Euro Car Parks pcn - pls help!

cats_whiskers_2

This is my first ever thread so please be gentle with me.

I have been reading the threads for the last two days to know what to do but I am still confused

My mother received an official looking PCN from Euro Car Parks saying she had over stayed the free allocation time allowed in the supermarket car park she was parked in.
The letter has an ANPR image of her number plate with the entry and exit time underneath. It lists her full name and states she has been named as the registered keeper.

It says amount due £85 or if she pays within 14 days of this letter then it will be reduced to £50.

To summarize:
1) It happened in England
2) My mother is the registered keeper of the car
3) It was a ticket through the post
4) She is of course over 18

I've read on here not to pay it but not to ignore it either.

Could someone please explain what I should now do?

Many thanks for reading!

Stroma

Did it arrive within 14 days of parking ?

Guys_Dad

See here http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=63099617&postcount=2

I am assuming the NtK (letter) arrived recently and within 14 days of the contravention???

If so, then she needs to appeal to the PPC (EuroCar Parks) saying she is the keeper but disputes the charge but the driver believes that the signs around the car park were deficient and did not adequately explain the parking conditions or bring sufficient attention to the ANPR equipment in use.

Invite them to cancel the ticket or send you a POPLA code. Then come back on here for help with the POPLA appeal.

Also, is it a retailer's car park? If so, approach the manager and ask them to cancel the ticket.

Git any receipts for the day in question? Then put in the letter to the PPC that mum was a genuine shopper and enclose receipts to show it and ask for cancellation.

Finally, how long was the free period and how long an overstay did mum have?

cats_whiskers_2

Yes she received the letter within the 14 days.

And yes it arrived through the post only yesterday.

It was a Morrisons supermarket she was parked in. I think she may have some proof she shopped there on her bank account but not necessarily in her handbag as food shop receipts usually get binned.

The letter states "Further to this we have signs that clearly show 120 minute free parking period." They say she over stayed by about an hour.

On the back it says I can appeal via writing a letter to them. Is that what you meant by appealing to them directly? Should she write the letter in third person or by admitting she was the driver?

Sorry to sound so naive but I've never had to deal with something like this before and my mum is worrying about it.

Thanks in advance

Umkomaas

cats_whiskers wrote: »

Yes she received the letter within the 14 days.

And yes it arrived through the post only yesterday.

It was a Morrisons supermarket she was parked in. I think she may have some proof she shopped there on her bank account but not necessarily in her handbag as food shop receipts usually get binned.

The letter states "Further to this we have signs that clearly show 120 minute free parking period." They say she over stayed by about an hour.

On the back it says I can appeal via writing a letter to them. Is that what you meant by appealing to them directly? Should she write the letter in third person or by admitting she was the driver?

Sorry to sound so naive but I've never had to deal with something like this before and my mum is worrying about it.

Thanks in advance

Appeal to ECP as per the instructions on the PCN. It doesn't have to be lengthy, in fact just use the points as advised by Guys Dad above.

Don't be disappointed if this is rejected by ECP - virtually every appeal to any of the 200 or so PPCs is rejected. The main purpose is to hook a POPLA code where this charge can be killed off quite easily - and it's only the PPC who can provide this code.

If you want to draft this first stage appeal and put it on here for comment that's OK. But always use the third person and do not disclose any information about who might or might not have been driving. So it's 'As the Registered Keeper of car xxxxx (reg number) I am appealing this PCN. The driver believes that.........' , so no I, my or me in the letter.

But also crack on with a complaint to Morrisons which is probably your easiest route at the moment to getting this cancelled.

Keep us updated on your (Mum's) progress with this.

Coupon-mad

Agreed.

Appeal to ECP with a copy of the receipt or redacted copy of the transaction on a bank statement or transaction summary list (NOT NAMING THE DRIVER, SIMPLY REPLYING TO THE LETTER AND SAYING 'HERE IS THE DRIVER'S RECEIPT/PROOF OF PATRONAGE OF MORRISONS') and complain to Morrisons either by speaking to the Store Manager or by sending a ranting complaint like the template complaint I drew up, in post #3 here:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4766249

I am constantly amazed that we have to suggest to people to complain to the Supermarkets about these fake PCNs. Your Mum is worrying - but it seems that it has not yet occurred to either of you to go back and complain to Morrisons about their agent, saying that she simply needed more time (especially if elderly or infirm)?! Wouldn't that be the first thing anyone would do when an agent of the Supermarket demanded money? If the trolley collector in the car park threatened you with a bill of £85 you'd be seething and straight into Morrisons to rant so why not with a fake PCN? Only in the UK do people get so easily scared by letters and don't think to get angry about the whole scam. This would never happen in other countries, PPCs would never get away with fake parking tickets in France for example!

