From unclear signs to hidden fees, so-called car park traps are catching out drivers across the country--and costing them dearly. We take a look at these tactics with an economics expert, see how to avoid unfair charges and consider what can be done about them.
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00:00When we go into a car park, we fully expect if it's private land, we may have to pay.
00:05Although, of course, the sort of the difficulty is we're not sure.
00:08And one of the tactics that's used is putting signs where you cannot see them
00:13or there is a really dark corner at night where people don't go looking for it.
00:17So you've got to be careful that you know exactly what you're doing
00:21when you go onto a private piece of land.
00:23So that's the real difficulty, that sort of the unscrupulous operators
00:27are looking for ways to sort of to entrap you.
00:31And of course, the thing is, though, if they sort of they impose this,
00:34the one piece of advice I'd give to sort of to the viewers is don't pay it, challenge it.
00:39Because, of course, that they have no right to sort of take your money.
00:42So but people often sort of become fearful and there's often a sort of a threat.
00:46If you don't pay the sort of the what they sort of call a fine immediately, it then ramps up.
00:51But, hey, you know, these things are sort of often tested in courts
00:54and the unscrupulous operators don't like to be sort of subject to sort of the scrutiny
00:59of sort of people with wigs on.
01:02These sorts of tactics, are they technically legal?
01:05Is it a grey area that these people are operating in?
01:08We're certainly into sort of a grey area of sorts.
01:11Now, of course, I've got to sort of stress that there is no reason why,
01:15whereby if you park on a private piece of land,
01:17that the landowner has every right to sort of to charge you for sort of doing that.
01:22But it should be absolutely clear what those charges are and the time limits
01:25and on everything that goes it.
01:27So it should be sort of round about the place and clear to all.
01:31But but as I say that, you know, these unscrupulous firms and some of them,
01:34you know, they verge on sort of illegality.
01:36I've got to be careful here.
01:38But of course, it's in their interest to sort of to extract as much money
01:40as they possibly can, because, of course, it goes into their coffers.
01:44I mean, just to sort of differentiate when we go into accounts run car parts,
01:47that's often a lot clearer because, of course, and indeed, you know,
01:51they have council attendants who sort of go around checking on the sort of the time
01:54that you've had it.
01:55But obviously, that's the whole sort of thing that it's the lack of clarity.
02:01That's what catches people out.
02:03How can people protect themselves from going into one of these car parks unaware
02:07and getting a big charge that maybe they don't deserve to have?
02:12Do your homework.
02:13If you know you're going somewhere and you're unsure of what the situation is
02:17in terms of car parking, you may be better off going to somewhere
02:20and paying perhaps a little bit more money in one of the big national operators
02:25where at least you know that you're going to be treated fairly,
02:28because that's also the difficulty.