Excel PCN - Parking Sign Fraud

missslbell

Parked in a carpark in Salford Quays at the weekend and being unfamiliar with the area was pleasantly surprised to see a sign directing us to a parking area for 1 pound. It advised if the attendent wasn´t present it wasn´t due. There was no attendant.

When we returned to the car a PCN was waiting on the windscreen and the sign was nowhere to be seen. When we looked around the carpark it appears to be pay and display

The PCN itself looks very suspicious, it doesn´t even have the address of the carpark, just the general area of "media city"

What should I do, there is simply noone except EXCEL with an interest in putting up such a fraudulent notice

Stroma

Did you take a photo of the sign? Are you the registered keeper of the vehicle? If so wait until you get the notice to keeper, it must be with you between days 29-56 of ticketing. Once you have it then appeal using the wording in the sticky thread by coupon mad. If rejected then go onto popla for the second stage appeal.

HO87

missslbell wrote: »

What should I do, there is simply noone except EXCEL with an interest in putting up such a fraudulent notice

Car park attendants are rarely paid more than minimum wage but are often incentivised by means of a % of the value of the PCN's they issue. From that point of view Excel are not, therefore, the only party with a interest in the use of such a sign.

I would be somewhat surprised to see Excel using that ploy. It is blatantly fraudulent and you might want to report this to police though I'd be surprised if they take any action immediately.

As far as your PCN is concerned, worry not. read the Newbies thread, appeal it to Excel themselves using the forum model - making no reference to the sign, get your POPLA code and then win at POPLA itself. Costs nothing but a bit of time and you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you have not contributed to Simon Renshaw-Smith's (Excel's MD) yacht fund.

missslbell

Thanks for the reply

I don´t have a photo of the sign

Can absolutely see that the parking attendant has the incentive to do this fraud

Police have said they can´t investigate and the property management company have said I should use the appeals process on the PCN .. am concerned by calling them, essentially without proof of their fraud, I´m admitting to not having paid an displayed

Absolutely livid

Stroma

Don't get mad, get even! Appeal to excel if they reject cost them money by going to popla

HO87

As for Greater Manchester I would suggest that they couldn't have stated anything more obvious but that is a subjective judgement based on a limited experience of their so-called service. However, I suspect that in this case that the truth is that they won't investigate as opposed to can't. Still.

Don't worry about the circumstances when it comes to appealing - it is sticking to the points of law that will defeat the ticket not, sadly, the fact that you were duped.

The_Deep

Have you contacted The Trading Standards Dept where you pay Council Tax. Don't bother Consumer Direct or CAB, both of whom are useless.

missslbell

Thanks hugely to all who have replied, I´m absolutely gobsmacked that this kind of thing still goes on ..

I report the fraud to the company and get the following conditions before they´ll even look at it;

Please forward the following information as a matter of urgency, as we are unable to process your APPEAL/CHALLENGE without it:
1) The PARKING NOTICE SERIAL NUMBER This can be found in the top right hand corner of the Notice and will be prefixed, SERIAL No. XL/____________.
2) A FULL POSTAL ADDRESS that we can correspond with, as all decisions are conveyed in a letter to the motorist.
3) The FULL NAME of the motorist

RIDICULOUS... will definitely report them to trading standards and whoever else will listen

da_rule

They are treating your 'report' as an appeal. Which technically I suppose it is, you are appealing on a point of law in that there was fraud. Do not contact them again until the notice to keeper arrives through the post. Then appeal using the appeal template in the Newbies sticky thread. You can add your allegation of fraud onto the appeal as another point.

Coupon-mad

Hmmmm...so if you read the NEWBIES sticky thread Stroma pointed out that you appear to have overlooked so far, why are you even contacting Excel yet?

bazster

Why not go down there again (park somewhere else!) and get some pictures of the offending sign and the attendant up to his dirty tricks? After all, you can be sure it wasn't a one-off.