Horning Village Car Park ( By The Swan )

[MalcolmH]

Hi CambridgeCabby, 

Regardless of the motives of the Swan, the bottom line is that they/Vintage Inns/Mitchell and Butler (who appear to own most of the village) employ an incompetent car parking company called Eurocarparks. This company incorrectly sent me a demand with menaces for £50 for not buying a parking ticket, when their ticket machine was not  even working, We had however paid for parking by telephone and so the demand was therefore not justified. I too feel for sorry for those who were unable to get a ticket on that day because I did not see any sign that said  the car park was for patrons only. 

It is interesting to note that Eurocarparks have not replied to me. Furthermore,  the Swan/Vintage Inns websites invite comments/complaints from their customers and so I did . They have not replied either. I also wrote to Mitchell and Butler - no reply. This lack of response  by all of them smacks of indifference and rudeness,  and simply reinforces my view that these companies have only one motive - to rip off as many holidaymakers as possible.

There are plenty of pubs in Norfolk that do not behave like this and I will use those in future. 

[BroadAmbition]

You can be sure if you hadn't bought a ticket via phone and not written to them, they would have been over you like a rash after their easy money

Griff

[CambridgeCabby]

Malcolm

My comments were not intended as a sleight on yourself , merely as an observation on today’s sadly necessary business practices .

The signs are there , and repeated in the Swan itself

Computer systems are not infallible , I understand your frustration with Eurocarparks, I too have suffered their incompetence in the past .

However, as far as The Swans failure to reply is concerned , until they have discussed the alleged infringement with their car parking agents they are powerless , and the posting on TripAdviser would only lead them to ignore you further .

As I’ve often said before my comments are and remain IMHO and never intended to offend or belittle others 

 

[Paul]

8 hours ago, CambridgeCabby said:

However, as far as The Swans failure to reply is concerned , until they have discussed the alleged infringement with their car parking agents they are powerless

I don't buy that. At a minimum the Swan could have replied along the lines of "we are sorry to hear of the problems you encountered and have asked the car parking company to investigate the matter". Remember, as the land owner the responsibility for imposing parking charges is theirs, not Europarks who act as their appointed agents, no matter what either party will try and make you believe. 

The lack of response clearly demonstrates the business's attitude towards it's customers. It comes as no surprise to many, or to one member of this forum at least, and as has been said, it seems an attitude prevalent in a number of businesses in Horning in recent years. 

[Meantime]

As someone who visited Horning by car last Saturday there is plenty of free spaces to park, especially if you are prepared to walk a little further, I realise that is not possible for everyone. However selfish car owners really do not help anyone. Last Saturday was very busy being three rivers race day and we drove past quite a few "possible" parking spaces because they had no parking signs, or gates in use signs. By the time we returned from the green by The Swan all of those spaces we had ruled out as being unsuitable had been filled and even places we would never had considered were filled!

Earlier this year we were in the pub garden at Acle bridge when a day picnic boat turned up with about 10 people on board. They got off and occupied two tables in the pub garden along with their two picnic hampers and proceeded to have a banquet. Two people went inside the pub and came back with three soft drinks for the children. I really don't understand how thick these people must be to not know that is wrong on so many levels!

It is sadly the me me attitude of today's society that is leading pubs and shops to turn to the parking companies to enforce parking for customers only. Sadly many of these businesses then feel they have dealt with the problem and point the finger of blame for any problems at the parking company, forgetting that they have either employed these companies, or leased their land to these companies.

The above comments are in no way aimed at the original poster on this thread. The least the parking company and M+B should  do is acknowledge your contact with a courteous we are looking in to it and then a final reply.

[Poppy]

Would I shop where the  company demands payment for parking ? No! Pubs and restaurants are no different IMHO, as are boat moorings. There are now 'heavy' charges at Acle, only part refunded against food purchase. That's another I won't be visiting, even by road.

[MalcolmH]

 

I do not consider myself to be a "selfish motorist", and this is why my wife and I tried to buy a parking ticket.

I have said an awful lot on here and it is probably time for me to stop. All I will say is that if the riverside pubs and the boating companies do not wake up and stop their "ostrich in the sand" attitude they will kill the goose that lays the golden egg, and it will all be of their own making.  

[KaptinKev]

11 hours ago, Paul said:

I don't buy that. At a minimum the Swan could have replied along the lines of "we are sorry to hear of the problems you encountered and have asked the car parking company to investigate the matter". Remember, as the land owner the responsibility for imposing parking charges is theirs, not Europarks who act as their appointed agents, no matter what either party will try and make you believe. 

The lack of response clearly demonstrates the business's attitude towards it's customers. It comes as no surprise to many, or to one member of this forum at least, and as has been said, it seems an attitude prevalent in a number of businesses in Horning in recent years. 

I'm sure a lot of these car parking enforcement firms will hope you will pay up, and that you haven't got the time or can be bothered to appeal.

[TheQ]

22 hours ago, Paul said:

 

The lack of response clearly demonstrates the business's attitude towards it's customers. It comes as no surprise to many, or to one member of this forum at least, and as has been said, it seems an attitude prevalent in a number of businesses in Horning in recent years. 

Please don't blame Horning for a company based in birmingham.

Company address:

Vintage Inns
Mitchells & Butlers plc
27 Fleet Street
Birmingham
B3 1JP
UK