Washington Supercharger - WARNING - Now issuing £100 parking fines

[willparkinson]

Be warned - as of July 25th 2020 Hotel Campanile now issues £100 fines if you fail to register your details at the hotel reception when using the Washington supercharger. The site is now operated by ParkingEye. There are numerous threads about this company as they all operate the Northampton supercharger and issue similar fines.

There is no information about this on the Tesla website - I am trying to get in touch as they need to make this as clear as possible before hand. Spoke to the hotel manager who explained they have starting fining to stop the hotel inn using their car park. Although I personally think this is simply a way of them exploiting unsuspecting Tesla owners into paying £100.

Was able to have my fine waived as the policy had only been in place for 3 days and the signs were inadequate. Personally think Tesla should step in and not allow third parties to issue fines/arbitrary rules at sites where superchargers are installed. This is not good customer experience and given there are relatively few superchargers there is nothing stopping these companies implementing any rules they like. This is the only supercharger in the area and there is no choice but to use it, while I was there nobody went to the hotel reception to register their details and there were at least 5 or 6 vehicles there in the 30 minutes I was, I can only imagine they are raking in the cash now with this new policy!

 

[CMc1]

Be warned - as of July 25th 2020 Hotel Campanile now issues £100 fines if you fail to register your details at the hotel reception when using the Washington supercharger. The site is now operated by ParkingEye. There are numerous threads about this company as they all operate the Northampton supercharger and issue similar fines.

There is no information about this on the Tesla website - I am trying to get in touch as they need to make this as clear as possible before hand. Spoke to the hotel manager who explained they have starting fining to stop the hotel inn using their car park. Although I personally think this is simply a way of them exploiting unsuspecting Tesla owners into paying £100.

Was able to have my fine waived as the policy had only been in place for 3 days and the signs were inadequate. Personally think Tesla should step in and not allow third parties to issue fines/arbitrary rules at sites where superchargers are installed. This is not good customer experience and given there are relatively few superchargers there is nothing stopping these companies implementing any rules they like. This is the only supercharger in the area and there is no choice but to use it, while I was there nobody went to the hotel reception to register their details and there were at least 5 or 6 vehicles there in the 30 minutes I was, I can only imagine they are raking in the cash now with this new policy!

Its noted in the in-car navigation

 

[willparkinson]

Its noted in the in-car navigation

Where?

 

[Fly.guy]

Note, theses are invoices dressed up to look like fines. And you shouldn’t pay them.

ParkingEye and related sheisters will claim you enter into a contract with them by parking at their site. This is questionable to say the least. There is a good argument to say that you are contracting with Tesla to provide charging services and that you fulfil the terms of this contract by charging at the supercharger.

 

[CMc1]

Where?

 

[willparkinson]

View attachment 571988

Is charging the same as parking now? Would you need to register at reception to fill up your gas car?

I'm driving a Tesla, charging at a supercharger (owned by Tesla) and leave within 30 minutes. There is absolutely no reasonable excuse to issue a £100 fine.

 

[willparkinson]

There is no reference to the changes on the website:
Washington Supercharger | Tesla UK

As there is with the infamous Northampton site:
Northampton Supercharger | Tesla UK

This problem will only get worse unless Tesla addresses it directly.

 

[Alistairuk]

I feel your right in that they’re trying to make cash from people charging unaware - or at least get you to go inside and buy coffee or something while your in registering your car...

What happens if your dropping someone off at the hotel? You need to go in and register? Seems daft it doesn’t allow like 40 minutes leeway - plus surely it can detect it’s a Tesla and just ignore it if you spent less than an hour there!

 

[CMc1]

Is charging the same as parking now? Would you need to register at reception to fill up your gas car?

I'm driving a Tesla, charging at a supercharger (owned by Tesla) and leave within 30 minutes. There is absolutely no reasonable excuse to issue a £100 fine.

I’m not disagreeing with you regarding being charged for not being registered at reception. I was pointing out that it’s noted now in the in-car Nav. So get off your high horse.

I’m also an EV owner (hence being on TMC) so don’t have a “gas car”.

 

[willparkinson]

I feel your right in that they’re trying to make cash from people charging unaware - or at least get you to go inside and buy coffee or something while your in registering your car...

What happens if your dropping someone off at the hotel? You need to go in and register? Seems daft it doesn’t allow like 40 minutes leeway - plus surely it can detect it’s a Tesla and just ignore it if you spent less than an hour there!

They know exactly what make the car is. Money making scheme pure and simple.

 

[willparkinson]

I’m not disagreeing with you regarding being charged for not being registered at reception. I was pointing out that it’s noted now in the in-car Nav. So get off your high horse.

I’m also an EV owner (hence being on TMC) so don’t have a “gas car”.

Sorry I'm not meaning to have a go at you just point out the ridiculous of this fining scheme. Do you happen to have any photos of the signs? On further inspection of dates etc I entered the car park before the scheme was in place and was fined days later when the scene started.

 

[CMc1]

Have you contacted the hotel management? The Northampton site usually cancel the parking fine from their end when owners complain. Check out Northampton’s Trip advisor. Full of Tesla owners complaining then the manager saying they’ll cancel it.

 

[pgkevet]

Perhaps a local good samaritan would laminate up some notices and stick 'em on the chargers???

 

[willparkinson]

Have you contacted the hotel management? The Northampton site usually cancel the parking fine from their end when owners complain. Check out Northampton’s Trip advisor. Full of Tesla owners complaining then the manager saying they’ll cancel it.

Yes he agreed to cancel the fine as I entered before the policy was in place although said he wouldn’t have if it was after the start date.

 

[willparkinson]

Perhaps a local good samaritan would laminate up some notices and stick 'em on the chargers???

Spoke to the hotel manager who explained with not a hint of irony that they’re not allowed to put signs on the actual chargers or cables as they’re owned and operated by Tesla...

 

[pgkevet]

Spoke to the hotel manager who explained with not a hint of irony that they’re not allowed to put signs on the actual chargers or cables as they’re owned and operated by Tesla...

But are they allowed to take yours down?

 

[NewbieT]

Parking enforcement lesson no.1: no signs = charge/fine unenforceable.

 

[davidmc]

If you were to get a ticket, and assume you did not pay it and ignored them, and then assume they did take you to small claims (although most the time it's mostly scare tactics). I'm assuming the judge (or what ever they are called) may ask you why you parked there, and in response you told them you did not park but were there charging you car at the chargers that have been there before the Registration cameras, he may tell the parking eye company to get lost!

This could then set a precedent at these locations for charging cars that have Parking eyes?

My two pennies

Question - Who actually owns the parking bay for the Tesla chargers? Is it the hotel, Tesla or other? If the parking eye was for the hotel and they did not own the bays for the chargers in effect you are not committing the offence or am I wrong?

I suppose sentry and things such as Teslafi can vouch for it.

 

[Columbo]

Yeah, just ignore it and they can jog on. I have so many private PCN chasing me it's unreal. The joys of needing to park in NHS parking regularly to help keep life support equipment running....

 

[Jason71]

Parking enforcement lesson no.1: no signs = charge/fine unenforceable.

this is what I thought. there are minimum signage requirements for parking fines. Surely there must be some somewhere. they cant be that dumb to think they can fine people without even warning them??