Parking Eye - "take down" request 21 October 2010 at 1:25PM edited 30 November -1 at 12:00AM in Parking Tickets, Fines & Parking 30 replies 11.6K views

Mosh

A novel one, this. A few months ago I went through the "give us some money" procedure with Parking Eye. I ignored the letters, including the "we're a debt collection agency that *just* happens to operate from the same office" one and that ended that.

During the course, I posted what happened on PePiPoo - a forum aimed at those with parking and driving legal issues. I also put a post on my blog with everything available for reference should anyone else get the same problem.

The PePiPoo link to my problem is http://forums.pepipoo.com/index.php?showtopic=50825

The link to my blog post (until Monday...) is http://j.mp/bdZzVH

A week or so ago I received two emails, a day apart, via the "Contact Me" link on my blog. They were both a single line asking for my email/postal address so that "important legal documents" could be mailed to me. I logged them as spam and thought nothing of them.

Then today I received a "take down" notice from my web host pertaining to the post about Parking Eye. I have until Monday to remove it. I have no issue with my host - at the end of the day, whether the post is defamatory or not as the email claimed, it's cheaper for them to remove me than to go to court and fight my battle for me.

I posted about this on PePiPoo and it turns out they received emails as well, from M Law who seem to be acting on Parking Eye's behalf. They, too, have been threatened with a take-down.

This scares me. Not in a "what am I going to do?!?!?!" way, but simply as there's nothing defamatory on my blog post as far as I can tell. I've detailed events, described what happened, said what I did (ignore them completely) and recommended others do the same.

You could argue I've painted the company in a bad light... but only by showing what they do! I am curious as to whether BBC's Watchdog programme will be told to remove the pages it has about Parking Eye also. Somehow I doubt it as they will have a legal team who can tell M Law / Parking Eye to go jump.

I, however, cannot.

I will instead remove the blog post so that my web site isn't removed. I'll chuck it up on a Blogger blog somewhere else. And tell everyone about it. And report it on Twitter. And ensure everyone on facebook knows. And mention it on here. And contact every consumer advice group I can. And write to the local paper.

You know, basically spread the truth everywhere to a degree that Parking Eye can't use money to whitewash their incredibly dubious business practices.

After all, I've done nothing illegal. Yet because I can't afford a lawyer I'm not permitted to express myself to the extent that I am legally allowed. I hate this country sometimes.

trisontana

It just shows how desperate this scam artists are becoming. They don't like all this negative publicity from these forums and from Watchdog. Pathetic creatures.

Mosh

Having said that, I've got so annoyed I've posted links to my post all over the shop today. It's just become one of my most-viewed posts of all time... Great tactics there, Parking Eye!

kwaks

Certainly anyone who searches google for Parking Eye will find plenty on the first page about parking eye and the dubious practises that Parking eye employ. Apart from Parking Eye home page, every other reference about parking eye links to advice regarding with dealing (or not to be precise) with parking eye. I wonder why parking eye threads in forums optimise so easily

Mosh

I have emailed my host to ask if they can clarify exactly which parts of the post are "defamatory". As one other person has stated on another forum, is it possible to defame an organisation that already - in the public eye - has a very poor reputation?

backfoot

Couldn't you at least copy over your excellent blog entry directly into Pepipoo and MS, in a new thread. To my mind there is absolutely nothing defamatory about your description of events.

Naturally,your current host has got the heeby jeebies and have just asked you to remove because its the easiest course of action.

The other two organisations will have no such reservations and would no doubt relish any challenge.

Once again,their bullying tactics have completely backfired on them. In annoying you, the circulation and ongoing google references to their 'business' :rotfl:,has received much more publicity.

Sweet. :beer:

Mosh

Agree as per my host taking the easy action - and I can't blame them. The only reason they would have for defending me would be a moral one. It's not their business to do anything else as it would only cost them time and money. However, the positive advertising if they *did* stand up...

The blog post is harvested from individual articles at PePiPoo which I posted and then combined to place in one locale. PePiPoo also received a "take down" request from M Law, though what they're doing about it I don't know.

I'll happily post it all on here. And will do so shortly.

anewman

Love it. Parking Eye complaints backfire, take that one Parking Eye. And now for you to post the content they do not like on as many sites as possible, most hosts will ignore takedown requests.

Mosh

Blog post mirrored on here as of an hour ago. I'll see if I can find some more places to put it.

taffy056

They are completely stupid morons, do they seriously think that they can censor websites to their scam ? Really anyone who knows how the net works will know that they can host the site outside of the eu and take down requests will be ignored unless you break the law.

They are completely stupid as the person requesting has probably got to be real, it would really ironic if they got a Mr Law working for them lol

bromsgrovebarry

Just to show how desperate Scamming Eye are:
http://www.prmoment.com/391/don-t-let-the-media-put-you-down-says-pha-media-chairman-phil-hall.aspx