UKPC parking charge

and1067

Sorry, I know this has been covered however want to make sure I understand correctly.

We were issued a parking charge today at a retail park in Scotland. We got to the car park at 5.30pm and only stayed for just over an hour - (this can be proved through receipts at another retail park and banking transactions)).

Car park has 2 hours free parking however we did not realise that a ticket was still to be displayed. Came back to an nice £100 notice.

Our feeling was to appeal with evidence to show that we were only there for an hour, however from reading these forums, it looks like this will go on deaf ears as they will still view failure to display as breach of contract and ( unreasonably) charge.

So I take it ignoring is the best way to go? I take it legally, if it went that way, can we be penalised for failing to reply??

Thanks for your help - much appreciated!!

pogofish

Already amply covered in this current thread:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4828775

To summarise - IGNORE, do not contact, don't be taken-in by the fake debt collector letters. The chances of anything meaningful happening are quite utterly tiny.

Umkomaas

You can safely ignore this in Scotland (ain't you lucky!). Nothing in statute about 'failing to reply'. Don't watch too many American cop shows.

In the very unlikely circumstances (other than reminders and debt collectors' letters) that anything more apparently sinister crops up, you can put this to bed.

If you want further reassurance if anything progresses, get back to us.

4consumerrights

As Umkomaas says - there is no keeper liability in Scotland......

JUST DON'T DO ANYTHING STUPID LIKE CONTACTING UKPC WITH YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS!

and1067

Thanks for this. I feel sorry for everyone who gets taken in by their 'scams'.

I have to admit that they had plenty of signs up, however they can actually be confusing. In one hand it said that a parking ticket had to be displayed, in the second part it says that the first 2 hours are free, after this time its chargeable. We cant be the only ones who misread this and took it that a ticket was not needed ( I know that this was wrong way of interpreting). They say breach of contract however if this is not clear to many of the public, then cant they be taken up on this/challenged ( as you will notice I have no legal background but hate the thought of others also getting 'scammed')????

They would need to clearly highlight on the sign, to avoid confusion that ' within the first 2 free hours, a parking ticket still needs to be obtained and displayed' - This would be less confusing to the ordinary, flustered shopper.

We will ignore the notice, but just wondering if the wording on the sign should be challenged ??

Thanks

Kind Regards

fisherjim

and1067 wrote: »

Thanks for this. I feel sorry for everyone who gets taken in by their 'scams'.

I have to admit that they had plenty of signs up, however they can actually be confusing. In one hand it said that a parking ticket had to be displayed, in the second part it says that the first 2 hours are free, after this time its chargeable. We cant be the only ones who misread this and took it that a ticket was not needed ( I know that this was wrong way of interpreting). They say breach of contract however if this is not clear to many of the public, then cant they be taken up on this/challenged ( as you will notice I have no legal background but hate the thought of others also getting 'scammed')????

They would need to clearly highlight on the sign, to avoid confusion that ' within the first 2 free hours, a parking ticket still needs to be obtained and displayed' - This would be less confusing to the ordinary, flustered shopper.

We will ignore the notice, but just wondering if the wording on the sign should be challenged ??

Thanks

Kind Regards

I am sure they did have plenty of signs up but I have yet to see a UKPC car park yet that complies with the BPA code of practice!
Welcome to the fantasy land of the PPC, of course people are taken in by them and left confused, that is what they want it's how they make lots of money, it's just an easy way to scam people!

Look at your Parking Charge Notice, it has been designed to look official but it is not!
Take the advice on here from the regulars, do not get taken in by their threatening (and designed again to look official) letters, or Debt Recovery Plus/Zenith joke threats either.

Coupon-mad

4consumerrights wrote: »

As Umkomaas says - there is no keeper liability in Scotland......

JUST DON'T DO ANYTHING STUPID LIKE CONTACTING UKPC WITH YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS!

Yes but the OP needs to know they will get debt collector threatograms sent to the registered keeper for the next 6 months or so, as the PPC will get the data from the DVLA as always (Google 'DVLA sells data private parking' and1067, and you will find lots of newspaper articles about it).

For you, and1067, the 'Watchdog video' still applies, which you will find on other threads if you search this forum for 'Scotland' which was all that was needed. We cover this every other day...

...you can report the signage if it doesn't comply with the BPA Code of Practice, again easy to search for on Google or on here.

MimosaDR

Coupon-mad wrote: »

Yes but the OP needs to know they will get debt collector threatograms sent to the registered keeper for the next 6 months or so, as the PPC will get the data from the DVLA as always (Google 'DVLA sells data private parking' and1067, and you will find lots of newspaper articles about it).

For you, and1067, the 'Watchdog video' still applies, which you will find on other threads if you search this forum for 'Scotland' which was all that was needed. We cover this every other day...

...you can report the signage if it doesn't comply with the BPA Code of Practice, again easy to search for on Google or on here.

Best advice I can give to anyone is get photos of any signs quick if you intend to complain about them.
I lived a fair bit away from the site and unfortunately by the time I went back (a few months later) they had changed.
That is if you even want to go down the road of trying to say they don't comply with the COP. .... Not sure it would really do anything mind you. They don't particularly seem to care about complying with that and sail very close to the wind on several bits of it! May come in handy later on though you never know....

Coupon mad is right (again! I'm starting to wonder whether she is my mother in disguise....she's always right too )

It's really good to be warned about the letters heading your way. I'm up to seven now at the last count with varying threats and amounts. But because I knew what was coming its much easier to deal with.