Karin Streete, from Bath, is warning drivers to double-check their car registration details after a small mistake resulted in a hefty fine for her and her husband. Earlier this summer, while visiting The Globe Inn in Newton St Loe, Karin accidentally swapped two characters on their vehicle’s registration number when using the pub’s parking payment system.
This minor error triggered a parking charge of £100, which later escalated to £170 after being handed over to a debt collection agency. Karin’s husband, who has suffered a stroke and is battling cancer, was deeply affected by the ordeal. Karin says her goal is to alert others about the potential consequences of such mistakes: “I just want other people to be warned.”
Karin explained the situation: “When entering the car registration on the monitor at the bar, I reversed the last two letters without realizing it mattered. We stayed for around an hour, then left, unaware of any issues.” Several weeks later, they received a final demand letter from Euro Car Parks claiming they had parked illegally and owed £100.
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Karin and her husband were convinced it was a scam, as they were certain their parking was legitimate. She notes that CCTV footage would have shown only a minor difference between their actual number plate and the one entered, suggesting human error rather than deliberate wrongdoing.
Because Karin initially dismissed the letter, Euro Car Parks forwarded the case to Debt Recovery Plus, who added an extra £70 to the charge. She also discovered that The Globe Inn has no connection to the car park, so its staff could not assist them.
Making matters worse, Karin found contacting Euro Car Parks extremely difficult: “They make it so hard to contact anybody.” After much frustration, she was advised to seek legal advice but worried about the cost. If the fine remained unpaid, court action in Northampton was possible—too burdensome a travel distance given her husband’s health.
On September 3rd, facing limited options, the couple reluctantly paid the £170. Despite the stressful experience, Karin continues to visit The Globe Inn, now taking extra care to enter the correct registration details: “I don’t expect anything to come of this—just to warn people to make sure they do it correctly.”
Vintage Inns, Euro Car Parks, and Debt Recovery Plus have been approached for comment.