CP Plus parking charge

Stephen_Leak

I don't know of any motorway service area that actually charges for parking.

The problem is that, if you are tired and decide to do the right thing and take a break, and then fall asleep, you can easily wake up with a ticket.

So, motorway service area operators: what do you want?

Kite2010

Stephen_Leak wrote: »

I don't know of any motorway service area that actually charges for parking.

The problem is that, if you are tired and decide to do the right thing and take a break, and then fall asleep, you can easily wake up with a ticket.

So, motorway service area operators: what do you want?

Most motorway services give the first 2 hours for free, then charge something like £5 for 2 to 24 hours, payable via a next-to-useless automatic telephone system on a 0845 number. It wasn't as bad when the motorway services actually had machines where you could put your money in and people whom walked around every now and again checking as they wouldn't normally do it at night.

taffy056

Kite2010 wrote: »

Most motorway services give the first 2 hours for free, then charge something like £5 for 2 to 24 hours, payable via a next-to-useless automatic telephone system on a 0845 number. It wasn't as bad when the motorway services actually had machines where you could put your money in and people whom walked around every now and again checking as they wouldn't normally do it at night.

Thing is that is all fine and dandy having a sign saying ring this number and pay via card, what happens if you don't have a mobile ? What happens if you don't have a credit/debit card? Safety comes first , if you need 6 hours sleep in an empty car park at 2am then that is what you need , threatening people for putting safety first is despictable behaviour!

Stephen_Leak

OK, You're tired. You doze off. You wake up over 2 hours later. You owe the car park owner £5.

But the service area owners, through the actions of their agents, the PPCs, appear to see this as the driver doing something wrong.

We are potentially talking about the difference between life and death here.

Kite2010

That's why if they want to charge for parking more than 2 hours it should be only during the day with a man (or woman) walking around the car-park, and if he or she sees a car parked for 3 hours but there is someone asleep inside they can let it be (probably put a note asking them to pay the £4 or so at the ticket machine. No parking company involved, if there is a car which hasn't paid and there is nobody inside they can ask for the £4 plus say £5 for costs via the post)

It's a next to useless system on a 0845 number (and those get costly from a mobile), and that is assuming you have a charged up phone with credit & a card and are willing to be driven insane as they don't pick up your accent.

vax2002

I Know one guy who sleeps in his car at services 3 nights a week, he has hundreds of these types of fake ticket and I think it is fair to say, they wont get a penny from him.

give_them_FA

A motorway service station ought to offer this without either some dodgy method of payment (should be free) or the attentions of a car park parasite if you forget or make a mistake. As Stephen says, it is safety we are talking here. After all, surely they do well enough out of the rip-off prices for food and drink without charging you to sleep....

Stephen_Leak

This person knows the drill.

What about if and when someone continues driving before they are fully refreshed and the inevitable happens?

PS. I stopped at a motorway service area and had the "£5 meal deal". Or a cup of coffee and a Mars bar, as it's otherwise known.

trisontana

You don't have to pay to park in an ordinary lay-by so why do you have to pay to park in a "service area" which is just a glorified lay-by?

In the rest of Europe you can park for free in service areas. It's just in this country that we allow these parasites to operate.

hammersfaniow

Thanks for all the advice guys, I sent an email to CP Plus saying I wasn't liable for their notice as on further investigation I am not liable for the charge as at the time of the alleged offense I wasn't driving, and I'm not at liberty or legally obliged to divulge who was. They responded saying that due to my earlier correspondence admitting the offense, the charge will keep increasing ! The trouble with their arguement is that in my original email I never stated being the driver, I only admitted being responsible for the vehicle and said I would settle the charge (which isn't legally binding!) ! That's the stance I'm taking now and i've made them fully aware of this, so i'm awaiting another letter or email from them that I can probably put to good use instead of loo roll !