# Q Park Car Parks



## Marathon Man (3 Jun 2009)

I had an interesting incident at the City Hall (Cork) cark park last Saturday.

I parked there intending staying for 1 hour. I was in the City Hall itself and watching the time and made it back to the slot m/c with two minutes to spare. However the m/c was charging for two hours, so I cancelled and set off to see the guy manning the security desk.

After a (good natured) discussion he agreed to waive the second hour, but explained that he would have to log it, or there would be a shortfall.

I'm not happy with what I discovered though: When you drive in and get your ticket, the time is stamped on it. What do you normally do? I put it on the dash, drive on and park. Once I've parked, I take the ticket and put it in my wallet, checking the time on it. 

According to the QPark guy, I should have checked the time on the ticket AND my watch immediately I got the ticket, so see what difference there was. I don't know anyone who does this. Btw, I do a daily timecheck on my watch.

This is nub of the issue: According to the QPark guy, all the QPark computers are networked, and the time is set annually........but it was actually 6 minutes fast. 

So the car park exit m/c is 6 minutes ahead of my watch. I have no way of knowing this. The ticket said 14:52, I arrived at 15:50 and QParks computer said 15:58! In other words, if you arrive back with 6 minutes or less left on your ticket, you will be charged for an additional hour, even though you are inside the time.  ...and this apparently, applies to all  QPark, car parks around the country.

This is potentially a nice little earner for the cark park beneficiaries - two hours income for the "cost" of 1!

Anyone know if these car park computer systems are governed by Weights & Measures regulations? In any case Sale of Goods act applies, so 1 hour from the time of ticket stamp applies, irrespective of what the computer says.


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## briancbyrne (3 Jun 2009)

this would be interesting to know - I just emailed Qpark about this and am awaiting thier response. - I'll post it if they reply


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## gipimann (3 Jun 2009)

I've spotted time discrepancies now and again on some of the parking meters in Drogheda - they can be a couple of minutes slow so I'm paying for parking that I didn't use (e.g. I park at 2.45pm and am charged from 2.42pm).  Cheaper than having to pay an extra hour's worth, but annoying all the same!


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## Marathon Man (3 Jun 2009)

I've mailed QPark with the details, pointing out this thread also - to make sure I've got their attention. I've also complained to Weights & Measures, who are to come back to me tomorrow. They're checking to see if it's their area and, if not, will tell me whose area it falls under.

A quick 'seat of the pants' estimate based on guessed number of car parks, spaces, turnover of cars and likely % falling into this '6 minute' slot, comes up with a sizeable € turnover figure. 

The most benign explanation is that the entry m/c printing the time stamp is a standalone item with no connection with the pay m/c. The only connection would be the magnetic strip on the ticket.


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## shesells (4 Jun 2009)

I frequently note the time on the parking meters on the 200m around the st where I work, they vary +- 8 mins  So I now know which one to get the ticket from to get best value for money


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## extopia (4 Jun 2009)

gipimann said:


> I've spotted time discrepancies now and again on some of the parking meters in Drogheda - they can be a couple of minutes slow so I'm paying for parking that I didn't use (e.g. I park at 2.45pm and am charged from 2.42pm).  Cheaper than having to pay an extra hour's worth, but annoying all the same!



Yes, but.... surely you can see that in the example you give, you're also getting the last three minutes for free!


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## Marathon Man (4 Jun 2009)

If one is issued with a ticket stating a particular time, then it should be valid until that time expires.  If the service provider has neglected their own interests, resulting in the consumer getting extra time, that is their problem.

On the other hand, if the consumer is given incorrect or misleading information by the service provider, resulting in a loss to the consumer, then that is a serious matter.

Setting a clock to reflect the time accurately is not rocket science.  In the case of QPark, it would appear, based to my conversation last Sat., that ALL 34 of their car parks are governed by a single time which is incorrect by 6 minutes.  This 6 minutes falls on the side which gives, in this instance, the maximum benefit to QPark and results in significant numbers of consumers paying for an additional hour.  

I have not yet got a reply to my email from QPark, however I have had one from Weights & Measures.  Apparently it doesn't fall under their remit, so its off to the National Consumer Agency now...


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## Mercantilist (4 Jun 2009)

It seems to me that it wouldnt be a matter for Weights and Measures enforcement, as you are getting what you pay for, ie you pay for one hour and you get one hours parking.

