Private Parking Tickets discussion

sarahg1969

bargepole wrote: »

Yes.

And tell your OH not to be gutless.

Or ask him to send me a cheque for £100 (or £80 within 14 days), for replying to your post. I'll PM you my address.

Kellerina

My car was clamped on Friday on a business park where I was going shopping. I walked just out of the boundary of the park where there was a bus stop to meet a friend and then returned to the shops.

They clamped me as they had seen me "leave" the business park but not return. As they had clamped the drivers side of the car which was facing away from me I did not see this until I returned to the car 2 hours later.

By this time they had called a tow truck. The charge to release the car was £125 and they told me it would be £30 to cancel the tow truck. So I then went about getting hold of the money, I certainly did not have that sort of cash going spare. When I managed this they took my card and then when I looked at the receipt they had charged me £125 to release the car and another £125 to cancel the tow truck. They then poitned this out to me on the notice but they had already mis-advised me.

I also pointed out that they had my car down as a Fiat Cinqecento with the reg starting with a C. It is actually a Kia Picanto and the reg starts with an L. On the carbon copy of the receipt they have amended the reg and overwritten the incorrect letter, can they do this?

Please could someone help as I cannot afford to let this go, it is a lot of money to anyone, never mind in the current times

peter_the_piper

Kellerina wrote: »

My car was clamped on Friday on a business park where I was going shopping. I walked just out of the boundary of the park where there was a bus stop to meet a friend and then returned to the shops.

They clamped me as they had seen me "leave" the business park but not return. As they had clamped the drivers side of the car which was facing away from me I did not see this until I returned to the car 2 hours later.

By this time they had called a tow truck. The charge to release the car was £125 and they told me it would be £30 to cancel the tow truck. So I then went about getting hold of the money, I certainly did not have that sort of cash going spare. When I managed this they took my card and then when I looked at the receipt they had charged me £125 to release the car and another £125 to cancel the tow truck. They then poitned this out to me on the notice but they had already mis-advised me.

I also pointed out that they had my car down as a Fiat Cinqecento with the reg starting with a C. It is actually a Kia Picanto and the reg starts with an L. On the carbon copy of the receipt they have amended the reg and overwritten the incorrect letter, can they do this?

Please could someone help as I cannot afford to let this go, it is a lot of money to anyone, never mind in the current times

Please start your own thread its easier to help you.
There are no rules regarding PPC's they can write down just what they like, they will never allow any appeal anyway. You are likely to have to go down the card chargeback route as paid by card (credit card?). Make sure you have receipts from the stores if proof required by cc company.
Or small claims if by cash/debit card.

Kellerina

Thanks, just started my own, new to this!

Annemarie123

My daughter was ticketed on a private car park. It was in the evening and although a sign was displayed the car park was unlit and the sign was not clearly visible. (On the ticket the car is described as grey - which it is not, so the person issuing the ticket had problems). There was no sign at the entrance to the car park. The ticket states that no appeal will be considered unless accompanied by payment. If I understand correctly, payment is considered an admission of guilt, therefore by paying any grounds for appeal are immediately invalidated and any appeal will automatically be rejected. Should she take the advice offered in this thread and ignore the ticket?

bargepole

Annemarie123 wrote: »

... Should she take the advice offered in this thread and ignore the ticket?

Unless she is the sort of person who responds to emails from Nigerian government officials wanting her bank details so they can deposit $12 million in her account, ignore this just like any other scam.

Annemarie123

Just a further point which has just occurred to me. Under the Data Protection Act, surely the DVLA cannot provide details to anyone and eveyone on request. Don't private companies have to fulfil certain criteria before information about drivers is released to them? Therefore if the private parking company has incorrectly imposed a 'fine' and subsequently traced the motorist from information supplied by the DVLA, this would surely render the DVLA liable to prosecution under the Data Protection Act! If the motorist does not contact the company, then the company will not be able to trace them wthout DVLA information.

Sorry to be so pedantic, but before ignoring the whole thing, I need to be reasonably sure that we have a cast iron case.

bargepole

Annemarie123 wrote: »

... Under the Data Protection Act, surely the DVLA cannot provide details to anyone and eveyone on request. Don't private companies have to fulfil certain criteria before information about drivers is released to them? ... Sorry to be so pedantic, but before ignoring the whole thing, I need to be reasonably sure that we have a cast iron case.

The DVLA will provide registered keeper information to anyone having "reasonable cause" for requiring it, at £2.50 a time. Parking companies who are members of the BPA can get this electronically, non members have to submit a written request. You, as a private individual, could get the info if, for example, a car was parked outside your house blocking your driveway.

They make £3 million + annually from this service, which has been the subject of criticism in Parliament and on BBC Watchdog, but I can't see them giving that up easily.

As for a "cast iron" case, there is no such thing in civil law, but out of the tens of thousands of private tickets issued in 2008, only a small handful went to court, and in only two reported cases did the motorist lose - and in both of those, the PPC knew who was driving. There are NO known cases of court action resulting when no contact has been made with the PPC.

Ignore all the rubbish they send you.

Annemarie123

Thank you for your help. It is much appreciated. She will sit tight and do nothing.

trinidadone

Dear All,

I am frothing at the mouth as I write this message for advice.

I parked in a shopping centre carpark this afternoon at 4:30pm. I always make a note of the time I park in these places. The parking is free for two hours only, and has signs displayed threatening clamping etc... (the usual).

I came back to my car at 4:48pm (i went to the 99p shop in the shopping centre) and discovered my car was clapped. I went through the usual feelings of shock, embarassment and then anger. I inspected the parking space, and notice I was well within the parking white lines. I looked at my watch again and notice i had only spent 20 minutes. I checked the nearby sign informing me I had two hours of free parking, so was a complete lost.

I telephoned the 0870 number on my mobile phone on the letter attached to my car. After informing them of my details, i asked what i had done wrong, and was told I had over stayed by two hours. I explained I had not, and asked for proof of my stay. I was told the clamping van would be with me shortly.

In five minutes (in the rain i may add) the clamper turned up, he told me he made a mistake, and he was going to remove the clamp. I told him this was unacceptable, and we exchanged words (NO SWERING AT THIS POINT) He told me there was another car identical to mine.

I noticed the hum cap which had the clamp has been scratched. I asked several questions and told him he was incompetant, he told me to "!!!! off".

I telphoned the company when i got home (another 0870 number) I told them i wanted to make a complaint, i explained i was wrongly ilegally clamped, was swarn at by the clamper and my humcap was scratched. I was told i needed to write in. I asked if a manager could speak to me, and was told a manager could ring me another time.

I feel so angry by this experience. I took a pic of the clamp, the clamper and feel i have been treated unjust, is there anything I can do???