parking eye charges for parking my lease car

jemduck

help.I got a parking notice from parking eye whilst parking in one of there car parks in my lease car.
In short parking eye, advised me to send shopping receipts as they don't penalise genuine shoppers, I did, heard nothing until a letter from ccs collect saying I hadn't paid and to avoid further action......, and another from citroen saying they'd paid the full amount as they were obliged to do and they would dd my account in 14 days. I have phoned citroen they will cancel cheque and send me out a dispute letter to fill in. ccs and parking eye are not being very helpfull and are more or less saying that they didn't say to send in receipts and it would be ok. According to them they have no record of me buying a ticket, I did and I went 10 mins over as when we got back to the car I had to change the baby's nappy, clothes and sort his milk!! I was out shoping with my three kids getting the older two stuff for school, a genuine shopper! I've told them I refuse to pay the amount, they have said they will reduce it to £80!, I have said I will pay for staying 10mins over, but i really think it is not right I get charged 80 quid for seeing to my baby! Apparently if I had a blue badge, was myself or had someone with me that was disabled, they would have cancelled the charge, I said this was discrimination , they said it was not!! Please help, any advise greatfully received.

Guys_Dad

In advance of other replies, read some of the multitude of posts on parking in civil areas. You have already made the first mistake by agreeing to pay "for 10 minutes" and I expect that Neil or Sarah will comment on whether that has ruined your chances but generally these charges are unenforceable and, as long as Citroen are playing ball - as they appear to be - you might be in the clear.

But spend 10 minutes reading the forum - start with "Parking Eye" threads first if you like.

Enfieldian

I will no longer deal with a lease or rental company unless they make an amendment to their contract stating that that they will pass my details on to Police/Local Authorities ONLY, if they are contacted.

They love making money out of this load of bull and will happily send a letter to a PPC if they can add £40 to your account for it.

Coupon-mad

Citroen is going to be the biggest headache in all of this, jemduck.

If it were your own car you could just ignore all the threatening letters from now on, as the PPC won't take you to Court. If they did 'dare' to try the County Court then TBH you have done all you would be expected to do in offering to pay a nominal amount for the extra 10 minutes - which seems perfectly reasonable. Their £80 doesn't, and would get laughed out of court.

You need to be sure to tell Citroen (in writing, very clearly) that this charge is in dispute and to send ALL correspondence about it to you without paying the charge. Tell them that 'any alleged contract' is only with the driver on private land so they have no reason to pay it. Make it clear that your express instructions are not to try to pay it again, and you will take no responsibility for the charge if they now do so. Also state that you have not given them (Citroen) permission to pass on your details to this firm either.

This needs to be crystal clear in writing, not just on their 'dispute letter' but with a covering letter from you stating something like the above, IMHO. Belt and braces, just in case another person in the Citroen office panics when the scam-Solicitor's letters start arriving in a few weeks or months and tries to pay it again...and again...