IMPORTANT: Please make sure your posts do not contain any personally identifiable information (both your own and that of others). When uploading images, please take care that you have redacted all personal information including QR codes, number plates and reference numbers.

ParkingEye Fine from a Cinema Entertainment Complex

JustJinny
JustJinny Posts: 46
First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
Forumite
edited 8 September 2013 at 5:18PM in Parking tickets, fines & parking
My very physically mature, 73yr old mother was at a Feltham Cinema, Bowling Alley, Bingo, and Restaurant, entertainment complex, with a friend's young daughter (7yrs old), and saw a movie that had a run time of 1hour 40mins long, then afterwards, wandered next door, where the kid had a play in the kids soft gym area, for 90minutes, and then they where delayed a while, by my unstable Diabetic mother's low blood sugars, so the kid played on some other kiddie arcade games while she recovered. Afterwards, she walked slowly across the car park, to one of the 4 restaurants opposite, ate, and then returned to the car and left. She was in the car park for a alleged 4hours 53 minutes.

Yesterday she got a letter from ParkingEye, charging her £70.00, or £42.00 if she pays early. They state, and signage states, it's a 4hour parking limit. She has no receipts anymore as she has cleared out her handbag since.

My question is - what now? Is there a template of Appeal somewhere, to get this fine squashed??? Especially as she is likely to get another letter in a few weeks time, when she is seeing at the same cinema, a showing of a Opera broadcast live from an opera place to the cinema, that is 5 hours long....and that's without the queuing and bathroom breaks, so we will be going through this again - but this time, she will keep receipts!

Thanks in advance
«1

Comments

  • spacey2012
    spacey2012 Posts: 5,836
    First Anniversary First Post Combo Breaker
    Forumite
    I would recommend she stop using the business that has these "paper clamper" crooks in the car park.
    They obviously do not want her custom.
    Be happy...;)
  • Guys_Dad
    Guys_Dad Posts: 11,025
    First Post Combo Breaker
    Forumite
    Why put herself through getting another ticket again, for she will get one if she overstays?

    Now we can help get her off via POPLA, but she will have to follow our guide.

    First of all, appeal to PE straight away saying that, as keeper, she id dealing with the situation. That the driver went to the cinema and then had a meal. This took over 4 hours, but the driver was a genuine customer and would like the ticket to be cancelled or a POLA Code.

    In the same letter, she should ask the question about parking in a few weeks' time when the live opera will be 5 hours and what accommodation PE will adopt to allow patrons to see this event at the cinema. Enclose any relevant adverts showing the event and the running time.

    She should then seek advice from the cinema and get it in writing that they will be arranging a concession with PE.
  • googler
    googler Posts: 16,103
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Forumite
    Guys_Dad wrote: »
    In the same letter, she should ask the question about parking in a few weeks' time when the live opera will be 5 hours and what accommodation PE will adopt to allow patrons to see this event at the cinema. Enclose any relevant adverts showing the event and the running time.

    Quite. It's 5 hours, therefore it's Wagner, therefore there's no intermission. No opportunity even to leave and buy another parking ticket (assuming pay 'n' display)
  • spacey2012
    spacey2012 Posts: 5,836
    First Anniversary First Post Combo Breaker
    Forumite
    The effort and time involved in fighting these is worth it for saving the £70 as £70 is a lot of money.
    But it is not worth doing if she can avoid having to deal with these nasty scammers in the first place.
    If she goes back to the opera, they will giver her another £70 ticket and she can not trust what the cinema says.
    This is not some good little leisure venue she has found, it comes with a twist, the car park is infested with a very very nasty nasty parking company indeed.

    People have to wake up to these people, they are the new clampers, where you see the Parking eye signs, stop immediately and turn around and drive away, do not even go in to the car park to turn around, let the mugs behind you wait whilst you turn around in the entrance .

    Drivers have to wake up very quickly, these nasty crooks can not even be trusted to adhere to their own made up rules, drivers have to wake up quickly to Parking Eye, turn away and shop or visit attractions where they do not have these scammers operating.

    But please pull your mum in to her senses and make sure she knows to keep well away from this car park and learns to recognise the parking eye signs, companies that use parking eye are making it very clear, they do not want your custom. .
    You are then going to have to set aside many hours fighting this for her.
    Be happy...;)
  • Guys_Dad
    Guys_Dad Posts: 11,025
    First Post Combo Breaker
    Forumite
    googler wrote: »
    Quite. It's 5 hours, therefore it's Wagner, therefore there's no intermission. No opportunity even to leave and buy another parking ticket (assuming pay 'n' display)

    If you tell them it's Wagner and they reply "Give us a Ring", they will be taking the mickey. :rotfl::rotfl:
  • Thank you for your replies.

