Parking Eye Charge Notice!

RedSH

I was horrified to receive a Parking Charge Notice in the post today from Parking Eye.
Amount due is £85 although discounted to £50 if paid with 14 days of the issue date (05.02.16)

But it was a free carpark! How can they charge such extortionate amounts? I could understand if I had parked and neglected to buy a parking ticket.

It is for a visit I made to Whiteley Shopping Village in Hampshire.

Backgound/details:
My daughter had been invited to a birthday party at the climbing place (Rock-Up) there.
I asked the mum of the birthday child whereabouts it was and I was given instructions on the best place to park, told it was free parking for 4 hours and she also mentioned that there was a Tesco next to it!
Great, I thought, I can get some shopping done with my baby and toddler whilst my daughter is at the party.
So on the day I arrived a little early (to allow for finding it/parking etc) drove round to where the climbing place is and I saw the Tesco conveniently placed directly opposite. I drove into the parking area outside of Tesco and noticed the parent and child parking spaces where a man was packing his shopping into the boot.
Being a busy Saturday with no other spaces available near to the entrance I decided to wait for that space. Eventually he drove off and I pulled into the space.
I then walked my daughter to the party venue, waited until the party started and then proceeded to take my other children into the Tesco store to carry out a weekly shop.
Afterwards I unloaded my shopping into the car and headed back to the climbing place, waited for the party to finish and promptly returned to the car. Strapped all three children in and headed off on our way.

I do not recall seeing any signs regarding the monitoring of the car park or indeed stating that the Tesco area was different.
I believed the parking to be free for 4 hours, however since receiving this letter I have learnt that the rest of the carpark is free for 4 hours but the carpark area immediately outside of Tesco is only free for 2 hours!

Unfortunately I paid cash for my shopping and can't find my receipt

I can account for the time taken though!

Time of arrival: 12.59
Driving around carpark - 5 mins
Waiting for space - 5-10 mins
Unloading children - 10 mins
Walking to Rock-Up/Waiting for Party to start - 5-10 mins
Shopped - 1hr 20-25mins
Put shopping in car and baby into pushchair - 10 mins
Waited for party to end (15:30) - 15-20 mins
Strapped children into car and drove - 10 mins
Exited carpark at 15.41

I didn't even get to peruse the rest of the shopping village!

I feel that a parking charge of £50 (let alone £85) is highly unreasonable when I actually shopped in the supermarket and it is a free carpark, particularly as the rest of the carpark is free for 4 hours!

I intend to question this charge with either the shopping village itself or the Tesco store as well as appeal the charge with Parking Eye.

Do you think I should contact the shopping village rather than Tesco's in the first instance?
Also should I just tell them what I have told you above? Or do I need to add anything?

Shall I just use the appeal template on the Newbie thread when corresponding with Parking Eye?

Many thanks in advance for your advice, I have never received a parking charge before!

Redx

yes you should use the template appeal, PE wont give a monkeys for "what happened" as its not relevant

yes you should complain to the landowner or MA and insist on a cancellation

DO NOT REVEAL WHO WAS DRIVING TO ANYONE, THIS IS IMPORTANT

Barry Beavis took his case to the Supreme Court last November and lost his case on a "free" car park with a 2 hour limit

6 out of 7 supreme court judges decided £85 is not unreasonable , so I am afraid that argument would not win in court IMHO , not any more

he had 2 previous court hearings too, one at county court where he lost to one judge, then at the COA in london where he lost to 3 judges, then it went to the Supreme Court in front of 7 judges

http://parking-prankster.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/beavis-loses-parking-case-lord.html

I suggest you and your family and friends sign his petition asap, to try to get changes made to this highway robbery industry

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/111925

RedSH

Many thanks for your speedy reply!

I will be contacting both the shopping village and PE in the morning.

Petition Signed! Will be passing on the link too.

Coupon-mad

RedSH wrote: »

Many thanks for your speedy reply!

I will be contacting both the shopping village and PE in the morning...

...Shall I just use the appeal template on the Newbie thread when corresponding with Parking Eye?

Yes, use the blue wording template in the NEWBIES sticky thread and only choose 'registered keeper' (NOT DRIVER) in the drop-down menu on PE's appeal page. Also take a screenshot before clicking 'submit' because you don't get a copy.

Read post #3 of the NEWBIES thread for all the winning PE examples of POPLA appeals.

You, your extended family and your friends etc should all be signing this petition

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/111925

...if you haven't all done so already!

RedSH

A quick update.

I contacted Whiteley who said that the carpark belonged to Tesco and gave me a contact email.

They have said they are happy to cancel the parking charge if I take the letter along with a receipt or bank statement as proof of purchase.
I paid cash! I have turned the house upside down today and not found the receipt
Had I known I was going to have to go through this I would, of course, have kept it safe. I fear it has been thrown away.

This is going to cause me problems isn't it?

Coupon-mad

But you have a clubcard? Phone Tesco Head Office at Dundee and ask them to check your shopping records and cancel this themselves.

If not, you'll win on appeal anyway if you follow the script here & get assistance at POPLA stage.

RedSH

Unfortunately not - I usually shop at Sainsbury's! (Receive discount as my husband works for them)

I shall just have to see what they say when I tell them and hope that if they are not feeling overly generous the appeal through PE is successful!

Many thanks for your help.

Coupon-mad

The PE appeal will work in the end as long as the POPLA appeal is strong.

RedSH

Just to let you know the outcome...

Tesco agreed to cancel the parking charge, I took the notice into the store and they've cancelled it.
Cannot express how relieved I am! I shall certainly be paying more attention next time I go into a 'free' car park!

Many thanks for your help.

yotmon

Well done on persevering to a successful conclusion. However, why should customers of these businesses be put through the mill for simply accepting the free offer of parking. How many 'others' have simply paid the 'fine' and never returned, only to take their business elsewhere.
I do believe that big companies who use ppcs are reassessing the situation and cancelling charges, rather than risk losing a customer.

And about time too ! :T

beamerguy

RedSH wrote: »

Just to let you know the outcome...

Tesco agreed to cancel the parking charge, I took the notice into the store and they've cancelled it.
Cannot express how relieved I am! I shall certainly be paying more attention next time I go into a 'free' car park!

Many thanks for your help.

Well done, you should really get something in writing from Tesco, or a confirmation email that it was cancelled.

All the supermarkets are getting wise to the scammers