Minster Baywatch - Reel Cinema Port Talbot PCN

supongo

Advice appreciated. Unfortunately I rashly appealed, before seeing the advice here, to Minster Baywatch after getting a PCN from them for parking at the cinema without realising they had recently implemented new parking criteria for cinema customers so that they had to register their car when buying a cinema ticket to get free parking whereas previously it was free to all. I didn't notice any signs and was not made aware of this change by the cashier. I emailed and phoned them saying I was the driver etc (stupid I know now) and got a transaction receipt from the cinema to send them. They have 'kindly' agreed as a 'gesture of goodwill' to accept a £10 admin fee instead of the £100 fine. I have appealed to the cinema customer services and informed them of my anger and the bad affect it will have on their reputation and custom (certainly from family and friends) but they do not seem to care and imply I should think myself lucky.

Should I just pay the admin fee or appeal to POPLA (they gave me POPLA number) or what? Thanks in advance for any advice.

hoohoo

For the sake of an easy life I personally would probably pay the £10, but make sure I either never visited the cinema again, or smuggled in my own food until I saved £10.

Half_way

I dissagree with the advice above, go to the cinema, and complain. tell them to cancel or pay your expenses for dealing with the popla challenge at £18 per hour

The_Deep

Personally, I would not pay £10, their charge is an unlawful penalty without commercial justification, and their requirement that you enter your registration may be an unfair term under YTCCC Regulations, depending on how well publicized it is.


Take it to PoPLA, make them pay for their greed.

Quentin

supongo wrote: »

........Should I just pay the admin fee or appeal to POPLA (they gave me POPLA number) or what? Thanks in advance for any advice.

This really depends on how much you value the time that you will have to devote to this if you decide not to pay the tenner.

Umkomaas

Principle -v- Pragmatism!

At the court rate of £18 per hour, it would need all work to be completed in under 34 minutes before the 'cost' of the OP's time goes beyond £10.

OP's decision to make.

Fruitcake

Whilst keeping an eye on the PoPLA deadline, I would write back to the PPC. They are asking for a tenner when they know a PoPLA appeal will cost them £27 plus VaT, win or lose.
Give them a drop hands offer pointing out how much this will cost them if you go to PoPLA. Your time is worth more than a tenner, they want a tenner, lets call it quits or it will cost them £30 odd. If you lose at PoPLA you will ignore this as is your right and see them in court which will cost them a darn site more.
As Clint Eastwood said in Dirty Harry, "are you feeling lucky?" Do they really want to risk hundreds of quid for a tenner?


I definitely wouldn't pay if it were me in this situation, and I would be badgering the cinema as well as giving slightly less than positive reviews on fakebook and tw@tter and local press.

supongo

Many thanks for all comments and advice. Much food for thought. I have been complaining to the cinema but not getting anywhere.

It is unbelievable how a business lets themselves lose respect, reputation and custom by treating their customers like this. Certainly they will lose more than they gain.:mad:

Ralph-y

Have you been complaining to head office?
have you tried complaining on their facebook page?

do not despair .......... keep up the presure...

good luck

Ralph:cool:

The_Deep

I have been complaining to the cinema but not getting anywhere.


Do they have a Facebook page? If so write bad things on it.

Razorshell

Hi, just wondering how you got on with your appeal. I am having the same problems and would appreciate any advice you could offer. I came here too late, but have hope.