Civil parking charge notice

leannat1987

Hello everyone I'm hoping you clever lot can put me in the right direction as to whether this notice needs paying or not. I have read all of the newbie threads and sticky notes but I just want to make sure I'm onto the right track here so please be patient with me. I received a cpcn on Saturday and it was because the car was in the Lidl car park 14 minutes too long. I have tried emailing the CEO of Lidl to get this cancelled and all I keep getting back from customer services is that its not down to Lidl but down to athena? When I've looked through alot of threads on here it states this is complete rubbish and Lidl do have the right to drop the charges? I just need to know which way to go, do i carry on emailing Lidl backwards and forwards or do i email athena as I've not even got in touch with them yet? Please can someone help a damsel in distress who doesn't have a clue what to do?? Many thanks in advance 😁

The_Deep

Of course you do not pay them, it is a scam. Write bad stuff on the Lidl Facebook page, read the stickies, shop at Aldi, and complain to your MP

It is the will of Parliament that these scammers be put out of business. Hopefully that will take place in the near future. The Bill has passed through the HOC without hitch, and goes to the Lords soon. In the meantime involve your MP, the poor dears are buckling under the weight of complaints about these scammers. Read this one which I wrote earlier

This is an entirely unregulated industry which is scamming the public with inflated claims for minor breaches of alleged contracts for alleged parking offences, aided and abetted by a handful of low-rent solicitors. Is has been suggested by an MP that some of these companies may have connections to organised crime.

Parking Eye, CPM, Smart, (especially Smart}, and others have already been named and shamed in the House of Commons as have Gladstones Solicitors, and BW Legal, (these two law firms take hundreds of these cases to court each week), hospital car parks and residential complex tickets have been especially mentioned. They lose most of them, and have been reported to the regulatory authority by an M.P. for unprofessional conduct

The problem has become so widespread that MPs have agreed to enact a Bill to regulate these scammers.

Sir Greg Knight's Private Members Bill to curb the excesses, and perhaps close down, some of these companies passed its Third Reading in late November, and, with a fair wind, will become Law next year.

All three readings are available to watch on the internet, (some 6-7 hours), and published in Hansard. MPs have an extremely low opinion of the industry. Many are complaining that they are becoming overwhelmed by complaints from members of the public. Add to their burden, complain in the most robust terms about the scammers.

leannat1987

Thank you for the reply, I have read one of your replies previous I think. So do I need to contact Athena themselves do you know or is it best to ignore them? Thanks in advance

Redx

email the CEO of LIDL and dont take no for an answer, show proof of patronage , this is your BEST OPTION

leannat1987

I have emailed the CEO and now it's all just backwards and forwards from customer service? Any other advice guys?

Redx

nope, there is nothing else to be done apart from

emailing the CEO direct with proof of patronage and copy yourself in so you have proof of delivery

[EMAIL="christian.haertnagel@lidl.co.uk"]christian.haertnagel@lidl.co.uk[/EMAIL]

keep giving them rice over it until they capitulate and they wave the white flag

you can appeal to ATHENA as keeper, ONCE only, using the blue text template

other than that you ignore for 6 years unless they try a court case

there is no easy answer unless LIDL cancel it

wage war on them on facebook, email , post , whatever , trying to get them to back down , did you not read this ?

Of course you do not pay them, it is a scam. Write bad stuff on the Lidl Facebook page, read the stickies, shop at Aldi, and complain to your MP

yes its stupid, thats why the MP,s are doing something about it, next year

https://services.parliament.uk/bills/2017-19/parkingcodeofpractice.html

Johno100

leannat1987 wrote: »

I have emailed the CEO and now it's all just backwards and forwards from customer service? Any other advice guys?

I'd go back to customer services and query if Lidl say they can't cancel it does that mean that Athena are operating without their permission or consent? I'm assuming that like most Lidl's this is a stand-alone store and not part of a larger retail park.

leannat1987

Thanks again for the replies, sorry if I don't keep up with certain forum aspects but this is all new to me. Can someone just tell me where to find the blue text template to email to Athena please

Redx

the NEWBIES sticky thread, cunningly hidden right at the top of this very forum just under the banner , near the NEW THREAD button you used to post your thread

the template is in post #1


ps:- in your first post above you clearly stated that you have read it already !!!

leannat1987

Thanks for pointing it out again, like I also said all of this is new to me so it doesn't make much sense to me but thanks again 😀