Parking Charge Notice

Jami74

Hello.

The driver parked in a small supermarket car park which had a sign up on the way in stating that customers could park for free for 2 hours and that charges applied if you exceeded this. It said details could be found at the shop entrance. It's the same sign that has always been there.

It used to be enforced by having to show your receipt on the way out and paying reasonable parking charges if you'd gone over, but the barriers were gone. The driver looked all around the outside and the inside of the entrance and drove around the car park looking for more details because the driver sometimes does go over and just pays the extra couple of quid for another hour. The driver expected to see a sign somewhere that outlined the terms and conditions for parking and more specifically, what happens if you overstay. I could not find any sign.

Anyway, the car was in the car park for 2 hours and 14 minutes and today in the post received a parking charge notice with a grainy picture of my number plate and request to pay a fine. Reduced if paid within 14 days.

I just wondered if it was worth appealing this fine or what would happen if I just ignored it. The car was parked there with the expectation of having to pay a bit extra for overstaying but something has changed since the last visit and the driver would not have agreed to pay £70 for an extra hours parking.

Thank-you for any help and advice.

Ralph-y

Hi, and welcome to the forum ..


here is the newbie thread to read through ... it contains all the answers ...


https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4816822


who is the PPC ?


who is / have you complained to the retailer ?


try a forum search for grace periods ...


HOW TO USE THE FORUM SEARCH FUNCTION:

Use the Forum Jump button (one near the top and one near the bottom of this page) to get back to the forum thread list. Just above the threads, on the right, is a heading along a line, next to forum tools, called 'Search this Forum'. Put your key word(s) in and change the default search from 'Show Threads' to 'Show Posts'.





good luck


Ralph:cool:

Fruitcake

Edit your post to remove information about who did what. Only ever refer to The Driver and The Keeper, who are two different people.

Complain to the store manager/CEO (not customer services) about genuine customers being scammed. Remember, you are the vehicle keeper and were an occupant of the car when you complain. Do not reveal the driver's identity.
Make it quite clear, you will shop elsewhere if this isn't cancelled, and you will tell everyone you know about this scam.

Read the sticky thread for NEWBIES as advised above and then appeal using the blue template you will find there if the store won't cancel this for you. Don't miss the appeal deadline.

Complain to your MP about this unregulated scam using the info in red from the NEWBIES, which you should also show to the store manager.

Jami74

Fruitcake wrote: »

Edit your post to remove information about who did what. Only ever refer to The Driver and The Keeper, who are two different people.

Thank-you, I have done this now.

Ralph-y wrote: »

who is the PPC ?
who is / have you complained to the retailer ?

Thank-you for the links, I have spent a lot of time reading today.

The company is Brittania Parking and they are a BPA member.

The retailer is Waitrose. I contacted their customer service via Facebook and requested an email for the store manager but was told the store manager did not have an email address. I asked for positions of the parking signage and received a reply stating the location of signs and I went back today to check. Sure enough there is a sign outlining the T&Cs, how I missed it I don't know because I honestly spent ages looking all around the entrance for it, although for some stupid reason I thought they'd be white with black writing, not green.

I thought I would write a nice letter addressed to the store manager asking if it could be revoked. There were two instore purchases made on card, probably nearly two hours apart but cash was paid at the cafe and I haven't kept receipts.

Fruitcake wrote: »

Read the sticky thread for NEWBIES as advised above and then appeal using the blue template you will find there if the store won't cancel this for you. Don't miss the appeal deadline.

I have read, and will continue to keep reading until I understand it.
Looking at the blue appeal template, as there was a sign and I just missed it, I guess I am appealing on a grace period?

Thank-you for your time.

Redx

your appeal to BRIT will be the blue text appeal, unchanged , from the KEEPER

that it for now

any further appeal is to POPLA where POOR SIGNAGE and GRACE PERIODS will be 2 of 5 or 6 appeal points being made to popla

and yes complain to the retailer with proofs of patronage asap and get it cancelled, that is your BEST option due to being a genuine shopper and customer

but NO BLABBING about who was driving, not to ANYONE

you were an occupant of the vehicle, or use the royal WE

Jami74

Redx wrote: »

your appeal to BRIT will be the blue text appeal, unchanged , from the KEEPER

that it for now

OMG! :j

I did it, copied and pasted exactly as it was, then worried about it.

Today, got a very official reply about how they considered it and how I was still wrong, but finished with:

"However, this is your first Parking Charge Notice, therefore we are prepared to cancel the notice"

Thank-you :beer:

Redx

well done


just goes to show that when you word things correctly and dont give the game away, you can triumph


Merry Xmas