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cornishgirl1 · 3 December 2011 at 1:07PM

I took my disabled dad shopping y/day, we parked in a car park that was free for people with the blue badge. Dad put his badge and clock in the window he's never used it before as most car parks you have to pay or he forgets it lol. What we didn't know is he put he badge the wrong way around showing his photo, not the date. We were back 1 hour before the time was up, and had a ticket on the car say we failed to display the badge. Now we have an £80 fine, the VERY unhelpful ticket person just said it was our fault and we can appeal. Don't know if it makes any difference but it was a Armtrac security service that gave us the ticket. Dads in his 70's and i think its not really fair to be fine for a honest mistake we showed the ticket person the dates side to prove it was all in date etc but she wouldn't have it and was quite rude. Dad is going to wright a letter to appeal i have photo copied the blue badge to send with it. Can anyone give me some advice on what to do. :mad: Also the reason put on the ticket was...The vehicle was parked in a disabled bay/without disabled badge/permit/ticket... Which is untrue ?? It was in the back of argos car park in Camborne if this helps

Coupon-mad · 3 December 2011 at 1:35PM

It's not a fine. I assume it's headed 'Parking Charge Notice' rather than a real Council one which is a Penalty Charge Notice?

If you read the stickies and watch the Watchdog clip on 'welcome, please read before posting' you will know it's a scam and what to do with this flyer on the windscreen. And 'PPC letters, what to expect' is an important reference sticky because unless you can get the retailer to cancel the ticket (do COMPLAIN!!), your Dad is going to have to cope with ignoring a batch of scary debt collector threats. Sorry but it's inevitable unless you can complain enough to get the retailer to do something about it. Do not even try to 'appeal' against the ticket (LOL, as if a parasite PPC scammer is going to let anyone off unless the hand that feeds them - retailer - tells them to!!).

And the Blue Badge scheme doesn't even apply in private car parks, only on the public highway. Private parking co's (PPCs to us on here) pretend it does apply but it doesn't. They do so in order that they can scam more people more easily.

And in fact they have broken the Equality Act 2010 by 'charging' your Dad extra for parking there. They know he's disabled but they still 'charged' him and will be harassing him with debt collector scamograms before you know it. Harassment is a criminal offence so make sure in your complaint you mention the Equality Act breach and the lie about the Blue Badge scheme which no doubt, is all over the car park on scam notices.

And please read as many threads as you like on this sub-forum. You will see that everyone ignores these fake PCNs and there is no effect on credit rating, nothing. It's just like ignoring phishing emails but is your Dad canny enough to realise that the scary letters are a scam? Hope so.

cornishgirl1 · 3 December 2011 at 1:56PM

Hi it states parking ticket on the heading, it does state on the payment deails board in the car park that it if free for blue badge holders, hence we thought it would be ok, all this because a badge was the wrong way, the horrid ticket lady made it very clear it was al our fault etc, doesn't any of them make a mistake

Coupon-mad · 3 December 2011 at 2:02PM

But why do you still seem bothered by it? 'Tis a scam - ticket, payment notices, lady-pretending-to-be-a-parking-attendant, scamograms and all!

A real Council ticket says 'Penalty Charge' and it would also quote the Traffic Management Act and would have a Council logo on it.

Your 'ticket' is a fake one. Read the stickies and watch the Watchdog clip, learn about this con. Be ready for the letters - or COMPLAIN in the shop.

bondy_lad · 3 December 2011 at 2:25PM

completely and utterley IGNORE THIS,,,,its not a ticket,, its a parking charge notice,meaning unenforceable invoice,, its not a fine,,,so ignore and all future threat o grams that you recieve,,they will THREATEN EVERYTHING but do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING,,,its a scam not legal,, wont go to court despite there dead scary red ink letters,, do not contact them,,simply IGNORE they will eventually give up and go away,,,if it were legal,,it would say PENALTY CHARGE NOTICE,,you have recieved is a PARKING charge notice = loo paper,,relax,chill feet up, glas of wine,,come back here for advice as often as you need it.its like recieving one of those scam nigerian e-mails telling you that you have won the lottery , or junk mail you recieve in the post what do you then do,,,IGNORE.FULL STOP.

pauletruth · 3 December 2011 at 4:10PM

this time i would say don't ignore. write to the shop that your dad is considering making a complaint against them and their agents under the disabilty discrinination act. go on the attack. it may achieve nothing bu who know if its a big company they may give you something to go away. as to the parkies write to them and advise them that your father did diplay a valid blue badge there demand for money is unlawful and that you have taken this complaint up with the office of fair trading and that you will be consulting a solictor over their breach of the disabilty discrimination act. imform them that they have 14 days to put matters right or you will take it further.

TrickyWicky · 3 December 2011 at 6:41PM

pauletruth wrote: »

this time i would say don't ignore. write to the shop that your dad is considering making a complaint against them and their agents under the disabilty discrinination act. go on the attack.

I wouldn't bother. I speak from experience. Councils and PPCs are used to disabled drivers pulling this card and they'll just ignore it. Best thing to do is either ignore the ticket or send a photocopy of both sides of the badge to the company (not the PPC) that own the car park.

In the world of parking disabled drivers are just arrogant "I can park where and how i want" types of people who get ignored the louder they shout and attack. Remaining calm and polite goes a lot further and is the best approach to take,

pauletruth · 3 December 2011 at 9:18PM

not with a private parking company. you can just ifnore it. however this time you have not even broken their fake rules. plus you have been victimized because of your fathers disability. i kmow what i would have said to the parkie would not hae been polite.

Kite2010 · 3 December 2011 at 9:49PM

I'm assuming as it's Armtrac, it's a private car-park. Good news, the Blue badge scheme doesn't apply on private land, by having a blue badge your dad needs the requirements to be able to park in disabled bays, so just ignore Armtrac, they are scammers.