Highview Parking Ltd -Charge Notice - Scotland

Coupon-mad

TigerlilySandybanks wrote: »

I got one of these so called "Fines" through the post and was really unhappy. I phoned the company to ask under what legislation the "fine" was enforceable and the guy couldn't answer me.

I don't even recall seeing anything that indicated there were new parking restrictions in place.

Bunch of cowboys.

You got it! Now you just have to ignore it like a series of phishing emails.

Play snap with the letters, they will match the template threatograms shown in our second to top thread 'PPC letters/threats'. The forum thread list for the parking board is always one click away from any thread here - see my signature, click once to get to the parking board and then read the second thread, watch the Watchdog clip on there.

It's all you need to know to ignore the fake PCN scam.

nikki2804

Argh I searched and nothing came up for this.

I too parked in the Currys/Pets at Home car park in Livingston and have gotten a letter through the post. I will just ignore.

Phew, saved me a lot of stress. Thank you very much.

Coupon-mad

You searched the parking board for 'private parking' or the name of the company issuing the fake PCN and nothing came up?????!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our parking sub-forum is massively busy, there are threads on every parking company! Glad you spotted this thread, one of thousands here:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.php?f=163

HTH, read the second-to-top thread now 'PPC letters/threats'. All you need to know is there.

Mitch2410

Got one of these so called fines today from Highview Parking for parking at Livingston. I am expecting another one as I parked there again a few days ago.Seems to take about two weeks from time of parking to actually getting the letter. I suppose this way they can get people a few times before they know it is being monitored.

If these companies are not legally issuing fines then why are the DVLA giving out personal details to these people. Surely DVLA are breaking data protection laws by giving them our data.

AltheHibby

Mitch,

£££££££££££££££££££££££ and loads of them. That and the fact that they think the BPA and it's members are decent and upright people, worthy of receiving the registered keepers details.

The DPA angle has been explored by others and got nowhere.

Coupon-mad

Mitch2410 wrote: »

If these companies are not legally issuing fines then why are the DVLA giving out personal details to these people. Surely DVLA are breaking data protection laws by giving them our data.

Yep, a lot of people have complained about this scandal but still it continues:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4069601

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?123302-The-DVLA-should-be-sued-under-the-Data-Protection-Act

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/watchdog/2012/03/observices.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/9154161/DVLA-1-million-drivers-get-private-car-parking-fines.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-567064/15-million-What-DVLA-selling-private-details-car-park-spies-wheel-clampers.html


Typical thoughts that newbies have in error, about these fake PCNs:

They think it's a real parking fine = WRONG.

They think because the DVLA release the registered keeper's data that the PPC must have some sort of authority = WRONG.

They think that because major retailers like Supermarkets use these firms that it 'can't be a scam' = WRONG.

They think that a debt collector can/will call round = WRONG.

They believe the empty threats in the 'debt collector' letters = WRONG.

They think that it may affect their credit rating = WRONG.

Just play snap with the letters, it's EASY. I am an ordinary wife and Mum with a responsible job and clean credit record and I have ignored 2 fake PCNs. I would very happily collect more and laughed when I got both of mine.

See my signature. Click once where my sig tells you in the breadcrumb trail at the top of this page (blue small link>chain).

Look at the current forum, not just this thread. Read the sticky thread second from the top 'PPC letter chains'. Watch the Watchdog clip linked on there and read the other links at the top. Check out the letter-chain pics so you know what to expect = MORE LETTERS!

It's only junk mail, nothing more. No more bothersome than deleting a series of phishing emails, honestly. We tell people to simply IGNORE, otherwise you are just giving the PPC information and telling them that their letters are being read at that address by someone who's clearly not a barrister or anything.

Our advice is simple and it works!

Clovie358

I was pretty shocked to receive a notice from Highview Parking yesterday after parking at the Almondvale Retail Park for 2 hours 30 minutes. The notice claims that there are "Prominent" and "Clear" notices advising of the 2 hour restriction and penalties, this is simply not true. At the time my wife and I looked very hard for any signs as it was the first time we had used the car park and we could not see anything. I went back to the car park yesterday evening and also used Google Street View and there are definately no Prominent or Clear signs anywhere. There are a couple of tiny signs 15 feet up a lampost with writing so small I could not read it without my glasses. I will ignore the notice from Highview, however I will be writing to the owners of Almondvale Retail Park and West Lothian Council's Trading and Standards. This scam is shocking and I wonder how many people do actually pay? I also intend to write to the various MSP's and councilors to try and get some pressure going on this issue. Maybe if others did the same we would get somewhere.

bazster

Good for you, come back and let us know what responses you get.

HO87

Well done Clovie

Just to reinforce your views - and I know this relates just to England & Wales - but Highview threaten all manner of doom and gloom but despite having issued many thousand invoices during 2011 they took the grand total of ZERO cases to court. That's correct. Even though they threaten everybody with debt collectors etc etc they actually took no one to court at all. But then private parking companies generally do exactly the same thing. They threaten to "...rigorously pursue all [tickets]". Well, of course, they would wouldn't they? If it got out that they give up and go away after a while nobody would pay them and that would be the end of their businesses.

Well try this for size. In 2011 some 1.8 million private parking invoices were issued. The British Parking Association concede that after all the chasing letters 30% of these do not get paid - that's 540,000. However, despite all the so-called rigorous efforts private parking companies throughout England & Wales issued court proceedings in just 845 cases of which only 49 went to court*. I think that makes a risk of 36,000 to 1. It would be worth putting just £1 on at Ladbrokes against you going to court and then employing a high-rolling advocate to represent you if you ever actually ended up going there. Not only would you win the case but you'd have a decent amount of change left out of your winnings, once you'd paid off the advocate, with which to treat the OH to a "cruise" - even if it was from Hunter's Quay to Rothesay. The rest you could put aside for a rainy day. :rotfl:

* We know this because a Freedom of Information Act application revealed the figures. Mind you the British Parking Association actually told the government that the number of cases going to court each year was between 36,000 and 90,000. Whoops bit of a difference there. They wouldn't have made it up would they? :eek:

Buzby

AltheHibby wrote: »

The law up here in Scotland is the same as England as far as these parasites are concerned.

Actually, the law is very different, but the end result is similar in many respects except one. Private Clamping is illegal, and has been since 1998 or so, as the High Court found the remedy far outweighed the breach or loss claimed.