Parkingeye Ltd

Ess

give_them_FA wrote: »

I think we are exposing these scammers enough so they are losing money and getting desperate enough to be ticketing cars that have not even broken any of THEIR imaginary rules. They will pick on disabled because the drivers are seen by them as being vulnerable, older, and less likely to kick up over it, being more easily bullied.

That is the sort of scum we are dealing with. Luckily they have no powers whatever to even think about enforcing this. They cannot take it to Court, last time they tried the Judge laughed at them and they lost £4,400 on the deal. So their only chance is to use threats and bully tactics.

If you totally ignore everything they send you (it's best to look at the return address on the back and bin the letters unopened) then they WILL go away after going through a set routine of template letters.

If you would rather turn the tables on them and maybe make a bit of cash- ask me how.

But, meantime, edit your post to remove all reference to where and when. Don't warn them about what's coming!

Thanks very much for that. It would be interesting to know how many have coughed up routinely to these crooks and I must admit that is what I would have done to save any hassle because I originally thought that I was automatically at fault for not displaying my BB.
The advice offered on this site has been invaluable and given my wife and myself the confidence to take this advice, so thank you again.

Kite2010

Coupon-mad wrote: »

I echo this advice. You can just ignore all the letters like most people here do (see the top thread for preview pictures of them).

But if you want to fight back then collect some of those threatograms and then send copies of them all with a letter headed up 'Letter Before Action' to Asda at the Head Office Address, to the CEO by name (easily found on Google).

And send a copy to Parking Eye (not saying you were the driver, saying you are the registered keeper in both letters and referring to 'the letters I have received as the registered keeper').

I would say something like this but write your own version:



Dear Sir/madam,
Be advised that this is the only notice prior to a Small Claim that will be sent.

A 'parking charge' (ref xxxxxx) was attached to a vehicle and I am the registered keeper and I have been sent the enclosed threatening letters.

I must advise you that both the driver and the passenger are protected disabled persons under the Equality Act 2010 and are legally entitled to use when needed, a 'reasonable adjustment' such as a 'disabled bay' on private land.

Parking Eye should have known that the car had disabled occupants from the disabled tax disc on the car. Of course, ignorance of disability law is no excuse for the enclosed unlawful threatening letters being sent to the registered keeper.

This bullying of disabled people does not represent Asda in a good light at all - as a direct result of this, Asda have now lost the custom of our whole family who previously shopped at xxxxx store. Not only that, this is clearly harassment which is illegal.

The car park signs which pretend that all legally-protected persons have to display a 'Blue Badge' are actually discriminatory. A genuinely disabled person quite simply does NOT need any permit to make use of this adjustment.

I am sure that the Blue Badge scheme may seem 'convenient' for Parking Eye to pretend they can rely on, to make 'policing' of these bays nice and easy - but it isn't that simple. In fact it is an Equality Act breach for your signs to effectively suggest the bays are not a provision for ALL protected disabled people who have need of that adjustment.

As you (Asda and Parking Eye) are now fully aware that the driver and passenger are disabled and entitled to park there, as the registered keeper of this car I expect to hear no more about this matter.

Take notice that I will regard any further correspondence, save as may be required to litigate matters between us or to confirm that the matter is closed, from you, your agents or assigns as harassment within the terms of s.2(1) of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997. Harassment is also another Equality Act breach in its own right, and citing either/both Acts, I will also reserve the right to seek damages from you (Asda and Parking Eye who are jointly and severally liable for these unlawful actions).

I now assume the matter is closed and sincerely hope that Asda takes action to stamp out this illegal practice by your agents.

Yours faithfully

And the letter back from Parking Spy:

"Thank you for your appeal, after careful consideration of all available facts we have decided to reject your appeal, the fee payable has now gone up to £100"

Ess

Kite2010 wrote: »

And the letter back from Parking Spy:

"Thank you for your appeal, after careful consideration of all available facts we have decided to reject your appeal, the fee payable has now gone up to £100"

What was the eventual outcome?

Coupon-mad

Ess wrote: »

What was the eventual outcome?

Kite was joking! Not talking about another 'case'. Are you joking as well?!

He/she was predicting what the response will be if you send a copy of this sort of letter to the parking company. Why not try it?

In fact it matters not what the PPC say because the cage you REALLY want to rattle is Asda's. I predict that they will either get the fake PCN cancelled and apologise to you, or they will be totally rubbish and let the PPC carry on.

If it's the latter then you can sue for compensation from them both, as already explained. Asda are liable for the unlawful actions of their contractor.

Ess

Just a quick follow-up and feedback from my original post after receiving advice from the great people in this forum:

Basically, I fully intended to take everyones advice and ignore all the threatening letters that I was expecting from Parking Eye who originally "ticketed" my car on 22 February 2012, which is five weeks ago tomorrow.

Since being ticketed I have not heard a dicky-bird since...no reminders, no threatening letters or phone calls.

To be quite honest we were quite looking forward to receiving the "reminders and threats" from Parking Eye because we were so assured by the advisers on here that we should ignore all contact and letters with them, but we haven't received anything.

Does anybody think that is an end to the matter now or could letters still arrive?

Coupon-mad

Nope, you will get the letters. Just be ready to ignore them (see the top thread for pictures of each letter and just play snap with each one).

This scam is played out over several months so it should be over by Christmas. Nowt to worry about - in fact I laughed at mine!

Ess

Thanks for that, Coupon-mad, so I look forwards to receiving the silly letters after all!

Only last week at the same Asda my wife and me watched while a Parking Eye employee "ticketed" a car displaying a Blue Badge that was parked in the "pick-up" area very close to the supermarket entrance. I decided to wait for the occupants to warn them and give them the same advice as what I received from this great forum, We sat there until an elderly couple came out of the store and started loading their car boot with groceries. I drove over to them and advised them to ignore the "ticket". They said that they had even been into the store for permission prior to parking in that spot because it was even near to the entrance. The elderly gentleman said that he would have just paid it out of ignorance of his rights and thanked me for advising him. He also said that he would also be ignoring any threats for payment!

vax2002

Asda actually think that scamming disabled customers is a good thing they are doing as with all PPC they get a cut of the blood money which Asda donate to a charity called surprisingly "mobility" who also have no shame about scamming disabled drivers.
They think this gives them some moral stance, I refuse to believe that they are not aware that the private parking companies will deliberately target disabled drivers as they quite clearly do and it can only be for one reason, to make money from the vulnerable.
SHAME ON THEM BOTH !

Stephen_Leak

This is our dilemma. As we and others chip away at the PPCs. they will have to get more ... how can I put this kindly? ... inventive ... in maintaining their revenue.

I fear for the "Safety Camera (OK, show me a picture of safety!) Partnerships" going the same way.

The big car park owners are the soft underbelly of this symbiotic monster.

Ess

vax2002 wrote: »

Asda actually think that scamming disabled customers is a good thing they are doing as with all PPC they get a cut of the blood money which Asda donate to a charity called surprisingly "mobility" who also have no shame about scamming disabled drivers.
They think this gives them some moral stance, I refuse to believe that they are not aware that the private parking companies will deliberately target disabled drivers as they quite clearly do and it can only be for one reason, to make money from the vulnerable.
SHAME ON THEM BOTH !

Yes it does seem like they are in cahoots with each other...disgraceful!

I don't believe that ASDA do not know what is going on.

Thank you for your thoughts on the matter.