Parking Charge Notice -Parking Eye

pandy12

Hello
Its a while since i have posted on this very helpful forum. Just wondering if anyone can advise me. A couple of weeks ago i attended a community workshop in a town where i rarely go but used to work a few years ago, so i chose to park in the car park where i used to park which used to be free after a certain time. I was running late as the workshop started at 5pm and it was a few minutes walk to the venue and my arrival time was 16.51. I checked the board and it said that the first hour was free and it was £2 ever hour after so i put in the £2 as i was not sure what time the workshop finished. When i eventually found the venue, they were running late starting so i checked online to see if i would need to put in some more money or move my car as a couple of the attendees said that it was free parking in the town after 6pm near to the venue/ Myself and another attendee checked parkopedia and it said that the parking was free after 6pm. So i decided not to move my car. Low and behold a few days ago i received a parking fine from parking eye which has said i owe £100 but its discounted to £60 if paid before 2/2/19 as i stayed over by 31 minutes . I suppose its a case of don't believe everything you read on the internet.

The car park was in a retail park and i am wondering what to do. There is something on the back of the fine letter about privacy query. Please can anyone advise. Thank you in advance.
kind regards Pandy

Half_way

1: do not panic, follow the advice here and you wont be paying anything
2: this is not a fine
3: start here, in the newbies thread https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4816822/newbies-private-parking-ticket-old-or-new-read-these-faqs-first-thankyou

The_Deep

You owe them nothing unless a judge says you do. IMO PE signs leave a lot to be desired, letters too small, reams f small print, etc.

The whole industry is a scam, relying on threats of court, and the public's ignorance of the Law, A bill is currently before parliament which will regulate the scammers, many of whom are ex-clampers.

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 Second Reading in the Lords this month, and, with a fair wind, will l become Law later this 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.

Coupon-mad

a couple of the attendees said that it was free parking in the town after 6pm near to the venue/ Myself and another attendee checked parkopedia and it said that the parking was free after 6pm.

So i decided not to move my car. Low and behold a few days ago i received a parking fine from parking eye which has said i owe £100 but its discounted to £60 if paid before 2/2/19 as i stayed over by 31 minutes .

I suppose its a case of don't believe everything you read on the internet.

Well no.

The lesson here is, don't read info about Council parking on-street restriction times in a certain town, and misinterpret it to relate to the (all completely different) rules in a non-Council, private retail park!

Why people use car parks all the time is beyond me. I avoid them if I can!

On street is often better and certainly avoids any parking scam firm.

I can tell from the dates above that you got PCN within 14 days of the event, so I am honestly struggling to see something you can appeal about for this one.

Unless you can persuade a Store Manager in the retail park to cancel it for you...maybe you were browsing with a view to a large future purchase?