It could, however, be viewed as an Unfair Trading practice because they are printing false information on your ticket, ie displaying an incorrect time which is causing customers to calculate their parking time incorrectly resulting in an occasional additional profit for Q Park.

If they are going to err in their machine times, they should err on the customers side, ie set their clock slightly behind, so the customer arrives back to his car early and avoids paying for a subsequent hour.


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## Seagull (4 Jun 2009)

I've frequently found the time on the on-street parking meters to be 5 minutes fast.


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## dereko1969 (4 Jun 2009)

but fast compared to what? your view of the correct time?
the fact is as was pointed out above that unless their 'hour' isn't an 'hour' then it doesn't make any difference.


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## Celtwytch (4 Jun 2009)

The simple solution is to go by your own watch.  Take a look at it as your ticket is being issued, and be sure to be back before an hour has expired according to your watch.  That way, it makes no difference what time is printed on the ticket.


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## Marathon Man (4 Jun 2009)

Mercantilist said:


> ....as you are getting what you pay for, ie you pay for one hour and you get one hours parking.


Not quite. You're getting 1 hour from the time stamped on the ticket. QPark stamp an incorrect time on the ticket, for whatever reason, and this misleads the customer. 



Celtwytch said:


> The simple solution is to go by your own watch. Take a look at it as your ticket is being issued, and be sure to be back before an hour has expired according to your watch.


Do you do this? I don't nor do I expect to. I don't know anyone who does - I've asked quite a few. In any case see the point above.



dereko1969 said:


> but fast compared to what? your view of the correct time?


I get a timecheck (nearly) every day. In any case both my watch and the QPark 'host's' agreed to the minute and he said it's (the QPark system time" always wrong.


dereko1969 said:


> unless their 'hour' isn't an 'hour' then it doesn't make any difference.


 As I said previously it stands to make a huge financial difference to QPark, even if they did not intend it. Anyone coming back within 6 minutes of the hour (or multiples of 1 hour) is going to be charged for an additional hour. 

QPark stamp a time on their tickets, leading to customers having a legitimate expectation that they will only incur charges based on this stamped time, when this is not the case. I am not aware of any QPark car park that clearly displays the system (or indeed any other) time at any location. The terms and conditions are silent on the matter also.


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## samanthajane (4 Jun 2009)

probably going to throw a stick in the works here but here goes...

regardless an hour is still an hour no matter what is said on the ticket. So you actually did spend over an hour in the car park. So you should of had to pay for the 2 hours. 

Now you should only ever make this mistake once. From now on look at your watch not the ticket and go by that time. I must be in the minority here cause i dont ever look at the ticket i always go by my watch. 

I do agree at what they are doing it could cause a lot of people to think they are still under the hour when infact there are not, but is there a law to say that the machines have to have the correct time on them? I dont think so but it is a case of moral issues from the company, i'd say 99.9% that someone has come across this before and spoken up and said something but nothing has been done. Like yourself many people would maybe just look at the ticket and not their watch in the beginning.


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## Smashbox (4 Jun 2009)

Celtwytch said:


> The simple solution is to go by your own watch. Take a look at it as your ticket is being issued, and be sure to be back before an hour has expired according to your watch. That way, it makes no difference what time is printed on the ticket.


 
I agree with this. I've never known someone NOT to use their own watch to calculate the time they need to be back for. Your saying that you were using the ticket as calculation doesnt make sense. No two clocks are ever the exact same.


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## Marathon Man (5 Jun 2009)

QPark have mailed me, thanking me for bringing the matter to their attention, saying that they are investigating the matter and will get back to me next week.

Some of the recent posters seem to think that I should keep track of the parking timing details. Everyone does, however, the point of this entire thread is to bring to eveyone else's attention that there appears to be a major discrepency between the time printed on the ticket and the system time.

As I said previously, there is a legitimate expectation that the time printed on the ticket a) is (reasonably) accurate - not out by 6 minutes, i.e 10% of the parking time unit. b) Corresponds with the computer system time and c) can be relied upon by the customer. If the time information provided is merely a guide, then why bother putting it on the ticket at all?

If information is supplied by the provider, then it MUST be (reasonably) accurate and capable of being relied upon.


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## Celtwytch (5 Jun 2009)

Quote:
Originally Posted by *Celtwytch* http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?p=878343#post878343 
_The simple solution is to go by your own watch. Take a look at it as your ticket is being issued, and be sure to be back before an hour has expired according to your watch._

Do you do this? I don't nor do I expect to. I don't know anyone who does - I've asked quite a few. In any case see the point above.

