Riverside Retail Park

I realised I had gone over the 2 hours & with no opportunity to top up I knew I would be receiving a fine. This was last November. I googled the owners of Riverside retail park & thought I’d email them with my dilemma & reason why I’d gone over. They were very sympathetic & agreed 2 hours was not enough and were looking to change the parking arrangements. Unfortunately it still doesn’t look as anything has changed. They said they would void my fine.I still received the fine through the post but it had been cancelled.

I say the same as everyone else, 2 hours is not enough time. We spent over £300 pounds while there and went over on time by 29 mins. I know the time limit is for a reason, but please raise it by an hour at least. We will not be going back.

Two hours parking to shop is ludicrous considering there is now a food supermarket as well. I am retired and have arthritis so walking can be slow. I need to put goods in the car after each shop which takes time. I got £85 for overstaying by 20 mins. This has been going on for years despite complaints and several retailers closing. Why don't the new retailers deal with this? I will not go there again.

Disgusting Why oh why have so many shops to enjoy and spend your money and then get a parking fine for being more than 2 hours!!!!!! Please someone take note of all these complaints.. I would love to bring my disabled mother here for a little outing as there is a good selection of shops for looking around and having coffee- lunch BUT theres just enough time to get her out the car and have a pee! Then get back in the car and get out of there……. REALLY I got a ticket in January for shopping in Home Sense, I was there for 2hrs 10mins buying my stuff and getting it in the car.. I won’t be doing that again.

I use this car Park regularly and is very handy for shops. Once, when my car broke down and was going to go over 2hr limit, I rang the operating company and explained the situation. They were completely empathetic and reassuring that I would not get a fine. Seems like a lot of the negative reviews are from people who have not followed the rules. Whilst it's never pleasant receiving a fine, there has to be a cut-off as if there wasn't other shoppers wouldn't get parked and selfish people would happily park for hours or even days on end without a second thought for anyone else. There are other pay & display car parks around that you can pay all day for around £5 or a great park and ride for about the same price, if the 2 hours may not be enough time to do what you need.

Received a £85 fine for Christmas...just what I needed for being 15 mins over 2 hours that I didn't even know about. Absolutely scandalous . 2 hours is not long enough for shopping .... They wonder why shops are going out of business.... I wonder ? Won't be going there again!!

Terrible, shopped entire time, queue and MacD made us go over. Not long enough for loyal shoppers- i feel rushed and stressed.

If you use Nuffield Gym you get 3hrs parking, sorry but don't see why users are given preferential treatment just because they pay membership!

Got a parking fine for being over 23 mins, such a joke for having parking for only 2 hours it should be longer, plenty of shops to go in which is why we were over the 2 hours. Up the time limit please

Spent £200 quid in this retail park. £85 fine for 15 minutes over 2 hours. Didn't see any signs for time limit. If it wasn't for the appalling service in McDonald's we would have been well under 2 hours. I won't visit again

Overstayed by 13 mins Didn’t even know there was a time limit. Usually shop here for household essentials but a short coffee stop at Costa pushed us over the 2 hour limit. £85 for being a customer Riverside can screw themselves and I hope the rest of the complex goes bust too. There’s a reason Amazon is taking over and it’s all about customer service and experience

Again don’t come this shopping outlet! 2 hours is no way long enough for the car park. £85 fine for Christmas! Thanks!

I have visited this car park many times in the past (before Covid) On 28th October I visited with a friend we went to Home sense and Costa Coffee we then went on to Smyths toy shop to buy Christmas presents and then went into Matalan Home Bargains and Pound stretches we stayed three hours and five minutes, spend between us approximately over two hundred pounds This morning the 4th of November I received a letter saying I’ve have a fine of £85 for over staying I can’t tell you how angry I am with this letter. Why are they asking us to spend money to keep the economy going so people can have jobs and businesses can thrive and then only give you two hours for your purchases. Surely the shops can remove this awful company I certainly will not be returning to the car park and will buy on line and drink my own coffee at home Your loss Riverside what would you rather have £200 in various shops or nothing and job losses

I have just spend over 2 hours doing cloth shopping, groceries and grabbing a Costa just to find myself fined for 50 pounds. Good work: giving fines to people that spend money into your shopping centre.

