Karin Streete, from Bath, is warning others to double-check parking details after her husband was unfairly charged £170 due to a simple registration mistake.
Earlier this summer, Karin and her husband visited The Globe Inn in Newton St Loe. Stressed and anxious, Karin accidentally swapped the last two characters of their car’s registration plate when entering it into the pub’s parking system. Unaware that such a minor slip could cause issues, they parked for just over an hour and left without incident.
Weeks later, they received a final notice from Euro Car Parks demanding £100 for illegal parking. When ignored, the charge was handed over to a debt collection agency, Debt Recovery Plus, which added £70 in fees, bringing the total to £170.
Karin’s husband, already battling cancer and recovering from a stroke, found the situation particularly distressing. “I just want other people to be warned,” Karin says, explaining how the stress of her husband’s health likely contributed to the error.
Despite CCTV footage likely showing the license plate only differed by two characters, Euro Car Parks pursued the full penalty, lacking leniency for honest mistakes. The Globe Inn had no involvement in the car park management, leaving staff unable to assist them.
Attempts to resolve the matter became a frustrating struggle with unresponsive customer service, prompting advice to seek legal counsel—an option the couple could not afford or physically manage, given their circumstances.
Faced with potential court action in Northampton, hundreds of miles away, they reluctantly paid the £170 fine on September 3rd.
Karin continues to visit The Globe Inn but now double-checks every detail before submitting her car’s registration. She hopes sharing her story will prevent others from enduring similar injustice.
Vintage Inns, Euro Car Parks, and Debt Recovery Plus have all been contacted for comment.