Ncp parking charge - advice please!!

sassybird

Just before Xmas I was in Manchester watching my son perform with his fellow college students as part of his music course. We parked up about 7pm in an unmanned NCP multi storey car park and got the ticket on entry. We returned to the car at 11.00 pm and the exit shutters were down. The car park was locked up. There were loads of cars in there. We had not seen any warning at the entrance letting us know of the closure and we thought it was round the clock parking. The entrance was still open and somebody had already raised the entrance barrier. We did not want to just drive out as there is CCTVs everywhere, so we paid our fee at the machine on the stairs (£7+) and kept the ticket as there was no machine to put it in to raise the barrier (hope I'm making this clear and not confusing things). Several people were doing the same thing and the only signs we saw about the carpark closing at 10.00 pm were actually by the paying machines which seemed pointless as we didn't go to them until we were actually paying!!

Just after Xmas I received a letter from NCP stating we had not paid the parking fee and there was now a £50 fine, which if not paid within 14 days, would become £100 and if not paid would be passed to a debt collecting agency.

I wrote them straight away and enclosed a good photocopy of the ticket which, although did not show any payment printing on it, had a full barcode and presumably something that was printed on it at the time of payment.

I said that I had paid the fee, I enclosed my photocopy and said I had the original ticket if one of their agents needed sight of this (didn't want to send the original as this was my only proof of payment), and that I trusted this now cleared the matter up.

I didn't mention leaving by the entrance at this point as I didn't want to be pulled over the coals for that.

I have, this weekend just received another letter from them stating:

"The CCTV contravention charge notice was issued to your venicle as it was recorded by CCTV that no payment was made on exiting the car park.

Although I appreciate the points raised in your correspondence, this car park is a barrier controlled site. The barrier is in place to ensure that all motorists pay for the parking services they they have used. If a motorist fails to enter a validated ticket into the exit barrier, then we have no proof that payment was made for parking.

As such, I am unable to find sufficient grounds within your appeal to warrant the cancellation of this notice. I therefore request that you make payment of £50 within 14 days from the date of this letter in order to conclude the matter."

:mad:

Any advice please? Just think it is a bit much that I've paid, sent them a copy of the 'validated' ticket and they still cannot see payment made.

TBH I feel bloody foolish for paying the £7+ now for parking - doing the right thing, as it looks like parking there is going to cost me £57.

Thanks peeps.

Mags

antrobus

Dear NCP,

Although I appreciate the points raised in your correspondence, since I am in possession of a vaildated ticket, I do have proof that payment was made for parking. I therefore request that you conclude this matter without further correspondence or I shall be obliged to raise a £50 charge for my time and effort in dealing with this matter.

Yours faithfullly etc

P.S. The £50 isn't a fine, it's simply a demand for payment.

sassybird

Well, they already know I've got a validated ticket, as I sent a photocopy of both sides of same to them with my letter.

Doesn't seem to be cutting the mustard tho.

arcon5

Ignore the letters. They have no powers to be "fining" people.

You've done the right thing & paid, you've sent them a copy of the ticket to validate your claim, no need to waste any more time on these idiots

eyelinerprincess

Better moved to the parking forum.

fluffnutter

Appeals to private parking companies never seem to work. Just ignore them and they'll go away eventually. Only the council can fine you.

cajef

eyelinerprincess wrote: »

Better moved to the parking forum.

Already a double posted as same post in motoring forum instead of parking

Here https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3817217=

Elaniel

Their response is ridiculous. I am a supervisor at a car park, and they can not say just because the ticket did not go into the exit column that you have not paid.

We have multiple occasions where we have to manually let someone out for various reasons where the exit column will not even read the ticket even after they have paid.

That is not a good enough reason to issue you a penalty. As long as your ticket has an additional printed barcode on it (after you paid) or a payment amount on the ticket, they can not do anything as you have your proof of payment.

You can actually also request the CCTV as proof that you drove out of the exit without paying, which I can bet they won't even try to provide, but you are completely allowed to request this.

arcon5

Elaniel wrote: »

Their response is ridiculous. I am a supervisor at a car park, and they can not say just because the ticket did not go into the exit column that you have not paid.

We have multiple occasions where we have to manually let someone out for various reasons where the exit column will not even read the ticket even after they have paid.

That is not a good enough reason to issue you a penalty. As long as your ticket has an additional printed barcode on it (after you paid) or a payment amount on the ticket, they can not do anything as you have your proof of payment.

You can actually also request the CCTV as proof that you drove out of the exit without paying, which I can bet they won't even try to provide, but you are completely allowed to request this.

They can though charge an admin fee up to £10 when dealing with subject access requests

vax2002

STOP ! For Christs sake.
Write for CCTV ?
Oh come off it.
this is an invoice, they have no right to fine you or demand a penalty.
IGNORE THEM
If you receive stamped court papers,come back and we will tell you how to make a few quid out of them.