Parking Eye Fine

SlimmingSusan

Have received a Parking Charge notice this morning from parking eye.

I overstayed early last week on the free Aldi car park in preston by about 40 minutes. 8 It was my first day at university and I was panicking about where to go, and I went into aldi for some soft drinks and then went to a workshop across the road.

I was just going to ignore, but an reading around and seeing that PE are taking people to court. Should I just pay the reduced £50, or will I be able to follow a procedure with support on here and not be such a wuss?

Any advice appreciated, though they were all non enforceable, trust me to pick parking eye for my only ever time :eek:

Half_way

I was just going to ignore, but an reading around and seeing that PE are taking people to court.

Dont ignore that advice is old

Should I just pay the reduced £50, or will I be able to follow a procedure with support on here and not be such a wuss?

Dont pay a penny.
A few questions:
Were you shopping at Aldi? ( yes/no it doesn't really matter but may be useful)
Do you have receipts ( again this may be useful but its not vital)
How long was the overstay?
A: under 15 minutes
B: under 30 minutes
C: 45 minutes
D longer than that?

Next you say this was at an Aldi, if you want complain on Aldis facebook page stating that you have received an unjust and unfair parking charge from parking eye, and asking Aldi what they are going to do about this situation remind them that parking eye are there agents and they (aldi ) are responsible for the actions of their agents, and that the charge is nothing more than an illegal/unlawful penalty.
You should also pop back into Aldi and complain there, telling them that the charge is unjust ( see above) if you have receipts etc then that will help, also demand they tehy sort this totally unacceptable matter out.
be firm, and above all be polite
You should see this as an Aldi issue for now, and not a parking eye issue - parking eye are nothing but contractors for Aldi.

SlimmingSusan

Thanks for the reply. Reading around I can see advice changed in October 2012.

The overstay amounted to 54 minutes. (1 hr 20 allowed)

As I arrived at 8.30 amish, I went into aldi and got a drink, then sat in the car. Aldi opens at 8. I then went across the road about 9, Came back about 10, then went into the Abakhan fabric shop on the same retail park. I got a bit carried away browsing but just thought, that ,as there are a few shops on site, it was ok. Should I have just moved my car to outside this shop, it is only a few yards round the corner on the same car park.. I don't have receipts for either store as I didn't keep the aldi one and didn't buy anything in the fabric store, just browsed fabric and patterns etc.

I am tempted to just pay the reduced fee to make it go away, as my anxiety and depression are high right now, due to starting my course, and this was why I parked there, my own fault I guess.

Am I right in thinking, that, even if this went as far as court, they could go to a court which would be too far for me to travel to, but if I turned up, they could only fine me for any losses they incurred by me parking there for 54 minutes too long, which is zero, as the car park was empty at 8.30am and not very busy when I left, so I was not causing people not to be able to spend their money by taking up the parking space?

android26

I'm no expert but if being pleasant and assertive to a shop manager for five minutes could save me £50, I'd try it. Ask them if that is how they want their genuine customers to be treated?

If that fails, then at least go through PE own process of an email appeal, then the independent POPLA appeal that will read about on here.
It would seem they haven't won at POPLA for a good while, using the arguments and points of law you will find on here and pepipoo.com

kirkbyinfurnesslad_2

Don't even think about paying just to make it go away.
Appeal to pe.
If that's rejected we will help u win at popla

It won't go to court as with our advice u will definitely win. In any case it would be a local court and it isn't a fine

SlimmingSusan

Thanks for replies. I think I am getting the courage to fight it.

If I had just shopped at several stores on site I would feel more confident to complain, but as I went over the road in the middle of my visit, I am feeling in the wrong.

I have posted politely on the aldi facebook page just now.

Another question, where do the fabric shop come into this, do they have a contract with parking eye as well?

SlimmingSusan

Found recent success in sticky for same car park .