    I will get onto the Appeal and post it tomorrow. I will also follow the advice given here regarding mentioning the Opera and adverts, etc. I can't drive myself, so can't drop her off, and she is not able to use public transport as she is not mobile enough, so driving and parking as nearby is her choice - hence her using that particular car park.

    As an aside, I am impressed that googler recognised it as Wagner - top marks! lol.

    It isn't a pay and display car park - its a 'free parking' place with this time limit of 4 hours. But even without my Mother's Diabetic turn, you can easily spend 5 hours there, if you were to take in Bowling, make use of the extensive slot machines arcade, air hockey tables, the bar, and then a meal, after your movie. Silly 4 hour rule! They must make a fortune! :(
  • Coupon-mad
    Coupon-mad Posts: 130,624
    Name Dropper First Post Photogenic First Anniversary
    Forumite
    edited 9 September 2013 at 12:09AM
    Example of a complaint letter (for the cinema manager) re a disabled person alleged to have 'overstayed' in post #13 here where I post as SchoolRunMum:

    http://forums.pepipoo.com/index.php?showtopic=79515&st=0

    And just to confirm, a person who is diabetic is covered by the Equality Act, as is an elderly person (ageism) as they have 'protected characteristics' that meet the definition of disability (no Blue Badge needed of course on private land). And because the overstay was due to the long-term medical condition, the PPC and the cinema/leisure park haven't a leg to stand on - there can have been no 'overstay' because that would be indirect discrimination under the Act.

    Example of a first challenge given in links here but you should add the stuff about the Equality Act and state that you have complained to the cinema (do so!):

    http://forums.pepipoo.com/index.php?showtopic=82727&st=0&gopid=862300

    HTH
    PRIVATE 'PCN'? DON'T PAY BUT DON'T IGNORE IT (except N.Ireland).
    CLICK at the top of this/any page where it says:
    Forum Home»Motoring»Parking Tickets Fines & Parking - read the NEWBIES THREAD
  • zzzLazyDaisy
    zzzLazyDaisy Posts: 12,497
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Forumite
    Coupon-mad wrote: »
    Example of a first challenge given in links here but you should add the stuff about the Equality Act and state that you have complained to the cinema (do so!):

    HTH

    Ditto the kids soft gym area, and any other outlet where she was a genuine customer that day.

    Also, any chance that she paid by credit card for the cinema? If so she should send a copy of the relevant statement as proof that she was a customer (with personal info not relevant to this issue blanked out) with the appeal. PE has been known to cancel charges when presented with proof of purchase.
    I'm a retired employment solicitor. Hopefully some of my comments might be useful, but they are only my opinion and not intended as legal advice.
  • Does it matter if they haven't put the full address of the Car Park, only written "Leisure West Complex car park". They also haven't supplied any details of the creditor other than ParkingEye Ltd.

    Just wondered in case it was worth bringing up.
  • I got a reply today from ParkingEye. I stated that the driver has no more receipts, or tickets, as a week after the visit, she disposed of them, having paid in cash for everything (I checked the driver's bank statements especially). I also stated that under the Equality Act 2010, being elderly, and with Diabetes, she is classed as disabled with protected characteristics, and cannot be held to the parking time limit. I have had no response from any of the establishments in the complex. I have even been there in person to speak to the various managements- all who have been unavailable.
    This is the letter I got today - 11 days after I placed the Appeal, which was lodged on line, with a CC posted on the 18th September 2013:

    Dear Sir/Madam

    Thank you for your correspondence in relation to the Parking Charge incurred on the 21st August 2013 at 17:04 at Leisure West Complex Car Park.

    In your correspondence you state that you were a patron/visitor of the site, but you will need to provide us with evidence/further evidence of the visit at Leisure West Complex on the date stated above for is to consider this. Suitable documentary evidence in the case would be a receipt, bank statement, booking form, or event sheet, etc.

    If you choose to provide further evidence relating to your appeal within the next 7 days (letter dated Thursday 26th September 2013), we will place the outstanding charge on hold for a further 14 days whilst we consider your appeal further.

    Payment can be made by telephoning our office on 0844 247 2981 or by visiting www.Parkingeye.co.uk or by posting a cheque or postal order to the address detailed below.

    If this charge has been paid and you choose to provide further evidence relating to your appeal, please forward this to us for consideration.

    Yours faithfully
    ParkingEye Team


    __________________

    Advice please!???! I really can't afford to pay these scammers anything!
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 342.5K Banking & Borrowing
  • 249.9K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 449.4K Spending & Discounts
  • 234.6K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 607.1K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 172.8K Life & Family
  • 247.4K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 15.8K Discuss & Feedback
  • 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards