Just did something I shouldnt... help

gforgosu

Hi Guys

My friend has been in France. He went on short notice with little preperation. He missed a flight back as he was late from a meeting. I was already on my way there.

He organized another flight back I went to pick him up from today ( he had been in French airport 24 hours, no battery or money left, nobody willing to help him )

Anyway, as predicted the security coming back through was slow and I am new to airports it took me a while to find him.

I had read the parking fee - quick drops - 10 mins £1 - and I read the charges then on going up to around £12 for an hour. ( It was difficult to read and had many variations of charges. )

Anyway I had £15 on me ( I am 21, not wealthy... infact in debt ) and I go to leave the parking bay. I have been 45 mins. I am expecting around £6 in charges. I was 100% definatley less than an hour which im 99percent sure is £12.

So it popped up on the screen - please pay £17.

I called through for help, they just told me to pay the fine and kept putting the phone down on me.

So, my friend was shattered, I had been walking round airport 45 mins and drove for 1 hour to pick him up, we had only £15, nobody was helping us...

So I drove out behind someone else ( my God it was close, but I got through )

I would say I feel guilty about this. But after my treatment I really dont. I am worried about potential fines though?

I cant really see any way they would have got my number plate.

The car is in my Dads name, all insured under my name, so I presume a fine will go to him. If it was me I wouldnt mind, as they can add themself to the other 100 people chasing me for money.

What do you think will happen? Will I be able to make the fine mine rather than my Dads? He isnt even insured on vehicle he just pays lease.

Thanks

4consumerrights

The Newbie sticky thread gives comprehensive advice - read and digest:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4816822

However from what you describe below the signage was indequate and confusing - Which PPC is this VCS?

I had read the parking fee - quick drops - 10 mins £1 - and I read the charges then on going up to around £12 for an hour. ( It was difficult to read and had many variations of charges. )

Anyway I had £15 on me ( I am 21, not wealthy... infact in debt ) and I go to leave the parking bay. I have been 45 mins. I am expecting around £6 in charges. I was 100% definatley less than an hour which im 99percent sure is £12.

So it popped up on the screen - please pay £17.

I called through for help, they just told me to pay the fine and kept putting the phone down on me.

I am sure that they did not ask you to pay the "fine" at this stage - just the parking amount - You haven't received the "fine" yet (it is not a fine but a parking charge)

So I drove out behind someone else (my God it was close, but I got through)

- so basically you tailgated out without paying anything??

I cant really see any way they would have got my number plate.

The car is in my Dads name, all insured under my name, so I presume a fine will go to him. If it was me I wouldnt mind, as they can add themself to the other 100 people chasing me for money.

What do you think will happen? Will I be able to make the fine mine rather than my Dads? He isnt even insured on vehicle he just pays lease.

Trust me, I am sure they will have used ANPR to capture the numberplate - so you'd better prepare your father for the surprise he will receive shortly. Do wait however until this arrives before making any contact with the PPC - although you may like to consider offering the payment owed as a full and final settlement offer.

As the car is leased - what are the financial arrangements regarding this - is there is a possibility that the notice to keeper will go to the finance company and not your father?

Coupon-mad

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4045501

Discussed here again this week; it's not VCS it's a tailgating issue. Maybe the amount can be paid within 24 hours?

esmerobbo

What I would do!

1 Read the signs next time, especially at an Airport!
2 Before any more expense is incurred pay the £17 parking fee.

They are entitled to the £17 and any other genuine costs. If you don't pay it really depends on who owns the car park, on how it will go.

gforgosu

I am quite infuriated by the responses recieved.

A) The parking charges were purposely confusing. You would pretty much have to write them down to know what it would come to if you were there 45 minutes or 50.
I had £15 on me. I had no support and no help from any staff.
C) By the time I would have had any ability to pay this £17 fine, the charge would have been around £25.

Interestingly I just found the charges online.

