“I think it’s so wrong”

06:35, 29 Jul 2025Updated 07:13, 29 Jul 2025

“I think it’s so wrong”(Image: Manchester Evening News)

A mum from Stockport says she has been fined £170 after being dropped off at Manchester Airport. Nicola Maher, 46, was taken to the airport by her father, Ray Watson, to catch a flight to Tenerife back in May.

However, after returning from her holiday she was sent a letter stating that she had to pay £170 for failing to pay the £5 fee for visiting the drop-off point at Terminal 2. Nicola says that the letter was sent by a debt recovery company on behalf of car park firm, APCOA.

The fine was sent to Nicola as the car is registered in her name. Nicola says that her father, 68, was only at the section “for minutes” and was unaware that the £5 fee had to be paid online rather than on site.

She also told the Manchester Evening News that as he was a blue badge holder, he assumed he would not need to. The MEN understands that while there are exemptions for blue badge holders, they apply to the travelling passenger rather than the driver.

Nicola said: “He was dropping me off in my car, but because none of us had dropped anybody off in years, we thought you had to pay the £5 while you were there.

Ray Watson(Image: Manchester Evening News)

“When he dropped us off, he had no inkling about this. He had the badge with him, and he said if he was to see the marshal he would show it to them.”

According to Nicola, the letter was dated for July 3rd, and she received it on July 10th. She says that prior to that, she had not received any previous letters from APCOA.

“The naughtiest bit of it is sending it straight to a debt recovery when you’re not notifying the customer at all. I think it’s so wrong,” she said.

“I hadn’t received anything from them until I got a letter. It arrived on July 10th and it was dated July 3rd.

“This letter had come from a debt recovery company. I explained to them that I’ve had no notification about anything before receiving their letter.

Nicola says that the letter was sent by a debt recovery company on behalf of car park firm, APCOA(Image: Manchester Evening News)

“I knew there’d be a fine if we hadn’t paid it. I’d be quite happy to pay a £50 charge or wherever it started, I would have been more than happy to do that because it was obviously his error.

“Over the weekend I’ve been speaking to a family member and he’s got a letter from exactly the same company from when he dropped his wife off at the airport.

“There were no barriers up, nothing, so he assumed he didn’t have to pay.

“They’re making so much money out of it, sending the claims straight to debt recovery. I’ve been told since that apparently there is a sign but it’s not until you’re driving out.

“There were no barriers up, nothing, so he assumed he didn’t have to pay.”(Image: Manchester Evening News)

“I’m not being funny, but you’re concentrating when you’re driving, so reading a sign is the last thing you’re doing.”

The Manchester Evening News has approached APCOA for comment.

A Manchester Airport spokesperson said: “Our new barrierless pick-up and drop off areas are reducing congestion around the airport by making sure that people no longer have to wait to exit the areas, which previously could cause traffic to back up.

“The feedback we’ve had from passengers tells us the new barrierless system has made the airport experience more seamless and they’re pleased that they no longer have to wait to leave the pick-up and drop-off areas. That means people aren’t ending up having to pay more than they should as a result of waiting at the barriers.

“The vast majority of passengers do remember to pay before the deadline but we want to make sure that people don’t forget so we’ve put prominent signage in place around the areas to make sure nobody misses it.”