Suing Euro Car Parks?

michaeln2504

Hi,

Anyone had experience claiming against them?

I have paid for parking in Shoreditch some time ago but one of the machines malfunctioned and didnt't send them the parking info for the cameras (reg number). My card was charged and got the parking ticket though.

Week later got a PCN for £100 from them. appealed (didn't mentioned that I still had a ticket - company expenses, so said I already passed it on) and said thai I have paid with card. They refused.

I appealed to POPLA and almost instantly they said they will not contest it.

Now, it costed me some time to spend on them (and stress obviously) and I am not prepared to leave it like this. I have just finished writing an email to them, copying in BPA that I will seek compensation for no less than £1100 (they fees are not relevant to anything, so can't see the reason mine should) otherwise I will take them to court...

Anyone had experience dealing with them in this direction? Any luck?

Also, my first post on MSE, so welcome all

Ralph-y

have a watch of our MP's debating this 'cowboy industry' (Hansard)


[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]http://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/2f0384f2-eba5-4fff-ab07-cf24b6a22918?in=12:49:41[/FONT]

Ralph:cool:

fisherjim

You don't stand much chance of claiming damages in my opinion, but you should report them to The BPA, your MP, trading standards, and the ICO they had no cause to obtain your details.

The_Deep

You might get a few pounds from them, but £1100 is out of the question. How has it damaged you? Did the stress lead to you slitting your wrists, and spending a few weeks in The Priory?

Send them a LBA if you wish, (freebie here)

https://www.rocketlawyer.co.uk/documents-and-forms/letter-before-action.rlm?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIycug-cK02QIVqrvtCh0l_gj2EAAYASAAEgILqPD_BwE

but do not ask for more than t £19 for each hour dealing with it.

Have you watched the video? IMO you would do better complaining to your MP. They will surely be put out of business by Christmas.

twhitehousescat

where any puppies injured?

michaeln2504

BPA was copied in the email, my MP is too busy thinking how to eat his cake and still have it...

I realize it will be a long shot. But on the point of principle I think it is important to show parking companies it's a 2 way street. They can't issue robo tickets or even court claims banking people will get scared and just pay.

Court claim costs few quid to file online (that's why they do them left, right and center) and it will cost them to prep, send team/statements to Northampton.
Even if I don't win, it's the fight that matters. If more people would do it, perhaps cowboys would think twice before going after their own customers!.

The think with ICO and the recent update is that unfortunately they did, but once I won the appeal they shouldn't have right to hold on to them I think...

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@The Deep

Same grounds as they can come up with £100 for hours' parking...
You don't have to cut your wrist to start suffering depression. I'd like them to spend 10's of thousands to start proving that it wasn't them who caused it. It's their process that they follow when issuing tickets and refusing appeals...

The_Deep

They can't issue robo tickets or even court claims banking people will get scared and just pay.

Yes they can, which is why you should complain to your MP.

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]This is an entirely unregulated industry which is scamming the public with inflated claims for minor breaches of contracts for alleged parking offences. [/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Parking Eye, Smart and a smaller company have already been named and shamed, as has Gladstones Solicitors, and BW Legal, (who take hundreds of these cases to court, and nearly always lose), who have also been reported to the regulatory authority. [/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]The problem has become so rampant that MPs have agreed to enact a Bill to regulate these scammers. Watch the video of the Second Reading in the HofC recently.[/FONT]

Half_way

Whos car park was it?

michaeln2504

Wrong wording there.... of course they can. But if more people fought back it wouldn't be so profitable.
I can't see that paying £1100 (or any other sum I would have happened to have clicked on my keyboard) would still be less than getting a solicitor to court in attempt to prove that it's not the fine that sparked out raging depression.

Those things can drag for ages and it's not the winning I'm concentrating at but maximizing their loses.
The £1100 had to be unreasonable enough for them to start off with no but sensible enough to take to county court...

Hope it makes sense?

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Half Way

Euro Car Parks in Shoreditch High Street (Near Tea Building)

The_Deep

I fully agree with the sentiments, but have you heard the phrase "you cannot fight City Hall", you are tilting at windmills. .

Are you saying that PCN caused you "out raging depression"? If so, can you prove it, letters from your GP, therapist, prescriptions for happy pills, time off work, rehab?

You are right, if consumers fought back these companies would be less successful, but they don't, they patronise Brighthouse, pay a pittance for you gold shops, payday loan companies which charge 4,000% interest, £100+ plus for trainers which cost a tenner to make. £3.00 for a coffee.

If you want to get your own back, write to your MP, and/or issue a sensible claim in the SCC. You will not get far asking for £1,100. In fact you may lose and get an eye-watering CPR27.14(2)(g) costs order against you.

michaeln2504

I might have overstated "raging depression"...

Nobody had actually mentioned anything about similar case being brought forward so perhaps there is a stance on moral grounds.

If in view of ECP £100 for hour's parking is a reasonable amount to pay, I can't see how £1,100 wouldn't be for 10 hours of research, correspondence, time spent on appeals, even typing on this forum (I wouldn't be here now if not for the ticket). I'll throw stress free in there

It's not about amount but about moral stance. I do hope that they will decline my claim now outright and give me an opportunity to challenge them at courts. There are no grounds for CPR27 as they would be breaching my human rights of fair trial.

If the case was won could open floodgates for other people in similar situations.

As for payday sharks, the solution is simple (nevertheless not easy), we can always go to Primark etc for £10 shoes that cost £11.
Having met guys who work with sourcing coffee I sort of sympathize with £2 per cup...