23 minute overstay with Parking Eye

playgoer

Looking through various threads I'm getting anxious about having ignored two letters from Parking Eye about this overstay in January. I did overstay, true, and they sent me photos to prove it, but I ignored the letters because a couple of years ago I had a bit of a do with Civil Enforcement and ended up taking advivce from the forum and ignoring further correspondence from them. In that case, their notices were quite invisible at night, and despite sending them photos to prove it, they still wanted my money.
Now I'm anxious that I may have done the wrong thing this time, as a third letter has come from PE wanting £100! (the previous ones wanted £60). I actually have used this car park many times and had never realised it was subject to any kind of charge (so much for notices). This time I was shopping with, and consoling, a friend who was going through a bad time, lost track of time, and left 23 minutes after I should have done. £100 seems a bit much for 23 minutes. Is Parking Eye a more legit outfit than others? I don't want to have to find £100, to be honest - who would? but nor am I anxious to break the law. Some friendly advice would be awfully welcome, if anyone out there has it.

Redx

no laws were broken and will not be broken, its a civil matter, not a criminal matter

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

then send in an appeal to PE by email or post with free certificate of posting (NOT recorded) IF you are in england or wales (due to POFA 2012)

PE take thousands of people to small claims court, so get your appeal in asap if you are in england or wales

do not ignore these tickets again if you are in england or wales, come here and check which is what you should have done as soon as you received the first letter

so appeal now , using the template

playgoer

Ta, Redx. I shouldn't have said "the law", just a slip of the fingers. I've looked at the Parking Eye website, which has a lot of info about appeals, etc., as well as other threads on this site - including your link. But to be honest, I think I'll just have to pay up, because what reasonable grounds do I have for appeal, apart from ignorance? Sadly, if I hadn't ignored the Civil Enforcement one two years ago, I wouldn't have ignored this one! And at the moment I've got too much on my plate to get involved in lots of paperwork which isn't going to melt any hearts, in the end. However, what I shall do is nip back to the retail site I parked at (not stopping long), and let the shopkeepers know I'll never go there again, so they've lost my custom and my respect. Thanks to those who've helped with this post. Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet. Now I can see PE is a serious outfit, not a cowboy lilke Civil Enforcement. Their website's quite an eye-opener!

Stroma

Don't give so easily, this is a £100 how long would it take you to earn that? Make complaints to the retailers, insist that they get this cancelled, also look on google for the landowner and who owns this site. Also sned parking eye an appeal that is in post#1 of coupon mad's sticky thread.

Enclose copies of receipts and ask them to cancel this as you are a genuine shopper, say that the driver uses this car park regularly and are a shopper that spends a lot of money in the complex.

In regards to Civil Enforcement, be aware that they are sending out small claims to people who have ignored them, this is going back as far as 2011, so if you get anything from them please come back here.

playgoer

Will do re Civl Enforcement- mine was at the start of 2012. But then I did make a good case for not having seen the notices - they were invisible at night - so maybe they won't. Don't think I still have the pix, better check.
As for fighting the PE one - maybe I'll write to them and point out one or two things. But on their site they have some convincing FAQs and do seem pretty hot on the legal aspects - it seems several people have been fined by the courts despite appeals based on the sort of advice given in this forum. Yes, you're right, it would take me a long time to earn £100, especially considering I'm retired, but then again I don't have the energy or time to go on with a protracted hoo-ha. Sometimes peace of mind is worth the learning curve! Sorry not to be a Warrior, but I want to get on with my life, not be anxious every time the post comes. Of course, there's always the chance that if I hang on, by the time they catch up with me I'll have emigrated...

ColliesCarer

Playgoer
You can get this cancelled quite easily - very many people on here have successfully challenged PE.

It will not take a lot of effort and there will not be lots of paperwork

All it will take is some time reading the NEWBIES thread to learn how to appeal and what grounds to include.

There are even some template letters to help you which you can adapt

Just two well drafted emails/letters using the help on here to make sure you include the right types of grounds
1/ as an appeal to PE
2/ as an appeal to POPLA when/if PE refuse your appeal to them
and you can keep your £100
or donate it to your favourite charity if you like but please don't just hand over your hard earned cash to these scammers.

They are not the professional outfit you think they are
They are not even putting in any defence against most POPLA appeals and especially against those POPLA appeals that have been drafted with help from the forum

playgoer

Sorry - meant to say thank you for taking the time and trouble.

playgoer

Thanks, ColliesCarer. But I don't see what legit grounds for appeal I actually have. I did overstay. I did ignore the first two letters. They only have my word for it that I didn't know the notices existed, or that I spent some time comforting a friend in Starbuck's. I don't have any receipts from shops. I can't see I have any legs to stand on! I have looked at the Newbies thread, and read the template letters, but they don't really seem to fit my case - in fact, I don't see I have a case. I agree they're all scammers, though! unless you really think I'd gain something by going to the retail park and talking to the shop owners? But TKMaxx? M&S? Starbuck's? what will they care? And shouldn't I have done that after the first letters came - isn't now a bit late? I do appreciate your response, but I'm not convinced.

tykesi

Then you need to go back and RE-read the sticky thread as ALL the information you need is in there. If you had read it properly you would have realised that what happened on the day (i.e. the overstay) is largely irrelevant for getting this dealt with.

Stroma

Look we do this day in day out, we know what we are doing and know how to deal with this situation, you have plenty of grounds of appeal and complaint. Retailers actually do listen to their clients a lot, we have a whole thread where every company you've mentioned has cancelled tickets.

I have seen your situation thousands of times, I and others have helped literally 10s of thousands of people over the years, if you want this dealt with then trust us.

Redx

the 3 appeal points have nothing to do with your circumstances

they are

not a gpeol

no contract

bad signage

so nothing to do with your perceived appeal or anything to do with why you think you are guilty or innocent , its about points of law and these people obeying those laws or codes or practices

read this too https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4835943 post #6 which explains the position , and stop doing these companies jobs for them , make them prove they have the right or rights to come after you no matter what you did or did not do