Watchdog 29 Mar 12

Nozone

I think the main take-home points were (in no particular order)

- Only the DRIVER can form the contract (obvious) with the PPC.
- The BPA are just senior morons that have graduated from the likes of TPS, Excel etc. They are nothing but a name.
- The DVLA are completely useless, and frankly don't care about PPC's as they make a whopping profit out of selling driver details.
- Trading Standards (? I think) seem to respond well to complaints about PPC's
- Check for misleading signage at private car parks (that was the main issue of the piece).
- Basically reiterating the point that PPC's are a bunch of cowboys, and basically suggesting you don't co-operate with them.

Sorry I can't be more specific, I can't use iPlayer here at the moment (but it's on there if you want to check it out yourself - the first 10 minutes).

AlexisV

I thought it a reasonable piece. No hysterics and retelling the facts was enough to show the corruption of the BPA, DVLA and OPC.

bargepole

I've sent the following to the DVLA today - probably won't achieve anything, but they deserve to be poked with sticks:


DVLA
Swansea
30/03/2012

Dear Sirs,

Following the broadcast last night on BBC1 of the“Watchdog” programme, I wish to formally withdraw my permission for the DVLA to release Registered Keeper data of my vehicle to Private Parking Companies(PPCs) or any other non-statutory body. Vehicle details are:

Make: XXXXX
Model: XXXXX
Colour: XXXXX
VRM: XX99YYY

I should also like to add that, as many consumers have known for a long time, PPCs do not “provide a vital service” as stated on your website; they exist purely for the purpose of extracting unjustified sums of money from drivers for breaking their arbitrary made-up “rules”.

You state that PPCs have to comply with the Code of Practice laid down by the ATA, which is the BPA, yet every single member of that organisation breaks that code every day of the week – you can see countless examples of this on various consumer forums, such as Consumer Action Group, Money Saving Expert, Pepipoo, Ticket Fighter and many others.

It is also about time that the scales fell from the DVLA’s eyes with regard to the BPA. This organisation is simply a front, set up by some of the bigger players in the PPC world, to give a veneer of respectability to what is, in effect, a scam bordering on criminality. The DVLA should not be complicit in this, and should not be regurgitating the BPA’s misleading spin. Simon Renshaw-Smith must be laughing up his sleeve as he sips champagne on his yacht.

Finally, if PPCs have “reasonable cause” to request data, perhaps you could suggest why only a tiny percentage of unpaid PPC tickets are pursued in court – and why, in most of those cases, they are ruled as unlawful penalty charges by District Judges.

Yours faithfully,

bargepole

peter_the_piper

It'll get lost in the post or their internal postal system never to be seen again. Until someone clears out the bottom of the mail lift shaft.
Pity they cannot follow the EU rule about not giving out RK details.

peter_the_piper

Telephone call to the dvla.
Ring ring.
Hello you are through to the DVLA, you have 3 options
pres 1, To renew your tax
press 2. To sorn your vehicle
press 3. To talk to the BPA.
Press # to hear this twaddle, sorry numbers again

trisontana

Watchdog is running yet another PPC feature next week (April 19). This time it's about the Peel Centre and Excel. This is the car park where Excel lost a court case over inadequate signage. According to the trailer for the programme, the signs are still not up to standard.

bondy_lad

peel centre is my neck of the woods, perhaps unknown to me they have filmed me telling everyone who parks there about the scum known as excell ????????

taffy056

Will ensure its uploaded to YouTube like the other ones

fil_cad

Ill be watching watchdog:D

Kite2010

Maybe they will get a monkey in a suit from the BPA in the studio this time to have a grilling from Anne.

The baddies are also the landowners whom still have the contracts, you would think if your name has been dragged though the mud in the media/courts via a contractor they would try and cut all ties with said contractor. For example that car-park OPC "manage", the landowner (assuming it's not owned by OPC) should have cut all ties with OPC after the court-case. Although most likely they will flock to another parking company to "manage" their car-park.