APCOA ticket machine swallowed my money :(

Hezzawithkids

This morning, standing in the pouring rain, an APCOA car park machine mugged me for £6.50 - all because I didn't press the green button within 3 nano-seconds of putting the coins in (it was my first time using this car park and I was trying to read the screen in the pouring rain with a queue of wet, grumpy people forming behind me). I eventually paid with card (after the same machine went offline a couple of times during the transaction) and I've sent an complaint via the APCOA website but I don't hold out much hope given this organisation's reputation. Interesting to note they don't publish a customer service phone number on their site. Wonder why? :cool:

give_them_FA

If only you had known- not to pay at all after that happened. If it's a point of principle then you could write and ask for it back- they must know this machine has more money in it than it has issued tickets.


They don't do customer service, I am afraid. If you want your money back you can issue a claim for it at moneyclaim online, if they don't acknowledge your letter. At least that way it will cost them an additional £25. Unless you live on their doorstep they are not too likely to show up at Court and defend it.

give_them_FA

Hey I just want to add: If they don't pay, they could end up with a CCJ, and having bailiffs come in to remove their goods... sound familiar, PPCs? Except in this case it WOULD happen...

zzzLazyDaisy

give_them_FA wrote: »

Hey I just want to add: If they don't pay, they could end up with a CCJ, and having bailiffs come in to remove their goods... sound familiar, PPCs? Except in this case it WOULD happen...

Just to be pedantic - the bailiffs would only go in if OP was willing to go to the extra time and expense of applying for enforcement of the CCJ... and if the bailiffs could gain access to their premises, and find goods in their name worth seizing.

Sadly it is all too easy to evade the bailiffs (refuse entry/all equipment leasehold/use a non-trading parent company to head up the operation and outsource all activities to some other company that just happens to have the same directors, etc). And you can bet that these guys know all the angles.

This means that OP could risk the court fee for commencing the action, plus the fee for continuing at the directions stage, and never get either the original money, or the court fees back (although hopefully the parking company would want to avoid a CCJ so in reality they should pay up).

give_them_FA

But if it's a limited company you can apply to have it wound up, can't you? Don't think APCOA would want to risk it for the sake of about £30. There isn't an allocation fee for a small claim under £1500, is there?

And enforcement expenses are added to the bill the debtor owes.... hey, a national paper would probably pay you for the story anyways...

I know I would, just for the fun of it.