KFC customer slapped with £60 parking fine after taking more than an hour to eat his chicken dinner
Private parking firm said the 43-year-old had overstayed by 19 minutes before threatening him with a £100 bill if he didn’t pay up quickly
A KFC customer was hit with a £60 parking fine because he took an hour to eat his chicken meal.
Mark Howie spent £23 on a family lunch at the branch in Wolviston, in County Durham - only to later get a fine through the post.
Private parking firm Civil Enforcement Ltd said the 43-year-old’s Chrysler had overstayed by 19 minutes, before threatening him with a £100 bill if he didn’t pay in time.
KFC initially told Mark “there isn’t anything we can do” – but it has now told how it is working with the parking firm to scrap the fine.
He is now urging other people hit with the same penalty to fight back.
“The message is not to let them push you over,” said Mark.
He took his mum and daughter to the Coal Lane branch last month while driving from Newcastle to his Hertfordshire home, but stayed longer than the hour limit.
“The one thing that struck me was how they say you can eat a family meal in under an hour, but when you have a kids, that definitely isn’t always possible,” added Mark. “I felt mistreated as a customer.”
He contacted the firm with proof of purchase after receiving the letter on Monday.
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In its initial response, KFC said it was powerless to act because parking is operated by a third party, before urging Mark to appeal to them.
But the firm has since backtracked, with a spokesperson confirming that since Mark provided proof of purchase, it can act.
For Mark, the news is a great relief – especially with the letter threatening a possible action from a debt enforcement agency if the bill wasn’t settled in time.
“They said I had 14 days to pay, but by the time the letter came a week had already passed,” claimed Mark.
But he has now urged others not to give up at the first hurdle if they find themselves in a similar situation.
“There always is something that can be done - they will always try and fob you off,” said Mark.
“But if push comes to shove they will find a way.”
A KFC spokesperson said: “Although we don’t run the car park at our Wolviston restaurant, our fans are important to us, so we worked with the parking company to get Mark’s fine overturned.
"Time restrictions on parking are there for the benefit of our customers, so there’s space available for them to park while eating.
"We’ve taken the feedback on board and are looking at how we can make the system better.”
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