Supercharger PCN fine at new Tongham / Farnham location

[dysys]

Morning all,

Quick warning to those who intend to use the new supercharger site at Tongham / Farnham, Surrey. It's a 250kW, so quite appealing for those in the area.
The car park requires you to register at the hotel reception in order to avoid a PCN fine.

If you've been issued a PCN, contact the reception desk who may be able to assist.

A lesson learned to check the signs (assuming they exist). I would have expected parking charges at public pay and display car parks, but this just seems like a money spinner. I struggle to comprehend why a hotel in the middle of nowhere, next to a major A-road, needs to have this level of enforcement. The Hogs Back Hotel is part of the same group as the hotel in Kings Lynn that operates a similar ANPR / parking enforcement system.

 

[HenryT]

but this just seems like a money spinner. I struggle to comprehend why a hotel in the middle of nowhere, next to a major A-road, needs to have this level of enforcement.

I think you may have answered your own question there.

 

[GeorgeSymonds]

This is common on lots of supercharger sites. It’s not too much to ask to register, these locations are letting Tesla use their land and are seeking to protect misuse or abuse in general. Both the in-car supercharger information and signage at the location will advise you so it’s always worth a quick look around to see if there are any rules. It would be even better if Tesla put up a splash screen when you plug in to advise there are special conditions at the location, maybe one day.

 

[Mrklaw]

This is common on lots of supercharger sites. It’s not too much to ask to register, these locations are letting Tesla use their land and are seeking to protect misuse or abuse in general. Both the in-car supercharger information and signage at the location will advise you so it’s always worth a quick look around to see if there are any rules. It would be even better if Tesla put up a splash screen when you plug in to advise there are special conditions at the location, maybe one day.

letting them use their land - presumably for a rental fee to compensate for increased traffic and loss of parking spaces?

You’d think Tesla would do some work with these sites to have lookups for Tesla cars or ANPR specifically covering the superchargers to remove from needing to register.

It may only take a minute but I can also imagine that might be irritating for the hotels if they’re in busy season.

 

[Zilla91]

Does the in car information warn you about having to register? The last time I did a long trip (was also my first time), I had to get my phone out and check on the website to see if the site needed me to register and I only thought to check because of these kind of threads on this forum

 

[GeorgeSymonds]

Does the in car information warn you about having to register? The last time I did a long trip (was also my first time), I had to get my phone out and check on the website to see if the site needed me to register and I only thought to check because of these kind of threads on this forum

If you click on the map pin it should bring up details including facilities and rules such as this. Last time I needed it was Inverness where it told me how to exit the car park without paying

 

[MrMoonUK]

The people that run these schemes are just scammers, even if you had parked there for gain how is £100 representative of their costs, it isn’t as it’s a free car park anyway

 

[Overworked]

The hotels that run these parking registration schemes with ANPR monitoring have usually been plagued by folks using their free for guests car park as a free "park and ride" for car sharing. I don't have anything against it for that reason, but do think they need to have good signposting.

To be fair, Tesla are well aware of the parking restrictions at each of these SC sites when they select and set up the site and they could very easily present an on screen notification with a bong and acknowledgement required in each of our cars on arrival or on charging. Just having a notification on the info card for the site is not sufficient IMHO as there is no reason to look at that to use the site.

 

[MrMoonUK]

The hotels that run these parking registration schemes with ANPR monitoring have usually been plagued by folks using their free for guests car park as a free "park and ride" for car sharing. I don't have anything against it for that reason, but do think they need to have good signposting.

To be fair, Tesla are well aware of the parking restrictions at each of these SC sites when they select and set up the site and they could very easily present an on screen notification with a bong and acknowledgement required in each of our cars on arrival or on charging. Just having a notification on the info card for the site is not sufficient IMHO as there is no reason to look at that to use the site.

This hotel is in the middle of nowhere so using it for free parking is pointless

 

[Mrklaw]

The hotels that run these parking registration schemes with ANPR monitoring have usually been plagued by folks using their free for guests car park as a free "park and ride" for car sharing. I don't have anything against it for that reason, but do think they need to have good signposting.

