A petrol station restaurant an hour’s drive from Greater Manchester has received numerous complaints from customers claiming they had been given unfair parking fines.
Customers have vented their anger online after being charged £100 for parking at OK Diner, an American restaurant on the westbound Northop Hall services on the A55 in Flintshire, North Wales. Some have vowed to fight their fines in court, while most have said they will never return to the restaurant. One family making their annual trip to Llandudno said: “Breakfast for 4, including a person in a wheelchair… £265.”
The OK Diner chain promises classic 1950s American fare “on the British side of the road.” It has attracted a loyal customer base over the years, but online reviews have fallen in recent weeks.
On 1 May, new parking arrangements were introduced at the Northop Hall site, with an APNR camera system managed by Smart Parking.
READ MORE: Protesters urged NOT to attend Manchester Airport demonstration over GMP video
To avoid a fine, customers were required to enter their vehicle registration details on a tablet. In June, social media was filled with negative comments from people claiming to be genuine customers but who had been fined £100.
OK Diner says they had to take action because people were parking there and not using the restaurant. There are signs in the parking lot to inform people of the restrictions.
The complainants claimed that they were either unaware that they had to enter their car details – or that they had done so but were still fined. The reviews, which were filed by North Wales LiveNo one has yet successfully appealed the fine.
A woman complained to OK Diner Northop Hall on their Facebook page. “I decided to take the family here for dinner as a Father’s Day treat,” she wrote. “We saw no signs about registering our car and at no point did any staff member point out to us that this was mandatory.
“I was given a £100 fine yesterday. I was absolutely shocked and angry. I paid with my credit card so I have proof that we ate there. This experience has completely put me off ever going to this place again.”
A sign at the entrance reminds people that the car park is for customers only. On Facebook, OK Diner said it was introducing the new system “due to the number of cars blocking our car park that are not genuine customers”. In a post about the new arrangements on 8 July, the restaurant said that guests would only be eligible for free parking if they “registered their vehicle”.
Customers claimed that there were no signs in the car park. One, an MBE recipient, said he was also unaware of the system. He arrived at 12.30pm on 11th June, paid for food at 1.32pm and left the car park at 1.42pm. Three weeks later he was fined and despite sending a copy of the receipt for the meal, the Smart Parking appeals team rejected his claim on 17th July.
He wrote: “I will go to court and prove again that I was a legitimate customer as the signs in the parking lot indicated.”
A Google reviewer had a similar experience. He was also fined £100 and has appealed. He said: “Great customer experience. Their reviews are going down the drain because of this. Not sure who signed the contract but they have ruined their reputation.”
Not all recent reviews were negative – some people said they enjoyed their meals, that the staff were helpful and that they were “happy customers”. But many were unhappy. One holidaymaker who left without eating after waiting a long time for a table was fined £100 on her return from her trip. She headlined her Tripadvisor review “Not OK Dinner” and promised not to pay.
A couple travelling to Llandudno stopped at Northop Hall Services for breakfast with their daughter, who arrived in her own car. They were both given £100 fines. The mother wrote: “Breakfast for 4 people £62.35, gave the cashier £65 cash plus 2 parking fines of £100 each.
“Absolutely disgusting. Why wasn’t there a machine inside to log in your car details when we arrived? We will never use this place again.”
Two retired parents drove three hours to pick up their children, spent over £100 on food and were each given a £100 fine. It was a similar story for two other pensioners – one disabled – who were also given a £100 parking fine. Despite being regular customers, they said no staff told them what to do. “Absolutely disgusting,” one wrote. “I will never go into an OK Diner again. I have told all my family and friends.”
Recent visitors believe OK Diner staff have been reminded to tell customers to log in. Yet people claim they are still being fined. “It’s clear the tablet didn’t process my details and now I have a £100 fine,” said one customer. “I challenged this with the parking company and was told it was my responsibility, even though the staff said it would be OK.”
OK Diner was contacted for comment. On Facebook, the Northop Hall restaurant, in response to complaints from angry customers, offered to help. It shared an online contact form and wrote: “Please use this link to provide details including your proof of purchase, we can help you resolve this.”
Complaints have also been made to the OK Diner account on X (Twitter) – a man was fined after going for tea with his wife after work. In response, the company said on 10 July: “I’m sorry you have been issued with a PCN. There are signs in the car park to inform people of the restrictions. It was necessary to introduce this as in many cases the car park was full but the restaurant was not busy, and genuine customers were unable to find a place to park.”
Smart Parking was also asked for an explanation. A spokesperson said: “Smart Parking was brought in to manage the car park at the OK Diner to stop parking abuse and ensure genuine customers can always find a place to park.
“The OK Diner car park is private property and drivers should always check the terms and conditions of use before deciding to park. There is no free parking at OK Diner between 9pm and 9am and this is clearly indicated on numerous signs throughout the site. Customers parking within the correct hours simply need to update the terminal at OK Diner to secure free parking.
“Smart Parking is a proud member of the British Parking Association (BPA) and strictly adheres to the guidelines. We operate a BPA-monitored appeals service and we encourage motorists who feel they have been charged unfairly to contact us directly. We will investigate.”