It is in the sticky success thread at the top of this page, the recent success story for Corporation Street car park, Preston, where PE are in conflict with Preston City Council as they and Aldi have self imposed the 1 hr 20 min limit, and it is actually 3 hours allowed. This will make my 2hr 14 min stay ok. The thread seems incomplete, could anyone have a look for me and please see what they think, I would be really grateful as this is a recent success, but the thread if from pepipoo.

Hovite_2

As mentioned on the main Aldi Facebook thread - I'll write your POPLA appeal for you if it gets that far - I enjoy giving both Aldi and Parking Eye an damn good thrashing !

Personally I'd not both with Aldi - they are rude and why would want to converse with a shop that treats customers like this ?

No, instead await the Notice to Keeper and then appeal to Parking Eye saying the driver ( don't say who it was ) shopped in Aldi.

You'll get a rejection and a POPLA code. Then bounce this thread to remind me to write your appeal for you. If you are worried at any point or need advice either PM me or bounce this thread.

Hopefully a number of people here will vouch that I'm no troll and will ensure you get the right result.

Coupon-mad

SlimmingSusan wrote: »

Found recent success in sticky for same car park .

It is in the sticky success thread at the top of this page, the recent success story for Corporation Street car park, Preston, where PE are in conflict with Preston City Council as they and Aldi have self imposed the 1 hr 20 min limit, and it is actually 3 hours allowed. This will make my 2hr 14 min stay ok. The thread seems incomplete, could anyone have a look for me and please see what they think, I would be really grateful as this is a recent success, but the thread if from pepipoo.

Was it this thread on pepipoo you read?

http://forums.pepipoo.com/index.php?showtopic=80093&st=20&start=20

and this was the first posting by enfield freddy about the short time limit being against Planning Consent:

http://forums.pepipoo.com/index.php?showtopic=82817

EASY to get it cancelled then; the OP in that first linked thread has even given you the address to complain to in post #34.

Complain that the time limit was changed, apparently without authority and you know from information in the public domain that the retail park or PE are in conflict with the Planning Officer about it. You stayed much less than 3 hours and used two stores, albeit only looked round to see what they sold as it's a new shop for you and you are a newly-arrived Uni student who was planning to use that nearby Aldi for food in future. Say that on this occasion you ended up just buying a drink in Aldi and then browsed in the Abakhan fabric shop with a view to making purchases once you've settled into University.

Now, even though you will be nearby for 3 years, you are loathe to ever return to the retail park unless this ticket is cancelled immediately and the time limit is increased to a realistic length of time to actually use more than one shop. Remind the Retail Park owner that, without customers and good customer service any Retail Park will die - and you are horrified that a money-making notorious PPC like PE, with no parking management service whatsoever, are being allowed to call the shots against the Council's own intentions for visitors to this area to be able to park to browse and shop unharassed.

Say you are minded to share this outcome with the 'xx thousand'(however many) University community, and the local press. Write assertively.

Send a copy of the same complaint to PE as your appeal (head it up 'challenge against ticket number xxxxx). Send the letters both off on Monday and see who cancels it first. Share your success with your friends at University in the end, so they all know never to pay a fake PCN but to complain and challenge it.

If you do get a refusal with a POPLA code, we'll help you win at that stage like everyone here does.

SlimmingSusan

Thanks so much Coupon-mad and Hovite.

Yes CM that is the thread, had opened up so many tabs was getting confused getting to the bottom of it, and how to proceed.

Brilliant advice. Will follow what both of you have said.

If I end up with the Popla thing then will bump this thread, and will keep it updated for the benefit of others.

Interesting re Aldi, as it is always so full of students. Will definitely mention I am at the uni, and that I will be passing this info round- that'll upset Aldi, they must make a fortune being so close by.

Iceweasel

Good for you - go for it, SlimmingSusan.

You and your fellow students are among Aldi's biggest customers.

Any threat to hit their profits from such a large community should make them back down.

But you never know with Aldi - they have some strange ideas and some strange people working for them in their HQ.