A Tesco customer who crashed his car into a 'badly designed' trolley barrier said he is furious with the supermarket's response and lack of compensation.
Paul Gladd complained to the supermarket giant after hitting the barrier bay at the store in Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire, which he claims he struggled to see due to its low height. He claimed several other drivers have also scraped their cars on the metal barriers.
However, he said Tesco assumed his car had been hit by a loose trolley and received a 'confused' and 'childish' response. Following the incident, the store placed bright yellow and black posts next to the trolley bays to supposedly make them more visible to drivers, YorkshireLive reports.
Paul believes the barriers were erected due to his crash, with the changes being made around a month after Paul's collision. The 49-year-old recalled hearing an 'almighty crunch' when his Citroen C4 hit the metal guard as he attempted to leave the car park in March.
Despite complaining several times to Tesco, Paul claims that the company has not accepted it was at fault. While he admits the repairs will cost 'a few quid', he hasn't yet received a quote. "I have been trying to get them to fix it. They would not accept liability," Paul said
"They were making excuses when I was trying to explain to them." In June, Tesco appeared to be confused about Paul's complaint, stating that "we are sorry to hear that your vehicle was damaged during an incident with a trolley..."
The letter noted that Tesco could not take responsibility for "the wind catching an abandoned trolley". It added: "Unfortunately, this means that we cannot offer to pay for any damage on this occasion."
Paul persevered with his complaints and sent Tesco photographs of his car and the trolley bay. In a reply in August, Tesco said: "Thank you for the images, we have investigated this and this is still a rejection due to the trolley bay being a fixed object in the designated area clear and visible with hazard tape on the barriers."
A Tesco spokesperson said: "The safety of our customers and colleagues is our number one priority and we are confident that the parking facilities at our Cleckheaton (sic) Superstore are safe and easy to use."
Read next:
- Referee left with 'significant injuries' after being attacked on pitch during amateur football match
- 'He can't afford it': Tory mayor questions Andy Burnham's vision for London-style bus system
- ‘I was neglected for hours while in labour and lost my baby - the hospital admits my child could have been saved’
- Teenager who killed dad-of-one in 'unusual circumstances' walks free from court
- Driver 'covered in wet grass' headbutted police officer after high-speed chase down wrong side of motorway