Spent £250 in this retail park went to 4 different shops then get a £50 fine for the pleasure, will be going else where in the future only people getting rich are the parking company. What a joke

DON’T GO HERE. Only giving 1 star because I can’t give 0. 23 minutes over, £50 fine. I didn’t see one “obvious” sign for the 2 hour limit. Disgusting, when the country is getting back on its feet you should be trying to attract people in to shops. I won’t be going back so lost repeat customers. Great work.

13 mins over the 2 hours!!!! £85!! How are you supposed to find a parking space, peruse Home Sense, grab a coffee at Costa, try on some clothes at Matalan and grab the essentials in Home Bargains all in 2 hours!!!! I rushed my day as I was concerned about my time limit all to be 13 mins over and get this fine! I can totally understand if people are just parking then going else where, but when you are specifically parking to use the retail park shops. Disgusting!!!!! You get 3 hours to shop at Tesco which for 1 shop is extremely generous!!! 2 hours just is NOT enough!!

First and last time I will visit Riverside Retail Park. I received a fine of £50 for over staying by 34 minutes (total 2hrs 34min). We visited 2 shops and had McDonalds! Not one employee mentioned anything about the ridiculous short time period for staying nor was it well displayed so that it caught my attention. I think the reviews here say it all really, been going on for years by the looks of it! Daylight robbery!

Awful.

Just received a £85 fine through the post for parking 19min over the 2 hour free stay! Honestly thought it was 3 hours, must of been before? Haven’t been for years! Disgusting as I thought I still had nearly 40mins! Won’t be parking there again!

Wont return, got 50 pound find for staying 2 hours 10min, and spending loads of money at smyths and home sence, should have parking meters

I would only give you 1 star as I am feeling generous today. I’m about to pay a parking fine for staying 15 minutes over, that is really unfair. If you’re open to suggestions, there should be parking meters in place or a Tesco’s system of spend £5 or over and get a parking voucher to validate. I’m very disappointed. How can I support these shops? One shop takes about an hour, go to two shops, two hours easy, push your shopping cart to the car, load the boot and return the cart. That’s 15 to 16 minutes. Then wait for this parking fine envelope to arrive in post. It’s a funny way of saying, “thank you for shopping at Riverside retail park, please DO NOT visit ever again”.

Furious! 2 hours and 14 mins. Parking ticket. Good shops but they need to review their hours of permissible parking. Would rather pay up front, It won’t happen again as I will go over the road and pay next time. Outrageous.

I'm disabled too and stayed 15 minutes over allowed time and still did not finish my shopping and got £85 fine. Definitely won't be shopping here again and letting all my other neighbours know in the area and boycott the businesses. Scam artists, totally out of order. Never shopping there again.

I am disgusted by this car park. Me and my partner are new to the area and came to the retail park to buy our mattress for our new home which obviously is not a quick job. We spent 100's of pounds and stayed 20 minutes of the 2 hour minimum stay, which was unclear and I wasn't even aware of. I have just received an £85 parking fine! I think this is totally unacceptable and an unreasonable time slot for shopping and browsing. Every single review on this page is negative and I am not surprised why. Shameful!

I am horrified to have received an £85 charge for staying here 19 minutes over the 2 hours apparently permitted. I have shopped here for years and obviously never gone over this time but since becoming disabled, things take much longer and I have NEVER noticed signage for a time limit. I will be boycotting this shopping area in full from now on, this is a total rip off and has lost business for all the stores in that area.

Scumbags!!! We couldn’t see a sign with time limits and got a lovely fine for going over by 20 mins!!! 2 hours is no way long enough for all those shops!!! I won’t be going back.

Scumbags,we to got hit with a £85 30.40p admin charge from Eurocar as motabliity car in for repairs. 2hrs is pathetic,all those shops and costa McDonald’s and they reckon 2hrs is enough,well sod them shops I’m going to shop online from now on. And they say that the shops need our support not anymore,this car park used to be free but someone is making a huge amount of money sitting in there mansion or yacht scum

Absolutely ridiculous car park. Stayed over two hours with NO parking ticket machines in site...why don’t they leave the pay and display ticket machines in site so ppl can pay upfront. Now they have charged me £85. Ripping off members of the public is pure evil. Repent!

