B&Q Airside Clamping Their Customers Now

csirl

Given that the OP was a customer of B&Q, I'd say an appeal would succeed. I would also complain to B&Q and tell them you'll be warning your friends etc about shopping there. Ultimately B&Q are tenants who are being provided with a parking service. If they lose customers, they'll complain to APCOA etc.

Agree re APCOA modus operandi. My MIL was ticketed by them in apay and display car park they operate for the local council for parking outside the white lines of the individual parking space. Thing is, there were no individual spaces marked out in the car park - just ummarked tarmac. The appeal to NTA was successful (included pics of car park)

Squatman

return your paint to pay the fine. never shop there again. support local

Witcher

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122480083#Comment_122480083

You didn't read the thread.

Del2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122480047#Comment_122480047

They weren't a customer when they were clamped, they admitted they were in a meeting in a different location when they were clamped. They should of used that places car park but they chanced their arm and parked illegally in a different companies car park and got caught.

Sleeper12

It's a shame that the thread title hasn't been changed by now. B&Q don't own or run this carpark. Their name should be removed from the title of the thread

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122485366#Comment_122485366

And when clamped, the OP wasn't even a customer of theirs!

Carfax2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122479977#Comment_122479977

Posted here as much to make others aware that this is a policy in Airside as to seek advice/ opinion.

It feels like at best sharp practice and at worst fraudulent behaviour from clampers trying to make their minimums by targeting customers on a weekday afternoon.

LMFAO; "dangerously wrong" 😂

WishUWereHere

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122485366#Comment_122485366

Totally agree 100% Sleeper.

John_Rambo

This is why I avoid miserable outlets and stick to towns, city centres & try to support local.

Look at the state of the place, built as a lazyman's paradise… acres of parking, terrible walking infrastructure (I know this as my car was stuck in there for a short repair that turned in to a few hours). And then they start monitoring peoples actions to rip them off a little bit more. They've literally banished any form of pedestrian activity by punishing people for walking from shop to shop along with their Nazi "DO NOT WALK ON THE GRASS" signs.

They should delete the "ON THE GRASS" part of the sign. This place is where retail fun went to die from obesity & sly scams.

elperello

OP have you checked that the signage locations and number are to the correct standard?

Kintarō Hattori

Just saw this and I'm confused. Is it the case that Airside isn't one big retail park and that if you park by say B&Q and walk up to Smyths (or vice versa) to make a purchase there, that you can be clamped?

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122535408#Comment_122535408

No, the OP is the confused one.

Airside itself, as in from Smyths to B&Q, is one retail park and you can park anywhere in it.

If you walk out across to Hogs & Heifers, or Premier Inn, or on to the Swords Express, you'll be clamped

RobertFoster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122535408#Comment_122535408

OP left the retail park and went to the cafe beside the hotel across the road.

Starbucks or McDonald's within Airside might've been better places to have a coffee/meeting.

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122535451#Comment_122535451

Confusion is pretty understandable when the address of Hogs and Heifer & Premier Inn is listed as Airside Retail Park.

It's an absurd situation.

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122535501#Comment_122535501

There are huge signs explaining the parking rules.

Like the M50 toll, if someone manages to miss huge signs when driving, should they be driving at all?

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122535507#Comment_122535507

Posters are saying they 'left' the retail park. They didn't.

You said: "Airside itself, as in from Smyths to B&Q, is one retail park and you can park anywhere in it."

These properties are in Airside retail park, so you can't park anywhere in it can you?

Yes, people need to watch out for the signs, to avoid falling foul of it, but it is an absurd situation.

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122535538#Comment_122535538

Your attempt to split hairs over a postal address here isn't going to work.

The area Hogs & Heifers is in is not in the retail park; and has its own pay parking - excepting a small number of free spaces for H&H customers only.

They left the retail park, for a considerable period, going to somewhere else which has pay parking that they could have used.