To be fair, Tesla are well aware of the parking restrictions at each of these SC sites when they select and set up the site and they could very easily present an on screen notification with a bong and acknowledgement required in each of our cars on arrival or on charging. Just having a notification on the info card for the site is not sufficient IMHO as there is no reason to look at that to use the site.

Which I can be both sympathetic to, and strongly suggest they separate things out. Move the ANPR to just cover the hotel car park and not the tesla part or something.

 

[dysys]

Well, nothing useful to see here. Excuse the photo quality.

I appreciate there's a lesson learned, for any car park where chargers exist. The hotel are happy to waive the notice for you if you call them. It's just a waste of everybody's time!

I just hope this message helps someone.

 

[dysys]

I also find it interesting how the company knows who I am, where I live, my car make and model, time of entry and exit of the car park, and that superchargers are on site...

Wouldn't it be convenient if they could figure out why I was there for 18 minutes. EDIT: removed the naughty comment.

 

[Overworked]

Two weeks ago I was staying in the Scotch Corner hotel. I was sat at the front one evening reading my book and noticed a Tesla owner come in and start charging so I wandered over and explained they should check in.

I also noticed two cars come off the roundabout and turn around and go out again to take the next left. I realised that must happen fairly often! The cameras running the ANPR are right at the entrance.

I spoke to the desk manager and asked about the cars that just did a turnaround as there would be no sign to indicate the parking restriction. I presume it is a problem they regularly hear of!

 

[Mrklaw]

Two weeks ago I was staying in the Scotch Corner hotel. I was sat at the front one evening reading my book and noticed a Tesla owner come in and start charging so I wandered over and explained they should check in.

I also noticed two cars come off the roundabout and turn around and go out again to take the next left. I realised that must happen fairly often! The cameras running the ANPR are right at the entrance.

I spoke to the desk manager and asked about the cars that just did a turnaround as there would be no sign to indicate the parking restriction. I presume it is a problem they regularly hear of!

there would presumably be a 10 minute grace period

 

[Tony Hoyle]

I also find it interesting how the company knows who I am, where I live, my car make and model, time of entry and exit of the car park, and that superchargers are on site...

Wouldn't it be convenient if they could figure out why I was there for 18 minutes. EDIT: removed the naughty comment.

Oh they know.. they also know that they can make £100 for the price of a stamp..

 

[Cardo]

Oh they know.. they also know that they can make £100 for the price of a stamp..

Plus the £2 or so DVLA charge for the R/K lookup. Nice little earner for them, too.

 

[Casss]

Tesla: We need car parking space near major roads to install chargers

Hotel chains: Ok well we need to sell more of our exorbitant crap great coffee and microwaved freshly made ciabatta sandwiches

Tesla: Say no more...

Hotel chains: Where do we sign?

Car park scamagement company bursts into the room, drunk, money falling out of their pants: WAIT!! Just before you sign ...




It's all pretty obvious really. Maybe from an end consumer perspective it's a necessary evil. I hate it too, but building supercharger ready car parks in major areas can take years.

 

[Gwynne]

Tesla: We need car parking space near major roads to install chargers

Hotel chains: Ok well we need to sell more of our exorbitant crap great coffee and microwaved freshly made ciabatta sandwiches

Tesla: Say no more...

Hotel chains: Where do we sign?

Car park scamagement company bursts into the room, drunk, money falling out of their pants: WAIT!! Just before you sign ...




It's all pretty obvious really. Maybe from an end consumer perspective it's a necessary evil. I hate it too, but building supercharger ready car parks in major areas can take years.

Charged at Tongham - actually it was my brother-in-law who charged my car - didn't understand the tiny wee notice stuck to the charging cable so a couple of weeks later i received a PCN. I appealed and was turned down! Having then researched on this Forum I e-mailed the Hotel and they had the Notice cancelled! They seemed happy to do so! Just make sure you don't pay the fine because once you have you won't get your money back.

 

[Tony Hoyle]

Parking companies don't have genuine appeals processes, it's always worth going to the landowner directly if they get you.

 

[qwickshot]

It might be just me but I check for parking restrictions anywhere I stop, particularly on private land. Following that rule has meant I have never had an invoice or council fine.

Pretty much every publicly accessible car park has rules and most of them enforce them, it’s really nothing new.