Ridiculous! 2 hours is not long enough to walk around 2 shops let alone the amount that’s within the park. Took my mum out, who is disabled, shopping in Homesense (basically spent 2 hours in ) Matalan and home bargains as well as eating a wrap from McDonald’s and then they send a letter through saying I owe them £80 odd but £50 if paid within 14 days.... send the letter out to me late so I only have 7 days to pay.... I appeal and then say it takes up to 28 Days to get a response! Absolutely ridiculous

DONT PARK HERE! As everyone else says fined £85 for spending 10 mins over 2 hours - wAs treating my mum to coffee and cake who is disabled. Needed the toilet and couldn’t hurry and have been heavily penalised. If people are using the shops and can prove it they shouldn’t be fined for supporting local businesses!!!! Absolutely disgusting

Unbelievable! All shops losing money and you charge £85 if over 2 hours. I had coffee and two shops who had long queues to pay. Spent money now expensive shop trip !!! Ridiculous

Bloody thugs amd loots. I am new to Chemsford. Took my family(with an infant) to shopping at Sports direct and hone bargains. Followed by lunch at Mac Ds. Stayed for 3hrs. Gets fined with 50£. Its tge most stupid car park management system in the whole world, who is putting fine on its patron to go there and shop and make them sone profit. Its a totally stupid and wicked scheme of making money.

Will never use this car park or retail park again. Took my elderly mother shopping in her wheelchair and then for lunch in Costa. No way would that have taken 2 hrs or less and I fell victim to not noticing the 2hr limit. A week later was hit with a £50 fine. Completely defeated the object of getting bargains in Homesense and TK Maxx. Will never return. Daylight robbery!

I too would leave 0 stars if that was an option! Recieved a fine for staying an extra 20 minuets but 2 hours just isn’t long enough to visit the range of shops and have a coffee. We visited this retail park for ease as we live quite a journey away but to be honest we would rather venture that’s little bit further to Lakeside as there are no parking charges and we can shop at our leisure. Very disappointed and hope more people boycott this money grabbing company and then prehaps the shops will act too!

Parked here twice in Dec 18 to do my christmas shopping in Home Sense. Displayed a Blue Badge as I had a disabled passenger who has difficulty walking and so everything takes longer. On both occasions it appears I went over the 2 hour limit by 40 mins and been hit with fines for both trips. Will never ever return to these shops and will make sure everyone I know boycotts them too. Two hours is not enough time to shop and grab a coffee in costa so if you are reading this don't bother even trying. Had to leave 1 star as no option to leave no stars !!!

I look after a disabled person who I take out when I can. Obviously she's unable to get around as quickly as most .Received a fine for staying 2hours 26minutes .These people are scum bags and I'll never return to this park .Would suggest that people boycott this place .

NO STARS ACTUALLY! We spent £385.00 in Smyths, £95 in Matalan, then sat in Costa for 25 mins after buying 2 lattes spending another £6..... 2 weeks later £50 fine for staying an extra 15 mins... REALLY? When shops are closing all over , you’d think RIVERSIDE RETAIL PARK would encourage shoppers to stay . I’d rather pay for parking .

Parked here 9/9/2018 like before in 2017 to go to the ice rink to watch the Chelmsford chieftains play never ever had a fine in 2017 when parking here but today received one after parking here last week 9/9/18 really don’t understand why do you want to push people away from shopping here or visiting the ice rink( parking at ice rink being done up ) this is rediuclous

Absolutely disgusted. Spent two and a half hours buying an extremely expensive bed in Dreams and two months later I have received an £85 fine. Like all other reviewers I will certainly not be going back and if I could tell Dreams to stick their bed then I would do that as I can’t believe the shops don’t warn people or contest this abominable and money grabbing practice. If it allowed me to give no stars then I would.

New to chelmsford town and saw the shops so entered the car park, the signs at the entrance are at such stupid locations that you will never see them if you are paying attention to your driving. once inside you won't see the signs (I only know there here now as I street viewed the car park). Ill join the other victims of the £85 and never return again. shameful practice

Disgusting shop here regular will not anymore nothing displayed about charges just a company who loves to rip people off what about people with kids or disabled people disgusting is all I can say no wonder why shops close and shut down all the time when there are money grabbing vultures like you

We shopped for three hours and got stung with a parking fine. Shopping at Lakeside is free parking all day! I will not shop at Riverside again on principal.

