Initialparking Reviews 

649
TrustScore 1 out of 5

1.1

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Considering 116 reviews, most reviewers were let down by their experience overall. Many customers reported receiving fines despite having paid for parking, often due to issues with payment machines not accepting transactions or incorrect registration number input. People frequently found the payment process confusing, with unclear signage and systems that were perceived as leading to unexpected charges. Reviewers also expressed frustration with the company's service, citing rejected appeals even with proof of payment and the rapid escalation of fines to debt collectors. Customers were particularly critical of the car park locations, such as Newquay Airport, where they felt the pricing was unreasonable for short-term stays and the technology was outdated. Many also noted that the company does not allow a grace period after the paid parking time, leading to fines for being only a few minutes late.

What people talk about most

Payment

Users describe negative interactions with payment, often encountering issues with machines being out of order... See more

Price

Reviewers mention negative feedback about price, with many expressing dissatisfaction over unexpected and... See more

Location

Reviewers highlight negative aspects of location, with many expressing frustration over car park experiences... See more

Claim

People report negative experiences with the claim process, with many appeals being rejected even with... See more

Service

Clients share negative opinions on service, with many reviewers expressing extreme disappointment. Customers... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

We were actually working for the car park's owner when we got fined by their scamming car park management company, Initial Parking. Even though we appealed on that basis they still would not retract t... See more

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

To our surprise Initial Parking made a new claim that Beacon near Lewes was a fee-paying car park. One of us paid £2 by card and has the bank statement showing that IP had received it. They denied... See more

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

DISGRACEFUL SCAM - As many others I was fined £100 for parking in St Mary's Church Car Park in Betws-y-Coed Wales. Had poor GPS signal and only one machine was working. They combine your consideration... See more

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

St Mary’s Church car park - Betsw y coed. This company are a disgrace. The ticket machine doesn't accept your full reg number - but does take payment. A week later you receive a £60 fine for not key... See more


1.1

Bad

TrustScore 1 out of 5

649 reviews

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1-star

No history of asking for reviews

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1.1

All reviews

(649)

101 reviews in the last 12 months

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Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Horrible

Horrible, horrible company. Absolutely no compassion and ridiculously priced fines.
Disgusting, making money off honest hard working people. Vile.

18 January 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Paid for my parking and recived a fine

Parked in Haworth. Paid for my parking, machine didn't ask for registration number and I received a fine. Appealed it, sent the ticket and document to show that I had paid and they declined the appeal.

This company are crooks

30 January 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Initial Parking is an absolute…

Initial Parking is an absolute disgrace. I paid for my parking in full, yet they wrongly issued a fine. As I was out of the country, I didn’t receive their letter in time to appeal. Instead of allowing me a fair chance to dispute it, they escalated it straight to debt collection. Now they refuse to recall the debt or issue a POPLA verification code, effectively blocking my right to an independent appeal. Zero compassion, zero accountability—just a money-grabbing operation exploiting drivers. Avoid at all costs!

28 November 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Landowners do not get in bed with these monsters

I am part of a campaign group in an area where Initial Parking are operating 2 car parks. Evidence of their fraud is available. These guys are scammers. How is this fraud legal? Their MO is to ensure the set up is not working correctly and then send fines. We have numerous examples of those who have done everything correctly and still received fines. If paid with cash and no evidence of ticket people have no way to contest this. I look forward to the day this outfit is no longer allowed to operate. Landowners why are you getting in bed with such a disgusting and morally corrupt and fraudulent company?

2 February 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

At least Richard Turpin wore a mask when he robbed you.

Abersoch Village Hall car park. 1.12.24

The Rachel Reeves of parking companies.... Thieving off Bona Fide blue badge pensioners.

Deceptive parking notices. Whilst there is a council sign.... parking is run this cockamamie company. Blue badge in council car park is free.... not here. '2nd' letter arrived today (never was a first) 14.1.25 stating fine now £170 and if not paid "court proceedings will follow".. rather threatening in tone.

Dubious about this company's practices.

Next year Abersoch, you can poke your tractor run where the sun don't shine. At least Richard Turpin wore a mask when he robbed you.