By the way if Morrisons cancel this easily don't be too grateful. Ask the question WHY are they allowing this at all - seeing as a camera cannot tell if a shopper is elderly/infirm/disabled/pregnant and there fore is legally allowed more time. Lots of idiots just pay these. Why on earth are Supermarkets routinely breaking the law?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8488737.stm

HTH

cats_whiskers_2

Hi there, thank you for the replies.

My mum managed to find a receipt from that day so at least that is proof she actually shopped there.

So we phoned the Morrisons in question and the woman on the other end bluntly told her that the PCN was nothing to do with them and to contact Euro Car Parks.
We then asked to speak to the manager of the store but again told that was nothing to do with him either.

We told her about how legally you are entitled to further parking time if you have a disability etc to which she replied that that was only at the managers courtesy.

So I am going to draft out a letter to send to Euro Car Parks and see where that gets us. If someone could look over the draft for me I would really appreciate that.

Thank you!

Coupon-mad

Yep so what happened when you then sent a complaint to the Retail Park managers themselves and/or the CEO of Morrisons, as shown in the link I gave you?

Did you notice all the cancelled Morrisons cases in the link - mainly in post #1 about Parking Eye which is why I suspect you are talking about a retail park with more than one store onsite...?

If so then (again as per the linked thread, please read it!) complain to the retail park. Find out who runs it. Google is your friend.

No-one gets these cancelled over the phone by the way, this is not a matter for a chirpy phone call. Letter to the managers or complaint in person to the Store Manager.

Guys_Dad

Telephone is a great defence tool for those who want to do nothing.

I would go in, ask to speak to the manager or duty manager and if some intermediate person says "No" then politely ask for their name as you intend to write to head office complaining about them personally and the manager for not training his staff properly.

Put your point clearly to the manager, and ask them to intervene or would they prefer you to write to the CEO saying that the manager refused.

Regulars - on here in the last 2 weeks was there not a letter from Morrison CEO that wiped charges?

If you remember, can you give link to OP so they can take a copy in to the store?

Thanks.

cats_whiskers_2

During the phone call she told them she was going to take the complaint further so asked for the managers address, the ceo's address and her full name so we can take the complaint further.

I'm aware a "chirpy" phone call won't exactly do the trick bit got us the necessary information regarding that particular store.

My mum used to work in that particular store a good few years ago so already knows what the staff and their managers are like. They really are not very helpful. I am drafting a letter as we speak.

It is not a retail site, just one supermarket.

Will have a thorough read of your cancelled cases link.
Thanks!

Coupon-mad

Regulars - on here in the last 2 weeks was there not a letter from Morrison CEO that wiped charges?

Three of them in the 'Successful complaints' sticky but re Parking Eye. Hence why I was surprised that this is only a Morrisons car park (didn't think they used ECP in their own car parks but it makes no difference to the complaint).

cats_whiskers wrote: »

During the phone call she told them she was going to take the complaint further so asked for the managers address, the ceo's address and her full name so we can take the complaint further.

I'm aware a "chirpy" phone call won't exactly do the trick bit got us the necessary information regarding that particular store.

My mum used to work in that particular store a good few years ago so already knows what the staff and their managers are like. They really are not very helpful. I am drafting a letter as we speak.

It is not a retail site, just one supermarket.

Will have a thorough read of your cancelled cases link.
Thanks!

Sorry, glad you haven't left it with the phone call and glad to read it wasn't 'chirpy' as I had wrongly assumed! A lot of newbies try very weak phone calls, that's all, but sounds like yours wasn't!

Don't forget to also send a challenge in time to ECP, as the registered keeper (not driver) as per Guys Dad's advice above. With our help you'd win at POPLA stage even if Morrisons don't cancel it (but normally they do).