Up to 10 minutes £1.00
Up to 20 minutes £2.00
Up to 30 minutes £7.00
Per 15 minutes thereafter £5.00

Therefore, how on earth did I get a £17 fine!?!

For 45 minutes it adds to £15 and for an hour it adds to £20!

I am 100% certain my charge was for £17.

I had no option OTHER than to tailgate.

If something comes through the post I will think long and hard about support.

I was in a stressful situation, being mislead and not offered any help by a company that charges more than to park a light aircraft.

Redx

it is not for this forums members to explain any of this to you, nor condone any action you have taken which is dubious or illegal

whilst people may sympathise with your story, the onus is on you to ensure you park somewhere according to the regulations or "rules" in force

therefore if you ask for responses, you may get some you dont like, tough ! , thats life , c`est la vie

nobody is going to agree with you on the action you took, your thread title even shows that you feel it was incorrect too

if there are consequences in this, you will have to deal with those consequences when they arrive, but dont ask people here to condone what happened , no matter what the circumstances

everybody has a story to tell when they come on here, all think theirs is the worst nightmare imaginable , because to them , it is (or was)

its difficult to even respond to this due to what happened , but its too late now so deal with the aftermath if there is one, in the meantime think about your actions in future and try to avoid situations like this, as its easy to get trapped in them , no matter if its an airport , or somewhere else

so if something comes in the post, deal with it, if necessary, ask for advice about it, but never shoot the messenger just because you dont like the content of the note !!

the people who you should be asking questions of are the landowner and their agents, not us

regards

halibut2209

gforgosu wrote: »

Interestingly I just found the charges online.

Up to 10 minutes £1.00
Up to 20 minutes £2.00
Up to 30 minutes £7.00
Per 15 minutes thereafter £5.00

Therefore, how on earth did I get a £17 fine!?!

For 45 minutes it adds to £15 and for an hour it adds to £20!

I am 100% certain my charge was for £17.

The amounts are not cumulative. 30 minutes is £7, not £7+£2+£1

So you were charged £7 for the first 30 minutes, £5 for the next 15 minutes, and another £5 for the last 15 minutes, making £17

And why you are calling it a fine is beyond me. It's the cost of parking.

nigelbb

gforgosu wrote: »

Interestingly I just found the charges online.

Up to 10 minutes £1.00
Up to 20 minutes £2.00
Up to 30 minutes £7.00
Per 15 minutes thereafter £5.00

Therefore, how on earth did I get a £17 fine!?!

For 45 minutes it adds to £15 and for an hour it adds to £20!

I am 100% certain my charge was for £17.

Sorry to hear how you got caught but it wasn't a fine just a really exorbitant fee for parking.

Your maths is wrong. Up to 30 minutes is £7 then for every 15 minutes after that it's £5. So 45 minutes is £7+£5=£12 & up to one hour is £7+£5+£5=£17

ezerscrooge

Even 1 second into the next 15 minute slot costs you an extra fiver.

May have been cheaper for you to use the long term car park.

Or park in a layby outside the airport grounds and have your friend get a taxi from the airport to that point. Should only be a few quid.

One lives and learns.

esmerobbo

gforgosu wrote: »

I am quite infuriated by the responses recieved.

You asked!

What did you want the company to help you with?

We could have said oh forget it the company wont bother, then when you get a claim or worse still the police come knocking you blame others for giving the wrong advice.

What did you want to hear correct advice or something to suit you?

MikeyTen4

Hi gforgosu

People have already explained why you were asked to pay £17. But I just though it might be worth pointing out - if this was a car park where you take a ticket at entry, and then put it in the a payment machine when you're leaving, then it should have the exact time you arrived printed on it.

If you tailgated out and the parking control firm do send you a letter (which sounds likely), then I'd expect them to have a record of excatly what time you took the ticket and what time it was then placed back into the payment machine. Just something that's maybe worth being aware of.