Private Parking Charge

SarahPhelps

Hello,

I am going to me completely 100% honest here.

I parked in a private retail car park that has a 'return within 2 hours policy'

I often use this car park as it is close to town and if you are just nipping in it saves on parking. On this occasion I was nipping in for a haircut. However I ending up grabbing food on the go, popping into a store to run a errand, blah blah blah, time ran away with me and I overstayed my welcome by 20 minutes give or take.

I'll confess to never having paid to much attention to the signs - as I never stay more than 2 hours I'd never bothered to read them. But I knew they were there. Previously this car park had been manned by traffic wardens and the unwritten rule was 2 hours from the time you were seen. So if you were feeling cheeky you knew you could risk it.

So as you can see I was fully aware of the rules and chose to ignore them and now I am trying to avoid doing the time for my crime!

To make matters worse I used this car park again a week later and may have overstayed my welcome by about five minutes!! That was a genuine miscalculation of time though. I did intend to be back in time but was thwarted by unforeseen circumstances. I am praying there is a five minute grace period or so. It was after I returned from the car park on this occasion that the letter was waiting for me.

Anyway I have read some forums, and it seems ignoring tickets is no longer the party line as I was hoping but in people's opinion am I banged to rights? I certainly have no grounds for appeal but I have heard so many things about these companies being scammers etc that I wondered if I could some how get away with it.........does anyone have any experiences of being genuinely deserving of a parking ticket but wiggling out of it????? I'm just so poor!!!! Really can't afford to pay it. It'll be good old credit card to a rescue if I do pay.

P.S I know I have been incredibly stupid, I have learned my lesson so I would welcome genuine factual advice over opinions on the level of my intelligence!!!! Thank you very much : )

ampersand

Is this fragrant Rachel?

Umkomaas

It is possible to overcome these, but you need to do some work by reading the NEWBIES FAQ sticky and follow advice there.

But you might need to reflect on why PPCs are engaged by landowners, why the sick, the chemos, the dying, the bereaved, the vulnerable, new Mums, the disabled, little old ladies and OAPs are in a state of trauma, day in, day out, and why we have to deal with these cases almost 24/7/365, ad nauseam!

95% of the time we help people who have made genuine, minor errors, losing sleep and generally terrified by the threats made against them. We also help the 5% who cause most of these problems - rogue parkers who seem not to give a flying f@ck for anyone else, until it blows up in their face!

You've not said which PPC has issued this charge, nor whether this was a windscreen ticket, or ANPR capture, nor whether this was in England/Wales or Scotland/NI. All questions that need answers to, in order to guide you correctly.

I'm not questioning your intelligence, and we will genuinely try to help you, but for the moment, get on with reading the sticky - and providing answers to above questions.

Half_way

If no "crime" has been commited then no punishment / penalty can be given out.
If you think tat the amount that the parking company is demanding is fair and reasonable go ahead and pay - but then why are you posting on a money saving site?
If you think that the fee demanded for what could be seen as tresspass is greater than the damage your trespass may have caused, then look t the newbies thread.

fisherjim

"I'll confess to never having paid to much attention to the signs - as I never stay more than 2 hours I'd never bothered to read them. But I knew they were there. Previously this car park had been manned by traffic wardens and the unwritten rule was 2 hours from the time you were seen. So if you were feeling cheeky you knew you could risk it.

So as you can see I was fully aware of the rules and chose to ignore them and now I am trying to avoid doing the time for my crime!"

You should go through the newbies thread as already suggested, and you will be helped, but sorry you really do deserve all the hassle you are going to go through in my opinion!And this time you better bother to read the information or you will get nowhere!

Jim_AFCB

fisherjim wrote: »

"I'll confess to never having paid to much attention to the signs - as I never stay more than 2 hours I'd never bothered to read them. But I knew they were there. Previously this car park had been manned by traffic wardens and the unwritten rule was 2 hours from the time you were seen. So if you were feeling cheeky you knew you could risk it.

So as you can see I was fully aware of the rules and chose to ignore them and now I am trying to avoid doing the time for my crime!"

You should go through the newbies thread as already suggested, and you will be helped, but sorry you really do deserve all the hassle you are going to go through in my opinion!And this time you better bother to read the information or you will get nowhere!

Bit harsh - we can all say that in hindsight.

And to Sarah (is your username your real name??), no crime has been committed!

I do suggest you change your username if that is your real name - the scammers do read these forums and could identify your case. It has happened in the past!

Half_way

Something doesn't seem right about the OPs opening post.

The op said Didnt read the signs, is that because they weren't in a prominent position, in a small font etc etc?

I certainly have no grounds for appeal

in your mind perhaps, but there are plenty of reasons to challenge it such as not a Genuine pre estimate of loss, disguised penalty and so on.

does anyone have any experiences of being genuinely deserving of a parking ticket but wiggling out of it

As far as private parking charges go, no one is deserving of an over inflated parking charge especially as these over inflated charges go to fund the greed of the private parking companies.

Again if its a genuine OP then please respond the reason for the question is that as the Private parking world is full of dodgy characters, these people sometimes post on here posing as motorists trying to stir things up.

SarahPhelps

Hiya, sorry to worry you, yes I am a genuine parker. This happened at about 6pm in the evening to just after eight. The car park is home to an Iceland and a closed down Wickes. Was 1/3 full if that when I arrived and I was the last car left when I returned. So in terms of loss to the retailer I certainly feel no guilt as I have not taken a parking place that a genuine retailer would have used. I parked on the empty Wickes side as I always do. The £60 fine certainly does not justify the time overstayed in a practically empty car park

Guys_Dad

SarahPhelps wrote: »

Hiya, sorry to worry you, yes I am a genuine parker. This happened at about 6pm in the evening to just after eight. The car park is home to an Iceland and a closed down Wickes. Was 1/3 full if that when I arrived and I was the last car left when I returned. So in terms of loss to the retailer I certainly feel no guilt as I have not taken a parking place that a genuine retailer would have used. I parked on the empty Wickes side as I always do. The £60 fine certainly does not justify the time overstayed in a practically empty car park

OK. Then your "crime" is the same as 80% of those on here and our answer will be the same too.

So, read the sticky thread as advised and then come back and bullet point what you intend to do (from advice on said thread) and we will advise if you are on the right lines.

SarahPhelps

ampersand wrote: »

Is this fragrant Rachel?

I'm real, currently perfume free as I recently woke up : )

shirax

Bbc watchdog on I player this week recommended.