Is this worth appealing?

bluesky27

Empty car park next to train station in Blackburn. Didn't notice small signs saying 'parking for retail shoppers max 4 hours'. Used pay and display at 9.13. Came back to car later in the day after using the train to find PCN timed 9.22 and stating 'customer parking only while on premises'.
£60 goes up to £100 after 14 days.

Should I just pay up or is it worth appealing? I don't really want the hassle or the worry that it may go to court in the end but I hate that these people can take your hard earned cash for parking on an empty car park :mad:

TIA for any advice

pogofish

Start by reading this:

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

Which outlines your options. You do not need to pay and are very unlikely to go to court if you handle it on these lines.

Stroma

I would send the stock appeal in the thread above, when you get the NtK. But would be tempted to ask them for proof that you were not shopping which parking company was this?

bluesky27

Thank you. Yes, I've started reading through the info on the site. I also found the POPLA website useful.
It's CM Services Ltd (Comprehensive Management Services) They say they are BPA approved but I can't see their name on the BPA website.

Redx

no they arent, they joined the IPC a couple of months ago

Coupon-mad

bluesky27 wrote: »

Thank you. Yes, I've started reading through the info on the site. I also found the POPLA website useful.
It's CM Services Ltd (Comprehensive Management Services) They say they are BPA approved but I can't see their name on the BPA website.

If you read the NEWBIES thread you will see that I mention the IPC IAS as well as the BPA's POPLA - and that's why the template appeal letter is written to suit either situation. As Redx says, CMS changed from the BPA to the IPC a few months ago. which you will find discussed on various threads.

Whilst waiting for the NTK you would do well to arm yourself with some facts by reading the IPC Code of Practice and being ready to use their version of independent appeal which doesn't give you such a long deadline as POPLA does. You'll see that and you will learn about the issues to focus on, when you read the CoP and by reading all the other CMS threads on here. Search this forum for 'CMS' or 'IPC' as keywords.

The IPC insist that their members only use a 'contractual sum' business model but I expect the CMS signs and/or the NTK and PCN will all trip them up in that regard. Get photos. Bet the signs say 'no leaving site' or that such parking behaviour is 'unauthorised'. If so then you have an appeal point which will win at IPC IAS stage.