A British mother has been caught in a escalating payment dispute with Manchester Airport after forgetting to pay a £5 drop-off charge within the designated 24-hour period. Josie Eccles, 32, faced a £170 fine and threats of court action after the initial charge ballooned over two months.
Eccles and her family were dropped off at Terminal Two on May 30 by her husband. The couple later realized they had forgotten to pay the £5 charge. They attempted to pay the penalty online, but the payment portal showed no outstanding fine. Believing the matter would be resolved with a standard penalty, they waited for a letter in the post.
Two months later, a debt collection firm contacted Eccles, stating the charge had risen to £170 and that she had ignored previous correspondence. Eccles expressed confusion, as she had not received any initial fine notice. When she tried to appeal through Manchester Airport's car parking operator, APCOA, she was informed that the appeal window had closed and the matter was already with debt collectors.
Eccles contacted the debt recovery firm, which claimed Manchester Airport had sent a letter on June 5, but did not confirm if it was sent via tracked delivery. Eccles stated she had no way of knowing how to pay the initial fine without receiving this correspondence.
She reported receiving further letters threatening court action and warning the amount could increase to £235. Eccles claims she was told by the debt firm that they would not investigate disputes and that her only options were to pay £170 or face potential court proceedings. She was also informed that Manchester Airport would be responsible for any court action.
Eccles attempted to resolve the issue by submitting an online inquiry to Manchester Airport, explaining her situation and requesting to pay the original £60 fine, which would have been applicable if paid within 14 days. She received an automated response stating the matter was with debt recovery. Subsequent communication with the complaints department also yielded no satisfactory resolution.
While acknowledging her oversight in not paying the initial £5 charge, Eccles described the escalation to potentially £235 as "ridiculous" and unfair, emphasizing that she had responded to all communication she had received. She argued that if the initial letter was crucial, it should have been sent via tracked mail or multiple attempts made before escalating to debt collectors.
An APCOA spokesman stated that the company had contacted the customer and offered the original charge of £60, which Eccles has since paid, resolving the matter. Manchester Airport has been approached for comment.