Excel Parking Services - "Parking Charge Notice" - Peel Centre - Stockport

mummyraver

had to jump into this chat so only registered tonight, excuse any lack of forum etiquitte!
I went to the Peel centre a couple of days ago as a very stressed out mum with my 3 children with me, ages 2, 4 and 6. I go pretty regularly but that day I was unable to get a ticket straightaway as my daughter, who had a stomach upset (I'm sure you know what I mean!) was in desperate need of the toilet. I went into Hobbycraft to use their toilets and came out 10 mins later to see a ticket on my window.
This may sound extremely dramatic but after a very tough couple of months it was the last straw and I was in tears.:o I bought a ticket and went to Next to get the kids school shoes, all the time panicking that I could'nt really afford them now!
On my way out I spotted an Excel employer who was sat watching another car without any sign of a ticket and I challenged him about the charge, he just shrugged his shoulders and looked at me like I was a piece of crap! I checked if it was a private car park and he told me it was.
Thats when a little bell went off in my head! 'Watchdog' and that report on private carparks. I told my other half who found this forum and after reading all the posts I do feel confident I won't end up having to pay this charge.
As for the comments concerning observation skills and 'paying your way' from a couple of people on here, I can read, I do pay my way and I am aware of the parking fee but sometimes people have other concerns at a particular moment like trying to stop their child soiling themselves whilst attempting to stop the other two get run over from the blurts who drive at a stupid speed for a carpark.
Things are not always black and white.
After all that....will I defo be ok to ignore the ticket:undecided?

Sir_Roger_deLodger

mummyraver wrote: »

After all that....will I defo be ok to ignore the ticket:undecided?

Yes you will. Read all the threads on here about private parking and you will be reassured that it is a scam. If you are worried about anything you receive in the post come back here for advice.

Coupon-mad

I'm guessing you may have just found this thread from a search, mummyraver, and perhaps think it's a one-off thread? No, here's the whole board, almost every case is talking about private parking charges, there's even a link to a radio show from today which talked about PPC tickets and had a caller from here telling people they are unenforceable:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/...play.php?f=163

There are over 100 pages of threads here, almost all telling people like you that they can safely ignore companies like Excel. They just send out debt collector threatening letters, nothing more, no Court, no Bailiffs, no effect on your credit rating by ignoring this scam. Excel did try Court once in a blue moon but got their fingers burnt by losing when the judge said such tickets were not enforceable. Example:

Hetherington Jakeman case (Excel lost!)

But 99.99% of the time PPCs don't get anywhere near a Court, they just rely on their threats to scare a steady percentage of victims into paying. Most of us on here have ignored PPC tickets - honestly they must NOT be paid, it would be like sending money in response to a Nigerian Lottery winning email!

See this info on PPC tickets and make sure you have another look at that Watchdog programme you remembered from May (youtube link if you haven't found it already - linked under the 'Private Parking Companies' title):

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/....php?t=1363571

Watch and laugh as the Watchdog legal chap makes his ticket into a paper aeroplane and then read as many posts as you can to on our forum - from that first link above - until your eyes glaze over with boredom at seeing the word 'IGNORE' yet again.

And welcome to MSE forums. See what else you are missing, moneysaving, travel, vouchers, chat, random discussions, whatever interests you can be found on all forums here:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/

HTH

mummyraver

Thanks guys and cheers for all the links. :T I spent the majority of last night going through all the related threads on this site and feel fine now about ignoring the fine. I'm almost excited about the ensueing letters (how sad!) and I'm looking forward to discussing this at work today as I know for a fact a few of my colleagues have had experience of this.
Think I may have found a new pastime now! but still can't believe companies can get away with this and will be contacting the Peel centre, not that I expect much of a response!

Sir_Roger_deLodger

mummyraver wrote: »

I'm almost excited about the ensueing letters (how sad!) and I'm looking forward to discussing this at work today as I know for a fact a few of my colleagues have had experience of this.

Good for you. Spread the word to as many people as you can!

Coupon-mad

mummyraver wrote: »

Thanks guys and cheers for all the links. :T I spent the majority of last night going through all the related threads on this site and feel fine now about ignoring the fine. I'm almost excited about the ensueing letters (how sad!) and I'm looking forward to discussing this at work today as I know for a fact a few of my colleagues have had experience of this.
Think I may have found a new pastime now! but still can't believe companies can get away with this and will be contacting the Peel centre, not that I expect much of a response!

Good on you!