Capitalist scumbags! We bought things in four different shops and stayed 2hrs 22mins. Hit with £85 charge. Don't shop here!!! Chelmsford Council hang your head in shame for enabling this. Great way for your retailers to lose business.

Bloody useless 2 hrs only suprised shops put up with it ,not enough time to look round

Total rip off. 2 hours parking is not enough time and really off-putting. We won't be back.

Two hours is just about enough to look around HomeSense never mind any other shops or to have a coffee. I suspect this is to stop people parking there and walking into town. There should be the option, like at Braintree Freeport, for a customer service operative to phone through your number plate once you've verified your spending and proved you are actually shopping there so your stay can be extended.

Total rip off (scam ) summer break take my 4 kids to shop and then stop for McDonald's and been send tickets not once but twice total rip off ...not coming back

Fined £85 for parking on a Sunday afternoon in a half empty car park??? Ridiculous! Spent lots of money in the shops on the retail park only. When did this change to 2 hours only??? Where are the signs?? Well done Parking Eye and council, what a greedy bunch you are!!! Won't be going back there again!!!!!!!!!

Awful car park. Badly laid out. Run as a scam to catch out shoppers. Avoid.

2 hours!! The reduction in hours was not adequately notified. £50 fine for overstaying by 5 mins on a horrible wet, Sunday afternoon. SCANDALOUS!!!

Unable to take my wheelchair bound 85 year old mother shopping at this park ( with shops she loves) as 2 hours is not long enough to park the car, get her into the wheelchair, shop, then get her and the wheelchair back into the car. I would happily pay for extra time but guess you make more money out of fines. Wish you would consider giving Blue badge holders the extra hour as it really is needed here.

Absolutely ridiculous parking restriction you get 2 hours, in which if you are 5 minutes late back to you cat you get smacked with an £85 fine. Some of us are students and don't have £85 for your ridiculous outlines. There is not even parking meters so you can pay extra if you need the extra time they just smack you with a fine. Fucking money whores, this car park is one of the worst I have visited definitely will not be using again

2 hours a joke and we shopped there won't be going back got £80 fine

560 spaces in this car park. Only a second time user and received an £85 parking fine which is absolutely ridiculous as I overstayed by half and hour! I agree that signage isn't clear and the time I overstayed my welcome the car park was practically empty therefore the extra half hour I stayed would not have impacted on the retailers earning money. Disgusting never will I attend this retail park again, there are plenty of other places to go shopping now.

ParkingEye run a scam here to enrich themselves.. Poor signage and a recent cut to just 2 free hours has embittered so many people now. We just received a £50 fine for 2 hours 30 min shopping. Hell will freeze over before I ever go to Riverside Retail Park again, esp when there's so many alternatives nearby. Boycott the place. Tell all your friends too (we do). Do NOT go to Riverside Retail Park.

First time visitor in late February - shopped and had lunch. Just received Parking Fine - £85. Never visiting this Park again - can't believe that I ended up being fined whilst spending money in this Park.

Can't believe this only max 2hrs.... when did that happen!! Used to come here all the time but won't bother anymore!! By the time you look round the shops

I used to go here regularly but just received a parking fine for £70 after spending just under 3 hours spending lots of money in various shops. Guess what riverside you have just lost my custom and that of my family and friends.

As other reviews, great shops but 2 hours just isn't enough. Got a £50 fine, appeal was rejected and the shops are not interested in supporting your appeal. Won't be returning.

Great shops.. but 2 hours parking is not enough to look around.. especially when your taking an 85 year old shopping.. who would like a hot drink also.. I would willingly pay to park rather then get a £50 fine..won't be going back and my friends and family won't be going either!

Very strangely laid out with difficult pedestrian access to many car spaces making loading your car a risky business. Good range of shops, but 2 hours not enough to see them all and grab a bite there. No option to pay for extra time and poorly marked for parking rules. £50 a very unwelcome added cost to an expensive day's shopping!!!! Will not be returning