Private parking firms warned to treat motorists fairly as Euro Car Parks investigation launched

The CMA says it has "particular concerns about potentially unfair practices of some operators", citing "record numbers" of motorist complaints about unclear signage, faulty ticket machines and more. Motoring body the RAC found private parking companies issued over 14 million tickets in 2024/25 – a near 13% increase on the previous year and almost double what it was six years ago.

The warning also comes ahead of a revised, legislation-backed code of practice designed to improve standards in the private parking industry, which is currently in the works. (Parking trade bodies the British Parking Association and International Parking Community did bring in a voluntary code of practice in February 2025, but this arguably does little to address the issues affecting the industry.)

CMA to parking companies: 'Take action now to avoid fines'

In an open letter to private parking companies across the UK (published on 16 July), the CMA outlined its expectations, urging operators to follow both consumer law and the voluntary industry code. It reminded them to do the following:

• Offer motorists a sufficient "consideration period" while deciding where and whether to park. Motorists should have enough time to read and understand the terms of the agreement they're entering into by parking in a private car park BEFORE the agreement's considered enforceable, the CMA says. This means a contract between company and consumer should NOT start as soon as someone enters a car park, for example.

• Provide motorists with clear information about paying or appealing a parking ticket they've been issued. Parking operators should also inform drivers that making an appeal, either with the company or via a third-party Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) body, "is always free".

• Improve appeals processes to avoid "unsatisfactory and inconsistent outcomes for consumers". This means parking companies should request more evidence if needed and stop rejecting appeals inappropriately and/or prematurely. Firms should also give consumers an idea of the type of evidence they're after when requesting it, the CMA says.

• Avoid additional fees that are "unclear, insufficiently prominent or otherwise inconsistent" with consumer law. The CMA says it's issued advisory letters to some operators about this, calling out late-payment and debt-collection-related fees specifically. It's also warned providers not to hide these fees in the small print or on less-prominent signage within car parks.

The CMA warned: "It is important that operators comply at all times with consumer law. Operators should consider the content of this letter now to avoid or mitigate the risks outlined." It added that they "should not wait for the Government's new code to review their practices and terms", saying they could face penalties if they do not.

Motorists should have more time to decide and clear information about how appeals work

The CMA has also written a letter to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, recommending that it make the above points requirements for private companies – either as part of the code in its draft form, or later, once it's more established.

It's also recommended that the new code require companies to extend their 'Early Payment Discount' (EPD) to cover instances where people appeal via a third party. The CMA says it found that a "relatively small percentage of consumers" use an ADR after an unsuccessful internal appeal, despite it being completely free.

The CMA says the EPD, which reduces the cost if you pay early, should cover the ADR period as well, so motorists aren't discouraged from extending the process.

In its letter, the CMA also said it's "currently considering whether to take enforcement action against certain parking operators" regarding all of the issues it outlined, saying it can only do so if it finds "specific breaches of consumer law".

Investigation launched into Euro Car Parks

In related news, the CMA has also launched (on 15 July) an investigation into operator Euro Car Parks, to establish whether the firm's practices and internal appeals processes fall foul of consumer protection law.

It says the investigation will "consider whether it's fair for some drivers to receive parking charges while queuing for, or using, petrol pumps" and car washes.

The regulator has just begun its investigation, and says it "has reached no conclusions about whether Euro Car Parks has broken the law". We've contacted Euro Car Parks for comment, but it hasn't yet responded.