Nick Pradic, an Orpington resident, was confused when a parking violation fell through his letterbox. He had gone shopping with his daughter a few days before and now fears that others may have paid the fine.
An Aldi shopper was hit with a £100 fine even though he parked in a free car park.
Nick Pradic believes that a bad sign was the reason he got a parking notice when he was out shopping at the supermarket along with his daughter.
Shoppers can park for free for three hours in the car park, however the sign does not indicate that the offer is valid during the closing hour.
The sign says that there is no parking available after 9pm. However, the store closes at 10pm.
Aldi blames a technology problem for the inability to pay the fines.
Nick had left the Orpington branch, in south London, at 9.15pm only to be left flummoxed when a £100 parking fine dropped through his letterbox a few days later.
He went back to inspect the sign at The “customers only car park”It can read for three hours, but it is only valid between 8am and 9pm on Monday through Saturday.
He said his heart dropped when he saw it, but he’d never had to have a problem parking before.
“I went back to check the sign and my heart sank because I thought I didn’t have a leg to stand on – the small print said parking only until nine,”He stated.
“But I decided to argue the case anyway because how could you fine people if the store is still open?
“I went in to the store and stated, “Look, this is ridiculous” and also provided evidence that we had been shopping there at the time.”
Nick has not heard anything since so he has assumed “it’s [the fine]been dealt with” but fears other customers may have coughed up to pay the fine.
The dad said: “It was quite full when we left the parking lot, so I believe that a lot more people would have been fined.
“I haven’t been back to Aldi since Christmas, but as far as I know the sign is still up and nothing has been done to clarify the situation.
“Many people would be like us, if they had received a letter by post and thought what? They need to make this change so more people aren’t caught.”
Aldi has since issued a statement blaming a technology glitch for the rogue fines and encouraging those affected to come forward.
A spokesperson for the supermarket chain said: “This charge was given in error due to an issue with the parking technology at our Sevenoaks Way store which has now been resolved.
“Anyone who feels they were issued a fine incorrectly at this store should contact Aldi’s customer services team directly.”
