TPS Parking fine in B&Q

RONNIEV

I parked my car in a B&Q store car-park in south london. My wife wanted to go into a shop a few doors away and left the store. I also left the store to find a loo as there wasn't one in B&Q. We were both back in the store ten minutes later. I bought one item in B&Q and about 15 minutes later we went into the car-park. When i got to my car i had a parking ticket for £100. The ticket was issued less than 3 minutes after we had entered the car park by a parking attendant working for TPS (Total parking solutions). When i spoke to the parking attendant he was totally unhelpful and told me the fine was for leaving the store. I have appealed but if that is turned down there is no way i am going to pay. I am disgusted with B&Q for allowing these sharks to take advantage of ordinary shoppers in this way. B&Q are obviously more interested in getting revenue from this scam than looking after their customers. I would like to take the matter further, any suggestions what i could do?

Coupon-mad

Yep!

When they reject your appeal, look to see if they have given you a POPLA verification code for the next stage (independent appeal, it's new). See the info website set up by a poster from this forum. Linked here:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4263959

So read that and you'll know you can appeal, it costs the PPC money and it isn't even binding on you at all! No risk to you at all - but money down the drain for these parasites! Even if the POPLA appeal comes to nothing, the great thing is that you can safely revert to 'ignore mode'. You never have to pay.

If they have not given you a POPLA code in the rejection then email and complain, and copy in the CEO of B&Q.

Complain about the harassment of paying customers, the fact they/B&Q's agents are pretending to issue parking tickets but they are not actually fines, that the PPC has no right to charge you as neither they nor B&Q has made any loss. Finish by saying you require a POPLA verification code by return and remind them that the decision is binding only on them and the cost is theirs too.

Give them, specifically 35 days from the date of the fake ticket to provide you with the code or to cancel the fake PCN (call a spade a spade, and the '35 days from the date of the fake PCN' shows you have read about POPLA deadines & info and that you mean business).

It's very possible the PPC will just cancel rather than pay for POPLA to cancel it, not that it matters if they don't!

Another thing you could try first is to march into B&Q in front of customers and politely but assertively COMPLAIN. This is unacceptable so make sure your voice is heard, this is the way for retailers to lose customers fast!

hoohoo

Further to Coupon Mad's advice, most PPCs do seem to be backing down immediately once they know you will take the POPLA route. They may not have understood that you will take them to POPLA and then ignore the result anyway, so I think it is worth one more letter.

Dear PPC,

Further to my initial letter, and following advice from moneysavingexpert, I wish to inform you that I will not be entering into any further correspondence with you. I require you to reply to my initial letter within 14 days, and either cancel your invoice or provide me with a POPLA code within 35 days of my initial letter. Failure to do this will automatically result in you being deemed to have cancelled your invoice.

Yours xxx