A shocked businessman was slapped with a £100 fine after charging his electric car outside of a McDonald's restaurant.
It all started when Amar Tanna, 36, drove one of the firm's fast food branches in Hinckley, Leicestershire.
He originally planned to use the recharging station to power up his car before heading back to Coventry. It was being used when he arrived, so he went in for his food and plugged the car in afterwards.
He explained to Leicestershire Live: "The rate they were charging was extortionate as it was - twice the cost of electricity I'd paid before while charging my car. But I needed to charge it up or I wouldn't be able to get home."
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After paying more than £35 to charge his car, he drove home. But a few days later, a £100 fine arrived through his letterbox.
Immediately, he phoned InstaVolt to inquire why he'd been fined for parking his car in a charging spot.
A customer service assistant informed him: "Unfortunately, the parking restrictions are managed by a third party, which means that the existing parking restrictions still apply to our customers even when using our charging station."
It's a common tale: you'll park behind a pub, thinking you were well-entitled to do so, and you're punished for it a week later.
Tanna was also told that 'existing parking restrictions still apply' at the branch, which was included on signage and the firm's FAQs section.
They added: "We appreciate the inconvenience caused by these fines and have supplied you with a ‘Proof of Charge’ letter containing your charging details to help with your appeal, should you wish to appeal the notice."
Tanna's appeal wasn't successful, so he tried writing to McDonald's instead.
He said: "I also wrote to McDonald's but the trouble is they have a separate parking company dealing with enforcement.
"I don't think I'll get much of a response [from the parking enforcement company]. The parking company are the usual kind of business - hard to get hold of with a one-page website."
McDonald's confirmed the branch's parking area is managed by an independent company, but said it was unable to deal with any specifics or cases on an individual basis.
A letter said: "I trust you will appreciate that in order to maintain a consistent approach; we have to adhere to the guidelines in place regardless of whether you were in the restaurant for the duration of the stay or not."
LADbible has contacted McDonald's for comment.
Cameron Frew