Well, as a matter of fact, yes I do.  As do others who have posted after I did.  Your claim that the time printed on your ticket was "out" by 6 minutes is based purely on what your watch said at the time.  If it was a case that the time on the ticket-issuing machine differed from the time on the pay machine by that much, then I would agree that you have a valid issue.  Otherwise, it's just common sense to take note of the time you park.


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## Marathon Man (5 Jun 2009)

Celtwytch said:


> Quote:
> Your claim that the time printed on your ticket was "out" by 6 minutes is based purely on what your watch said at the time. If it was a case that the time on the ticket-issuing machine differed from the time on the pay machine by that much, then I would agree that you have a valid issue.


Read my earlier posts. The QPark 'host' (as QPark call them) said that "They're (the timers) alway wrong". His watch agreed with mine, to the minute. Also I know that my own watch was, on the day at least, accurate. The nub of the issue is that there appears to be a variation between the timestamp and the information on the magnetic strip, both on the same ticket. 



Celtwytch said:


> Quote:Otherwise, it's just common sense to take note of the time you park.


 I agree. However what I'm saying is that, at the time of entry, i.e. physically getting the ticket from the m/c as you drive into the car park, nobody I know, before they drive off into the car park, checks the time stamp and their own watch. They, and I, do this after they park. 

We can argue this till the cows come home in "Letting off steam" if you wish, however this is a valid consumer issue for several thousand people on a daily basis, hence my reason for posting here.

Bottom line:


Marathon Man said:


> ..."there is a *legitimate expectation* that the time printed on the ticket a) is (reasonably) accurate - not out by 6 minutes, i.e 10% of the parking time unit. b) Corresponds with the computer system time and c) can be relied upon by the customer.


 
That is the consumer issue, not whether my watch is or is not accurate.


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## briancbyrne (25 Jun 2009)

I queried the situation with Qpark and just got this reply - an honest & frank enough response me thinks:

Your email has been forwarded to me as CEO of Q-Park Ireland and I want to sincerely thank you for bringing to our attention, the issue with our ticket machine times . 

To be frank we’re all more than a little embarrassed, you see the ticket machines in Q-Park,  are synchronised via an IT system which ensures that they are all showing exactly the same time, however, we hadn’t realised that it wasn’t automatically synchronised with Greenwich Mean Time. 

As you’re no doubt aware, Q-Park are known for providing a well lit, clean and safe environment with helpful staff and we are somewhat surprised to find that we’ve missed a detail like this. 

Having spoken with our IT specialists who maintain the system, we understand that computer clocks will lose or gain a few minutes over a period of time and the more protracted the period, the greater the difference. We’ve been assured that the computer control system which regulates the ticket machines at City Hall is now synchronised with GMT.  However, we have also instigated an internal process whereby the time will be regularly checked manually and, if there is any discrepancy, our IT specialists will be contacted and the clocks reset appropriately. 

As a result of your observation, we have also now checked our other facilities in Ireland as well as alerting Head Office in Holland to ensure this issue doesn’t arise in any of our other 10 countries served. 
To thank you for highlighting this matter.  We would like you to accept, with our best wishes and gratitude, a parking voucher for use in any of our Q-Park Car Parks across Ireland.   If you would care to supply us with your postal address, we will forward to you by return mail.  Furthermore, if you have any other issues or concerns regarding our service, I’d be pleased to hear from you.  

Q-Park is built by listening to the needs and wants of customers such as yourself, and we value your views and observations. 

Yours sincerely


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## Marathon Man (25 Jun 2009)

I got home from holidays a few days ago and had got an almost identical email reply, dated June 17th, from QPark.

As the OP, I am surprised, but delighted, with the fortright response from QPark. It's nice to see someone investigate properly and admit to having a problem. Surprising though that nobody else, in any of the 10 countries QPark operates in, spotted this before.


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## Complainer (27 Jun 2009)

That is a good response from Q Park. Have you tried dropping into one of their car parks to verify?


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## Marathon Man (27 Jun 2009)

I got my vouchers in the post - valid for periods up to 24 hours, but I don't want to blow them on stays of less than 1 hour.  I was in Cork today but there was plenty of (cheaper) on-street  parking and I was only in for 20 mins, so I stayed away from the multi-storeys.

Next time I'm in a Qpark location I'll check the time when I get the ticket and post the findings.


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