Customers slam high Costa parking
Cafe in hot water over £170 fines
Customers of Costa Coffee in Bathgate are boiling mad after a simple cuppa ended up costing them nearly £200.
The coffee chain has been accused of misleading customers about the parking arrangements at the George Square branch after some were hit with expensive fines.
Parking at the branch is restricted to 15 minutes but longer is allowed if customers input their registration number.
Two people who were stung with hefty fines have hit out because they said they did not see any signs explaining this.
They also said that none of the employees in the branch told them to register their number plates to enjoy longer parking.
Disabled pensioner Bill Kay (68) was stung when he visited the cafe with his carer Ray Quinton.
They dropped into Costa for a coffee in July and were shocked when Bill received a parking ticket from Civil Enforcement Ltd soon after.
Bill decided to ignore the ticket but has since received a demand from a debt collection agency for £170.
Ray explained: “Bill’s on 26 tablets a day so he’s quite heavily medicated. He walks with a stick and he can’t walk very far.
“It’s a very huge fine for anyone to pay. We haven’t been back. It’s a very expensive cup of coffee.
“I feel it’s unjust. He was a customer. I just said to him I’d be half an hour running around town so he went in.
“I’m not even sure they had signs up as it was very new then. You used to be able to park in there when it was the bank.
“They should have sent a warning first.”
Vicky Smith ( 34) from Blackburn was also shocked to receive a ticket after she met a friend for a coffee in the branch in October.
She said: “I was in for about 45 minutes and a couple of weeks later I was hit with a ticket for £60 initially.
“I phoned Costa and explained I was a customer but they said they couldn’t do anything because I didn’t have a receipt. Who keeps a receipt for coffee?
“I also paid by cash so there’s nothing on my bank statement.
“I wrote to the parking company to appeal.
“They said they would not accept the appeal because there are signs in the car park but I didn’t see any.”
Vicky said she then contacted Costa but was told again that without a receipt or bank statement to prove she had been a customer there was nothing they could do.
She continued: “Apart from the fact I didn’t see any signs, nobody who worked there said anything about inputting your car registration for longer parking. They should be notifying customers at the till.
“This has turned out to be the most expensive cup of tea ever and I certainly won’t be going back to Costa again.”
A spokesperson for Costa said: “We’re so sorry to hear that these customers received a parking ticket whilst visiting Costa Coffee.
“Whilst we do fully sympathise, unfortunately we have no control over the parking charges in this area as it is completely regulated by a third party.
“We would advise the customer to pick up with the retail park operators directly.”