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Woman charged £4,586 for two-hour car park stay in Slough | |
(32 minutes later) | |
Yaditi Kava had been shopping and went for dinner at Queensmere when she was accidentally overcharged for parking | Yaditi Kava had been shopping and went for dinner at Queensmere when she was accidentally overcharged for parking |
A mum was left "in shock" after being accidentally charged £4,586 for a two-hour session at a multi-storey car park. | A mum was left "in shock" after being accidentally charged £4,586 for a two-hour session at a multi-storey car park. |
Yaditi Kava, 39, said she had typed in her pin number at the exit barrier at Queensmere Observatory Shopping Centre in Slough, without noticing the amount. | Yaditi Kava, 39, said she had typed in her pin number at the exit barrier at Queensmere Observatory Shopping Centre in Slough, without noticing the amount. |
She said it took three weeks and intervention from the BBC Three Counties JVS Show before her money was refunded. | She said it took three weeks and intervention from the BBC Three Counties JVS Show before her money was refunded. |
Savills, which manages the shopping centre, said it was "an isolated incident" and it was investigating the system to prevent future problems. | Savills, which manages the shopping centre, said it was "an isolated incident" and it was investigating the system to prevent future problems. |
Ms Kava was shocked when she was charged £4,586 rather than £4.50 at the car park | Ms Kava was shocked when she was charged £4,586 rather than £4.50 at the car park |
Ms Kava had taken her two young girls shopping after work on Friday, 16 May, and decided to "grab some dinner before going home". | Ms Kava had taken her two young girls shopping after work on Friday, 16 May, and decided to "grab some dinner before going home". |
On returning, the area with parking payment machines was closed, so she decided to pay at the exit. | On returning, the area with parking payment machines was closed, so she decided to pay at the exit. |
"I tapped my contactless card, then a message displayed saying I needed to enter my PIN," she said. | "I tapped my contactless card, then a message displayed saying I needed to enter my PIN," she said. |
"I was in a rush, the girls were getting tired, and I did not see the number on the small card machine. | "I was in a rush, the girls were getting tired, and I did not see the number on the small card machine. |
"The big display showed '4,5', so I thought it was £4.50." | "The big display showed '4,5', so I thought it was £4.50." |
The barrier lifted, and she immediately received a text notification from her bank. | The barrier lifted, and she immediately received a text notification from her bank. |
"To my shock, I saw that they had deducted not £4.50 but £4,586 from my account," she recalled. | "To my shock, I saw that they had deducted not £4.50 but £4,586 from my account," she recalled. |
"It was surreal - I just couldn't fathom that they had taken that money." | "It was surreal - I just couldn't fathom that they had taken that money." |
Savills said it was investigating to prevent the problem from happening again | Savills said it was investigating to prevent the problem from happening again |
Ms Kava said she had to wait until Monday to speak to the manager, who told her "it was a faulty machine". | Ms Kava said she had to wait until Monday to speak to the manager, who told her "it was a faulty machine". |
She continued: "He made a receipt on 19 May and assured me I would see that money in my account within 2-3 working days." | She continued: "He made a receipt on 19 May and assured me I would see that money in my account within 2-3 working days." |
But three weeks later, the money had still not appeared. | But three weeks later, the money had still not appeared. |
"I'm going through a divorce at the moment and had saved that money to pay legal fees," she said. | "I'm going through a divorce at the moment and had saved that money to pay legal fees," she said. |
"I was going to call off my daughter's birthday party, it was a lot of stress." | "I was going to call off my daughter's birthday party, it was a lot of stress." |
Feeling like she was "spiralling and going nowhere," Ms Kava reported the case to the consumer rights programme the JVS show, presented by Jonathan Vernon-Smith. | Feeling like she was "spiralling and going nowhere," Ms Kava reported the case to the consumer rights programme the JVS show, presented by Jonathan Vernon-Smith. |
"It was a godsend - One call from Jonathan, and the next day the money was in my bank," she said, adding that the full refund arrived on Saturday ,7 June. | "It was a godsend - One call from Jonathan, and the next day the money was in my bank," she said, adding that the full refund arrived on Saturday ,7 June. |
Speaking before the money was returned, Savills told the BBC: "Savills can confirm that it is aware of an isolated incident concerning an anomaly with a parking charge in the car park. | Speaking before the money was returned, Savills told the BBC: "Savills can confirm that it is aware of an isolated incident concerning an anomaly with a parking charge in the car park. |
"We have been in regular contact with the customer to rectify the issue as a matter of priority and can confirm a full refund is being processed. | "We have been in regular contact with the customer to rectify the issue as a matter of priority and can confirm a full refund is being processed. |
"This was a very unusual occurrence, and we are investigating the car park system to prevent this from happening in the future." | "This was a very unusual occurrence, and we are investigating the car park system to prevent this from happening in the future." |
Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. | Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. |
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