Parking Eye in Orpington

SteelWolf

My step daughter and her husband have just received a Parking Charge Notice from Parking Eye for the Nugent Centre. The day in question she was taking her mother and infant son out to shop. They made numerous purchase in many shops and, because it was getting late, decided to dine in the Nando's on the site. This put them over the 3 hour "free" parking (which they had no idea was in place despite this being a regular place to visit for them).

Seems a little unfair to limit shopping to these stores to 3 hours including a restaurant. It must be a real problem on the stores bottom line if people are limited as to how much time they can spend there, especially seeing as there is really nowhere else to go once you are parked there. It's not as if there's an abundance of other shops/stores that you can reach on foot. That's the only place

So what would be our next steps to contest this ridiculous charge?

nigelbb

Contact Nando's & get them to cancel the charge.

nigelbb

Here is what the Nugent Centre say about their parking:-

How many car parking spaces do we have?
We have over 320 parking spaces - all of which are absolutely FREE! However, there is a 3 hour time limit on free parking.

Please note that all vehicles entering and exiting the park, will have their registration number scanned by an Automatic Number Plate Recognition system. Any vehicle on site over the 3 hour maximum stay period will be liable to a parking fine as displayed on the signage on site.

http://www.nugentshoppingpark.co.uk/centre_information/

SteelWolf

Interesting, so they say that it's a fine when it cannot be as they can only be levied by councils or the police.

I am getting my daughter to check she has either a receipt or proof that they were in Nandos

nigelbb

There are a load of big retailers (Debenhams, Next and Marks & Spencer etc) & several food & drink outlets so it's nuts to restrict shoppers to just three hours on site. It's worth contacting the shopping centre management to tell them that & see if they will cancel the charge as it's them who have employed PE to 'fine' their customers.

albaredz

With free car parks you could probably let this go all the way to court and PE would have nothing to base their losses on. Full spaces, thus leading to loss of other customers, damages the retailers/restaurants - not the PPC - unless they ridiculously claim that you prevented other cars parking in thus denying them the chance of issuing out tickets!

I am wondering if there have ever been court victories for PPCs who operate in free car parks? Any posters know of any?

Coupon-mad

Do try a very assertive complaint (not appeal, no apologies) first. We have seen many fake PCNs cancelled is the motorist is quick to complain and goes to the top Manager.

But if Nandos and the Retail Park Managing Agent are useless, you'll have to get it cancelled by winning at POPLA instead (which we can help you to do).

That involves a first appeal to the PPC, which can be a short challenge or a longer one showing them you mean business. Someone saw off UKCPS with a strong first appeal and we know Parking Eye are struggling to cope with appeals:

http://forums.pepipoo.com/index.php?...pic=79697&st=0

but here's a thread talking about soft/short appeals, with links to examples:

http://forums.pepipoo.com/index.php?...st=20&start=20

and here's a very recent post from Guys Dad suggesting grounds that should certainly be in even the shortest first challenge, in order to extract a POPLA code:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/62538833#Comment_62538833

and zzzLazyDaisy's great advice and suggestions here, designed to elicit a POPLA code:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4734263

Either way you will be wanting a POPLA code if they do not cancel the fake PCN, and either way you must write in the third person as the 'keeper' NOT implying who was driving (as you will see from the linked examples, write about 'the driver' in the third person).

HTH

SteelWolf

Thanks for the advice. I contacted the management of the parking centre and they admitted that there was a problem. Apparently Nandos have a form that gives customers a waiver of the parking charge but this isn't advertised anywhere nor is it clear. The person I spoke to in the management centre agreed that we can take in the receipts and the fake PCN and they will waive it.

Thanks for the advice and help. Another speculative invoice from PE cancelled

Coupon-mad

Nice result. :T

The_Slithy_Tove

SteelWolf wrote: »

Thanks for the advice. I contacted the management of the parking centre and they admitted that there was a problem.

A problem OF THEIR OWN MAKING by employing a scammer to prey on their customers. Will these people never learn?