Genuine Customer Defence: Fighting a Supermarket Car Park Ticket

Receiving a parking ticket at a supermarket or retail park where you were actually shopping feels deeply unjust — and legally, you may have a strong case. The "genuine customer" defence draws directly from Supreme Court authority and challenges whether the parking charge serves its stated purpose. ## The legal basis: Beavis and legitimate interest In ParkingEye v Beavis [2015] UKSC 67, the Supreme Court held that parking charges are enforceable because they serve a "legitimate interest" — specifically, managing the car park for the benefit of the landowner's customers. But this cuts both ways. If the parking scheme exists to serve customers, then penalising a genuine customer undermines that very purpose. The charge ceases to serve a legitimate interest when it punishes the people it's supposed to protect. ## What counts as a "genuine customer" You are a genuine customer if you were at the site to use the facilities that the car park serves. This typically means: - Shopping at the supermarket or retail units - Eating at an on-site restaurant or cafe - Using on-site services (pharmacy, optician, bank) - Visiting multiple stores in a retail park The key question is whether your presence in the car park was for the purpose the landowner intended — i.e., to use their business. ## When this defence is strongest ### You have receipt evidence A receipt from the store dated the same day as the alleged parking contravention is powerful evidence. It proves you were there as a customer. **Pro tip**: Keep receipts from the store for any visit where you might overstay. Even a small purchase demonstrates customer status. ### Your overstay was reasonable for the visit If the car park allows 2 hours and you stayed 2 hours 20 minutes while doing a large weekly shop, that's reasonable. A family shopping trip with young children, or a visit to multiple stores in a retail park, naturally takes longer than the time limit. ### The store itself acknowledges you Some stores will confirm you were a customer if you contact their customer service team. A letter from the store manager stating you were shopping can be decisive. ## ParkingEye retail sites ParkingEye manages car parks for Aldi, Lidl, and many retail parks. Their time limits (often 90 minutes or 2 hours) are designed for typical visits but don't account for busy periods, elderly shoppers, or multi-store trips. When appealing a ParkingEye retail site ticket: 1. Provide your shopping receipt(s) 2. Explain what you were doing and why it took the time it did 3. Reference Beavis — the charge must serve the legitimate interest of managing parking for customers 4. Argue that penalising a genuine customer contradicts the scheme's stated purpose ## How to structure your appeal 1. **State you were a genuine customer** — "I was at [store] on [date] as a customer, purchasing [items/using services]" 2. **Provide evidence** — receipt, bank statement showing transaction, loyalty card records 3. **Explain the overstay** — "My visit took longer than the time limit because [specific reason]" 4. **Cite the legal principle** — "Per ParkingEye v Beavis [2015] UKSC 67, the parking charge serves the legitimate interest of managing parking for the landowner's customers. Charging a genuine customer contradicts this legitimate interest" 5. **Note proportionality** — a charge of typically 60-100 pounds for a customer who overstayed by minutes while spending money in the store is arguably disproportionate ## Limitations of this defence Be honest with yourself: - If you parked at a supermarket but walked to a completely different location, you weren't a genuine customer - If you overstayed by several hours beyond any reasonable shopping time, the defence weakens - If you have no evidence of a purchase or visit, the defence is harder to prove (though not impossible — you might have browsed without buying) ## Combining with other grounds The genuine customer defence works well combined with: - **Grace period** — you were a customer AND your overstay was within the grace period - **Signage** — you were a customer AND the time limit wasn't clearly displayed - **Proportionality** — you were a customer AND the charge is disproportionate to any loss the landowner suffered ## Bottom line If you were genuinely using the facilities that the car park exists to serve, you have a legitimate and legally grounded defence. The Supreme Court said parking charges must serve the landowner's interest in managing parking for customers — not in punishing them. Keep your receipts, explain your visit, and cite Beavis.