That's the facts of the matter; despite the inaccurate thread title and further inaccuracies in their screeds of attempted justifications.

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122535592#Comment_122535592

It is in the retail park, as per its address. Therefore, they did not leave the retail park, they didn't go somewhere else, they were still in Airside Retail Park. It is factually false to state that they left the retail park.

The retail park has absurd parking rules and is split in two, and the OP fell foul of that absurd situation. But they did not leave the retail park.

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122535648#Comment_122535648

It having "Retail Park" in the address does not mean it is actually in the retail park; which is across a busy road and has massive signs explaining its own, specific, parking rules

You being extremely pedantic to try and prove, erm, something? nothing? - isn't helping anyone.

It seems obvious that the OP didn't want to pay for parking at the Premier Inn and got caught.

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122535659#Comment_122535659

Normally it would though.

Nothing "extremely pedantic" about pointing that out.

They are in "Airside Retail Park" but not "actually in the retail park" - read that back to yourself.

That is not normal. That is absurd.

bennyx_o

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122535507#Comment_122535507

While I agree the OP was clamped legitimately, to say there are 'huge signs explaining the parking rules' is a bit of an exaggeration. There are the Apcoa signs as you enter the carpark, much like the ones in the OP and some slightly larger signs IIRC but that's about it.

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122535686#Comment_122535686

My postal address says I'm in Naas.

I'm not in, or even near, Naas.

A postal address means absolutely nothing, until a pedant decides its the most important thing ever.

There is zero point replying to you further on this, as you continue to rely on one oddity to insist the incorrect is correct.

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122535712#Comment_122535712

Are you across a stone's throw across one single road from Naas? Nope.

They are in Airside Retail Park.

The pink on this map is Airside Retail Park.

Anybody arriving here, who couldn't speak English or didn't stop to read the signs, would assume this is all the retail park.

GreenPanda99

I always assumed both sides of that road in airside was the one retail park. Lucky me i never got clamped.

Sleeper12

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122535648#Comment_122535648

Jasus. They left the free parking area and dined in the paid parking area. It's extremely well sign posted.

OP took a chance on not getting caught. They got caught & now have to pay. There is no conspiracy. No one is trying to catch them out. It's extremely well sign posted. It is a private car park and you except the t&cs when you park there

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122536509#Comment_122536509

Doesnt look extremely well sign posted to me, and I dont recall it being so obvious when I was there. Other posters have said similar.

If you have better pic of one of then clear signs these do share.

If nothing else the thread may have forewarned boardsies - to either not chance it if aware or make them aware of the setup.

Sleeper12

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122536731#Comment_122536731

I've been using this area for shopping and entertainment for over 20 years. I've never been clamped.

Paid parking is well signposted. A main public road separates free parking from paid parking. I'm stunned to think that anyone would assume that one side of the main road has the same rules, landlord etc. I live in Raheny. Raheny shopping centre has a free carpark. Across the road is another car park that is paid parking. It's a small car park but it has two totally different owners. Different rules apply to each end of these carparks. No one in their right mind assumes that Raheny shopping center has anything to do with the carpark across the road. Why would anyone assume that two carparks or shopping areas in swords, separated by a public road, are governed by the same rules? They have totally different owners and different rules. Never in a million years would I assume that I could park outside B&Q and eat in Hoggs and Heifers across the public road. Why would anyone pay to park outside Hoggs if they can park for free outside B&Q?

The mind boggles

I still think the thread title should be changed. Very unfair on B&Q who don't control any of the carparks

The Davestator

Everyone seems very concerned about B&Q being in the thread title :) The OP spent a considerable amount in B and Q and was still clamped, thats the fact, so the thread title is correct.

bennyx_o

The title isn't correct because B&Q didn't clamp their customer. Apcoa clamped them, and they're not clamping on behalf of B&Q either

The Davestator

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122538140#Comment_122538140

The mind boggles. OP was a customer of B and Q and was clamped. The rest is semantics.