Sainsbury’s Parking Fine – Should You Pay or Appeal? 

Have you got a Sainsbury’s parking fine and don’t know what to do next? You’re in the right place. Every month, more than 130,000 people visit our website for clear and simple advice on fines and parking tickets. 

In this helpful article, we’ll explain:

•  What a Sainsbury’s parking fine is.
•  How much it could cost.
•  If you really need to pay it.
•  How to appeal against it.
•  Ways to avoid getting one in the future.

We understand this issue can be upsetting. But don’t worry; you’re not alone. In fact, Over 19,000 parking fines are issued each day in the UK¹.

We are here to help you find the best way to deal with your Sainsbury’s parking fine.

Do you have to pay the car park?

You cannot park for free at Sainsbury’s if you have no intention of shopping at the supermarket.

Even if you do shop at the store, you’ll be restricted in how long you can park. Sainsbury’s car parks are free for genuine Sainsbury’s customers but time restrictions will apply². 

Do you have to pay the fine?

You only have to pay a Sainsbury’s parking fine if you’re ordered to pay by a court.

The reason you only have to pay is when subject a court order is issued because Parking Charge Notices³ aren’t real fines.

They’re similar to invoices and the company can only make you pay by taking legal action. 

However, if you’re taken to court you may incur further expenses, so you might want to pay to avoid court action. But will you really be taken to court by the car park operator? In our experience, it could be a risky decision not to pay and end up in court.

» TAKE ACTION NOW: Get legal support from JustAnswer

Appealing your fine

POPLA is working hard to address issues that cause unfair parking fees. Main issues are often with technology and third party ticket issuers. ⁴

So, if you think the Parking Charge Notice was unfairly issued, you can appeal.

Your appeal must include a reason you think it was unfair, and you might need to support your reasons with evidence, such as a photo. For example, the car park operator may have issued the ticket because you didn’t shop at Sainsbury’s and therefore weren’t a genuine customer.

But this could be a mistake and you could use your Sainsbury’s receipt to prove it. 

Appeals must be made to the car park operator that issued the Parking Charge Notice. You cannot appeal directly to Sainsbury’s but you could contact customer services. Many car park operators now allow you to appeal via their website using the same portal you use to pay.

How to appeal a private parking ticket

Janine, our financial expert, advises to formally appeal a parking ticket within 28 days of receipt, providing evidence such as a photo of your car’s registration number if the PCN is incorrect.

Here’s a table that will help you better understand the steps involved in the appeal process. If you’d like to learn more, don’t forget to read our complete guide.

Process:	Steps you should take:
When you receive the ticket…	You should gather as much evidence as you can to support your appeal claim and prove that the ticket was unfairly issued.
If you were given the ticket in person/attached to your car…	You must make an informal appeal (sent to the local authority/council that issued the PCN) within 14 days. This should be a letter with the evidence proving why the ticket was incorrectly given.
If it was posted to you…	You will be given 21 days to submit an informal appeal (from the day you received the letter). Your informal appeal should be a letter with the evidence proving why the ticket was incorrectly given.
If the informal appeal is rejected…	You will receive a Notice to Owner and will have 28 days to respond to this with a formal appeal. You can conduct the formal appeal online or via paper form. The Traffic Penalty Tribunal can send you one of these forms.
If the formal appeal is rejected…	You will receive a Notice of Rejection. From here, you are free to challenge the council’s verdict at an independent tribunal.
If the independent tribunal disagrees with your appeal…	You should pay the ticket within 28 days of the tribunal rejecting your appeal. If you don’t, the fine will be increased by 50%. If you don’t have the money to pay the fine, you should contact Citizens Advice or another debt charity.

Keep in mind that you should never pay before appealing as your appeal won’t be accepted. The company must respond to the appeal within 35 days. If they don’t respond during this time, the appeal is automatically accepted.

Rejected appeals can be escalated to independent groups for a second opinion. 

Make sure you follow the right private parking appeals process in the UK when you contest the ticket. Check out what happened to one motorist who was given a Sainsbury’s parking ticket.

Source: Moneysavingexpert

Valid grounds for appealing a private parking ticket

We’ve listed some valid grounds for appealing a private parking ticket here:

• You parked correctly and paid the correct fee
• The parking ticket came in the post over 14 days after the alleged parking infringement
• The car park signs and the road markings were not clear
• There was no way for you to pay to park
• You were not the driver when the parking ticket was issued
• A legitimate reason prevented you from returning to your vehicle on time
• You were broken down and waiting for assistance
• The parking ticket was given before the 10-minute grace period had expired

Consequences of ignoring the parking ticket

The operator could take you to court to recover the amount owed.

However, the issuer could instruct a debt collector to recover the unpaid parking ticket.

Either way, we suggest you don’t let things get to that stage because the effects of unpaid parking fines on credit scores can be far-reaching.

Instead, appeal the parking ticket because it stops things from going further while the operator assesses your appeal.

Or pay the parking ticket within 14 days to benefit from the discounted amount.

Will you be taken to court?

You might receive court threats directly from the car park operator or a debt collection agency that they have employed to chase you for the money.

These legal threats could be genuine and you might subsequently receive a court summons. However, they could also be empty threats made to make you so worried that you give in and pay. 

There’s just no sure-fire way of knowing whether you’ll be taken to court after ignoring a Parking Charge Notice. 

Cost of court proceedings over a parking ticket

If you decide not to pay the parking ticket, you’ll have to attend court.

The hearing is held in a ‘small claims court’, which will attract further fees. Court costs will add to the overall amount you must pay if you lose the case.

That said, legal costs are not awarded in small claims courts, so the car park operator can’t claim these back even if they win the case.

We suggest you seek parking ticket legal advice if you’re at all unsure about anything.

Can you contact Sainsbury’s customer services?

Yes. If you feel the ticket is unfair or just plain wrong, you can contact Sainsbury’s customer services and plead your case.

You must provide evidence why the parking ticket should be cancelled. For example, a receipt proving you shopped in the store.

References

1. Sky News — Parking Tickets Statistics
2. Sainsbury’s – Parking Rules
3. National Debtline – Parking Charge Notices
4. POPLA — Parking on Private Land Appeals Annual Report