Allegations of Unjust Parking Fines by Leading Car Park Operator
Motorists have leveled serious accusations against a prominent parking management company for allegedly issuing baseless parking fines, with one woman facing harassment from several debt collection agencies enlisted by the firm.
Jane Winder recounts receiving demands from five different debt collectors to pay £170 each, after being wrongly accused of not buying a £2.30 parking ticket at a site in Lancashire managed by Euro Car Parks.
Many drivers have shared similar grievances with Guardian Money, reporting threats of legal action even though they had proof of parking payment.
Euro Car Parks oversees over 3,000 parking locations throughout the UK and Ireland for various institutions including supermarkets, hospitals, and universities.
The company was recently penalized with a £473,000 fine by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority for failing to submit required information to the regulatory body.
The firm employs automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology to verify payments and issues parking charge notices (PCNs) to those they claim did not display a valid ticket.
According to Popla, an independent appeal service, Euro Car Parks’ PCNs are highly contested, ranking as the second most-disputed after another major parking firm, with 12,000 and 15,000 appeals in 2023 and 2024 respectively.
In November 2023, Winder was issued a £100 PCN with a 28-day payment deadline.
The 51-year-old contested the charge, presenting a bank statement and a photo of her parking ticket as evidence, only to have her appeal rejected and be asked to pay a £20 administrative fee instead.
Choosing to ignore the fee request due to her innocence, Winder was soon bombarded with letters from debt collectors.
The initial letter from Debt Recovery Plus arrived in March 2024, threatening legal action and potential credit score damage unless she paid £170.
Despite informing the agency of her evidence, they insisted on payment. Over the next 14 months, four more agencies demanded the same amount.
“It was terrifying thinking someone might show up at my door to demand this money I didn’t owe,” Winder expressed.
In June 2025, she was summoned to a court hearing by the Preston Combined Court Centre due to a claim filed by Euro Car Parks, which by then had escalated to £278.
Confident in her defense, Winder remarked, “I had to stand up against these large companies that intimidate the average person into paying unwarranted fees.”
At the last moment, the court informed her that Euro Car Parks had dropped the claim, which Winder saw as an acknowledgment of their mistake.
Other drivers have reported similar experiences on review platforms like Trustpilot and social media, where Euro Car Parks has overwhelmingly negative feedback.
Kelly Haydock faced a similar issue in November 2023 after parking for shopping in Manchester. Her appeal, supported by a parking ticket photo and bank statement, was denied, and she was harassed by debt collectors demanding £170, which later increased to £277 by the court date in May 2025.
Just before the hearing, a debt collector offered to dismiss the case for £75, which she reluctantly paid to end the stress.
“The ordeal was incredibly stressful, overshadowing even my demanding job as a foster carer,” Haydock shared.
Michal Lucki also battled against Euro Car Parks and various debt collectors over a £170 PCN, describing the two-and-a-half-year struggle as mentally exhausting.
His relief came only in December 2025 when a court claim of £282 was dismissed after the parking company failed to pay the required court fee.
Despite multiple inquiries from Guardian Money, Euro Car Parks has not responded to requests for comment on these allegations.
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