UKPC Overstayed due to panic attack appealing to POPLA

Squishtastic

Hi everyone!

I'm very anxious to post this as I've read and re-read the stickies and I'm still lost about what to do next! Please be gentle with me

UKPC parking eye sent me a NTK saying I overstayed the 3hour free parking period by 45minutes. The legitimate reason behind this was that I have severe anxiety, depression and agoraphobia - I've psychiatrist letters to prove this - and I had a bad panic attack upon parking. I remained in the car for a great deal of time trying to calm down as I was a complete mess. I am registered as disabled, receive benefits, but I do not own a blue badge.
I visited a shop in the location that I do sometimes visit, but on this occasion I did not purchase anything. There are also other shops there that I occasionally buy from, but on this occasion I did not.

The NTK letter had photos of the sign stating you've 3 hours free parking, also they included a photo of my car.

I followed the advice regarding appealing to UKPC and I copied and pasted the text without adding any other details.
They've responded saying that the parking charge was correcting issued and to appeal to POPLA. I've read the advice regarding appealing and I'm feeling very overwhelmed and confused (doesn't take a lot!).

Where do I go from here? Do I appeal, and if so what do I say?
Thank you so, so much to anyone who responds. I greatly appreciate it.

D_P_Dance

UKPC are fraudsters

https://www.bing.com/search?q=ukpc+fraudsters+the+telegraph&form=EDNTHT&mkt=en-gb&httpsmsn=1&refig=9602727652694665a64ea903ef6bbc85&PC=ACTS&sp=1&ghc=1&qs=AS&pq=ukpc+fraud&sc=3-10&cvid=9602727652694665a64ea903ef6bbc85&cc=GB&setlang=en-GB

complain to your MP

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 become so widespread that MPs agreed to enact a Bill to regulate these scammers. It received The Royal Assent today.

Squishtastic

I've just emailed a complaint to my MP, thanks for suggesting I do this.
What would you suggest regarding POPLA?

Le_Kirk

Squishtastic wrote: »

What would you suggest regarding POPLA?

Make a cup of tea and settle down to read post # 3 of the NEWBIE section, then compose your appeal letter to POPLA using one or more of the suggested appeals in post # 3. Not a lot of point adding in any mitigating factors as POPLA do not take them into account, save that for your defence if it goes as far as small claims court. Post your appeal in this thread when you have completed it and before you send to POPLA and it will be critiqued for you.

MistyZ

Squishtastic wrote: »

I am registered as disabled, receive benefits, but I do not own a blue badge.
I visited a shop in the location that I do sometimes visit, but on this occasion I did not purchase anything. There are also other shops there that I occasionally buy from, but on this occasion I did not.

Complain to the landowner as the Registered Keeper of the vehicle but do not say who was driving. But do let them know that you were in the car.

Explain the circumstances as you have here. If the shops you sometimes visit are large stores, it may be that it is their managers or CEOs that you have to complain to. If the shops or stores do not own the car park, then you will have to complain to the land owner or land management company. Again, the managers will know who this is.

Tell is like it was. It would have been highly irresponsible to drive off while an occupant of the car was in severe distress. Offer to send a copy of the psychiatrist's letter. Reference past custom at the site. Insist that this charge be cancelled and back this up by explaining that the appeal body, POPLA, do not consider mitigating circumstances.

Compose an email that can be send to all relevant managers etc. or tweaked a little if necessary. I really hope this route to cancellation works for you, I would think it has quite a good chance. Incidentally, it's best to do the complaint ASAP.

Squishtastic

Thank you for your advice.
I've emailed all 4 of the stores that are in this location stating what you told me to. I'll post again when I get a response.

Really do appreciate this help!

Coupon-mad

OK, remember that a POPLA code lasts 32 days so spend that time upping the ante with the complaints. Diarise POPLA, but do NOT do it before exhausting the complaint option.

As it's a retail park with several stores, you do realise the person to complain to is NOT necessarily the Store Managers, though?

This is fully covered in SUCCESSFUL COMPLAINTS ABOUT PPCs, a link in the first post of the NEWBIES thread where it tells you this is what you should have done first, but can still do now.

Squishtastic

I feel so stressed and confused about all this. I've been literally reading advice and researching other cases for hours upon hours and I'm still just as lost! I don't honestly think my mental health can take this right now and I'm strongly considering just paying the £60 and forgetting about it.

I've been trying to find the landowner of Exe Bridges retail park for so long and I feel incredibly stupid as I can't. Searching over and over in this forum and on Google for answers and my brain hurts so much.

Thank you all for offering help. I just feel it's a bit lost on me

MistyZ

Hi Squishtastic.

You're not stupid at all, finding landowners of retail parks isn't something you do every day - or ever, usually!

This site suggests that the owner is Legal & General:

https://completelyretail.co.uk/portfolio/LegalAndGeneral/scheme/Exebridges-Retail-Park-Exeter

On the right hand site of the page the link takes you to, there are some drop-down boxes. If you drop down the 'Owner' one, one option is 'Owner Website'.

Go to that website and there's a 'contact' option on the top banner. Under 'contact' there's a 'General Enquiries' option which has some email addresses and phone numbers.

Another one of those cups of tea Le_Kirk suggested (it works for me). Then phone one of those numbers and ask for the email address of the manager who deals with, and is able to act on , concerns about the car park at the site. Add that you do not wish to speak to Customer Services (they're useless).

That way you'll find whether L&G do own the retail park and, hopefully, will get an email address to complain to.

Just take it easy, no fretting! These big companies are nothing without us customers.

As for the POPLA appeal, you have a while to get that together. If it is really getting to you but you want to fight, why not find just one section in the next few days and post it on here for comments? Even if it's just the introductory bit?

It's like building quite a small wall, one brick at a time. We can stand back and tell you if it's straight.

Squishtastic

You're so, so kind to offer more help.
Deep breaths! I'm looking on that website now and I'll find out how to contact them.

I've received emails back from 3 of the companies that I messaged yesterday and, as predicted, they can't help. They did however offer kind words, bless 'em.

MothballsWallet

Squishtastic - it's also not always easy to find the owner of a retail park - they sometimes hide behind one or more management companies.

If the retail park has a website, that's a good starting point.

Perhaps reply to the 3 companies who responded to you and ask them if they know who the overall owners are & for a correspondence address?