Parking Eye - 100 quid for 19 mins after 6?!!

Lousaver

Hi all, new here but I did read enough to know I should start a new thread for my parking "event"!

Briefly ...

It was a medical emergency, I parked up outside the walk-in centre intending to ask inside about if I needed to pay and how to do it without a bank card (mislaid in the distress), but got rushed through and fast-tracked past a huge long queue, got seen in minutes and sent on to another facility straight away.

I have already this morning (why didn't I check here first?) sent (online) a long appeal with all the details (got the Notice on Sat and the 14 days Discount period runs out on Thurs, so feeling the time pressure)

Parking Eye's camera clocked 19 mins from 1758 (I thought it was after 6)

I see in your suggestions about claiming for a grace period - of 20 mins!!! - do you think I have a case?

THank you xxx

fisherjim

The "discount" is a bribe to make you panick, it worked.

What did the medical centre said when you complained?

Fruitcake

Ignore the discount. You want the 100% MSE discount instead.

1) Complain to the medical centre manager.

2) If it isn't cancelled by the medical centre or parking lie, draft a PoPLA appeal using the template appeal points from the NEWBIES thread. One of your several appeal points will be lack of grace periods.
Post the draft here for checking before you send it.

Lousaver

Hi @fisherjim , I have not yet complained to the medical centre, I responded directly to Parking Eye, filling in the appeal box (-3000 characters) and attaching my Long Version letter as a doc file - was planning to send a print-out of this to the PO box address as hard copy.

Hi @Fruitcake, thank you too. Hard to ignore the discount threat/ panic/ bribe but I will do as you say!
I will contact the medical centre and ask for advice and evidence that I was there! Will get back to you here.

Lousaver

Medical centre is now looking for evidence of my being there! Apparently because I was rushed through and then sent on my way (they would not have been able to treat me that evening and suggested I go to the medical centre in my home town an hour away rather than wait til the next day) my visit was not recorded?! She'll phone me back - but surely the receptionist who took my call at 5.30 to see if they were still open, who remembered me when I got there at 6 and sent me through to triage and the nurse that saw me and gave me leaflets and sent me on my way should have some record??

Coupon-mad

Of course they have some sort of record of it. If they say they do not, complain to the Practice Manager about why they have disregarded the Government Policy/Principles:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nhs-patient-visitor-and-staff-car-parking-principles

Is this that GP's clinic in Bristol withe dodgy signs with plasters on, or maybe the one in Brighton we've seen before where some woman called Cheryl is the apologist/Practice Manager?

Lousaver

Thank you @Coupon-mad

Yes, they did phone back saying they could send me some paperwork to show I was there and when. I will send it along with my letter to the PO box number.

The cowards won't deal with cases over the phone, all numbers I have searched for do not get beyond the pre-recorded options of Pay or Appeal Online.

No not Bristol, this was Woking, and the person who answered the phone today said I must have parked in the doctor's car park, not in the Med centre car park - curiouser and curiouser because whatever else I did not notice in my confusion, I would have spotted that sort of signage.

I was on the way home to Southampton from Leatherhead and stopped by at Guildford for advice from Boots the Chemist - paid all my other parking charges that day! This one I think required a smartphone plus a bank card, I was looking to pay by cash ...

Coupon-mad

Please, please please do NOT send a letter to any PO Box number to Parking Eye. That is how to fail at appeal, because they will quite likely lose it. That is almost as bad as trying to TELEPHONE them...please, STOP.

You can appeal in 2 minutes flat online and upload the attachment as well. NO LETTER. No phoning them...STOP.

Lousaver

OK thank you!!! I already did send an appeal letter online this morning, too late, before finding you and your words of wisdom here. I hope I did not ruin my chances.

I will await their response patiently. It will be negative.

I will bite the bullet and take the gamble and not pay up the 60 before Thursday. If you promise this is the right thing to do. I do believe you.

I will find and draft a popla? appeal letter and share it here for approval.

Coupon-mad

You should complain to PALS now, this needs cancelling this week by the Hospital.

Fruitcake

Coupon-mad wrote: »

You should complain to PALS now, this needs cancelling this week by the Hospital.

It was a walk in centre so they may not have PALS. They may however have a PPG, (Patient Participation Group) who may have some input. Most of the GP surgeries by here in the land of the Wurzel have them. (I know because my Lovely Cousin is the chair of ours.)

The practice manager also needs to be contacted about this and given a good stiff talking to.