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Overstayed in a 3 hour limited carpark

Hi

Two weeks ago i parked in a large private shopping car park. I parked around 5pm not intending to be very long, then realised it was late night shopping and carried on shopping (was temporarily distracted then as i lost, then found my credit card in another shop - although that was within the three free hours parking) then met up with some celebrities doing a charity event at a local restuarant and exited the carpark around 9pm. So my evening was a bit dramatic and then got exciting and i never even thought about the three hour parking limit the whole time i was parked there, plus my car was in an almost empty carpark for most of that time.

Now it is fair to say that i was fully aware of the 3 hour parking limit as at other times when i park there i've known about it and i know on a busy day not to exceed my time there, but on this occasion it was late afternoon /early evening and it just never occured to me to watch the time and to pay a £50 fine for not exactly commiting a crime and just omitting to move my car from an empty car park just feels a bit wrong here! Although i guess i am guilty of breaching the signs that are posted around the carpark.

So should i fight it (appeal on grounds that i just forgot to move my car which is true but a bit lame), ignore the letter (although they got my address from DVLA) and are threatening a £80 + £30 admin charge after two weeks if i don't pay or should i just pay the £50 charge over the next two weeks.

The company sending me the charge are called Parking Eye and the letter was called a 'Parking Charge Notice' (PCN).

So in summary - I, by omission of thought, overstayed by one hour in a clearly signed but more or less empty car park, that does kindly provide three free hours parking.

Please advise - does anyone know the reputation of this Parking company? I'd almost rather pay than let it escalate and be a worry to me, but happy to ignore it if people say its safe to ignore it....

Cheers
Sue
«13

Comments

  • hieveryone
    hieveryone Posts: 3,846 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Didn't want to read and run, but I'm sure this isn't enforceable - I'm sure there will be others along soon to fully explain it.


    Bought is to buy. Brought is to bring.
  • peter_the_piper
    peter_the_piper Posts: 30,269 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Have a good read of all the posts in this section of the forum, a great many of them are just for your scenario and how to just ignore the blighters.
    I'd rather be an Optimist and be proved wrong than a Pessimist and be proved right.
  • It's a scam. You will get letters threatening debt collection, solicitors, bailiffs, kidnapping your budgie and then they go away.

    Make sure to let everyone you know this is the case as well.
    "There's no such thing as Macra. Macra do not exist."
    "I could play all day in my Green Cathedral".
    "The Centuries that divide me shall be undone."
    "A dream? Really, Doctor. You'll be consulting the entrails of a sheep next. "
  • isplumm
    isplumm Posts: 2,210 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Reiki_Sue wrote: »
    Hi




    So should i fight it (appeal on grounds that i just forgot to move my car which is true but a bit lame), ignore the letter (although they got my address from DVLA) and are threatening a £80 + £30 admin charge after two weeks if i don't pay or should i just pay the £50 charge over the next two weeks.

    The company sending me the charge are called Parking Eye and the letter was called a 'Parking Charge Notice' (PCN).



    Please advise - does anyone know the reputation of this Parking company? I'd almost rather pay than let it escalate and be a worry to me, but happy to ignore it if people say its safe to ignore it....

    Cheers
    Sue

    Ignore Ignore Ignore - do not write back do not appeal - they will send lots of letters, but eventually will get bored & go away.

    There is no legal basis for what they are doing ...

    Mark
    We’ve had to remove your signature. Please check the Forum Rules if you’re unsure why it’s been removed and, if still unsure, email forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com
  • isplumm
    isplumm Posts: 2,210 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    We’ve had to remove your signature. Please check the Forum Rules if you’re unsure why it’s been removed and, if still unsure, email forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com
  • I HAVE HAD A LOVELY COLOURFUL 'PCN' FROM EXCEL PARKING FOR BEING PARKED IN THEIR CAR PARK 20 MINUTES OVER A MONTH PREVIOUSLY. I DONT KNOW IF I WAS THE DRIVER (AS MY PARTNER ALSO DRIVES MY CAR AND THE ANPR PICTURE IS RUBBISH)

    I IGNORED IT AS PER MARTINS ADVICE COLUMN AND I NOW HAVE THE SECOND NASTY DEMANDING 100 QUID WITH ALL MANNER OF COURT/BAILIFF THREATS ETC.

    I HAVE READ MARTINS COLUMN TO DEATH SO I KNOW MY RIGHTS AND THAT THE TICKET IS UNEFORCEABLE TOSH...UNLESS THEY TAKE ME TO COURT .....BUT MARTIN SAYS ON RECEIVING THE SECOND NOTICE YOU NEED TO WRITE AND COMPLAIN BUT MOST PEOPLE SAY TO JUST KEEP IGNORING THE COMPANY TILL THE BITTER END...

    ARGHGHGHG!!!!

    :eek:


    SO WOT SHOULD I DO????
  • trisontana
    trisontana Posts: 9,472 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Ignore (and please turn off your caps lock!).
    What part of "A whop bop-a-lu a whop bam boo" don't you understand?
  • AlexisV
    AlexisV Posts: 1,890 Forumite
    Parking Eye - well known scamsters and easy to ignore.
  • hieveryone
    hieveryone Posts: 3,846 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    I was wondering - if this is the case, does that mean you don't even need to pay for a ticket in these private car parks? (unless they have a barrier of course!)


    Bought is to buy. Brought is to bring.
  • Coblcris
    Coblcris Posts: 1,862 Forumite
    I would never advocate not paying the requested fee for parking.

    As for the amounts claimed in letters from these companies my opinion is somewhat different.
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