Harvest Pub // Euro Car Parks

lagerspice

Hi all,

Sorry I couldn’t see a concise thread for this however wanted to see if anyone had a similar experience and what they did next.

I was travelling home from my office and offered to take a colleague visiting from Singapore back to London as opposed to taking the train as was on my way home and we stopped at a Harvester pub as I needed to take a call and it was a sunny day so we stopped for a drink.

I parker and went straight to the beer garden and took a seat whilst my colleague went in to the premises and bought us drinks.

We drank our drinks, I finished my call and we left. 30 mins max.

Get a letter from Euro Car Parks saying I was parked without permission, fine etc. I rang and explained under what circumstances I was parked without permission when we bought drinks as patrons and I was told we needed to enter my number plate in to the computer at the pub.

I never entered the premises, sat in the garden, drank my drink and left. Given my colleague was not from the UK and we seem to be the only country on the planet with such ridiculous circumstances I have no doubt he didn’t twig either.

This said I have revisited the premises and there granted is a large sign as you enter the pub however nothing as you enter the car park. Given I did the latter and didn’t enter the pub, this information was not availed to me.


It’s a fairly simply explanation but not sure what grounds I have?

Anyone else been in this situation.

Thanks!

Quentin

Everyone is politely asked to read up on this in the Newbies faq thread before starting a new thread


Go there now to learn how to go about dealing with this before doing anything else - you already made an error in contacting the PPC! (And revealing who was driving to them!)


You will see in the FAQ that you don't need to find your exact circs here! So forget about trying to find someone who has been in your exact situation!


Follow the faq advice on what to do next

KeithP

Read post #1 of the NEWBIES FAQ sticky thread and send the blue text appeal found therein.

Send it as it is - no changes needed.

Send it as the keeper.

pogofish

lagerspice wrote: »

Hi all,

Sorry I couldn’t see a concise thread for this however wanted to see if anyone had a similar experience and what they did next.

The Newbies Sticky covers this completely - You read it first, no?

The_Slithy_Tove

lagerspice wrote: »

This said I have revisited the premises and there granted is a large sign as you enter the pub however nothing as you enter the car park.

When you say "nothing", are you saying there is NO signage about parking at all? If there is something, no matter how vague, then please get a photo an post it. There is supposed to be signage on the entry to the car park and signs visible from any point in the car park.

Umkomaas

You need close up photos of any signage wording - especially if the need to enter your VRM is not included in that wording.

The signage is the contract that ECP are attempting to legally bind you to.

lagerspice

Sorry. I was reading the forum on my phone on the way back from the airport so may have missed a glut of information.

Thanks,

lagerspice

Thanks all for the replies.

Attached is the picture of the signage as I enter the car park in its entirety. There is some signage as you enter the premises reminding you to enter your registration however this is not Euro Car Parks signage and attached also is the extremely non prominent screen as a further reminder as you reach the welcome to be seated desk likely ignored by anyone entering the bar area for drinks only.

http://i63.tinypic.com/15yckdi.jpg

http://i63.tinypic.com/inh2lz.jpg

All of the above I obviously didn't see as I never entered the premises, only walked in to the beer garden where my drink was brought out to me by my colleague.

So obviously I have fallen foul of contacting the PPC so will the blue text still prevail in this instance?

Its odd circumstances granted however completely valid. If I had gone to the bar of course I would have entered my registration. Why wouldn't I!?

Thanks again!

Coupon-mad

I rang and explained under what circumstances I was parked without permission when we bought drinks as patrons and I was told we needed to enter my number plate in to the computer at the pub.

Rhetorical question but I always wonder why would anyone ring a parking firm?

Not only is that not how to appeal any PCN in life, whether it be a Council or scam on (no PCN says: 'ring us up and have a chat'), but more importantly, the entire industry operates an 'outrageous scam' (Hansard, 2.2.18). They are there to extort money from people. Not 'parking management - they are not reasonable people to chat to on the phone, there is no 'customer service' Dept!

Complain to the Harvester Manager first, in person (or by phone if you can't get there), and ask the Manager (not the first person who answers the call) if he/she can cancel this PCN and if not them, who is the Managing Agent of he site who can cancel it. Get an email addy for the MA, and complain to them.

If the Harvester Manager can't cancel it and is useless, ask him/her to at least sign a note confirming that the 'occupants of the car' were genuine patrons and he/she supports the PCN being cancelled under the circumstances.

And then quickly (online) send the blue writing appeal, attaching the Manager's note but not saying who was driving. Forget the phone call, it never happened.

The_Slithy_Tove

lagerspice wrote: »

Attached is the picture of the signage as I enter the car park in its entirety.

http://i63.tinypic.com/15yckdi.jpg

Was there any other signage in the car park as per the entrance sign? If not, there is no contract, no indication of what an "authorised" vehicle is. Even if there is another sign, you should not have to go hunting for it.