three letters - they sell the "debt" on and you get a couple more and then it stops.It is never taken to court because the business model is predicated on the customer paying up but it is well known that the sum demanded is disproportionate and if it ever goes to court and is not upheld - which all the consumer sites say it would not be - the business model collapses publicly.So hang in there and don't give in - I had one in May and have heard nothing since about July.There is a thread on EalingW5 - alternatively there are a number of websites offering support on exactly this topic. Don't be bullied!

Sara Nathan ● 5774d

Sarah, your comments resonate with all I have read about the Ealing and Hounslow traffic fines system where appealing with a justifiable defence seems to either delay or defeat the system. If you have been fairly caught early payment gets you 50% discount - totally barmy system and simply council money earners!I know little about how the Safeway/Morrison's site was set up with planning permission but if the Sainsbury's in Chiswick is a precedent, I recall it is subject to some initial planning approvals which limit what they can actually do about on parking.

Joe Conneely ● 5773d

Actually this has nothing to do with the council as it is on a private site - you would be ever so ill-advised to ignore similar notices by the council in that that is legitimate (if an extortionate and blatant money-raiser) and the private ones don't seem to be.On the public ones I always pay up if I am bang to rights - ie most of the time - and fight the ones I think unfair. So far this has worked out well - but am currently in contention with Westminster over a wholly unreasonable ticket and am quite prepared to go to PATAS over it - they don't like that much. Specially when I stress how much going to a tribunal is my idea of a fun day out.

Sara Nathan ● 5773d

Sarah,I think you are misunderstanding my posting. On Council public highway fines we are in broad agreement - if valid pay quickly to get the ridiculous discount on offer, but if disputed argue strongly as the statistics show poor success rates by councils in many cases hen they do take (often they give up it would seem).On private land parking, the Sainsbury's in Chiswick case was that the local authority laid down rules over what the user could do after building their supermarket about parking in granting planning permissions ( I cannot recall the specifics). I was simply raising if any similar facts or rulings pertained to the Acton site for Safeways originally, then one would assume those restrictions have passed on intact to Morrisons.

Joe Conneely ● 5773d

It is correct that a council fine has to be paid.  But Morrisons are employing a private company who bully people with frankly scary notices which look "official".  It's great for those of us who are educated and realise that the charges would never stand up in court and who can ignore them.  But my concern is that some people will feel threatened by these notices and be literally bullied into paying.  I think we should complain to Morrisons and tell them to invest in and maintain a proper ticketing system (like Sainsbury's) rather than employing these tactics.  This is dreadful behaviour from our local supermarket.

Anne Brown ● 5773d

"It's great for those of us who are educated and realise that the charges would never stand up in court and who can ignore them"I know people who are educated, assertive and (dare I say it) middle class and who have still been intimidated into paying.I'm not sure if the point about inheriting covenants holds good or not...and don't know how anyone might find out.

Sara Nathan ● 5773d

Morrison's allow two hours free parking, which is enough for anyone to get their shopping. Is it so unreasonable for them to want their car park for customers and not all-day commuters?

Susan Kelly ● 5772d

No it's not - mine was 15 minutes over because I was on the community association stall in the market. Felt rather hard done by as was being a responsible person and hadn't noticed threatening notices.

Sara Nathan ● 5772d

Not unreasonable, especially when 'real' shoppers want to use the car parking spaces because they are unable to carry their heavy shopping home on foot - and cannot find a space.  This is after all a car parking area for Supermarket Customers.  Of course there is a public Council car park available just up the road for use in Churchfield Road - The Oaks - for all day parking.In the past the local antipodean community have been known to park overnight in their camping vans using the car park as some sort of caravan park - using the loos inside the store no doubt.  Ugh!!  All very irritating.As Controlled Parking Zones in nearby roads increase, this will put pressure on every 'free' space for commuters, who drive in, park and get on the underground, as they used to do in the Goldsmith area.

Dee Cook ● 5772d

I've never actually not found a space at Morrisons - though have come perilously close at Chiswick Sainsbury's - indeed have never even had to look very hard at MorrisonsWhere would illicitely parking commuters be travelling onto - or is this people commuting into Acton - on a Saturday too. Seems unlikely.

Sara Nathan ● 5772d

Interesting about the antipodeans as four such vans have appeared in my road in Gunnersbury Park over the past few weeks. They've been reported to the council as abandoned, but I wonder if they are the same ones, chucked out of Morrison's. Was one of them the elegantly-named 'Sheep Shagger'? Or 'Morning Glory' (complete with illustrations)?Like Sara, I have never failed to find a space there. There are usually more spaces inside as if people don't like to park under the supermarket, in the dry.

Susan Kelly ● 5771d

Thank you for pointing out this to customers, her advice is correct.  I got a ticket like that from B&Q at first I did not know how I got the ticket, then traced my steps back.  My daughter advised me not to pay because it was notlegal.  I did not pay and ignored all threathening letters, in the end they stopped sending them.  All I had gone to buy was grass and pot plants, I was so furious, I went back to complain but they just did not care. We should boycott Morrison until they remove it, I would gladly join in .

Margaret Noel ● 5771d

I'd put my hands up and pay a "fair" rate.  Sainsbury's in Chiswick give their customers free parking up to a limit, but they certainly don't try to bully people into paying £90 for going over like this lot do!

Anne Brown ● 5771d

ooh! 'Sheep Shagger' has disappeared. Good.

Susan Kelly ● 5771d

Wot?

Sara Nathan ● 5771d

Antipodean van that's been blighting the neighbourhood for the past month.

Susan Kelly ● 5770d

I strongly recollect that when the supermarket originally opened on this site  they were strict limitations on parking charges.  I doubt that these have been since removed.Definitely a bad idea to pay any of these "fake official" notices.

Jill Williams ● 5768d

I got a letter back from Dalton Philips who said he was the CEO.  Unfortunately, he totally failed to miss the point I made which was that I did not necessarily object to parking charges per se, but £90 was a bit over the top, considering most car parks charge about £2 to £5 if you go over 2 hours!  He just bleated on about people misusing the car park and there being signs up!  I presume he's an intelligent chap as he is the CEO, so he obviously just fudged my complaint.  Maybe I should put a sign next to his telling people not to pay!

Anne Brown ● 5764d

Anne, no doubt if you did put up a sign, you would be committing some other offence for which Morrisons could fine you!!So if you do decide to go down this route, be careful.

Dee Cook ● 5764d

I would write back restating your argument in simple language if he (or his minions more like) seem unable to understand the point you are making - and copying it to local media.If this is CEO of Morrisons, he must be quite new. You would think he would want to be more pro-active but probably someone in his outer office just printed out a form response.

Sara Nathan ● 5764d

It will be interesting in the days just before Christmas when many shoppers could easily hit the two hour limit making a large trolley selection, queueing for the checkouts.A shopper could also use the Morrisons coffee shop and use some of the precious two hours - heaven forbid.I know that I have easily spent around two hours at Sainsburys/Safeway on big trolleys at busy times in the past. It won't happen at Morrisons for several reasons including this one. Do they want to alienate their large spending customers?

Grant McAllister ● 5762d

I can't conceive of spending two hours doing a shop, even with a coffee break!

Susan Kelly ● 5761d

And I don't think this Morrisons sees itself as having "large-spending customers" the last manager told me it had the largest footfall for any Morrisons but was quite low on average spend.You could easily spend the two hours of course if some toe-rag pinches your purse as happens all the time: Acton's primary crime hot spot!

Sara Nathan ● 5761d