Please help!! TWO unfair private parking fines!!!

Betty81_2

Ive had a bit of bad luck recently....and have found myself landed with two parking tickets within a short time!

The car park has only recently been managed by the private company (usually its a case of using the ticket barriers etc), and only when I returned the next day in daylight did I notice the signs stating the rules (i.e by entering the car park you enter the "contract" etc)

The "charge notice" on my screen asked me to pay £60 upfront (within 14 days) £100 thereafter...but one vital error: the copy had the wrong time on it! Ive written to them anonomously to say I was not there at that time and asked them to scrap the charge (as from researching them, it seems they only write to you to intimidate you, and as they cannot prove I was there at the time on the ticket I am hoping they will not hassle me now)

Can anyone offer any advice / to say if I have done the right thing?



The second one, was at a pay and display car park at my uni campus (operated by Vinci). I had paid for my ticket and it had blown onto my seat.
The attendant issued me a fine for not displaying a ticket (£16 upfront / £40 thereafter). In my opinion it was visible, although it was on my seat face up (from being blown as I closed the door).

I thought this would be simple, to send them my ticket and explain it had blown away and they would scrap the fee (ticket has reg no's so it would be hard to use someone elses!). I wrote to them and sent the ticket as proof and they replied saying the "display" element of the pay and display was equally as important and that I still had to pay the initial fee.

As I have made contact (with my details) does anyone have any advice on how to proceed? I am concerned that the fee will rise and in the end I will need to pay it anyway. Although friends have advised not to pay as it never gets as far as court anyway?

Any advice appreciated! Thanks!

rappo85

Your friends are dead right, they don't do court and you know why? Because it is an unenforceable invoice. You've told us the signs are up so it's contract law, so they can sue you for damages, which from your post I calculate to be absolutely nothing. Penalties are not allowed in contract law, so they do not have a leg to stand on. Doesn't matter if they have a picture of you doing the macharena on the space.

Appeals are useless, there is no appeals process, just a prat at a desk who will send you back the standard "we have considered you're appeal but you still have to pay" template, being that they're not interested in fairness rather in your money.

Watch the Watchdog clip in the sticky above and read through the other threads. It is of no odds that you've contacted them, do not pay! Just await the toilet paper they will send you and match them to the sticky.

pogofish

There is no such thing as a "fine" in the context of private parking!

So just ignore the scammers.

vax2002

IGNORE : Both
prepare for lots of "silly letters" full of empty threats.
welcome on board, you are now a member of the "we dont pay scam fake parking tickets and nothing has ever happened to us " club.
Your membership is provisional, if you buckle to the bullies and pay the scammers, you will have to leave the club.

Betty81_2

Thank you to you all for your reassuring advice. I'm a bit of a worrier, but am determined to try to stay strong when recieving the thread of letters I have coming.

I WILL keep my membership at the club "we dont pay scam fake parking tickets and nothing has ever happened to us " club.

trisontana

The "office manager" (i.e. general dog's-body) of UKCPS is known to trawl these forums. Be very wary of any private messages you might receive. It could be him trying to get you to admit the identity of the driver.

esmerobbo

UKCPS and disabled bays Hmmm!! I hope you didn't give anything away when you contacted them, and make sure you don't give anything at all that may help them identify you. It would have been best to ignore them.
The chances of being taken to court over these things is very small, however Heswell does like a pop at these disabled bay abusers!
(Abusers being their term!)

The Vinci one is easy ignore them!

Betty81_2

The letter contained a few lines stating that I was not in the place suggested at the time printed on the ticket (the warden had written the time wrongly). No suggestion was made that I was there at any other time.
I know I was silly to write but I had hoped if they were to notice the error their end they may refrain from sending me the dreaded thread of letters. The letter was signed by myself (my signature is, to the average eye, a scrawl) but am now thinking this was a silly thing to do?? At least Ive admitted no fault and the DVLA will still be requiring their 2.50 for details

With regards to Vinci, am I completely safe to ignore this one even after I have made contact with all my details by letter and email (I was ignorant to these 'scammers' at this point). Any thoughts appreciated.......

Thanks :mad:

Trebor16

Yes, ignore them from now on, it will be safe to do so.

vax2002

You have little choice, it is a scam and they will be back for late payment fees, the scam total will be around £150 already.
They are like school dinner money bullies, they keep coming back.
However sending them the ticket was a bit stupid, why would you send a scammer the receipt proving you paid them, I hope it was a copy.

Betty81_2

It was silly to send the ticket, I know, but at the time I was ignorant to these companies and their lack of appeal process. I assumed as I had a bought a ticket, it would be a simple case of proving this was so. I did however make a copy, which I still have on file.