G24 lost my first appeal.

thehighwayman87

Hi guys newbie here... Any help would be appreciated. It all started with my fiance parking in a multistore carpark controlled by G24. She whent over the maximum time by around 20 minutes. Week or so later we recieved a letter with a fine. That night my partner and i went online and sent an appeal on the G24 website explaining that she has a young baby that needed attention right before she was ready to leave. And thats why she went over the time. We have heard nothing since. Until last night when we recieved another letter claiming that they hadn't had a response or an appeal in the time given... But we had given it all ready.... So we repeated what we sent on the first appeal on the g24 website. And they have sent an email back saying that we are to late to appeal. Unfortunately i never knew this site exsited and now i have read the sticky threads. Im not too sure where i stand as i have already shot myself/my partner in the foot by identifying the driver amongst other things. I look forward to your hearing your thoughts. Many thanks.

Umkomaas

In many respects whether they lost your appeal or not, they would, 100%, have rejected it. Further appeal to the next stage of the process (the IAS) would similarly have failed. You therefore ignore everything that now comes your way from G24 or their debt collectors.

You do not ignore a LBC or MCOL Claim (see NEWBIES FAQ sticky, post #5 for acronyms explanations), but the likelihood of that is about the same as you winning the lottery on Saturday.

http://www.bmpa.eu/companydata/G24.html

If the baby is under 6 months old with a breastfeeding mother, your OH would be entitled to a reasonable adjustment (extra time in the car park could be one adjustment) under The Equality Act 2010. Look it up so you know what you might be talking about.

You now need to go after the landowner (probably the Managing Agent given it was a multi-retailer car park) and demand they get this ticket cancelled by their agent G24, which will persuade you not to issue a claim against them (minimum damages £500) under the Eq Act.

thehighwayman87

Thank you so much for the comprehensive reply. And yes our baby at the time of issue was under 6 months old. I will do some research about this like you said. And yes it was a retailers car park with many big chains on the site. B&M. Halfords. Bensons etc... In Crawley. I will chase the land owner and let you know how i get on in the next few days... Thank you again for your very knowledgeable reply. What a great website and forum this really is.

Fruitcake

A handful of retail parks have a clause in the contracts that allows a manager of a store to cancel a PCN, so it is worth asking managers at more than one shop (not customer services) to intervene.

You should also complain to your MP about this disgusting unregulated industry.

These are some of the comments made by the MPs in Parliament concerning the unregulated parking industry (Feb 2018):

https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2018-02-02/debates/CC84AF5E-AC6E-4E14-81B1-066E6A892807/Parking(CodeOfPractice)Bill

''Rip-offs from car park Cowboys must stop''; unfair treatment; signage deliberately confusing to ensure a PCN is issued; ''years of abuse by rogue parking companies''; bloodsuckers; ''the current system of regulation is hopeless, like putting Dracula in charge of the blood-bank''; extortionate fines; rogue operators; ''sense of injustice''; unfair charges and notices; wilfully misleading; signage is a deliberate act to deceive or mislead; ''confusing signs are often deliberate, to trap innocent drivers''; unreasonable; a curse; harassing; operating in a disgusting way; appeals service is no guarantee of a fair hearing; loathed; outrageous scam; dodgy practice; outrageous abuse; unscrupulous practices; ''the British Parking Association is as much use as a multi-storey car park in the Gobi desert''; and finally, by way of unanimous conclusion: ''we need to crack down on these rogue companies. They are an absolute disgrace to this country. Ordinary motorists and ordinary residents should not have to put up with this''.

These are the exact words used, so you should quote them to your MP in a complaint and ask him/her to contact Sir Greg Knight MP if he wants further information about this scam.

Mention the MPs' comments to the store managers when you visit them. Also take photos now of the entrance and signage in case it gets to the small claims court later.

The_Deep

This is an entirely unregulated industry which is scamming the public with inflated claims for minor breaches of contracts for alleged parking offences, aided and abetted by a handful of low-rent solicitors.

Parking Eye, CPM, Smart, and another company have already been named and shamed, as has Gladstones Solicitors, and BW Legal, (these two law firms take hundreds of these cases to court each year). They lose most of them, and have been reported to the regulatory authority by an M.P. for unprofessional conduct

Hospital car parks and residential complex tickets have been especially mentioned.

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.

http://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/2f0384f2-eba5-4fff-ab07-cf24b6a22918?in=12:49:41

and complain in the most robust terms to your MP. With a fair wind most of these companies may well be put out of business by Christmas.

StaffsSW

The_Deep wrote: »

and complain in the most robust terms to your MP. With a fair wind most of these companies may well be put out of business by Christmas.

My MP is Jared O'Mara. With a fair wind he may possibly read my email by Christmas....

He's not what you would consider the most productive of our elected members.

Coupon-mad

thehighwayman87 wrote: »

Thank you so much for the comprehensive reply. And yes our baby at the time of issue was under 6 months old. I will do some research about this like you said. And yes it was a retailers car park with many big chains on the site. B&M. Halfords. Bensons etc... In Crawley. I will chase the land owner and let you know how i get on in the next few days... Thank you again for your very knowledgeable reply. What a great website and forum this really is.

We have loads of examples of G24 charges being cancelled by retailers, all the time. Certainly don't go and make the mistake this person did and think you have to pay this bunch of chancers!

No appeals are ever upheld, so it makes no odds they are pretending it was 'lost'. Only retailer complaints work. If not, ignore G24 like everyone else here would, perfectly happily laughing at their letters.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5814317

Horrendous that person if fifty quid down instead of coming to talk to us (or the retailer) first!

NO-ONE pays G24 here, except that person...

thehighwayman87

Thank you every one for your thoughts and inputs its greatly appreciated.... to think i was going to pay it just to stop the scary letters and threats. I shall find out the land owner/ store manager that uses g24 as there agents.. And proceed to use the equality act as a light reminder... Thanks again every one. Thank you for the political part aswell.