Quote:
Originally Posted by alferret
EMA used to be free, last time I used it for drop off/pick up it was £1.00.
Don't know what it is now tho as it's been a year or so since I last used it.
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That's part of the problem isn't it. A lot of people only tend to use an airport maybe once or twice a year or even less so may find they turn up, as I did, only to find a whole lot of changes have taken place which aren't adequately explained or signposted.
I'd have less of a problem if the signposting wasn't so confusing and the Stansted Airport website's description of its parking facilities was a lot clearer than it is. I get the distinct feeling that, so far as the operators are concerned, confusion amongst airport users is a good thing since it generates revenue. Given it represented a major change to a longstanding procedure, I wonder if the Stansted website ever really highlighted the changes to the drop off procedure or simply mentioned it in deep within the parking section.
Clearly, if all airports are doing the same then there's no way to avoid being fleeced in this manner. However, from what I've read, I understand that the penalties being charged by some parking companies operating on private property may not be strictly legal since it's a civil matter and the penalties levied (often made to resemble official parking fines) for any breach of the terms, should apparently only represent the revenue lost as a result of the parking infringement.If that's the case it'd be hard to argue that the cost of someone being 1 minute too long dropping off their elderly aunt justifies a £50 'fine' being added to an already hefty £3 charge for 15 mins. Maybe that's why some companies seem very keen to get tow trucks and enforcement staff involved ASAP, since they can then claim an actual cost for the particular incident which justifies the penalty imposed. Oddly enough, I've read that some of these companies seem reluctant to take matters to court where their numerous written demands for payment are ignored. I wonder why? Nice work if you can get it anwyay eh?