Pizza Hut parking charge notice! :(

Save-me-money

I visited a Pizza Hut restaurant which was at a retail park and therefore had its own free parking included. I did not think twice about any limits as I thought a customer would be entitled to free parking for ALL of their time at the store!

I later recieved a letter from G24 with a parking charge notice (with pictures of my car entering and leaving). My friend who was with me and who also parked there (in fact longer than myself as I was late!) did not receive any charge at all !!

I did not pay the fine, I recieved a follow up letter again from G24 and then 2 more from DRP Debbt recovery plus ltd. My final letter from drp says 'notice of intended court action' if I do not pay by a certain date.

My question is, what should I do now??
And do I have any leg to stand on with the fact that they target my car alone?!

I don't want this to go to courts but I don't believe it is fair that I got a fine whilst others didn't!

Thanks

Grimble

DRP are toothless debt collectors who can do NOTHING but write scary letters, sometimes in RED INK. You need to go back to Pizza Hut and get them to cancel it, you could complain on their facebook and twitter page.

Save-me-money

Grimble wrote: »

DRP are toothless debt collectors who can do NOTHING but write scary letters, sometimes in RED INK. You need to go back to Pizza Hut and get them to cancel it, you could complain on their facebook and twitter page.

I contacted Pizza Hut asking about their parking terms and they replied to say that there is a 3 hour limit and to note that going over this may result in receiving a fine! So looks like they are aware and happy for their customers to recieve a fine if they talk too much during their meal !!

Half_way

You have much learning to do with regards to what these private parking charges are ( and believe me once you get a hold of the situation its a real eye opener)

For now as stated above DRP and their ilk are nothing but bottom feeding money grabbers who will try and intimidate those who know no better into paying up, fortunately for yourself, you have fallen into the right place - and you will not be caving in, or paying them a penny.

A few questions that may help clear matters up,
You said this was a retail park,Was that the Pizza hut was part of that retail park, that is a shared car park, or does it have its very own car park separate from the retail park?

Where was/is this retail park?
If it is a multiple unit retail park ( ie car park and several shops/eateries such as pizza hut etc) then the owners of the retail park ( typically a property company such as Savils, or a pensions trust) will own it and contract the parking out to another company to act as their agents in regards to so called car park management.
If you can find out who owns the car park, and what entity has contracted out the parking you should be able to get them to cancel.
You may be able to do this with Pizza hut, however if all they do is rent a unit on a multiple occupancy retail park they may do a dont know who owns it type approach.

You should read the sticky thread, and try and get an understanding of the Private Parking industry and all it encompasses, G24 stuff is usually riddled with errors, half truths and other such nonsense designed to scare and get you to pay up, likewise with DRP

I would advise that you contact the landowner who took on G24 and try and get them to cancel, or state that they would want this to be cancelled, as if the principal tells the agent to cancel then this pretty much kills anything the agent (G24) or its associates (DRP) could try.

I would also advise that you complain in the strongest terms to Pizza Hut, as well as leaving something on trip advisor ( and telling pizza hut that you have done this) Also from your post you said that Pizza hut are aware of a three hour limit, however they failed to communicate this to you as a customer of theirs. As if you had been aware you would have promptly left ( possibly before paying the bill) or had gone elsewhere, or maybe if their service was a little more efficient this outcome would have not occurred

Coupon-mad

Save-me-money wrote: »

My question is, what should I do now??
And do I have any leg to stand on with the fact that they target my car alone?!

I don't want this to go to courts but I don't believe it is fair that I got a fine whilst others didn't!

Thanks

It is not a 'fine'.

Did you miss this thread?

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5035663

and these:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/71062565#Comment_71062565

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5498172

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5478215

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5457757

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5438949

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5430324

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5414385

HTH, nothing to get in a tizz about. Keep the letters and ignore - but tell them if you change address - carry on ignoring the letters unless a court claim is served (unheard of for G24 and defendable if they ever try).