ANPR (Double Dipping) - Berkeley Centre, Sheffield - Vehicle Control Services

WillPS

Morning! Hope you can help me out with this.

A NTK was received from VCS earlier this month, alleging my car had overstayed late one evening in November (2 hour max stay, alleged duration 21:25). As a matter of fact, the car had been driven to the car park, the driver used the Tesco Metro to pick something up and left within 15 minutes. Almost 2 hours later, the car was driven back to the same car park to buy another item from the same Tesco Metro.

I replied to the NTK within a week via email using the template response on the Newbies thread, and have now received another letter which suggests I have until the 7th to pay £60, or I can go to the IAS - but they are saying if I do this and my appeal fails I will have to pay £100.

I received a similar NTK at a different site earlier in the year (from a different parking firm) - I believe it is called 'double dipping', where the ANPR cameras miss the car leaving before later returning and assume an overstay. In that case I simply gave them the template response in the Newbies thread and they cancelled the charge.

I am in the process of trying to get Tesco to cancel the charge but I keep getting through to their team that deals with their own car parks who keep telling me to ring VCS (which I don't think is wise).

What would be the best way to proceed?

Can VCS charge the higher amount even if I lodge an IAS appeal now?

All advice very much appreciated.

beamerguy

WillPS wrote: »

Morning! Hope you can help me out with this.

A NTK was received from VCS earlier this month, alleging my car had overstayed late one evening in November (2 hour max stay, alleged duration 21:25). As a matter of fact, the car had been driven to the car park, the driver used the Tesco Metro to pick something up and left within 15 minutes. Almost 2 hours later, the car was driven back to the same car park to buy another item from the same Tesco Metro.

I replied to the NTK within a week via email using the template response on the Newbies thread, and have now received another letter which suggests I have until the 7th to pay £60, or I can go to the IAS - but they are saying if I do this and my appeal fails I will have to pay £100.

I received a similar NTK at a different site earlier in the year (from a different parking firm) - I believe it is called 'double dipping', where the ANPR cameras miss the car leaving before later returning and assume an overstay. In that case I simply gave them the template response in the Newbies thread and they cancelled the charge.

I am in the process of trying to get Tesco to cancel the charge but I keep getting through to their team that deals with their own car parks who keep telling me to ring VCS (which I don't think is wise).

What would be the best way to proceed?

Can VCS charge the higher amount even if I lodge an IAS appeal now?

All advice very much appreciated.

VCS are simple scammers and they belong to an even bigger scammer which is the IPC/IAS, owned by the infamous Gladstones Solicitors
The chances of the IAS supporting your appeal is very limited because they have to back their own scammers.
You can try but don't hold your breath, it will show you tried should it go further.

Best to go direct to the CEO of Tesco complaining about this well known double dip scam.
Tesco recently set up their own parking dept who seem to approve of scammers.

In reality, if Tesco want you and your friends to spend any more money with them, you need to ask the CEO to get this cancelled
and insist you get it in writing

If VCS is operating on Tesco land and Tesco have employed them, Tesco have a responsibility to take due care of their customers and that means not allowing them to be scammed by VCS with dodgy ANPR cameras. Ask the CEO of Tesco to supply you with the ANPR logs for that day

Mr Dave Lewis Chief Executive

Email dave.lewis@uk.tesco.com

DON'T BE FOBBED OFF BY TESCO

Northlakes

Getting Tesco to cancel is your best course of action in the first instance and you need to be quite forthright with them.

Thank goodness you took the advice detailed in the NEWBIES thread.

As you will see from other threads there is absolutely no point in appealing to the IPC/IAS as it's just a branch of Gladstone's who will then sift through appeals, looking for easy targets for a court claim.
Experience of them indicates that it can only be detrimental to a successful long term outcome for you.

The problem for any recipient of a PCN is increasingly threatening storm of letters from dubious non-regulated debt collectors steadily increasing the amounts they demand. These are to be ignored.

Have you proof that you were elsewhere during this time period?
Do you have an Android phone with GPS?
These are useful weapons when it comes to a typical double dipping case.

Umkomaas

Tesco and VCS are very unlikely bedfellows. I rather suspect it is another organisation that has contracted VCS.

Is the site a multi-retailer one? Or are you saying that Tesco is the only retailer for which that car park services?

Northlakes

Tesco Metro! Smaller sites not necessarily owned by Tesco.

Umkomaas

Northlakes wrote: »

Tesco Metro! Smaller sites not necessarily owned by Tesco.

It will likely be a managing agent then. Time for a bit more research OP, as getting VCS or the IAS to cancel this charge is extremely remote.

WillPS

Thank you so much for your help guys. You're the best making time to do this on Christmas Eve!

Unfortunately I can't think of a way leaving the car park could be proven.

Berkeley Centre is a small shopping precinct, theres a KFC, Boots, Costa, Baskin Robins - over half of the shopping space is taken up by Tesco Metro; but the car park is definitely not one they manage themselves.

So should I not bother with IAS, and concentrate my fire at Tesco?

Should I ask for complete logs of the ANPR cameras - if so who from? I imagine Tesco wont have access to them.

I do spend loads at Tesco. Not so much this particular branch but across the chain. I have sent an email off to their Customer Service (previously I've used the phone and got nowhere), I will follow that up with an email to Dave Lewis. Would an in store visit also be worthwhile?

Umkomaas

The only IAS appeal likely to succeed is where you produce irrefutable evidence.

You can continue pushing at Tesco, but I don't believe they are the contractor with VCS - in which case, likely wasted effort. Just try and bottom out who runs that site (Tesco might be able to tell you) as I would guess it is they, not Tesco, who have contracted VCS and are the only ones who have the sway to tell VCS to cancel.

Johno100

What does the NTK say is the reason for the ticket?

This is from one of the nearby retailers.

It is usually easy to park your car in the Berkeley Precinct car park ( 2 hours free parking - but do not leave, return, and park within 5 hours or you get a fine..)

http://www.sheffphotoctre.com/about-our-company.html

So it sounds like this wasn't a case of double dipping but a return within a stated period 'infringement'.

Castle

WillPS wrote: »

A NTK was received from VCS earlier this month, alleging my car had overstayed late one evening in November (2 hour max stay, alleged duration 21:25). As a matter of fact, the car had been driven to the car park, the driver used the Tesco Metro to pick something up and left within 15 minutes. Almost 2 hours later, the car was driven back to the same car park to buy another item from the same Tesco Metro.

Are they claiming your vehicle stayed 21 hours and 25 minutes, because that would suggest another visit the next day!

Half_way

I would be looking at finding the management company, (Tesco crar parks re usually infested with highview) and as this was a double dip going for them - especially the management company who took on VCS for a breach of the data protection act as they had no business obtaining your data.
the management company are jointly and severally liable for the actions of their agents