CP Plus parking charge

give_them_FA

Ah! So if we overstay in one of their car parks, we can just say it was an "administration error" and they will cancel the ticket? Thank you, BPA!

taffy056

give_them_FA wrote: »

Ah! So if we overstay in one of their car parks, we can just say it was an "administration error" and they will cancel the ticket? Thank you, BPA!

Yes that could be a valid excuse I mean if cp plus can use it without come back to them, why can't we use it ? lol

hammersfaniow

I have a sort of similar problem,

I've been from home for a number of weeks and when I returned the other day I was greeted by a letter from a company called CP Plus, telling me I had parked for longer than was allowed in a motorway service station and hadn't paid, so was hit with a parking charge notice for £50. Because I hadn't paid it within 14 days, there was another letter, saying the fine had gone up to £90 and by the time I saw this letter I only had 1 day before it went up again.

I emailed the company to tell them that I'd been away and wasn't disputing the charge, as they had photo's and times of me arriving and leaving, but just wanted to be allowed to pay the lower amount. They replied and said that as a 'goodwill gesture' they would give me another 14 days to pay the lower amount.

After doing a bit more investigating i've seen that apparently these companies aren't legally able to charge people and enforce fines, it can only be done by councils or the police, but the letter looks very officail and states that the company are working with the BPA (British Parking Association). I'm thinking of contacting them again to tell them that upon further revision of the incident I realised it wasn't me driving my car that day, as I'm then not legally obliged to give them the details of who was. Trouble is a) Can I really get out of it if I've already admitted liability in the email I sent to them and b) I'm worried that seeing as I'm going to live abroad for 6 months at the end of this month and as my registered address is with my parents, I don't want debt collectors knocking on their door if I just ignore it and the 'fine' mounts up.

Any help greatly appreciated

taffy056

Okay first the BPA are a trade body for parking companies, the owners of companies like CP Plus run the BPA , they are not regulators and are just a members club. The fact that you have contacted them means nothing, they will not take you to court, they will not effect your credit rating, they will not get the boys around to you .

All you will get is threats from them powerless debt collectors and incompetent or fake solicitors , and after you ignore them all they will just go away and harass others instead. You have been lucky you found this forum before sending them money.

give_them_FA

Yes you had a narrow escape! They are indeed pure chancers who have no right whatever to raise any "fine" against you, as you have found out for yourself, only official bodies have that right given to them by law; and although private companies like this one do their best to sound official by mimicking authority, they are NOT official and have no authority. Whilst it would have been better had you never contacted them, you can now put that right by breaking off all further communication and let them just go through their routine of stupid letters. Take a look in the sticky thread near the top of the list to see what asinine letters they will send; when they get to the end of that trail, they will realise that, actually, you weren't a mug despite looking like one at first (sorry!) and go away.

To be on the safe side obviously get your parents to look at your post (presumably you are having some arrangement to deal with proper post whilst you are away?) but by the time you return they will be gone, I think.

The British Parking Association? Another body that loves pretending it's official, but as Taffy says, has no legal foundation at all. Basically it's a "scammer's club" run by these companies for these companies.

A metaphor for the entire dishonest industry.

Keep in touch, but don't worry, nothing will happen. Oh, and don't forget to tell all your friends. Never pay private parking tickets. You don't want any of them falling for this con like you nearly did!!

jayyar66

Many thanks for the replies & votes of confidence, I was beginning to get worried as with "admin charges" the total now stands at £120 and to be honest I was starting to think that the initial £40 didn't sound too bad by comparison. The letters I'd received did not clearly shown my vehicle (being after midnight and raining) only my number plate, and I'd (I now realise, foolishly) requested they provide me with an image clearly showing my vehicle rather than just the plate. Probably not the best move on my part to enter into correspondence with them, but it's too late to worry about that now I suppose. It took 3 letters though before they said they were unable to provide me with a clearer image, each time they gave me a further 14 days to settle the account. Think from now on I'll return-to -sender any further tripe from them and hope for the best. . . . . Incidentally, in my letters to them I made it clear that I was making similar admin charges each time they failed to provide me with a clearer image, their reply was: "neither do we pay drivers for allowing them to use our appeals process"! Bar stewards!! :-) Thanks again, John.

trisontana

Don't forget the spread the word to everyone you know about this scam. Knowledge is power!

give_them_FA

Well done John, I think you are now aware that the entire thing is a gigantic confidence trick run by people who try to persuade you they have some authority... go join the police if you want to have some authority, scammers, except I don't think they accept cheats and liars...

"we don't pay drivers for allowing them to use our appeal system"...

Priceless. You need to get an appeal system first!

Don't dispose of the letters, when the dust settles you may want to use them as evidence to sue the arrogant shysters.

Stephen_Leak

give_them_FA wrote: »

Look out! The guy from CP Plus is coming, he's going to ticket it, as parking upside down infringes Rule 58 (D) as is clearly stated on their signs!

And, presumably, so is bleeding out of a marked bay.

Seriously, you see all the publicity about driving while tired. Just don't stop for a snooze at a motorway service station, though.

I couldn't help but notice this one from South Africa, though ...

Kite2010

Motorway services car-parking should be free. Maybe have a small charge if someone wants to leave their car in during the day. It's not like those car-parks are ever full.