Horizon Parking & Sainsbury's

KeithP

dlbriffa wrote: »

Another quick question, should I complain to the MP for the town where the store is or where my address is? The store is Hornchurch and I live in Rainham. They are very close by but have different MPs.

You complain to your own MP.

But why not complain to both.

dlbriffa

Ha! I've found email addresses for both MPs so I can send it to both of them. :-)

KeithP

Don't forget to remind the MPs about Sir Greg Knight's Private Members Bill going through Parliament.

Fruitcake

dlbriffa wrote: »

Here's what I've drafted to send to Sainsbury's, I'd appreciate any comments!

I am writing to you regarding a !!!8216;parking charge!!!8217; that I received from Horizon Parking. I have appealed this directly with Horizon as well as writing to you.

This charge came as a surprise in the post and was generated via the automatic number plate readers in the car park of your Hornchurch store. Horizon Parking have contacted me as the registered keeper of the vehicle having obtained my details from DVLA.

The car was parked at this store on 28th July 2018 between the hours of 14:50 and 17:23; a duration of 2 hours and 32 minutes. The alleged maximum !!!8216;free!!!8217; parking time is two hours.

I find it outrageous that, as keeper, I am expected to pay an exorbitant fee (£70) for 32 minutes of parking! I am not obliged to confirm who was driving that day, but the driver is a customer of Sainsbury!!!8217;s, as am I. There are no signs in the part of the car park where the driver parked the car; signs elsewhere have questionable font size. If the driver parked in this area of the car park and left via the North Street entrance to enter the store from the High Street, no signs would be seen at all.

Genuine customers are being ripped off by this unregulated scam. Other supermarkets are available in the area and the choice to use Sainsbury!!!8217;s has resulted in this ridiculous fee. If I am forced to pay this charge, then this is £70 that I am unable to spend in your store and both the driver and I will [STRIKE]have to reconsider where we shop[/STRIKE] shop elsewhere in future, as will all my family members. To quote one of our MPs, ordinary motorists and ordinary residents should not have to put up with this! I trust that this charge will be cancelled.

Add the comments below, stating that since our MPs are calling this a ripoff and a scam, why are Sainsbugs using them at all as all they do is drive away custom. Be more forceful. Use the words disgusted, and unregulated scam.

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.

dlbriffa

Thanks for the comments. Will redraft before sending. Just off to TESCO to get my shopping first!

Fruitcake

dlbriffa wrote: »

Thanks for the comments. Will redraft before sending. Just off to TESCO to get my shopping first!

Include a copy of the receipt with your complaint to the Sainsbugs CEO.

dlbriffa

Sent to Mike Coupe at Sainbury's and also my local MP and the MP for where the store is.

Thanks for the assistance. Will follow up here if I hear anything back.

dlbriffa

So... it's been cancelled already! Received an email from Horizon this afternoon. No idea if Sainsbury's even read my complaint as I only sent that this morning. This has come directly from the appeals department at Horizon. Thanks for your help everyone!:j

Chieflasagnaeater

Hi dlbriffa,

I just received a penalty notice from Horizon for being over the 2hr limit at Sainsbury's Hornchurch and want to appeal. I drove in and parked immediately to the left and since found out there is only 1 small yellow sign on a lamp post as you drive in which I missed.
Do you have the template or a copy of the letter you sent to Horizon please?

Thank you.

Coupon-mad

Well they will have complained to Sainsburys first, as that's the easiest cancellation route.

Appeal comes second.

The appeal template for keepers to use (no saying who was driving) is in the NEWBIES FAQS thread, see my signature below which tells you where to click.

No link given, it's right here already at the top of the page in a breadcrumb trail, back a click to page one and there's the NEWBIES thread.

If people can't see the coloured words below my reply, they need to use a laptop.