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A little too long in the Lidl parking lot: Service provider insists on fines for senior - discounters responded

2021-11-22T14:28:12.998Z


The 73-year-old Wolfgang E. parked a few seconds too long in a Lidl parking lot. Now he is fighting against the service provider who imposed a fine on him.


The 73-year-old Wolfgang E. parked a few seconds too long in a Lidl parking lot.

Now he is fighting against the service provider who imposed a fine on him.

Düsseldorf - More than 48 million passenger cars are registered in Germany, and parking spaces are scarce in many places.

Long-term parkers in particular make it particularly difficult for other car drivers to find the right space.

To prevent this, the discount chain Lidl works with a sensor technology that measures the parking time of the customers.

However, machine controls can also lead to injustices, as a case from Düsseldorf shows.

Lidl: 73-year-old parked 68 seconds too long - parking service provider insists on a contractual penalty

Because he parked his vehicle a little too long in a Lidl parking lot in Düsseldorf-Flingern, Wolfgang E. was promptly sentenced to a fine of 24.90 euros. He only exceeded the maximum parking time of 60 minutes by a few seconds. “The ticket was issued to me after exactly 68 seconds. It's a mess and rip-off for me, "the 73-year-old complained to the

Rheinische Post

.

E. then attempted to take action against the contractual penalty due. But Lidl itself does not operate the parking lot surveillance itself, but a service provider called 'Safe Place'. "If the maximum parking time is exceeded, the external service provider is automatically informed via the system," explains a spokesman for the chain in the report. 'Safe Place' indicates the maximum parking time on car parks throughout Germany, and the signs are also provided with a kind of motto: "Simply customer-friendly".

If E. has his way, this saying would probably be painted over.

Because 'Safe Place' continued to demand the amount despite multiple written complaints.

On top of that, the Düsseldorf resident was threatened with additional costs if he did not transfer the sum within 14 days.

"That is coercion and not allowed at all," replies E., who cites a judgment of the Federal Court of Justice of December 18, 2015 (VZR 160/14).

He gets backing from the consumer advice center in North Rhine-Westphalia that the threat is "illegal", and the threat of costs is also held for coercion.

Lidl: Consumer advice center agrees with Wolfgang E. - Discounter recommends demanding exact parking times

The discounter responded to the complaints of the minimal parking offender with an accommodating action and sent him a shopping voucher for 25 euros.

"We have had your request checked by our department.

(...) Of course we would like to reimburse you for the costs ", says a letter to Wolfgang E. 

E. will not see the money again, however, a transfer back through 'Safe Place' is not possible.

A Lidl spokeswoman makes it clear: “The complete processing of all modalities in connection with the warning money is carried out exclusively by the service provider.

Lidl does not benefit from the fine ”.

The discounter also advises all those affected to request the exact parking times and, if necessary, to “ask for goodwill” from Lidl.

(ajr)

Source: merkur

All life articles on 2021-11-22

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