McDonalds and UKPC - apologies as I know it's probably been covered elsewhere...

JennyP

I know it's been ages but I wanted to update you all and say that (touch wood) you were right. The parking company stopped bothering me (eventually!) and I haven't heard a thing for a few months now.
Which just goes to show that what they're doing isn't really legal - or at least not enforceable - and they're just taking advantage of people's lack of knowledge. I wish the government would clamp down on things like this!
ANYWAY - a BIG BIG THANK YOU! So glad I didn't pay up!

Coupon-mad

Thanks for coming back to confirm this- it helps newbies to see that what we are saying is true. With a fake PCN it never has any clout, is not a fine at all, it's only a scam and must be ignored.

You hit the nail on the head, they do rely on people's lack of knowledge...and natural fear of parking tickets and escalating costs - lots of people see a fake PCN and just pay it, no thought given.

Which is why the owners of the biggest PPCs are so rich; it's money for old rope.

JennyP

I still can't get over (naive I know) how anyone can actually live with themselves if they've got rich by exploiting people in this way!

Coupon-mad

JennyP wrote: »

I still can't get over (naive I know) how anyone can actually live with themselves if they've got rich by exploiting people in this way!

Here's one who does, and who looks very smug in this pic.

Simon Renshaw Smith, owns a large house & grounds in Derbyshire and all 3 daughters go to a very prestigious private school. They and Simon and his girlfriend Karen all ride and are apparently very 'rah', mix with the right people in horsy circles which helps.

All the man does is run a private parking company (Excel and VCS, - LOL at VCS!!!!!!)



And then above, is Gary Wayne of Creative Parking Solutions who used to run Creative Car Park Management (PPCs often change their name).

I have seen several articles about him over the years, with his mega expensive sports cars and houses. This article from 2005 mentions him:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-369177/Your-details-sold-car-park-extortionists.html

''With its fashionable name and glossy website, it appears to be a conventionally run business. It certainly gives that impression to the dozens of well-known companies which use its services...

Its registered address turns out to be an accommodation address in Mayfair where Mr Wayne pays £320 a year to rent a mailbox. In fact, the 35-year-old businessman runs CCPM from his four-bedroom, £400,000 home in Mill Hill, North London.''

That's just two of these 'people' who make their money this way and seem to think that it's OK to accumulate wealth off the back of victims like elderly people and disabled motorists who can't tell the difference between a real parking ticket and fake one.

ManxRed

That picture of Mr Wayne has just put me off my tea.

Thanks.

trisontana

As I've pointed out before, that picture of Renshaw Smith reminds me of Alfred E Neuman from Mad Magazine

JennyP

And the thing is, naive though I am, there's a lot of elderly people and others who don't have access to the internet etc. who actually believe they have to pay these tickets. My friend got a ticket at the same time as me (we were sitting together in macdonalds) and she paid up. She was too scared to risk not paying.
I hope karma exists!