A man has criticised Manchester Airport after his wife was issued a £100 fine, despite their car being registered for automatic payments at drop-off zones. Michael Joseph said the fine 'undermines the autopay system' after they were charged for dropping their son off at the airport last month.
The 52-year-old said his partner took their son to the Terminal 2 pick-up zone on September 23. The family, from Salford, previously set up autopay after having 'a bad experience with parking at the airport'.
The system allows people to register their vehicle online with a payment card and be automatically charged for pick-ups or drop-offs at the airport. If drivers don't have autopay set up, they have to visit Manchester Airport's website - or call up - to pay charges by midnight the day after visits. Missing the payment deadline results in a £100 Parking Charge Notice.
Fine issued despite autopay account
Michael and his family said they have used pick-up zones multiple times since setting up their autopay account and have never experienced any issues. But on Monday (October 12), he said he received a parking fine, with the airport saying a charge from September had not been paid.
The airport says the reason for the charge is that the vehicle overstayed the 15-minute limit.
'It defeats the whole objective'
But Michael said: "We got a ticket despite the fact that we are registered with this autopay. Their response when I got in touch with them about it was more or less them saying that the onus is still on us to pay and to make sure we're paying. It seems to completely defeat the whole objective.
"I mean, what person registers and then still checks? We've used autopay a few times and never had any issues. I even forwarded them a receipt of a previous time when I went and it worked.
"It's crazy stuff. People are obviously going in oblivious to knowing that the system sometimes works and sometimes doesn't work.
"Despite them saying that they've got the solution for the lazy people that don't bother to pay on the day and that all you need to do is register and then you've got the peace of mind. Well, no, you haven't.
"They've given no reason as to why it didn't work. They've given a standard response that's all automated. Their standard line is that the onus is on the user.
"So irrespective of whether or not you've taken advantage of the AutoPay system, at the end of the day, it's not worked and that is down to you.
"The customer ought to have that peace of mind that when they go in there, if they've got a registered account, they should not have to check their account.
"They should automatically assume that it will work. I don't know the law on this but I would have thought that if you register an account, the system should be safe enough to give you that peace of mind, and if it doesn't, which person would bother registering?"
What the Airport has said
The Manchester Evening News understands the fine was issued as a result of overstaying in the pick-up zone, which has a maximum stay restriction of 15 minutes. Fines are issued to any vehicle that overstays in the pick-up zone.
A Manchester Airport spokesperson said: "The maximum stay in the Terminal 2 pick-up area is 15 minutes. This is an important rule that prevents misuse of our pick-up areas and helps make sure they do not become congested so they remain available for people that them.
"Drivers who have set up autopay will be automatically charged for time in the pick-up area up to 15 minutes. Beyond that drivers are eligible for an overstay charge. This is not taken via autopay in order to give drivers the opportunity to appeal should they feel a mistake has been made.
"The rules and regulations are clearly signposted on entry to the pick-up areas and in the pick-up areas themselves. They are also advertised on our website."
