Parking Eye

David340

Thank you all very much. This is really good advice and will give Pip the confidence to just ignore them.

Between us, we have spent over £200 in Aldi. Walton on Thames in the last week. We spent a bit more in the High Street supporting our local shops and we get this aggrevation for our trouble. The irony is that it was on a sunday, the car park was virtually empty and the parking outside was free!

PS. If you're wrong, will you visit her in prison?

Sirdan

David340 wrote: »

Thank you all very much. This is really good advice and will give Pip the confidence to just ignore them.

Between us, we have spent over £200 in Aldi. Walton on Thames in the last week. We spent a bit more in the High Street supporting our local shops and we get this aggrevation for our trouble. The irony is that it was on a sunday, the car park was virtually empty and the parking outside was free!

PS. If you're wrong, will you visit her in prison?

You can not be imprisoned for not paying a debt to a private company , even a real debt ,which this of course isn't !!!

robredz

They won't do court as there is no consequential or actual loss to take action for, as it is a FREE car park, they would be taking action to recover an unenforceable private penalty, which is a no no, and they would be spanked by a judge. Ignore, then ignore them some more

Coupon-mad

David340 wrote: »

Thank you all very much. This is really good advice and will give Pip the confidence to just ignore them.

Between us, we have spent over £200 in Aldi. Walton on Thames in the last week. We spent a bit more in the High Street supporting our local shops and we get this aggrevation for our trouble. The irony is that it was on a sunday, the car park was virtually empty and the parking outside was free!

PS. If you're wrong, will you visit her in prison?

Good to hear you have seen enough to both see it's a scam. :T

She cannot be sent to prison just because a fake PCN-issuing private firm reckons she owes them money! It's not a criminal offence, not a real fine.

This link may give you food for thought as well, since you say you visited the High Street as well as Aldi:

http://newsfrombrighton.co.uk/brighton-culture/shopping/aldi-fined-for-failing-to-offer-free-parking-in-portslade/

In the linked case, Aldi had gone against local planning permission by imposing a charge after an hour (and issuing fake PCNs as well, no doubt). But in fact shoppers were allowed 3 hours and Aldi were only allowed to have that car park there if they supported local shops by allowing 3 hrs parking.

It may be fun for you now to send an email or two to your local Council Planning Dept and ask for the public document showing the planning permission for your local Aldi's car park. Or just for information about how long shoppers are allowed to be there, according to the Council. Could be interesting - if Aldi have done the wrong thing once then there's every chance the situation could be the same at more than one store.

bromsgrovebarry

Nobody is asking the OP or his girlfriend to do something that we have not all done ourselves. We are not saying ignore the scammer because we think it is a good idea, we know that nothing will happen. Capitulate to the scum and you will regret wasting that money for a long time afterwards. You are being scammed, get angry not scared.

David340

One last question. I have read somewhere that Parking Eye actually followed through and took someone to court recently? Does anyone know anything about that? if its true, it would seem that they do pursue these cases sometimes

pogofish

Try the "Parking Eye Lose" thread.

Just down the board from your own.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3648411

Trebor16

David340 wrote: »

One last question. I have read somewhere that Parking Eye actually followed through and took someone to court recently? Does anyone know anything about that? if its true, it would seem that they do pursue these cases sometimes

The case was reported on here. They tried to claim £240 in penalty charges and £4400 they had run up in costs hiring a law firm called Pannones. The judge dismissed their claim as a penalty but awarded them £15 for the cost of the pay and display charges and what it cost them to get the keeper details from DVLA and £95 costs in relation to that. In essence a big loss for them in respect of what they were claiming.

It is believed the award of their losses and the associated costs is flawed because PE made no attempt to claim their actual losses but went straight for the penalty charge. Whatever happens, they made a big loss on this one, given their legal costs of £4400.

Your circumstances are different. Your car was parked in a free car park so PE have not incurred any losses, unlike in Smithys case he parked in a car park which was pay and display and didn't make a payment. So their attempt at penalising you has no legal basis.