Smart Paking Charge - Asda Stockport

Fruitcake

I have just reread your OP and noticed this' "I have however, now received a Parking Charge Notice dated 27th August, stating that the 'discount period' has now expired."


That is a no-no and you should complain to the BPA and DVLA than "not so smart" have not given the keeper a discount period. This is a breach of the BPA code of practice. I believe as such it actually forms a non POFA 2012 compliant NTK which will mean it is a winning point at PoPLA if it gets that far.
This is why I asked you to post up a redacted scan of the NTK/PCN you received by post so we can pick holes in it.

Hot_Bring

angryannie wrote: »

Additionally - I have just checked my bank account and it is showing that the day of the transaction with ASDA was actually TWO days after the Contravention date shown on the PCN ?? ie. day of purchase was 24th July and the PCN states the date as 22nd July. Does this invalidate the notice or could it be the bank processing just being two days later?
I have to say that the Customer Service Team Leader has just phoned me back to confirm that she has 'dealt with the matter - Asda will paying the charge and that should be the end of the matter. If I receive any other letters from Smart - to take them into her.

Card transactions sometimes take up to three days to appear on your bank account statement so that probably explains the date difference.

Regardless, stop worrying - it sounds like it may have been sorted even with her lies - council owned indeed :rotfl:- Asda 'pay' the charge, really ??? No they won't, she just instructed Smart to cancel it.

IF, and that's a big IF, the council owned the car park ( and they don't ! ) why would Asda :

a. Pay the charge ?
b. Be able to get it cancelled ?

The person was quite clearly very dim

Anyway, Smart have NEVER done court so now just ignore them. You now need to do two things :

1. Phone the council and ask them if they own that land - ask them to respond in writing.

2. Once you've done 1. write to Asda HQ and ask why they allow members of staff to lie to their customers.

You won't be paying a penny of this. Come back here when you have an update.

ManxRed

Hot_Bring wrote: »

1. Phone the council and ask them if they own that land - ask them to respond in writing.

2. Once you've done 1. write to Asda HQ and ask why they allow members of staff to lie to their customers.

Pretty much word for word what I was going to write.

Do this.

trisontana

I went down this route when Smart was Town and Country. I emailed Asda asking why T&C's signs in their Retford and Grantham stores had the words "civil penalty notice" on them. That's when Asda came back with the "council owned" nonsense. I even contacted the councils concerned to see if they did own the car-parks. Both said they didn't.

As I said, it took several emails to them to admit that they did own these car parks and T&C worked for them

ManxRed

I think there must be something in the staff handbook that says 'if anyone complains about a parking ticket, tell them the car park is owned by the Council' it happens that often.

Guys_Dad

When you eventually get your POPLA appeal in and you ask the PPC for their contract with landowner, if it is ASDA, then it has to be invalid, doesn't it if the council own the land?

Amazing how many councils that rent land to ASDA use the same PPC . Telepathy??

Ralph-y

The wifey received the same reply when she asked about temp disability parking :think:

perhaps one for Parky on a quiet day

Ralph:cool:

angryannie_2

Thank you again everybody, I have made some scribbled notes on the letter I received, about the situation today at Asda Customer Service. I have a phone photo of the letter, but don't know if I can or should upload that to this site and do I take it that I still need to complete an appeal to Smart Parking.

Ive just read further down the responses and its answered my question regarding the appeal situation. I will try to find the template on here. I don't believe for one minute that Asda has paid anything, like you all say, but the CS lady did stress that it is something they don't normally do, it was a gesture of goodwill and did assure me I won't receive anything else. I guess she has just made a call to cancel this as you have all said. I do feel a little better about the situation, but not 100% sure that Smart Parking won't write again. Thank you Manxred and and Hot Bring - I will telephone the council to check who owns the car park, and get a letter sent off to Asda HQ if it is indeed owned by them.

Fruitcake

angryannie wrote: »

Thank you again everybody, I have made some scribbled notes on the letter I received, about the situation today at Asda Customer Service. I have a phone photo but don't know if I can or should upload that and do I take it that I still need to complete an appeal to Smart Parking.

Definitely appeal to "not so smart" in case ASDA don't cancel in time.


Upload the photo as advised earlier but remove anything that can identify you. "Upload the image to a website such as tinypic or photobucket, then post the URL but change http to hxxp and then someone here will change it back so it can be viewed."


You can always print the photo, redact it with marker pen then scan it or photograph it again if you can't edit it as it is In other words, make sure names, PCN number, car reg number, and anything that can identify you is removed.

Ralph-y

you still need to move towards the appeal ... just in case ....

use the one found in the newbies thread

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

with a little lick they will refuse ... and you then take them to a second appeal and cost them money just before Asda get it cancelled

I am glad you are now getting to grips with all this ....:)

Ralph :cool: