Four-star hotel's parking ticket blunder ends up 'costing businessman £40,000' 

A businessman claims he has lost around £40,000 after he was wrongly issued with a parking ticket and was taken to court, affecting his credit rating.

Bob Long, 61, had built up a successful pawn shop business over 40 years but now claims it is in tatters after he was denied credit because he was wrongly made the subject of a County Court judgement.

The businessman was taken to court after he failed to pay a parking ticket - despite being told by the Radisson Blu hotel in Stansted that as long as he spent at least £35 inside the four star hotel he could park his three-year-old BMW convertible there for free.

Mr Long ran up a bill of £135 in the hotel restaurant.

Bob Long claims he has lost around £40,000 and his pawn broker business is in jeopardy after he was wrongly given a parking ticket and a county court judgement, which has severely affected his credit rating 

Weeks later he found himself unable to borrow money to buy big items for his business because he had unknowingly been taken to court. 

Mr Long had received a fine from the parking company and sent it back with a letter explaining, on the advice of Radisson Blu. He then moved house assuming the matter was closed but a series of letters were sent to his old address and he was then made the subject of a court order. 

'At this time of year we are using a lot of credit because people are trying to pawn their things ahead of Christmas,' said Mr Long of Norwich in Norfolk. 

'This has absolutely stuffed me. I have lost my credibility and lost two of my oldest clients who have been doing business with me for more than 20 years.' 

Mr Long visited the restaurant in Radisson Blu hotel in August 2013 and parked his £30,000 BMW, which has a personalised 80BL numberplate, in the hotel car park - run by contractors ParkingEye.

He said payment machines were broken upon his arrival but a concierge told him it would be free if he spent more than £35 in the restaurant.

But he was stunned two weeks later when he received a fine from ParkingEye. Mr Long phoned the hotel who said he didn't have to pay and advised him to send the ticket back with a letter explaining the mix up.

The shop owner followed their instructions but later moved to a new property five miles away thinking the matter was closed.

Mr Long parked his £30,000 BMW at the hotel car park and was told he would not need to pay parking charges

Mr Long parked his car at the Radisson Blu hotel in Stansted airport while he enjoyed a business lunch and was told he could park for free as long as he spent a minimum £35 - but days later he was sent a ticket 

This summer he realised something was amiss when he was rejected for credit from three different banks.

He investigated and found he had a poor credit rating because ParkingEye had taken out a county court judgement for the unpaid ticket.

'At the moment we aren't making hay while the sun shines,;' he added.

'It is a bit like going to the restaurant getting a bad meal and then asking people to come back again.

'It is awful because normally at this time of year we are getting good stock in but now we are just recycling all our old stock.

'We have been in business over 40 years and we have got loyal customers but it is damaging the reputation of the company I have worked so hard to build.

'One parking ticket could have cost me between £30,000 or £40,000.

'I have had to turn down a deal for three classical cars because I needed £50,000 and I couldn't get that cash on credit.'

He said his pawn broker shop is struggling and he has lost around £40,000 because he was unknowingly made the subject of a county court judgement and denied credit because of the unpaid parking ticket

Despite the fact he had changed his address with the DVLA the correspondence over the matter had already been set to his previous home. 

Radisson Blu have admitted they are wrong and claim they have applied for the judgement to be withdrawn. 

A spokesman said: 'We are sorry to hear about the parking fines that have been received by Mr Long.

'Radisson Blu Stansted does offer a parking waiver to guests visiting the hotel restaurant, with a minimum spend. In these instances we ask guests to enter their registration number at the hotel reception. 'Once a guest receives a parking ticket, we suggest that they contact Parking Eye if they wish to appeal.

'Unfortunately Parking Eye has confirmed to us that no letter of appeal was received from Mr Long.'

ParkingEye, which operates the car park said: ''Unfortunately our records indicate that Mr Long did not appeal his parking charge.

'ParkingEye then pursues all available avenues before initiating court action, sending at least three further letters to the motorist including documentation on how to appeal to the industry's independent appeals service (which is completed at ParkingEye's cost) prior to issuing any court claim. ParkingEye relies, not unreasonably, on address information supplied to it by the DVLA as this information is supplied, in turn, by the registered keeper of the vehicle.' 

The company said they had since applied to have the County Court Judgement set aside, at their own cost.