Parking Ticket

zaly

I've just recieved a parking ticket from a car park managed by Euro car parks. I got back to the car and was really confused by the ticket as I was sure that we hadn't over stayed. I assumed it was my mistake however and dutifully phoned up and paid the £30 fee.

When driving home still puzzling about the time I realised I had 2 ticket on display. One from yesterday which ran out at 12.10 and todays valid ticket which ran out at 13.58, long after the time I had recived my ticket for (12.13-13.24). They obviously went off the wrong ticket despite the date being very clearly displayed.

Completely gutted as now I have given them my money and I imagine getting anything back from these people is nigh on impossible.

Do I stand any chance of recovering my money or should I just accept that its gone

pogofish

You didn't get any kind of ticket and you most certainly shouldn't have paid it.

Your chance of getting money back from these scammers is very slim indeed. Just chalk it up to experience, read the stickies and letter chains thread here to educate yourself about the scam and do your best to educate as many people as you can about the scam, so the chance of them finding some other gullible mug is further reduced.

ManxRed

Your only course of action would be to sue them, but this would cost you the court fees, and no absolute guarantees of winning.

To be honest I think you've just learned a valuable life lesson.

Its not like Euro are the type of legitimate organisation which would listen to your pleas. They are a bunch of unscrupulous scammers.

zaly

Thanks - just as I thought. 'Gullible mug' feels a bit harsh though as I was completely unaware of what a 'scam' these parking charges are and assumed they were as official as City Council ones. I'm sure most people are unaware too. I will take your advice and read up and inform others.

ManxRed

The whole private parking industry is based on how closely their tickets, signs, and processes can mirror official council ones. This ensures the best return on their scam.

You're not the first and you won't be the last to fall for it. Not by a long way.

Spreading the word is the only way to beat this.

zaly

Thank you, and I will do. Its not very nice to feel like an idiot but I wont be making the same mistake again!

ManxRed

I don't think you're an idiot (and I reckon pogo didn't mean it that way either). We have anecdotal evidence that about 50 - 60% of the public just pay these things blindly without realising that legally they owe these companies nothing at all.

Without this, these companies wouldn't even exist, so its clear that most people probably think these things are genuine.

At least you now know better!!

RENEGADE_2

Zaly, I advise people to ignore fake tickets just as the rest of the community does. Nobody generally encourages open abuse but you have exclusive membership to my club. Before I knew about this caper, I paid a £73 unlawful demand to APCOA's collection agency in May 2008 - it took two and a half years for me to stumble across the facts (December 2010 to be exact).

You now help yourself to free parking for the rest of your life on any Euro Car Parks managed facility and ease your conscience by realising that what you've paid them is more than you will ever get back from them by using their spaces: in other words, consider your payment a lifelong season ticket.

pogofish

zaly wrote: »

Thanks - just as I thought. 'Gullible mug' feels a bit harsh though as I was completely unaware of what a 'scam' these parking charges are and assumed they were as official as City Council ones. I'm sure most people are unaware too. I will take your advice and read up and inform others.

Not ill-meant - we've nearly all been there.