Parking Charges whilst Charging

[Sandypuke]

Recently had the opportunity to use the Tesla network. I was very impressed at ease of use availability of stations and cost. However, and this may not be a Tesla specific issue, we got stung at Preston South with a parking charge. The chargers are in a Holiday Inn car park and although we didn’t spot this, you are supposed to register your vehicle at the hotel to avoid charges imposed by Parkingeye. We didn’t see notices advising of this but I don’t doubt they exist. It does seem counterintuitive given that we were not Holiday Inn customers.
Whatever, I have sent messages to both ZapMap (where we found the chargers) and Tesla suggesting that they might flag these charges up more obviously in their Apps. Still to hear back but please be warned of this potential issue if you are not already aware. It seems from other complaints seen that we are not the first to be complaining about this.

 

[Tight Git]

Off the top of my head I think it's the same at Heathrow and Carmarthen open to all Tesla chargers.

I'm sure there will be others, but definitely check beforehand if any parking charges apply.

 

[Wadda]

It’s getting more and more common at all car parks. You need to be vigilant for signs.

 

[Rolfe]

Since there's already an active thread about this, I've merged it in.

 

[siteguru]

I'm sure there will be others, but definitely check beforehand if any parking charges apply.

I think the superchargers outside the Dakota hotel at Eurocentral (midway between Glasgow and Edinburgh, near Motherwell) are the same - you need to register your car at the hotel reception. At least this is a bit more obvious, as they're in the car park for the hotel and there's nowhere else to go socially.

 

[Rolfe]

The only time I ever used them I was there for a meal anyway. Must have been exactly a year ago. I only spent £5, just to see if I could actually charge! They're only about 35 miles from home. But then when I was at a supercharger at another hotel which was clearly built from the same blueprints but wasn't actually a Dakota, I asked and was told no it's OK, you don't have to register.

 

[Gomev]

Quite a lot of Superchargers are in hotel grounds and require this.

 

[Sandypuke]

Quite a lot of Superchargers are in hotel grounds and require this.

This is worth knowing. I have no objection to paying parking charges if they’re due. I do think it could be flagged up more clearly though - both in the supercharger stations (it may have been at Preston, I just didn’t think to check) and via Tesla/ZapMap apps.
Shouldn’t be too difficult to put a note in either of these, should it?

 

[emmrecs]

@Sandypuke

I think ZapMap at least does include information about possible parking charges. I just checked the Info section (in ZapMap) of a charger quite near to me (which I've never used) and it clearly says "Parking: Charges may apply". I realise "may apply" is not especially helpful, but at least the user is made aware.

 

[Sandypuke]

@Sandypuke

I think ZapMap at least does include information about possible parking charges. I just checked the Info section (in ZapMap) of a charger quite near to me (which I've never used) and it clearly says "Parking: Charges may apply". I realise "may apply" is not especially helpful, but at least the user is made aware.

I’ve just checked the Preston South site again. There are comments in the ‘chat’ (including my own) but unless I’m looking in the wrong place no other warning. I didn’t think to check the chat. I will in future!
But it seems such a straightforward issue, and helpful, for such a comment to be on the opening page.

 

[Rolfe]

This is worth knowing. I have no objection to paying parking charges if they’re due. I do think it could be flagged up more clearly though - both in the supercharger stations (it may have been at Preston, I just didn’t think to check) and via Tesla/ZapMap apps.
Shouldn’t be too difficult to put a note in either of these, should it?

In my experience you don't actually have to pay, you just have to go into the hotel and enter your car registration at reception.

 

[emmrecs]

unless I’m looking in the wrong place no other warning

I think you may be (looking in the wrong place). Do you see the Info tab in the ZapMap app? That's where any info about parking charge is usually shown.

 

[Sandypuke]

In my experience you don't actually have to pay, you just have to go into the hotel and enter your car registration at reception.

Yes that’s right.
The problem we had was not knowing this.
Or that parking charges were even in place.

 

[Fluffykins]

Not quite a suitable analogy as ICE cars spend not a lot of time at the pump - as much or more time is spent going to the shop, paying, then coming back to the car.

Unless, that is, you're stuck in a petrol pump lane behind the stupid morin who is now spending a half hour in the petrol station shop, agonising over what flavour crisps would go with her frozen meal of regurgitated stodge.

 

[Sandypuke]

I think you may be (looking in the wrong place). Do you see the Info tab in the ZapMap app? That's where any info about parking charge is usually shown.

Yes. I know about this. But I have used three public Tesla chargers and all of them say “Charges may apply”. Only one actually had them in place. What I was hoping was that ZapMap (they say this information is not readily available to them) and/or Tesla could put some sort of a flag on their opening page for the chargers, which would make it obvious from the outset.
I’m happy to pay charges if they apply I just think there could be better warning.

