ECHO readers can't agree after a woman received a £200 parking fine for being 12 minutes over the free time limit in Costco.
On Friday the ECHO reported that Jane Murphy, from Lydiate, was left "gobsmacked" after receiving a letter stating she owed a Costco parking fine.
Jane said she attended the Waterloo Road store in November 2019, but claims she was only made aware of the fine after a court summons letter arrived this week.
The 47-year-old, who has been a Costco member for more than two decades, said the fine is ‘ridiculous’.
Jane has had a claim form sent to her that asks for £200.83 for the parking fine, £25 for a court fee and £50 for legal representatives costs, making the total amount £275.83.
At the time of the fine, Jane says you could stay in Costco for free for three hours, but now it has been reduced to two hours maximum.
The article sparked a conversation among ECHO readers about the fine, with over 160 people commenting on our Facebook page to share their views.
Some people said two hours wasn't enough time and customers should be given longer when visiting the store.
Lee Robinson said: "I wander round Costco for ages, it’s like a day out lol. Two hours - thank god that isn’t standard throughout their stores."
ECHO reader Debbie O'sullivan said: "I could easily spend two hours in there. I go to Home Bargains and spend an hour in there. Come on it was 2019.
"I for one thought it was free parking, I will have to shop faster now. Plus I can't stop to taste free samples."
Donna Delahunty said: "It's a frigging car park! Controlled by cameras! No staff required, no ones job is at risk, it’s another money generator. Costco Is obviously NOT short of cash and rightly so should give their ‘paying members’ free parking."
David Hayes said: "Two hours isn’t much at all in busy times, which is always unless you go after 7pm on a weeknight.
"You could easily spend an hour going around the warehouse and another 30 minutes queuing at the checkouts.
"If you get food after shopping that could be another half hour to an hour. If this is going to happen a lot then I might have to give Liverpool Costco a miss, go to Haydock or Chester instead."
Toni McAdam said: "What has a 20 year membership got to do with it? Overstay and pay.
"The charges are there to stop apartment residents and city centre visitors parking for free. If they didn't have limits there'd be no spaces for Costco shoppers."
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Commenting on the article one ECHO reader said: "Why would anyone need over three hours in a shop ? It's not Alton Towers."
Another wrote: "No one spends over three hours in Costco unless they work there. She has admitted she overstayed, pay the fine."
