Bashford Antiques, notorious for clamping cars, now on the move

Controversial Auckland store Bashford Antiques has shut up shop in Auckland's Williamson Ave in favour of moving elsewhere, but its directors are yet to decide where it will reopen.

Recently, the store has gained notoriety for clamping cars that parked outside the store and stinging people with hefty fines to have their wheels released.

In one case an Uber Eats driver was stung with a $350 fee after parking for five minutes in the private Ponsonby car park while picking up an order.

In a video captured by a concerned member of the public, the young man can be heard saying he was only making $5 for the delivery job.

On another occasion, Auckland couple Sharn and Jamie Phillips were left fuming after a parking folly left them $760 poorer.

The pair headed into Ponsonby with another couple on a night out and were planning on dining at Italian restaurant Pane & Vino.

Sharn dropped Jamie and their friends off at the restaurant and headed off to park.

The spot she found was in front of Bashford Antiques. There was signage warning against parking there but Sharn assumed she would be in the clear because it was after business hours.

However, during a confrontation with the store's director Michael Organ a parking fee doubled from $380 to $760.

The business quickly received a spate of one-star ratings on Facebook.

Organ said the decision to move Bashford Antiques was "incidental to anything else".

The business had been doing well and they had received more support for "standing up" for its rights, Organ said.

They had resorted to having cars clamped after Auckland Towing failed to deter people from parking on the property, he said.

Organ said the sentiment shown on social media was held by a minority and they only wanted to move because Ponsonby was changing.

"Ponsonby is becoming, from our perception, another Newmarket."

They had not yet decided where to reopen the store.