It’s a money making scam

Excel Parking signs and machines at The Berkeley Centre on Ecclesall Road in Sheffield

I read with interest your article: A driver was left at her ‘wits’ end’ over a £170 parking charge – which The Star helped cancel.

I wanted to let you know that I had a very similar experience in the same car park.

My wife parked there in August and was initially staying for an hour, which is free.

She realised after 45 minutes that she may be there for longer, so paid her £1 and put her ticket in the window. She left the car park after one hour and 15 minutes.

We received a £100 fine because she ‘hadn’t paid’ – we took it all the way to the independent appeal after some very threatening and coercive letters from Excel.

We tried to say that we had actually paid the £1 for the time we parked, but they just kept going back to the terms and conditions, saying we should have known we were staying two hours.

Effectively we were fined because we had two separate visits on their system.

It’s a money making scam.

I know other people who have been caught in the same way.

They were not interested in our appeal for sense.

Glad that they have been exposed in the paper.

Marc Doyle

Thurgoland