Lidl has promised to review the case of the latest customer served with a £90 parking fine after shopping at their Dundee city centre store.
Sarah Thornton blamed a flustered shop assistant for the episode, but said the company should have checked CCTV pictures that proved she was a customer before issuing the fine.
The supermarket group are coming down harder on motorists who take advantage of the convenience of their South Ward Road store’s car park when visiting the city centre.
Drivers who aren’t customers can have only 10 minutes free parking, while those shopping at Lidl can park free for up to an hour.
They have to prove they have been customers by giving their car registration numbers at the check-outs.
Non-customers or those who don’t give their registration numbers are sent parking penalty charge notifications (PCN).
This fate befell a Carnoustie couple earlier this year when they were sent a £90 penalty notice along with screenshots of their car entering and leaving the car park after their 20-minute visit.
They were not asked for their registration number at the check-outs but could prove thay had been customers.
Lidl withdrew the penalty after reviewing the circumstances.
Ms Thornton has just received a PCN with pictures of her visit, and has complained to the company.
She wrote to them saying: “You will find upon review of your CCTV evidence that I did in fact make a purchase from Lidl on October 12.
Given the level of detail in your image, I would not be surprised if you could identify the Lidl shopping bag within my vehicle upon my exit from the car park.”
She continued: “I am disgusted Lidl feels it is appropriate to treat their customers in this way. My brief trip to Lidl included a long wait at the check-out while a customer was refunded for her boxes of wine.
“The check-out operator saw fit to refund this woman before dealing with the rest of the queue. Perhaps it was due to the anxiety this caused her that she did not ask any of the customers within that queue for their number plate.”
Ms Thornton said she would complain to the British Parking Association.
A spokeswoman for the company said: “There are a total of 13 signs installed in the car park of the Lidl Dundee store to ensure customers are aware of the parking restrictions.
“We apologise if Ms Thornton was not asked for her car registration upon arriving at the check-out, and we will be speaking with the Dundee store to ensure that all staff are reminded of this requirement.
“As Ms Thornton has contacted the car park management company to appeal the PCN, they will now be able to review this, as is standard practice, on an individual basis.
“The car park management company will require proof of purchase to cancel the charge and will be able to advise on what is considered an acceptable proof of purchase.”