A Birmingham father has been left nearly £300 out of pocket after a simple family trip to a play centre turned into a costly parking nightmare.
The Costly Ball Pit Mishap
Giovanni Vona, a dad-of-three and restaurant co-owner, took his children to Berzerk Active Play in Kings Heath in February last year. The family day out took an unfortunate turn when Giovanni lost his car keys in the venue's ball pit. This seemingly minor incident triggered a chain of events that would see him facing a significant financial penalty.
The car park outside the play centre offered a free three-hour stay, with an additional ten-minute grace period. Due to the time spent searching for his keys, Giovanni returned to his vehicle 13 minutes after the permitted time had expired. He discovered there was no way to pay for the extra time he needed.
A System With 'No Opportunity' to Pay
"I knew I was over the limit by 13 minutes, but there was no way to pay for the additional time," Giovanni explained to BirminghamLive. He highlighted the contrast with supermarket car parks where drivers can typically extend their stay with a payment.
"In somewhere like Tesco, you can pay and extend your stay, that's all I wanted to do," he said. "UK Car Park Management didn't provide this opportunity with no phone number, no app, nothing."
Weeks after the visit, he received a £60 fine from UK Car Park Management (UKCPM). Giovanni chose to appeal the penalty, a decision that led to a court case. The final outcome was far more expensive than the original fine.
Court Case Inflates Costs to Nearly £300
The legal process concluded with Giovanni being ordered to pay a total of £295.60. This sum was made up of the £183.60 fine and £112 in court costs.
Giovanni, who co-owns Caffe Gustami in Ladywood, stressed he does not blame the play centre for the situation. His frustration is directed squarely at the parking firm and what he sees as a flawed system. "Car park companies are self-regulated and the amount of money they make from people is ridiculous," he stated. "They set up a car park with arbitrary rules and arbitrary fines."
Calls for Mandatory 'Pay to Extend' Rules
The experience has prompted Giovanni to call for a reform of private parking regulations. He believes it should be mandatory for operators to give drivers the option to extend their stay for a reasonable fee.
"I think it's fair that you get the option to extend your stay," he argued. "If I got the chance to pay £5 for extending over 13 minutes, that would be fair, but not £60."
He feels so strongly about the issue that he vows not to return to the play centre and is willing to push for wider change. "This issue has annoyed me to the point where I won't return. I'm willing to push this as far as I can because the system needs to be regulated."
When approached for comment by BirminghamLive, UK Car Park Management declined to respond on the matter.