 

[Gomev]

Yes. I know about this. But I have used three public Tesla chargers and all of them say “Charges may apply”. Only one actually had them in place. What I was hoping was that ZapMap (they say this information is not readily available to them) and/or Tesla could put some sort of a flag on their opening page for the chargers, which would make it obvious from the outset.
I’m happy to pay charges if they apply I just think there could be better warning.

Tesla do put a flag on their charger page. If you are heading to a Tesla Supercharger use their app not Zapmap or any other.
If you look on their app for example the Preston South you mentioned, when you click on the red icon for the charger location it displays the charger info at the bottom of the screen. Swipe up on that and it shows prices etc and also the address. You will see an Entry Code if parking charges may apply (I guess Frontdesk means sign in there). This code is also for say multi storey car parks where you are just charging.

 

[Sandypuke]

Tesla do put a flag on their charger page. If you are heading to a Tesla Supercharger use their app not Zapmap or any other.
If you look on their app for example the Preston South you mentioned, when you click on the red icon for the charger location it displays the charger info at the bottom of the screen. Swipe up on that and it shows prices etc and also the address. You will see an Entry Code if parking charges may apply (I guess Frontdesk means sign in there). This code is also for say multi storey car parks where you are just charging.

Thank you. That's really helpful to know. though I'm not altogether certain I would have understood it even if I had seen it before charging.
I'll watch out for this in future.

 

[Gadget Geek]

Talking of parking charges, I thought I'd share this one with you;

I've just received a parking charge notice from APCOA for over staying at Tesco, Weston super Mare . . . The only thing is, the 2 photos of my car are 15 hours apart, with me parking there overnight . . . oh, and the ticket verification machines haven't worked for montbs.

I contested it online and sent a screen grab of Android Auto from my phone which shows me leaving Tesco and going home during that 15 hour period.

 

[siteguru]

That's a classic "double dip" ... record the 1st entry and last exit, and discard any in-between images. (e.g. the 1st exit or 2nd entry may not have been a clear image. They're supposed to manually validate the images in such scenarios but they don't bother, preferring instead to auto-send the PCN as most "victims" just pay up = easy money).

 

[Richard Bankart]

Recently had the opportunity to use the Tesla network. I was very impressed at ease of use availability of stations and cost. However, and this may not be a Tesla specific issue, we got stung at Preston South with a parking charge. The chargers are in a Holiday Inn car park and although we didn’t spot this, you are supposed to register your vehicle at the hotel to avoid charges imposed by Parkingeye. We didn’t see notices advising of this but I don’t doubt they exist. It does seem counterintuitive given that we were not Holiday Inn customers.
Whatever, I have sent messages to both ZapMap (where we found the chargers) and Tesla suggesting that they might flag these charges up more obviously in their Apps. Still to hear back but please be warned of this potential issue if you are not already aware. It seems from other complaints seen that we are not the first to be complaining about this.

I would like to know more of the "Parking" charges. You might be interested in the following: -

Parking Meaning in Law - To leave a vehicle in a carpark or other reserved space” and “To leave in a suitable place until required.” The concept of parking, as opposed to stopping, is that of leaving a car for some duration of time beyond that needed for getting in or out of it, loading or unloading it, and perhaps coping with some vicissitude.

My read of this is that you stop at at charging bay you do not park. Afterall you wouldn't expect to drive onto a petrol station and face a parking charge when filling up. This likewise is not parking but stopping. As you are stopping and not parking, what reason do you have for looking at parking notices when they are not relevant. What is also rather gaulling is that in this instance the land owner, for some consideration, transferred these parking bays to Tesla to become charging bays. Having sold them they are still trying to charge for them as if they still owned them and as if they were parking bays. Clearly they are not and under English law I believe it is illegal to park in a charging bay you need to use the bay to charge. Once it is a charging bay it cannot be a parking bay. So long as you are charging I cannot see how you can be alleged to be parking. Additionally under the law, the land owner has to be give people entering the space, time to consider any regulations. In this instance not only does there not appear to be any signs relating to stopping their parking terms kick in after 0 hours and 0 minutes. I believe the parking signs refer to Holiday Inn parking. If you are in a Tesla bay are you not on their property, would you think you were on someone else's property? Surely any conditions as regards the Tesla charging bay need to be set out by Tesla according to the normal regulations including clearly stating a quantifiable penalty. If it is Tesla's intent that customers should be fined for using their charging bays then clearly they should say. If not then I think it beholden on Tesla to ensure that their customers are not screwed over by the land owner they contracted with to create the charging station. Tesla seem to dismiss matters saying this is a private land issue. This is not strictly accurate this is an issue about their charging bays which they have acquired by some contract. The site comprises land either owned or subject to conditions Tesla has agreed and separately the Holiday Inn car park and hotel. Do you know from any signage who's site you are on? As regards any need for registering registration details at the site are these not provided the moment you connect your car to the super charger. It amazes me that if the intent was never to charge charger users that Tesla allows their customers to be fined for using THEIR site.