Latest news with #EricMoffatt
Metro
6 days ago
- Metro
Grandad's fury after 18-second loo trip costs him dearly at airport car park
18 seconds can be too quick for some things, and far too long for others. But for Eric Moffatt, 66, it cost him almost £20 in an airport car park. The granddad says Manchester Airport are unfairly penalising him for an '18-second-mistake' and a trip to the loo. It unfolded after Eric, from Aigburth, had dropped his daughter and granddaughter off for a flight to Dubai at Manchester Airport on Friday 8 August. During the 6.35am stop at the Terminal 2 Drop Off, he went to use the toilet, which he said was a 'fair walk away' from the car park. After saying his goodbyes he left the airport at 6.45am. The granddad expected to then fork out £6.40 for the drop off. This is because the terminal's rules dictate that customers are allowed to park for up to 10 minutes for the price of £6.40, over this they must pay £25. The same fees apply at Terminal 1 and Terminal 3, with the max stay allowed being 30 minutes. Believing his stay had been 10 minutes, which was confirmed by the receipt, Eric went to pay the fee when he found he'd actually been charged £25. It took a closer look at the receipt to discover why: he had been parked up for 10 minutes and 18 seconds. That was 18 seconds over the limit. The 66-year-old is now furious, saying he has been unfairly overcharged because a health condition means he needs to go to the toilet more often. Eric said: 'I phoned up to question it and the guy told me I can appeal but if I lose the appeal I'll be told to pay £60. 'The guy on the phone said if you're one second over the 10 minutes you'll be charged £25. It just doesn't seem fair when I was 10 minutes, I wasn't 11 minutes. 'It is a new terminal, I didn't know where I was going inside and I have a bladder problem – I feel like I'm being penalised twice for it. I've been charged £25 for 18 seconds, how is that fair?' More Trending Manchester Airport are defending their drop-off charges as crucial for allowing the car parks to work smoothly. A spokesperson for Manchester Airport said: 'Drop-off charges help us to manage demand for access to our forecourts, where space is limited, and reduce traffic congestion. 'It means that the areas remain efficient even at busy times because people are not staying there for extended periods. 'We also offer a completely free drop-off facility by the nearby JetParks 1 car park. It is served by a 24-hour shuttle bus that runs every few minutes and takes less than six minutes to get to all three terminals.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Man dies after falling from car park at Manchester Airport MORE: Girl, 4, dies after being found unconscious in Waterworld theme park MORE: Risk and reward, Trump's Mini-Me and planting trees for the planet
Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Daily Mail
Grandfather, 66, is fined after taking 18 SECONDS too long to drop off his family at Manchester Airport
A grandfather has been handed a fine after taking too long to drop his family off at Manchester Airport. Eric Moffatt, 66, was dropping his daughter and granddaughter at Manchester Airport on Friday, August 8, ahead of their flight to Dubai, where they live when he was slapped with the charge. The father, from Aigburth, Liverpool, dropped his family at the Terminal 2 Drop Off at 6.35am and went to use the toilet inside the terminal. The grandfather said he was forced to undertake the long walk to the bathroom because of a health problem relating to his bladder. But after returning to the parking zone, and saying goodbye to his family, he realised he was just 18 seconds over the parking limit. As per the new drop off parking rules at T2, customers are allowed to park for up to 10 minutes for the price of £6.40, over this they must pay £25. Customers have up until midnight the following day to pay for the parking via the airport's website. Leaving the drop off zone at 6.45am, Mr Moffatt believed he was inside the 10-minute allotted time, however after arriving home and going online to pay for the parking he found he had been charged £25, despite the parking receipt confirming his duration was 10 minutes. After a closer look at the receipt, he discovered he had been parked up for 10 minutes and 18 seconds, taking him over the time limit. Mr Moffat believes he is 'being penalised' for his health issues. He said: 'Me and my daughter were seeing my other daughter and granddaughter off, they live in Dubai. In March I had a health problem with my bladder which means I have to go to the toilet more than usual. 'I'd gone into the terminal to go to the toilet and the guy behind one of the desks pointed me in the right direction. They were right the way down a long corridor. I went back and said my goodbyes to my daughter and granddaughter. 'As soon as I got home I went on the website to pay the £6.40 charge but when I went to pay it it said mine was £25. I phoned up to question it and the guy told me I can appeal but if I lose the appeal I'll be told to pay £60.' Mr Moffatt added: 'When I investigated why I'd been charged over the 10 minutes it said I'd been 10 minutes and 18 seconds over. The guy on the phone said if you're one second over the 10 minutes you'll be charged £25. It just doesn't seem fair when I was 10 minutes, I wasn't 11 minutes. 'It is a new terminal, I didn't know where I was going inside and I have a bladder problem - I feel like I'm being penalised twice for it. I've been charged £25 for 18 seconds, how is that fair?' Manchester Airport said its drop-off charges are enforced to help it manage demand for access to terminals and traffic congestion. It says it means these areas 'remain efficient' even at busy times because people are not staying there for extended periods. A spokesperson for Manchester Airport said: 'Drop-off charges help us to manage demand for access to our forecourts, where space is limited, and reduce traffic congestion. It means that the areas remain efficient even at busy times because people are not staying there for extended periods. 'We also offer a completely free drop-off facility by the nearby JetParks 1 car park. It is served by a 24-hour shuttle bus that runs every few minutes and takes less than six minutes to get to all three terminals.' RAC's top tips to avoid stress and high airport parking charges Do your research: Check out the drop-off options on the airport's website to understand fees, how to pay and permitted waiting times. Terminal drop-off areas are likely to be the most expensive Know how to pay: Understand how to pay before you leave for the airport. An increasing number of airports no longer allow you to pay on site, instead demanding you pay online or by phone within 24 hours afterwards. Set a reminder to do this to avoid a fine. Keep your goodbyes short: Don't spend too long saying your farewells – otherwise they'll prove expensive if you go over the time limit. Check your taxi fare includes a drop-off fee: If you're booking a taxi to take you to the airport, check to see where it drops you off and whether the fare quoted includes the airport's fee. Never drop-off on a road inside the airport perimeter: Airports rigorously enforce no-stopping zones, so don't be tempted to save money by dropping off on a road inside the perimeter. Use the dedicated drop-off zone or another car park instead.
