VCS Rejection Letter - Liverpool Airport - Not in Car Park

tekskin

Hello, just want to get some valued advice and confirmation of the procedures due to my PCN.

I sent my appeal email through to VCS using the template. They have replied on 28th saying my appeal has been rejected.

I did enter the car park, but my friend had gone to the roundabout outside of the car park. I had to pay to get out of the car park as they have subsequently changed the parking charges on that day and no longer had a free waiting time, and I had to pay £2.00 to get out of the car park - no signs telling you there is an enforced fee on the approach road and no way to escape!

I picked them up on the roundabout and then drove off.

The picture of the car shows the boot open and my friend putting his bag into the boot.

Am I still able to proceed with a POPLA appeal, and do I use the normal POPLA VCS template for 'VCS at ANY AIRPORT', and is there any modifications I need to make?

Thank you in advance for your valuable time, and apologies in advance if this is something which has been repeated before, but I want to make sure I get this right first time.

Kevin

Stroma

Use the standard vcs airport popla appeal

Redx

just follow the same well worn appeal path as the hundreds of others who have done the same, there are even recent appeal examples to use , linked from the NEWBIES sticky thread (its not even relevant land so not POFA compliant)

Umkomaas

Have they given you a POPLA verification code?

If so, go ahead in drafting your POPLA appeal based on VCS Airport examples. Post it up here before submission and we'll critique and help you make it sharp enough to win.

It's not possible to give you pointers on any modifications you need to make until we see the case you are putting forward. If you mean 'what happened on the day', forget that, because your 'story' counts for zilch at POPLA. It's the technical and legal elements that will have your appeal upheld, not 'wot appened'.

tekskin

I'll draft it and put it on this thread in the morning.

Thanks everyone for being so patient - I have read the newbies thread, but even for someone like me it can be a bit overwhelming trying to get the wheat from the chaff!!! :-)

And yes I have a POPLA code.

Umkomaas

Don't rush it, take a bit of time to read up on things and get to understand what you are dealing with, subject to POPLA deadline - have you checked your verification code's validity and actual deadline?

Here:

http://www.parkingcowboys.co.uk/popla-code-checker/

Where OPs have previously rushed things they have ended up having to do more work (and regulars on here too) to put right fundamental copy and paste errors (like wrong PPC being named in the appeal).

tekskin

Thanks for the advice. I have checked my code on the link provided (thank again), and I have over 20 days remaining.

I need to check the parking charges at Liverpool Airport again. When I first went there to drop my friend off, you had a couple of minutes free. When I went back on the date of my notice to pick them up again, there were no barriers to take a ticket, and they were forcing people to be charged to get out of the car park, with no exit route. And as far as I remember, there were not notifications of this change, and a number of drivers caught with no change or money available to exit.

VCS included a photocopy of one of the alledged signs they have displayed, but I've made another trip to the airport purely to capture on video the drive through the airport to the car park at regular speed, entering the car park, and then exiting. I have done this purely for my interest, and will be examining this as well to see if there is anything in that which may be useful to include (subject of course to your valuable advice on here), and perhaps also to use in my letter to the airport.

Kevin

Umkomaas

There's no point in doing any of the running around you're proposing to do as your POPLA appeal must not be based on mitigating circumstances (your 'story') but on technical and legal issues (all prepared for you to use in the NEWBIES sticky).

When you read post #3 in the sticky you will get the hang of what you need to do.

Mitigating circumstances appeals have never succeeded at POPLA.

Redx

well done m8, that is most definitely "due diligence" but only for research purposes in case of any changes like you describe, or additions to the bad signage points etc

if more people were to do things like this and take the calmer long term approach it would make helping them a lot easier, although with airports featuring every day on here the appeal letters are almost templates now

but the more info that is learned about issues like yours the better for all, plus the better the appeal letters for popla become, but as mentioned above mitigation wont help, just legal points

esmerobbo

Apologies for taking this slightly off topic, but since this pickup charge was imposed and VCS's parasitic activities on Speke Hall Avenue, were they restrict parking for security and safety reasons. When an aircraft is due you cant move on Hale road which is the road with the main entrance on, and is nearer the terminal and apron if a terrorist was inclined.

I was there yesterday and there must have been 20 or so taxi's and minibuses in a 100yd section all on double yellow lanes, and they were causing an obstruction, and which is the road any emergency vehicle would use to enter the airport. However this is a public highway, but it sort of defeats VCS's claim for the need for security and safety.

tekskin

I am visiting the car park to check and confirm that the change in parking charges is still in effect - from my memory on the date in question they no longer gave a free period, and were forcing a minimum charge of £2, which was catching a lot of drivers out with no money. I want clarify this is still in effect, so that I can accurately provide the correct information in the POPLA as per section 1) 'Amount demanded etc'.
If I give the wrong information regarding this, then surely I would be at fault for not given a factual account, and perhaps my appeal would then be thrown out on this technicality?

Or should I simply put in section 1) The amount demanded is a penalty and not a Genuine Pre-estimate of
loss.
The alleged contravention lasted seconds,
which is significantly less than the minimum charge and Vehicle Control
Services Ltd (VCS) are demanding payment of £100 (discounted to £60 if
paid within 14 days) for what would have been £2 parking.