Tell your tales of problems with private parking providers

peter_the_piper

I see this thread has gone off piste as usual :-). If you have problems start a new topic. If you post into a totally different one you may well NOT get the correct answer.

SplanK

I got one of these through the post a few weeks ago...

I attended a Speed Awareness course, provided by DriveSave at Bolton Arena, 4 hours long. I was advised on the DriveSafe Website that I would be exempt from the 3hour parking restriction enforced on the car park. This was as long as I passed my registration over to the tutors.

I attended, passed over my registration to the tutors and thought nothing of it until a week later I got a letter through the door advising I had overstayed my welcome and had been on the car park for 4hrs 20. The letter was from Parking Eye, who I found out are based just down the road from me on Buckshaw Village, Matrix Park complex.

I thought just a mix up, found their website and found they had an appeals email address so I fired them off an email explaining the situation. About a week later, I received a 2nd letter now demanding more money, and a picture of the car. A few days after that I received a 3rd letter claiming they will apply for CCJ against me and bailiff to attend my address to collect what is owed if I don’t pay up.

So next day I sent them a letter, again details of why I was there (I was careful not to admit that I was the driver, the owner or even stayed on the car park – just letting them know I was there attending the course). I also sent evidence of the booking.

Searching around – it seems as though they are likely to decline my appeal and continue to send threatening letters. I have been advised to ignore them and they will eventually stop… however there was also a story in the papers not so long back that a private car park company had won when taken to court. So, just to try and cover myself in case this issue does go south, I would try and gather further evidence to back up my claim.

I emailed the DriveSafe who arranged the speed awareness course, and they are sending me a letter to confirm I was there, but they are washing their hands of the car parking issue, stating that it was my responsibility to ensure that my details were handed over and that Bolton Arena have the contract with Parking Eye, not DriveSafe. I have just email them back stating I did do this, and would be happy to receive a copy with the details on, or again, confirmation that my registration was in fact noted down to be passed on.

I have also contacted Bolton Arena – however I have yet to have a response.

So, it just goes to show – even if you are parked and have done everything possible to ensure you are “on the right side of the contract” – they will still try and screw you over! It also seems that even when you do have a legitimate reason for been over, they will ignore it and continue to chase! Joys!

Driver8

Well it looks like Consumer Focus are on their last legs.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/9077000.stm

dunncha

I guess this means that MSE and Martin Lewis will have to become the volunteer Consumer Defenders.

I'm sorry to see Consumer Focus go but as part of the discussion of this thread has shown people are unhappy with aspects of the service they offered.

I have always been happy with the service I have received from them but they were only useful in certain situations. Other situations like the 'PPCs' being discussed here are better left to notice boards like this and CAG among others.

taffy056

QUOTE FROM BBC LINK
Their activities will be taken over by Citizens Advice and Trading Standards offices.

Isn't CAB a charity ? If they are expected to offer advice on all things that CF does, shouldn't they be funded from the government and not through the proceeds of fund raising?

trisontana

taffy056 wrote: »

QUOTE FROM BBC LINK
Their activities will be taken over by Citizens Advice and Trading Standards offices.

Isn't CAB a charity ? If they are expected to offer advice on all things that CF does, shouldn't they be funded from the government and not through the proceeds of fund raising?

I am afraid that's the main point of Cameron's "Big Society". Getting voluntary organisations to do the work previously undertaken by government departments. I.E, on the cheap.

Coblcris

" A few days after that I received a 3rd letter claiming they will apply for CCJ against me and bailiff to attend my address to collect what is owed if I don’t pay up."

Absolute poppycock from them.

linolynn

I recieved a private parking ticket through the post with pictures of my reg entering and leaving the parking this was at 1130pm in the evening and left at 230am. It says on the letter you can only use the parking for and hour and a half. I have to pay £90 or £45 within days.....so a sober night out ended up costing me. Should i ignore this as martin says? just a little worried of being black listed against my name

Thanx x

taffy056

linolynn wrote: »

I recieved a private parking ticket through the post with pictures of my reg entering and leaving the parking this was at 1130pm in the evening and left at 230am. It says on the letter you can only use the parking for and hour and a half. I have to pay £90 or £45 within days.....so a sober night out ended up costing me. Should i ignore this as martin says? just a little worried of being black listed against my name

Thanx x

Yes ignore completely

HO87

There is so much dislocation in the so-called consumer protection arena that taking one of the confusing bodies out of the mix would be a blessed relief. However, it is suggested that Consumer Direct might also go in the same round of cuts and that their telephone advice service would be handed over to CAB. So now we'd be advised by a bunch of amateurs about how to take on the banks and other professional scammers in our midst.