Smart Parking/Land Owner Dead Lock

D_P_Dance

When you write to Head Office be sure to include what Pete Wishert, MP said about Smart Parking in the House of Commons recently,

"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."

and complain to your own MP

On 18th March 2019 a Bill was enacted to curb the excesses of these private parking companies. Codes of Practice are being drawn up, an independent appeals service will be set up, and access to the DVLA's date base more rigorously policed, and persistent offenders denied access. Hopefully life will become impossible for the worst of these scammers.

Until this is done you should still complain to your MP, citing the new legislation.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2019/8/contents/enacted

Just as the clampers were finally closed down, so hopefully will many of these Private Parking Companies.

Coupon-mad

SotonCar wrote: »

Thank you to all for advice.

I received an email today confirming that the PCN has been closed and no further action is required.

Glad to hear it at last! Did the Leisure Centre grow a pair then?

SotonCar

Half_way wrote: »

SAR to smart?

What is a SAR?

SotonCar

Coupon-mad wrote: »

Glad to hear it at last! Did the Leisure Centre grow a pair then?

It went up the chain until I guess someone pushed it hard enough.

Umkomaas

SotonCar wrote: »

What is a SAR?

It’s all over Google.

SotonCar

D_P_Dance wrote: »

When you write to Head Office be sure to include what Pete Wishert, MP said about Smart Parking in the House of Commons recently,

"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."

and complain to your own MP

On 18th March 2019 a Bill was enacted to curb the excesses of these private parking companies. Codes of Practice are being drawn up, an independent appeals service will be set up, and access to the DVLA's date base more rigorously policed, and persistent offenders denied access. Hopefully life will become impossible for the worst of these scammers.

Until this is done you should still complain to your MP, citing the new legislation.

Just as the clampers were finally closed down, so hopefully will many of these Private Parking Companies.

Thank you for the information. I am in contact with my MP, but he is a little preoccupied with Brexit at the moment. I will once again email him with this now that I have something extra - thank you.

SotonCar

Umkomaas wrote: »

It’s all over Google.

I meant more in relation to the situation I'm in. A Google search of SAR brings up a variety of results (Suspicious Activity Reports, Search and Rescue, Safeguarding Adults Review etc.)

I assume I should be looking at a Subject Access Request to retrieve my personal data from Smart Parking? But given what I've read about Smart Parking, maybe it should be a Suspicious Activity Report!

onlyfoolsandparking

Landowner cancellation:) still the best way to send parking scammers scuttling back down their sewer!!


Well done on your persistence, exactly same way I got Landowner cancellation apart from a little waste of time letter Ping-Pong with the scumbags Excel.

Umkomaas

SotonCar wrote: »

I meant more in relation to the situation I'm in. A Google search of SAR brings up a variety of results (Suspicious Activity Reports, Search and Rescue, Safeguarding Adults Review etc.)

I assume I should be looking at a Subject Access Request to retrieve my personal data from Smart Parking? But given what I've read about Smart Parking, maybe it should be a Suspicious Activity Report!

This is where the disussions on it started here last year as the GDPR was introduced, so have a read of this thread:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5849784/june-2018-start-of-the-new-ppc-and-dvla-fightback-gdpr-related

Here’s a template to use if you are going to issue a SAR:

https://legalbeagles.info/library/guides_and_letters/court/subject-access-request/

But remember it’s personal information they hold about you and the VRM of your vehicle. You won’t get information on signage, car park layout or contracts the PPC has in place with the landowner.

HTH