Wales Online
7 days ago
- Wales Online
Grandad charged £25 for 18-second mistake while dropping family at airport
Grandad charged £25 for 18-second mistake while dropping family at airport Eric Moffatt, 66, from Aigburth, was dropping his daughter and granddaughter off at Manchester Airport ahead of their flight to Dubai when he was hit with a £25 charge Eric Moffatt had thought he was within the permitted time limit for a reduced parking fee, but to his shock he was considered over the limit by 18 seconds (Image: Liverpool Echo) A grandfather claims he has been unjustly fined over an 18-second error. Eric Moffatt, 66, was dropping off his daughter and granddaughter at Manchester Airport on Friday, August 8, before their departure to Dubai, where they reside. This comes after private parking firms have been asked to 'come clean' over 'unfair' tickets. Additionally, data released recently shows that private parking firms have issued an eye watering 14.4m tickets to drivers in the 12 months that led up to March 2025. In February 2025, a man told WalesOnline how a parking ticket almost ruined his life despite paying. Eric showing the airport parking fee notice that mentions his duration of stay was 10 minutes (Image: Liverpool Echo) In Eric's case, he left his family at the Manchester Airport Terminal 2 Drop Off area at 6.35am and then made his way to use the facilities inside the terminal, which required a "fair walk away" from the car park. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here He returned to the parking area, bid farewell to his family and departed the car park. Under the current drop off parking regulations at T2, motorists are permitted to park for up to 10 minutes at a cost of £6.40, with any overage requiring a £25 payment. Motorists have until midnight the following day to settle the parking fee through the airport's website, which can be accessed here. Departing the drop off area at 6.45am, Eric believed he had stayed within the 10-minute allowance, but upon returning home and logging online to settle the parking charge, he discovered he had been billed £25, despite his parking ticket showing a 10-minute duration, reports the Liverpool Echo. Upon examining the receipt more carefully, he realised he had actually been parked for 10 minutes and 18 seconds, pushing him beyond the time threshold. Eric feels he is "being penalised" for an 18-second oversight. A spokesperson for Manchester Airport explained that the imposition of drop-off charges is a measure to regulate demand for terminal access and alleviate traffic congestion. They claim this ensures these zones "remain efficient" even during peak times by discouraging prolonged stays. Eric recounted his experience, attributing the oversight to a medical condition affecting his bladder. He shared: "Me and my daughter were seeing my other daughter and granddaughter off, they live in Dubai. In March I had a health problem with my bladder which means I have to go to the toilet more than usual." He continued, describing the situation: "I'd gone into the terminal to go to the toilet and the guy behind one of the desks pointed me in the right direction. They were right the way down a long corridor. I went back and said my goodbyes to my daughter and granddaughter." Upon returning home, Eric attempted to settle the £6.40 charge online but was met with a surprise. He said: "As soon as I got home I went on the website to pay the £6.40 charge but when I went to pay it it said mine was £25. I phoned up to question it and the guy told me I can appeal but if I lose the appeal I'll be told to pay £60." Eric expressed his frustration, adding: "When I investigated why I'd been charged over the 10 minutes it said I'd been 10 minutes and 18 seconds over. The guy on the phone said if you're one second over the 10 minutes you'll be charged £25. It just doesn't seem fair when I was 10 minutes, I wasn't 11 minutes. "It is a new terminal, I didn't know where I was going inside and I have a bladder problem - I feel like I'm being penalised twice for it. I've been charged £25 for 18 seconds, how is that fair?" Article continues below A representative from Manchester Airport responded: "Drop-off charges help us to manage demand for access to our forecourts, where space is limited, and reduce traffic congestion. It means that the areas remain efficient even at busy times because people are not staying there for extended periods. "We also offer a completely free drop-off facility by the nearby JetParks 1 car park. It is served by a 24-hour shuttle bus that runs every few minutes and takes less than six minutes to get to all three terminals."
