You pull off the dual carriageway. Your tank is sitting on empty, your screenwash is bone-dry, and you've got a killer craving for a bag of wine gums. But there's a queue. There's always a queue. You wait patiently behind three other cars to get to the pump, tap your card, run inside to use the toilet, buy your snacks, and use the free air hose to inflate your front-left tyre.
Total time elapsed? Twenty-six minutes.
Two weeks later, a letter lands on your doormat. Inside is a £100 demand from a private parking company. Why? Because the site has an automatic number-plate recognition (ANPR) camera that clocks cars at the entrance and exit, enforcing a strict 20-minute maximum stay.
You weren't parking. You were literally buying their products. Yet you are being penalised for spending money.
This infuriating scam is finally being dragged into the spotlight. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has officially launched an investigation into the practices of Euro Car Parks, specifically focusing on whether it is legal or fair for drivers to be hit with parking charges while queuing for fuel or using on-site services like car washes.
Let's look at how this trap works, why it's finally being challenged, and what you need to do if you get caught in it.
Why Petrol Forecourts Turned into Financial Snares
Over the last decade, major petrol retailers like BP and Shell quietly partnered with third-party parking operators. ANPR cameras were installed at the boundaries of service stations.
At first glance, the justification sounds reasonable. Forecourt operators want to stop people dumping their cars to commute, or using the spaces to run errands nearby. If you park at an airport-adjacent petrol station to avoid airport parking fees, you're the target.
But in reality, the systems are blunt instruments. They don't measure where you are on the property; they only measure the time between your wheels crossing the entry line and the exit line.
[Entry Camera] ──► Queue for Fuel ──► Pump Petrol ──► Pay & Shop ──► [Exit Camera]
0:00 mins 0:22 mins
[ALARM: £100 FINE]
These operators enforce limits as low as 15 to 20 minutes. If a garage has a popular bakery, a grocery partnership like Marks & Spencer, or a slow automatic car wash, hitting that limit is ridiculously easy. You are effectively penalized for being a high-value customer who spends more time and money on their premises.
The CMA Steps In
The UK private parking industry is massive and highly aggressive. Private operators issued a staggering 14.4 million tickets in the 2024/25 financial year alone. That is more than double the volume from just six years ago.
Under new consumer protection regimes, the CMA is flexing its muscles. It has targeted Euro Car Parks—one of the largest operators in the UK—not just for their forecourt traps, but for how they handle appeals.
The regulatory body is looking into whether these charges breach consumer protection laws. If Euro Car Parks is found to have systematically exploited motorists with unfair terms, the financial penalties could be devastating. Under the current rules, the CMA can fine a company up to 10% of its global turnover.
Emma Cochrane, the CMA’s Executive Director of Consumer Protection, made the watchdog’s stance clear:
"Parking companies must treat motorists fairly at all stages—and a clear and consistent appeals process must be at the heart of this."
The investigation will also examine the "debt recovery" fees that parking firms frequently tack on top of the original £100 fine to scare people into paying up.
How to Fight Back Right Now
If you receive a ticket from Euro Car Parks or any other private operator while using a petrol station, do not panic, and don't immediately pay it out of fear. Follow these steps to protect yourself.
What Happens Next?
The CMA’s investigation into Euro Car Parks is just the first domino. The regulator has also written to other private parking operators across the country, warning them about unfair appeal processes and predatory fees.
Furthermore, the government is consulting on a long-delayed Private Parking Code of Practice. This code aims to cap fines, simplify the appeals process, and introduce a mandatory "consideration period"—giving drivers a reasonable amount of time to enter a site, read the rules, and leave without being fined instantly.
Until those rules are formally locked in, stay vigilant when filling up. If you're stuck in a queue that seems to be taking forever, or if you plan to use multiple services at a busy station, keep your eyes peeled for the ANPR cameras at the gate.
Pay your bill, keep your receipts, and be ready to fight the ticket if it lands in your mailbox. The days of private parking firms operating with impunity are finally coming to an end.
