A disgruntled motorist has slammed a private parking company, accusing them of demanding hundreds of pounds from drivers despite claims "faulty machines" are being operated.
Euro Car Parks has been accused of "bullying" drivers for money, despite motorists paying for tickets to use Syston Town Square car park in Leicestershire.
The car park has a standard parking machine where drivers enter their registration into a machine when they purchase a paper ticket, although a number of motorists have raised concerns.
They told the PA news agency that they were sent parking charge notices because there was no record of payment when their number plates were spotted by cameras.
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Motorist Debbie Dinckal blamed 'faulty machines' for the parking issues
PA
A video posted on social media appears to show a driver input her registration into the machine. However, when typing them in, different numbers and letters show up on the screen.
One driver, Debbie Dinckal, has launched a Facebook group to hear from others who share similar issues when using the Syston Town Square car park.
PA reported that many drivers received fines worth £100 and had appeals rejected by Euro Car Parks despite presenting evidence of their tickets.
Some drivers reported that they had been slapped with further fines worth £900, while others claimed to receive threats of court action and visits from bailiffs.
Dinckal said she was initially hit with a fine and offered £20 to settle the issue. She declined and has since been told a debt collection company is demanding £170.
The 55-year-old said: "You feel bullied and frustrated because there's nowhere to go. If they were trying to take money out of your bank account, you could go to the police or your bank.
"I think they're faulty machines. They're set up to trick people."
One member of the Facebook group claimed they had been forced to set up a £50 monthly payment because their credit score had been affected by the parking issue.
Another driver, Kenneth Pruden, said the number plate printed on his ticket had one wrong letter. He rejected an offer for the fine to be dropped from £280 to £260 and was told he would be required to go to court.
He said: "I have sent them countless photographs of my ticket which shows that I had paid. I would rather go to prison than pay a penny."
The incident has been met with fury from those across the motoring industry, with experts now calling for more to be done to prevent parking companies from taking advantage of drivers.
Simon Williams, head of policy at the RAC, described the situation as "scandalous", before calling on the British Parking Association to take action and protect drivers.
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Some drivers have claimed they are being 'bullied' by parking companies
PA
He added that Euro Car Parks should "do the right thing" and cancel the fines of those impacted by the parking issues in Syston.
He said: "Sadly, we've heard reports of this happening at other car parks too. A private parking company should not be able to intimidate people like this, especially when the fault lies with them."
GB News has reached out to Euro Car Parks for a comment.
