Parking Eye, Holiday Inn Guildford

Grumpy_Jac

Hello,
A newbie to this forum, but here goes. I met a work colleague at the Holiday Inn Guildford two weeks ago. After paying the extortionate £8 for 2 coffee's we didn't qualify for free parking so both had to pay an additional £2 each for the 90 min stay.
2 weeks later I get a Parking Charge Notice through as they say I didn’t pay. I checked the ticket, and realised that I had entered the number plate incorrectly. Two letters were wrong out of the seven. So, I disputed the Charge, (twice now), and provided copy of the ticket but they are refusing to budge.
I am not sure what happened when I entered my details. I am short sighted and didn’t have my glasses, and entering multiple digits onto their screen, outside in the glaring sun was not easy. My colleague went first and so was waiting for me to do the necessary and so perhaps I was rushed. I also need to get back for school pick up. None the less I made a mistake.
I got 5 of the numbers/digits correct giving a 1 in 1.5 million probability it was me. I also have my colleague who witnessed me paying for parking, but just cannot believe Parking Eye are being such idiots. They have waived their fine down from £100 to £60 and now to £20, but providing I don’t dispute the claim. I was ripped off paying the £2 for parking and won’t go back but £100, for a typo is ludicrous and grossly unfair.
Just interested to hear if anyone else has had similar issue and of the outcome from appeal to POPLA?
BTW, I am going to dispute the claim and will then also be writing to the Holiday Inn (IHG) and my local MP telling them what a joke this company is and how it will kill their business.

bergkamp

Have you contacted the actual hotel ?
I got an invoice cancelled at this location for a lady who attended a wedding reception and didn't enter her VRN in the terminal. No appeal to PE just the hotel and it was cancelled.

pogofish

A complaint to the hotel operator should be your first shot but have a good read of the Newbies Sticky before doing anything to inform yourself properly. PPC's don't really do fact-based appeals!

Redx

look up the words "de minimis" and why a judge may well find in yoiur favour in small claims court too (even if popla dont)

Grumpy_Jac

Thanks for the tips, yes went to the hotel first, and was told by reception that the management of the car park is contracted and so not their responsibility - I raised it with the General manager and have not heard back yet so started the appeal with parking Eye. I think if I had booked a room/stayed it may be different but only for a coffee? Either way I am never going back and making that clear to them?
Will also check on the threads you have suggested, thanks.

Fruitcake

Leave negative feedback on social media/hotel-website/trapadvisor etcetera to warn other people about this unregulated scam.

Also complain to your MP.

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.

Grumpy_Jac

Quick Update: Have left messages for the hotels GM, x 4 and yet to have my call returned. Finally got a response from parkingteam@holidayinnguildford - they have a dedicated email address so is obviously an issue. 5 emails later and they are still denying responsibility, say I have entered a contract with parking Eye etc. Have now posted on social media and written to the Intercontinental Hotel Group CEO, and raised my appeal through POPLA. Will be writing to my MP in the next week or so, once I hear back from the appeal - but as POPLA is 'self-regulated' and run by the companies your appealing against I dont hold out much hope, but will take this to court if needs be. More updates to follow....

The_Deep

Actually, many judges are coming to the view that wrong VRN claims are de minimis, a waste of the court's time, and finding against the scammer. How can a very minor mistype become a breach of a contract which has damaged the claimant to the tune of £100?

When will hotels etc. realise that in these days of instant retaliation on social media, by getting into bed with scammers, they damage their bottom line.

Grumpy_Jac

Just an update on this - appealed twice to Parking Eye, with both appeals rejected, so fine went upto £100 (for a one letter typo). Went to POPLA and completed their daft forms. Must have typed best part of 5000 words in letters to date to the Hotel, POPLA, Parking Eye etc. Last response from POPLA was mid-August and nothing since - apparently 6 weeks on and they are still reviewing my case. What a total farce. My advise to anyone in a similar situation is do not pay - Appeal, Appeal and Appeal again to these parking scammers. At the very least it will grind their pathetic system to a halt.

beamerguy

Grumpy_Jac wrote: »

Just an update on this - appealed twice to Parking Eye, with both appeals rejected, so fine went upto £100 (for a one letter typo). Went to POPLA and completed their daft forms. Must have typed best part of 5000 words in letters to date to the Hotel, POPLA, Parking Eye etc. Last response from POPLA was mid-August and nothing since - apparently 6 weeks on and they are still reviewing my case. What a total farce. My advise to anyone in a similar situation is do not pay - Appeal, Appeal and Appeal again to these parking scammers. At the very least it will grind their pathetic system to a halt.

POPLA has indeed turned into a farce. Just another set up
by the defunct BPA

The_Slithy_Tove

As an aside, PE/Holiday Inn don't have planning permission or advertising consent for their signage. I know, I checked the Guildford BC planning web site a while ago. I did raise it with them, but never heard back. Maybe you could follow that route in order to "stick it to them".