Urgent help PCN appeal rejected I may have made a mistake on the machine

Enders13

I've read the Newbies section but nothing quite covers my situation

I went to a cinima with my family, the multistorey had signs saying first 2 hours free. The first machine wouldn't work so I had to go upstairs. I entered my reg and I am sure I requested 3 hours to make sure I didn't get the whole 2 free hours thing wrong but the machine requiested only an hour's payment so I assumed the first 2 were indeed free.

I have thrown the ticket away and obviously been PCN's for paying for 1 hour and staying for just under 3.

I have appealed which was rejected.

I have now made a visit back to the place and the only sign I see for free hours is for the GYM upstairs. I am certain there were more signs than the one at the entrance and when I tried to enter information to test, you press a button which only ups the payment value and does not show hours, I was sure it stated hours, I'm now doubting I used the machine correctly.

I'm considering requesting a SAR, am I wasiting my time? My appeal grace period ends tomorrow and I'm on the £100 fine which I'll pay if I've been an idiot.

Advice on what to do next greatfully received,

Thanks,

Registered keeper Mike :A

Coupon-mad

I've read the Newbies section but nothing quite covers my situation

One of the first lines in that sticky thread is intended to stop people saying this:

Q - ''I have read the NEWBIES thread but cannot find anything specific to my case...my case is different''.

A - NO IT ISN'T. YOU DO NOT NEED SPECIFICS. FORGET THE DETAIL, MOST CASES ARE ALL THE SAME.

My appeal grace period ends tomorrow and I'm on the £100 fine

Again, the Q&A in the NEWBIES thread:

Q - ''My PCN says the 'fine' will go up after 14 days, so why are you suggesting I wait before appealing?''

A - FORGET THE '14 DAYS JITTERS'. THE SO-CALLED 'DISCOUNT' IS A BRIBE NOT TO APPEAL - YOU CANNOT DO BOTH - BUT WE ACHIEVE 100% DISCOUNT IN ALMOST EVERY CASE.

It's not even a fine.

Which daft PPC are you thinking of paying money to? DON'T.

Please re-read the thread...

Enders13

I'll go through it again.

It's smart parking and my main concern was if we did use the machine wrong and paid for 1 instead of 3 hours. I've asked for a SAR to see if the data can confirm.

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

Coupon-mad

I have appealed which was rejected.

So it's only Smart, and they gave you a POPLA code in that rejection letter.

So now you win at POPLA, like the NEWBIES thread tells you and shows you. Also see any other Smart Parking POPLA thread. Search the forum.

Did you ruin the 100% winning position you had, by blabbing who was driving?

Umkomaas

Why on Earth was this thread marked 'Urgent'?

The_Deep

Read what an MP said recently in the Hof C about Smart Parking.


Pete Wishart (SNP, Perth):

"I am sick and tired of receiving emails from people complaining about the behaviour of parking companies, telling me that they will never again visit Perth city centre because of the negative experience they had when they had the misfortune to end up in a car park operated by one of these companies. I have received more complaints about one car park in the city of Perth than about any other issue. That car park is operated by the lone ranger of the parking cowboys: the hated and appalling Smart Parking—I see that many other Members are unfortunate enough to have Smart Parking operating in their constituencies. It has reached the stage where one member of my staff now spends a good part of each day just helping my constituents and visitors to my constituency to navigate the appeals process.
…
The BPA does not have the ability to regulate these companies and has shown no sign whatsoever that it is trying to get on top of some of the sharper practices. The BPA gives a veneer of legitimacy to some of the more outlandish rogue operators by including them in their membership, allowing them to continue to operate. The Bill will oblige operators such as Smart Parking to amend their practices."

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 five readings are available to watch on the internet, (some 7-8 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.

MistyZ

Enders13 wrote: »

I'm on the £100 fine which I'll pay if I've been an idiot

Blimey, how complicated can a trip to the cinema get? You weren't an idiot, you put a lot of thought into the scammers' 'system' when, if there was any justice in the world, you'd have been chomping on the popcorn.

Step 1: realise that you are in the right and the scammers are not.

The_Deep

The idiots are the parking companies for taking the general public for idiots. As I said above, the who murky business is a scam, so get that letter to your MP posted.