Euro Car Parks is one of the UK’s biggest private car park companies, operating sites across the UK
Almost 1.9 million tickets were handed to motorists by the firm in one year(Image: Getty)
A company that issued nearly 1.9m fines to drivers in a single year has itself been fined almost half a million pounds. Euro Car Parks, one of the largest private parking firms in the UK, is facing a bill of £473,000 after breaching regulator rules.
The Competition and Market Authority (CMA) stated it levied the penalty because the company failed to provide information to the regulator. It reported that the firm did not respond for three months to seven requests for information, sent via registered post, emails and hand-delivered letter.
This marks the first time the regulator has utilised its new fining powers. The CMA further noted that Euro Car Parks sought an injunction from the High Court to prevent its name from being disclosed, but this request was denied earlier this week.
Several drivers have accused the company of unjustly demanding payment for alleged breaches of car park regulations. Euro Car Parks did not respond until the CMA informed it that a fine was being considered.
The company then responded and started to supply information, informing the regulator that it had blocked its emails as it suspected they were fraudulent and scam attempts. The CMA stated it “did not consider this a reasonable excuse”, leading to the imposition of the fine in December last year, reports the Mirror.
Hayley Fletcher, senior director of consumer enforcement at the CMA, said: “We are an evidence-based authority, and information notices are essential tools that help us understand the facts and get to the bottom of potential infringements of the law. It is a legal obligation to comply with them. They are not optional.
“This is the first time we’ve used our new powers to fine a company for failing to respond to such a notice. It sends a clear message: firms that don’t reply to our requests or refuse to comply risk facing penalties like this one.”
Lisa Webb, from consumer group Which?, described private car park companies as “often perceived to be the bane of motorists’ lives”. She added: “We frequently hear from those engaged in disputes with private parking companies who feel frustrated, confused and stressed out by what they consider to be a nightmarish ordeal.
“If these companies want to improve this perception, it’s essential they offer transparency to both consumers and the regulator.” The CMA confirmed it does not currently have a consumer enforcement case open against Euro Car Parks “at present” and stressed that “no assumption should be made” that it has breached consumer law.
Press Association analysis of Government figures reveals Euro Car Parks issued nearly 1.9 million tickets in the 12 months to the end of September 2025. Euro Car Parks was approached for comment.