Apcoa Fraud - Swindon Station

Mr_Rossy

Morning,


I need some advice on helping someone get a PCN cancelled that was issued by Apcoa at "Swindon Station Main Car Park" yesterday.


Graham the parking attendant thought it would be appropriate to stick a PCN on a vehicle parked outside of the Car Park on road leading up to the Industrial Estate known as Station Road. The PCN states "FGW04 - Not a parking area" however the vehicle was parked waiting on the broken double (I.e. the grit and gravel completely obscure the yellow lines) yellow lines on the road. (Exactly where Graham had parked whilst he did his rounds)


If Apcoa look at Graham's evidence they will see the vehicle is not in the car park, if they use the CCTV / ANPR then they will see that the vehicle has never entered the car park.


Can anyone advise a course of action or should they ignore the PCN?


Thanks in advance

HO87

You are going to have to give us something more of a clue as to the location and why you think that this might not be part of the car park - it sounds like an access road?

Google maps are your friend - post the link in plain text changing the URL to hxxp:// etc rather than http

The_Deep

Fraud is a very strong word. I very much doubt if the police would be interested, "...it's a civil matter Sir".

Mr_Rossy

Ha ha, yes sorry it is a civil matter not a criminal!


Sorry I can't get the post to accept as a hxxp: but if you google map "Fiddes & Sons, Sheppard Street, Swindon SN1 5DB, United Kingdom" then that drop pin is the road.

The road is just off Station Road, Swindon. It is used to access both the car parks, the railway works, the office block round the back of the station, etc. I believe it to be a British Transport Police controlled zone. There are no signs regarding private land, Apcoa, etc. on entering or exiting.

HO87

Did you park at the drop pin or somewhere closer to the car park?

If you enter the URL of the Google Maps spot (where you parked) as text not as a link - you can change the Http as suggested above.

Knowing how the PCN is worded would also help but I suspect that this has been issued as a "Railway Byelaws breach".

I understand the desire to remain as discreet as possible but this is going to be a long process if you don't offer up some detail that we can get out teeth into.

On the topic of discretion APCOA are one of the very least litigious parking companies out there and are relatively easy to beat but we still need some detail to guide you. If your approach is simply discreet that's fine but if you are having to go to a colleague for details every time we pose a question then something is going to slip between the stools. Get them to post direct.

Mr_Rossy

The vehicle was parked at the drop pin, not any closer to the car park. We can see the car from our office window.

The wording on the PCN is;

Parking Charge Notice

Notice Number: FGW190002430
Date of issue: 23/11/2016
Time of issue: 14:18:39
Vehicle Registration: GxxxTxx
Make: Peugeot Colour: xxxx
Was Seen At Location: Swindon Station Main Car Park
On (Date): 23/11/2016
Time First Seen: 14:18:39
By parking Attendant: grahamh
Signature/Initials:

Who had reasonable cause to believe that the following contravention had occurred:

FGW04 - Not a parking area


I tried to upload a photo of the PCN and the hxxp but this site says "as a new user you are not allowed to post with links"

Quentin

If you post it as hxxp (not http) you will succeed (someone else will post it as a "live" link for you)

Mr_Rossy

I've copied the wording of the PCN now above anyway, but strangely even if I replace the words http with hxxp it says "Sorry as a new user you are not allowed to post with links. This is done to stop spammers clogging up the site. Please edit your message below to continue."

Johno100

The_Deep wrote: »

Fraud is a very strong word. I very much doubt if the police would be interested, "...it's a civil matter Sir".

But didn't our foolish young friend in Plymouth who ticketed on public roads find his collar felt by the rozzers?

And here is a link that seems to work.

https://goo.gl/maps/8VF64qaQNj42

Mr_Rossy

I can see that "Graham H" will have his work cut out for him today as there are 4 train spotters parked out on the road currently. I would hate for those pensioners to be taken for a ride by Apcoa

HO87

Johno100 wrote: »

But didn't our foolish young friend in Plymouth who ticketed on public roads find his collar felt by the rozzers?

And here is a link that seems to work.

https://goo.gl/maps/8VF64qaQNj42

Indeed but his was a fraud from start to finish and that was evidenced in the paperwork that was immediately available. In this case this is likely to be simply the poster's opinion - which is fine but can't really be compared to the example you give. By the way, he didn't just "get his collar felt" he actually handed himself in for arrest so comprehensively had his operation (it hardly deserves that title) been blown open on the forum here - and all in the space of just a few hours.

This is rather different in that the land (road or not) is almost certainly railway property and is subject of the railway byelaws which experience has shown APCOA have a degree of authority in respect of. In other words it is entirely possible that "Graham" has some authority beyond the car park and that would be consistent with what APCOA have done at Bristol Temple Meads, for example.

@ OP When I asked for detail I was rather more interested in the general wording of the PCN. Does it mention the railway byelaws or make any reference to keeper liability?

I suspect that the parking event actually took place here somewhere rather than closer to Station Road itself. https://goo.gl/maps/RVukmGKL7412