Drivers are being faced with £100 parking fines for overstaying their welcome at petrol stations - with penalties being issued after just 20 minutes, reports The Mirror.
BP and Shell have signed deals with private parking firms to install CCTV cameras at entrances and exits at fuel stations in 'urban areas' such as city centres, where parking spaces are limited.
The signs force a maximum stay limit - which can be 30 minutes at a BP station but can be as little as 20 minutes at a Shell station.
Failure to comply could lead to a £100 penalty and the threat of the debt collectors.
While this is legal, the law also states that businesses must make these signs extremely clear to customers.
However, drivers are saying that the warning signs aren't clear enough.
It particularly catches out motorists who after filling up, go on to use other services such as cafés, shops, electric car charging points and the car wash.
Chris Murray was issued a fine in February at his local BP station.
"Who has ever heard of a parking ticket at a petrol station?! I nip in to buy a drink and then receive a parking fine from a third party company. Are the petrol stations that desperate for money? Come on BP, is this how to treat your customers?" he wrote online.
Another tweeted: "Warning. Don't park at the BP petrol station at Glasgow airport. Just been given through the post £100 parking fine by Euro Car Parks. If you're in for more than 15 minutes, you get one so just a heads up."
This week, Shell customer Sarah Wright added: "Question for @Shell_UKLtd How can it be right that a driver gets a parking fine for stopping at your garage located at Gatwick North to pump up tyres? By authorising Euro Car Parks to fine customers who park to use your garage you are damaging your brand. #dontfineyourcustomers."
A Shell spokeswoman said that while it does operate a 20-minute cap in some areas, drivers who are likely to exceed this limit can opt to enter their registration details in branch to avoid any restrictions.
"At some service stations we have limited parking spaces, so if drivers park their vehicles for extended periods of time it can make it harder for others to refuel or use the other facilities such as EV chargers, Air and Water.
"Parking restrictions make it fairer for everyone, and for those customers who are staying longer to use our services, there is a facility to ensure they avoid any penalty."
When approached for a statement, BP declined to comment on the charges.
"If a business can charge you for parking on private land, it will. But they have to play fair," James Walker at consumer complaints platform, Resolver.co.uk said.
"If you've been hit with a fine but there wasn't a clear warning, you can and should appeal - and shop the business too."
We've got a full guide on how to appeal unfair private parking charges here.
"There's an urban myth that you have to pay the fine then appeal but if you tell the parking firm you're making a formal complaint and ask them to stop charges, then they should do that," said a spokesman from the British Parking Association.
"We always encourage landowners to think about the outcome they wish to achieve through the management of parking and engage with operators to help achieve it.
"Effective parking management enables customers to park easily and safely to access the services on offer.
"If a motorist does receive a parking ticket that they believe was issued in error they should appeal to the operator in the first instance.
"If it is rejected the operator will provide details of the independent appeals service POPLA, which provides independent redress for motorists in the UK."
The BPA has an advice website Knowyourparkingrights.org where you can find trusted information about the types of tickets and how to appeal them.
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