Clamped after viewing a property (£225 had to pay)

jumperabv3

I went to view a property yesterday and I met the estate agent by the property and parked my car there and went to visit the property. After 10 minutes we came back and both of our cars got clamped.

The company clamping is called A1 Parking Solutions.
They forced us to pay £225 each if we wanted them to remove the clamps, and they refused to take debit cards or credit cards, they said cash only because people in the past tried to defraud their bank (charge them back).

My question is if there is anyway to get the money back or just let it go?

esmerobbo

The only way of ever seeing your money again is to sue the clamper and whoever they were acting for, the landowner or the management company. £225 was a lot or was it made up of a clamp release fee, cancelled tow charge fee and parking charge fee?

Were there signs were you could see them, and warned you that you could be clamped?
Did the clamper give you a receipt with a SIA registration number on it?

The reason they would not except cards is because they have probably acted illegally in the past and had chargebacks made against them.

jumperabv3

esmerobbo wrote: »

The only way of ever seeing your money again is to sue the clamper and whoever they were acting for, the landowner or the management company. £225 was a lot or was it made up of a clamp release fee, cancelled tow charge fee and parking charge fee?

Were there signs were you could see them, and warned you that you could be clamped?
Did the clamper give you a receipt with a SIA registration number on it?

The reason they would not except cards is because they have probably acted illegally in the past and had chargebacks made against them.

1) I viewed the property with the estate agent for like 5 minutes, then the girl who was with her who stayed in the car and called us to rush back because 2 people clamping the car - she spoke to these 2 people asking them to wait and stop but they were acting like robots, refused to listen to her.

2) We showed up seconds after they finished placing the clamps, we asked them to understand we were viewing a property of a resident there but they said you have to pay £225 because it's a private property.

3) Their car had the estate agenet logo and such, she explained to them she was viewing a property and she did many times before.

4) They said it doesn't matter and we have to pay, so we both had to go to the post office (no ATM around) and get £225 cash and pay them and get it released.

It was all a matter of a few minutes the whole story but they insisted so we paid, now I want to sue back, I've already registered a claim with MoneyClaim.gov.uk and paid £25 to sue this company.

:mad:

roddydogs

Sounds like the EA was in on it..........surely they would have known?

esmerobbo

jumperabv3 wrote: »

1) , I've already registered a claim with MoneyClaim.gov.uk and paid £25 to sue this company.

:mad:

Unfortunately you will be wasting another £25, you will win your claim because they wont even defend but they simply wont pay and they don't have any assets to seize.
Clampers collect CCJ's like confetti, you need to include the people who contracted them to clamp on that property in your claim. At least then you will have someone to enforce a judgement against.
Plus when you include the landowners/managers they sometimes instruct the clampers to repay before it gets to court.

jumperabv3

esmerobbo wrote: »

Unfortunately you will be wasting another £25, you will win your claim because they wont even defend but they simply wont pay and they don't have any assets to seize.
Clampers collect CCJ's like confetti, you need to include the people who contracted them to clamp on that property in your claim. At least then you will have someone to enforce a judgement against.
Plus when you include the landowners/managers they sometimes instruct the clampers to repay before it gets to court.

I can do that, no problems.
I will call the estate agent and ask for the details of the property owner etc.

jumperabv3

esmerobbo wrote: »

Did the clamper give you a receipt with a SIA registration number on it?

Yes, I do have it in front of me.

The_Slithy_Tove

jumperabv3 wrote: »

I went to view a property yesterday and ... both of our cars got clamped.

I assume you're planning on buying that property, then :D.

Seriously, if you are looking to buy a leasehold property, as part of your due diligence, you need to check what kind of scam the management company may be working with a clamping/towing company. And when checking the lease, check if it allows you parking in a specific, numbered parking space. If it does, then you don't need to be party to any permit schemes, and you need to make the management company fully aware of the fact before moving in. And when clamping is outlawed next year, who knows what dodgy schemes they'll come up with.

AlexisV

Ask what the estate agents are going to do and work together.

jumperabv3

AlexisV wrote: »

Ask what the estate agents are going to do and work together.

Well, they paid just like me for their car to be released.

TrickyWicky

See.. times like this are when you should have fake money on you. Clampers won't bother checking every note is genuine but they'll get their dues when trying to use them