I am a Mum of four and felt for you when I read your post yesterday - now look at what a difference 24 hours makes! I also tell all my friends & colleagues never to pay a private ticket - not all the time you understand, I do have a life...!

But do collect those pathetic threatogram letters over the coming months - and carry them round in your handbag like I do to show people who don't believe that it's safe to ignore these scammers.

Oh, and once you've ridden this storm why not park there again & spend the day shopping elsewhere (it's called 'PPC baiting', lots of us do it deliberately although I have only had the one PPC ticket...so far...).

mummyraver

Coupon-mad wrote: »

Good on you!

I am a Mum of four and felt for you when I read your post yesterday - now look at what a difference 24 hours makes! I also tell all my friends & colleagues never to pay a private ticket - not all the time you understand, I do have a life...!




:Dthanks Coupon-mad, I've had such a great time in work today 'spreading the word' and colleagues were coming to find me to ask for details on issues like this. We were also contemplating doing a bit of rebellious parking just to prove a point!
Slight prob though, I moved 2 month ago and have'nt changed my address with DVLA! getting on the phone tomoz, I don't want to miss those letters!

kaz4369

can anyone please please help me, i parked in a disabled bay on a car park in brierley hill west midlands, this car park had a few years before been owned by the council, i recently gained my blue disability badge so am new to parking where i like, ( with my disability badge i can park on council pay & display without paying ) but i thought in a disabled bay i would be ok, i did not know it was a private car park. when i received my first ticket i sent e mail explaining why i thought i didnt have to pay a fee, and i was also worried that i would have more tickets issued ( as i had used this car park a few times over three months ) i have now had three, i told Excel i could not pay the £180 thay asked for but they said if i didnt pay in 7 days i would have to pay £300. i sent them all my financial details and they have agreed to let me pay at £20 a month, but after reading all the posts on here i dont think i should, but i dont want to be taken to court, or have bailiffs knockin my door. can anyone please give me advice. my first payment is due this week 1st Dec

Driver8

kaz4369 wrote: »

can anyone please please help me, i parked in a disabled bay on a car park in brierley hill west midlands, this car park had a few years before been owned by the council, i recently gained my blue disability badge so am new to parking where i like, ( with my disability badge i can park on council pay & display without paying ) but i thought in a disabled bay i would be ok, i did not know it was a private car park. when i received my first ticket i sent e mail explaining why i thought i didnt have to pay a fee, and i was also worried that i would have more tickets issued ( as i had used this car park a few times over three months ) i have now had three, i told Excel i could not pay the £180 thay asked for but they said if i didnt pay in 7 days i would have to pay £300. i sent them all my financial details and they have agreed to let me pay at £20 a month, but after reading all the posts on here i dont think i should, but i dont want to be taken to court, or have bailiffs knockin my door. can anyone please give me advice. my first payment is due this week 1st Dec

Have they got a license to offer financial credit services? I would damn well be straight on to the FSA first thing on Monday morning.

They will be in very serious trouble if they are saying you can pay an invoice, it is not a fine, by instalment's, i'm sure far more learned people will be along to say what can be done about this.

DO NOT PAY THEM A PENNY. On what authority have they got to send you frightening letter's trying to extort money out of you by menaces? None ! Basically that is just what they are doing and people fall for it.

Don't get scared by them, get mad and get even. Ring your local paper and get it in there. You just have to stand up to their bullying letters and it just shows how easy it is for some people to just pay doesn't it?

Get on to your MP about it.

taffy056

kaz4369 wrote: »

can anyone please please help me, i parked in a disabled bay on a car park in brierley hill west midlands, this car park had a few years before been owned by the council, i recently gained my blue disability badge so am new to parking where i like, ( with my disability badge i can park on council pay & display without paying ) but i thought in a disabled bay i would be ok, i did not know it was a private car park. !when i received my first ticket i sent e mail explaining why i thought i didnt have to pay a fee, and i was also worried that i would have more tickets issued ( as i had used this car park a few times over three months ) i have now had three, i told Excel i could not pay the £180 thay asked for but they said if i didnt pay in 7 days i would have to pay £300. i sent them all my financial details and they have agreed to let me pay at £20 a month, but after reading all the posts on here i dont think i should, but i dont want to be taken to court, or have bailiffs knockin my door. can anyone please give me advice. my first payment is due this week 1st Dec

Please please don't pay them anything at all, these tickets are not enforceable, you don't owe them anything, they will not take you to court at all, they are scamming you, please read the sticky threads on this section, excel are very well known on here.

Also I think for them to offer to pay in installments they need a credit consumer licence, something they likely don't have!