14 January 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Just like the people below my comment

Just like the people below my comment, i will avoid parking in any initialparking run carpark. I wondered why when i visited a favourite newyear beach walk location lots of people were parking on the roadside . Its because these scammers have installed an ugly ANPR camera in the local carpark.

Strange how the ANPR camera was working fine but the machines were both out of service....

2 January 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I WILL NEVER PARK MY CAR IN A INITIAL…

I WILL NEVER PARK MY CAR IN A INITIAL CAR PARK EVER AGAIN £60.00 for being 6 minuts over due to the weather being so bad with snow and ice and haveing 3 yong grand children with us took a bit longer geting back to car with the side walks being really icey £1.00 a minute hope you all sleep well at INITALPARKING

5 January 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Disgraceful behaviour from this…

Disgraceful behaviour from this company. We went to visit Ripley just me and my four girlies under 4 and half paid for three hours got back to our van in good time, got all four girls in the van de coated/putting pram away then I had to feed my newborn baby as she was crying we left the car park 6 minutes later than our ticket due to feeding newborn baby (hadn’t thought about this just thought we were back at the car in time) and received a fine I appealed this and mentioned all the above and they said I was an extra 30 minutes (not correct at all) and said I still need to pay the fine! Car park empty everyone parking on the streets instead. Will never use this car park or any initial parking again. I’ll also be taking it further and spread the word AVOID THEM

4 January 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Disgusted with initial parking

Disgusted with initial parking. Family who were visiting from Australia and using our car, parked in the car park near Caernarfon Castle on the 28th of December. They thought that they had paid for 4 hours, and only realised that their ticket was for 3 hours once the parking charge was received in the post.
We appealed, but were told that as they had only paid for 3 hours, the charge was payable.
The car park was virtually empty at the time, but then this is just a reflection of the systemic running down of the tourism industry in the area by the local council.

28 December 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I wish I could give zero stars for this…

I wish I could give zero stars for this unscrupulous company.Whilst on holiday in Cornwall over Christmas we received a fine on 23rd December after entering a carpark in Mousehole. We were unaware there was a celebration going on that evening and the small car park was absolutely full.Our vehicle is larger than an average car and we were unable to find a suitable space and decided to leave.However due to the volume of cars and the lack of spaces we were stuck on the carpark for over 10minutes trying to get off.
At no time did we leave our vehicle as we had no intention of staying in Mousehole.
Imagine our surprise when we returned home to find a parking fine. We appealed late on Sunday morning and the next day at 7am we received an email confirming our appeal had been rejected.
We honestly believe no one looked at the appeal and that it was simply an automated reply.
What a greedy avaricious company Initial Parking is .
We would NEVER use one of this companies car parks ever again!!!
Stay clear and do not put any more money in to this company.

23 December 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

The karma will hunt you down for what…

The karma will hunt you down for what you did to a poor family on Christmas Eve in Abersoch Village! You are people without a soul, just flesh and unsatisfied lust for money... so sad :( Everyone please be aware of them!

24 December 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Difficult to be constructive

Difficult to be constructive. We parked in Abersoch village hall in August. While in the village my wife fell down some steps, which turned out to be a broken ankle. As a result I was 6 minutes late getting back to the car. A parking charge followed in the post. I contacted them with evidence of the hospital appointment and photos of my wife’s foot in a surgical boot but they didn’t want to know. As a result I appealed to POPLA who again after reviewing my supporting evidence ruled in favour of initial, I wonder if they have ever ruled otherwise. On return from 3 months in Spain I had a 170 pound demand letter from Debt Recovery Plus although negative might be more appropriate than plus. I’ve today decided to pay it as can’t be bothered going to court. We are both pensioners and always pay parking fees where required as we did here. I don’t normally write negative reviews on line even if I have a bad meal in a restaurant but I am so appalled my any lack of sympathy or acknowledgement of the facts. The POPLA letter even offered us the opportunity to pay on a link, how can they be independent?

