Private parking firms apparently flouting the law and their own code of practice over tickets issued to drivers, says competition watchdog

Published: 17:26, 16 July 2026 | Updated: 17:29, 16 July 2026 Private parking firms appear to have been flouting the law and their own code of practice when issuing tickets to drivers, the competition watchdog said today. Investigators from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) uncovered ruthless practices which ‘could infringe consumer law’, including rejecting appeals against tickets which should have been overturned. The watchdog also found cases where motorists were hounded for the full amount of a ticket even though it should have been reduced to just £20, under the industry’s code of practice. Some operators appear to have been starting the clock on parking sessions from when a driver enters a car park, rather than upon payment, via enforcement cameras. This has potentially infringed motorists’ rights to check the terms and conditions before agreeing to pay and meant some tickets were issued because payment was not made within just five minutes of entering a car park. Some firms also appear to have added ‘additional charges’ - such as debt collection fees - which they may ‘not be entitled to’. This involved cases where drivers had not paid a PCN within a certain timeframe. It came as the CMA announced it has launched a formal investigation into one of the UK’s biggest companies - Euro Car Parks - over tickets issued to drivers using petrol stations. Private parking firms appear to have been flouting the law and their own code of practice when issuing tickets to drivers, the competition watchdog has said Parking firms employ an army of wardens to enforce on-road parking and off-road car parks, alongside enforcement cameras which register number plates The CMA said it has launched an investigation in to Euro Car Parks, one of the UK's largest private parking firms  It will assess whether it is fair to issue parking tickets to drivers queuing to use fuel pumps or other forecourt services, such as car washes, and probe its appeals process. In an open letter to the private parking industry, made up of around 200 firms, the watchdog warned others could face probes after uncovering ‘practices which indicate potential non-compliance with consumer law’. Record numbers of tickets are being issued to drivers amid a boom in the number of private firms, fuelling suspicions about ‘cowboy’ practices. Jack Cousens, of The AA, said: ‘For too long, some private parking operators have been overzealous in issuing charges to drivers who have done nothing wrong. ‘Sadly, because of the industry’s poor and difficult reputation, many drivers just swallow hard and pay up feeling they won’t get a fair hearing if they appeal. ‘This intervention is much needed.’ Simon Williams, the RAC’s head of policy, added: ‘The CMA’s findings and recommendations are a major step forwards in ensuring drivers are treated fairly by private parking operators. ‘The points made by the watchdog in open letters to ministers and private parking operators highlight many of the issues we’ve been trying to get action on for years and confirm that drivers aren’t consistently getting fair outcomes when they challenge tickets. ‘The CMA has shone a much-needed light on the appeals process and found major problems that need to be addressed.’ In its letter to firms, the CMA said it was ‘concerned that some operators’ internal appeals processes may not be operating effectively or consistently’. Its review of PCNs found cases where ‘the internal appeal should have resulted in the PCN being cancelled or reduced if the grounds had been properly considered’. Its letter to operators said: ‘In some cases, PCNs may have been paid in full when there was no payment (or only a reduced payment) properly due.’ It added there were cases where drivers were hounded for the full PCN value ‘despite these sums not being due’ because they should have been reduced to £20 under the industry code of practice. The letter went on: ‘These practices could infringe consumer law, in particular by falling below the standard of care and skill expected of operators.’ Regarding additional fees, it added: ‘The CMA has observed examples of contract terms across a number of operators which purport to allow operators to recover additional charges and fees if a consumer fails to pay a PCN within 28 days…and which can result in the consumer paying sums which the operator would not be entitled to recover.’ Outlining how the clock had been started on some sessions upon entering a car park, it added: ‘In consequence, consumers may not enjoy the full period of parking that they should be entitled to.’ The CMA wrote a separate letter to ministers with recommendations ahead of a long-awaited Government Code of Practice, aimed at cracking down on ‘cowboy’ operators and making the appeals process clearer by putting it on a statutory footing. This would be in addition to the industry’s own code, which critics say is not robust enough and amounts to operators effectively ‘marking their own homework’. Analysis suggests drivers in Britain are being handed an average of nearly 48,000 parking tickets every day by private companies. Emma Cochrane, of the CMA, said: ‘It’s time for all private parking operators to comply with consumer law or risk action from the CMA.’ Isaac Occhipinti, of the British Parking Association, which represents operators, said: ‘We are committed to working alongside the CMA and will carefully consider its findings and implement any recommendations where appropriate.’ Euro Car Parks was approached for a comment.