Smart Parking Fine - Astle Outlet Park

darkcloudi

I recently got a fine, should have checked the stickies before lodging an appeal.

The problem I have is the payment machine at Astle Outlet Park was not working at the Gym (Gym members get a discount), was advised by a member of staff no payment was required due to this, so continued with my workout. Unfortunately I got injured at the gym (my fault, crushed my fingers between two dumbbells) and was taken to hospital on this day.

I was advised by the gym verbally it was ok to keep the car at the outlet park and no payment was required. Was also told they will advise Smart Parking since I was taken in by ambulance. I just received a fine for this, i'm assuming the company Smart Parking should have common sense in this case and withdraw the fine?

Has anyone had similar circumstances where they are unable to drive there car due to injury and left it on site. My car was then driven out by my dad 5 hours longer then my usual stay as was in hospital for the duration of that time.

I have lodged an appeal and sent them photos of my injury but not sure what would happen in these scenarios especially when you get told no payment is required verbally and then get a PCN through the post.

Carthesis

Get on to the gym. Get in touch with the manager and insist they contact (not-so-)Smart and get the charge cancelled. Point out to them this is what you were told to do by a member of their own staff.

darkcloudi

Carthesis wrote: »

Get on to the gym. Get in touch with the manager and insist they contact (not-so-)Smart and get the charge cancelled. Point out to them this is what you were told to do by a member of their own staff.

Will pop down to the gym today, hopefully common sense will prevail.

Carthesis

Make sure you talk to the manager, and ideally do so where other people / members can hear you complaining about this charge.

Make sure you get his/her name and email address.

Insist on cancellation, and insist that they email you to confirm.

As soon as you get home, email the manager you spoke to and confirm with them that you spoke to them on such-and-such a date, and it was agreed that blah blah, and you look forward to hearing back from them that this charge has been cancelled, and thank you for your help.

If they come back to you with "we can't do anything because we aren't the landowners etc." then ask for the landowner details, and contact their CEO and get them involved.

Sadly, you seem to need to be quite bolshy about this sometimes.

Ralph-y

", i'm assuming the company Smart Parking should have common sense in this case and withdraw the fine?"

you have a lot to learn about the murky world of parking on private land :eek:

as well as the advice above I would sugest a read of the newbies thread

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

Ralph:cool:

Coupon-mad

If the complaint does not work, DO NOT imply who was driving in your first appeal because a registered keeper appellant can easily beat Smart at POPLA stage (due to their NTK not being POFA worded, it's a driver-only one).

Hence the keeper appeals and wins in the end, every time. Easy. Use the blue writing template appeal from the NEWBIES thread as your starter for ten.

darkcloudi

Thought I update this thread, to say got a letter today to say the PCN got cancelled

Coupon-mad

Yay, well done!

nataliepriest1993

Hi, I went to the Nike Factory on 19.11.16, I waited in the car whilst my partner ran in and exchanged something, I didn't know that the carpark had changed to a camera operated system therefore as I was staying in the car I didn't bother getting a ticket. On Saturday 26.11.16 I received a £60 parking fine from Smart Parking with images showing I was 24 minutes. Does anybody have any advice on what to do to avoid the fine? I don't think it was made clear that there were ANPR cameras in action otherwise I would have bought a ticket.

Thanks in advance!!

Redx

please start a NEW THREAD using the red NEW THREAD button , top left of this parking sub-forum

then copy and paste the above into it and press submit