2 August 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Vile

I am absolutely appalled at your company and behaviour. You are disgusting thieves.
There are two machines, perhaps the other successful payments were being made on the other machine. I do not use a phone that has access to the internet and do not use apps or websites to pay for things. I do this for my own safety but clearly, this does not work as I still manage to get fined for something thra is beyond my control.
YOUR machine took minutes to process my payment and YOUR machine told me my payment had been authorised.
Don't condescend me by saying the signs are LARGE enough to see. I am aware of how and when to pay for parking. I am a full grown adult with many experiences of paying for parking.

I hope one day you all have jobs that don't involve making others lives a misery.
I hope you find success in helping and nurturing people rather than thriving in utter contempt.

Greed is a bottomless pit which exhausts the person in an endless effort to satisfy the need without ever reaching satisfaction.

1 December 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Initial parking MARK EDWARD ASHBY, JAMES ANTHONY DISS, BEN RICHARD JOHNSON. SCUM OF THE EARTH.

MARK EDWARD ASHBY ! JAMES ANTHONY DISS ! BEN RICHARD JOHNSON !
SHAME ON YOU ALL. KARMA WILL REACH YOU.
THIS ORGANISATION IS TOTALLY CORRUPT AND PREY ON VULNERABLE PEOPLE. I PAYED TO PARK FOR TWO HOURS BUT LEFT 4 MINUTES LATE DUE TO MY DISABILITY. I PROVIDED EVIDENCE TO COUNTER THIER ALLEGATION (the ticket from the machine) YET THEY REJECT MY EVIDENCE AND ARE TRYING TO CHARGE ME A REDUCED FEE OF £20 FOR SOMETHING I HAVENT DONE. AS A DISABLED AND VERY ILL PERSON THIS IS VERY VERY DISTRESSING AND HAS HAD A GREAT NEGATIVE IMPACT ON MY HEALTH. I WILL PAY THE £20 AS I FEEL BULLIED TO DO SO AND CANNOT COPE WITH ANOTHER BATTLE IN MY LIFE. FIGHTING CANCER AND A CRUMBLING SPINE AS WELL AS BEING SOLE CARER FOR MY ELDERLY TERMINALLY ILL MOTHER IS ALREADY TOO MUCH TO DEAL WITH. THESE SCUMBAG PERSONS NAMED ABOVE SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
DO NOT USE “INITIAL PARKING” . I WON’T EVER AGAIN. THE LEGAL TERM FOR THESE MENS ACTON IS “EXTORTION”!

6 December 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Incorrect registration entered but tough luck

I entered the registration of the second car we own by mistake. They were able to see that I had paid for the parking (GBP 1 pound) and that I'd put in the other cars registration which I had provided them with. The outcome is they feel they can still charge a fine of 20 pounds which is 20 times the 1 pound parking fee. The initial fine of 100 pounds being 100 times the parking fee should surely be outlawed. An absolute disgusting disgrace of an organisation.

19 November 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Consumer law

Consumer law, a trader's physical address is the geographical address where they are established. This information must be provided to consumers before a contract is made, and whenever a consumer requests it. The address must be a physical location, not just a virtual mailbox.

Suite 83, 51 Pinfold Street is their address. Look it up!

26 November 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

This company is not even worth 1 star

This company is not even worth 1 star! They are an agressive money making machine. We parked for 1 hour in Ripley castle carpark, and paid the required amount of £1. A week later a letter arrived; PARKING CHARGE AMOUNT DUE £100. I appealed and sent proof of payment from the bank statement. They claim that we put in the wrong reg number and have 'reduced the charge' to £20. Big of them. Are real human beings running this company?? Why haven't they accepted the evidence of payment?

15 November 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Hated giving this company 1 star.

Hated giving this company 1 star.
I parked on their car park in Scarborough Yorkshire paid my fee for 2 hours was off the car park withing the hour, 10 days later I get a parking notice saying I owe them £100 for not paying, unbelievable. Glad I paid by card as I have proof of payment.

21 November 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Nil stars

Shame that I have to click on at least 1 star to write a review as they deserve none.
Stayed at Lamorna Cove today but had no cash which I already spent at the car park in Mousehole. So had to go out to make a 20 minute d tour to get cash.
This is 2024 and it is amazing that no card payment or app is available this is purely to penalise visitors.

20 November 2024
Unprompted review

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