Parking Eye - Crown Wharf Shopping Park, Walsall

Sparky543

Well, I slept on it and decided against paying. I guess it's time to see how deep the rabbit hole goes.

Thanks for all the words of advice, this is now Judgement Day 1!

Kite2010

Sparky543 wrote: »

I actually have TWO of these for the same day/time. One for my (company) car and one for my wife's (we both parked at Crown Wharf on 28/12/11 believing it was free parking over the Christmas holiday-I'm the registered keeper for her car)

I've had 2 letters already for each car approx 12 days apart asking me for the money. My charge goes up to £80 if I don't pay by tomorrow.

My gut is telling me to pay them as I don't want the threat of court action looming over me, but my head and other advice from here, watchdog, my companies solicitor and advice from my sister who lectures contract law, is telling me to hold fast and ignore them and every other letter that I know is going to arrive.

Ultimately I'll decide what to do tomorrow, but if I don't pay, I'll keep you all updated as to what happens.

Ignore Parking Eye, but if it was free parking on those days, complain to the landowners as who knows how many poor people have got invoices from Parking Eye whom couldn't be bothered updating their system to take into account free parking days, and also contact the local press "invoiced for parking on a free parking day"

A mistake like that could get Parking Eye kicked out (hopefully)

Jake12345

After being advised by a check out girl that parking was free throughout december and january I didn't pay any parking on my following visit on the 28th Dec. After receiving a fine I have rang up the Crown Wharf shopping park who said the free parking was only on weekends. But after speaking to an employee of one of the Crown Wharf stores who has claimed she's had 14 fines and never paid a penny I may just ignore the Parking eye threats.

FatAndy

Jake12345 wrote: »

But after speaking to an employee of one of the Crown Wharf stores who has claimed she's had 14 fines and never paid a penny I may just ignore the Parking eye threats.

She's wrong about that. Only the police and local authorities can issue parking fines, Parking Eye are neither of those. What she actually should have said is that she'd had 14 letters begging for money from Parking Eye.

Just remember that the law prohibits private companies from issuing penalties, all the landowner can claim is a reasonable pre-estimate of losses incurred, so Parking Eye's letters have the same legal standing as a piece of toilet paper.

vax2002

Complaining to Landowners is a waste of effort, they franchise parking rights out to PPC companies in return for a cut of the scam money.
The more people get fined, the more dosh the landowner gets.

FatAndy

vax2002 wrote: »

Complaining to Landowners is a waste of effort, they franchise parking rights out to PPC companies in return for a cut of the scam money.
The more people get fined, the more dosh the landowner gets.

You can't be 'fined' by a PPC :whistle:.

skyblues11

i have got my final notice today. Telling me to expect bailiffs etc. if i still ignore them.

the wierd thing is, I only use my "mike' name when it comes to business. I use Micheal in official stuff like car insurance etc.

How come they are calling me Mike on the letters? i don't remember giving them my business card?!

trisontana

The only way proper bailiffs would get involved (as opposed to powerless debt collectors) would be if the case goes to court (very unlikely), you lose (very, very unlikely) and then you don't pay whatever the judge orders within 28 days. That's such a remote possibly it's not worth worrying about. Just keep ignoring them.

Coupon-mad

skyblues11 wrote: »

i have got my final notice today. Telling me to expect bailiffs etc. if i still ignore them.

the wierd thing is, I only use my "mike' name when it comes to business. I use Micheal in official stuff like car insurance etc.

How come they are calling me Mike on the letters? i don't remember giving them my business card?!

Does it really say bailiffs? Or debt collectors?

Is your letter different than the known letters shown in the top thread then?

give_them_FA

What letters from debt collectors usually say is "court action MAY be taken which COULD lead to bailiffs seizing your goods" or words to that effect. What they fail to mention is that this never happens. The only cases I have seen reported which were genuine resulted in either defeat for the PPC, or a Pyrrhic victory where a very small award was made by the Court and the Company had to pay a huge sum in costs which didn't get awarded.

And none of them will EVER sue someone who never replies to their letters because they have no way of knowing if you are even still alive. Don't forget they have to pay fees up front to take it to Court so they are NEVER going to do that blind.

Oh, Sparky- if you're still following, WELL DONE! Now just bin everything they send. If you have a sensitive nature (and I think you have, lol) then make a note of the return address on the back and bin the letters without opening them.

So IGNORE IGNORE IGNORE! Never been known to fail.