Odeon Cinema Blackppol

MSUser

Hi All,

I recently went to the Odeon in Blackpool, and obviously parked in the car park outside.

I have received in the mail today a notice of charge from careparking, stating that I was 1:31 over the 3 hour limit.

I've contacted Odeon via their online chat and they have basically said it's not their problem and I should contact the landowner to dispute.

Also, "Based on feedback we have also added an additional sign ourselves to the ticket check point directing guest to speak to a Cinema Hose should their stay be longer than 3 hours".

Do I just submit the "Template appeal for BPA or IPC members - copy this wording into the online appeal box" taken from the sticky?

I can provide credit card transactions for food at McDonalds and also a copy of the email receipt for my cinema tickets.

I've checked the Odeon site and there's a small text disclaimer regarding parking too, but it's easily missed in the mass amount of adverts etc on their page.

I've got 6 days to pay the £60, otherwise it goes to £100. If I do appeal, what are the chances of getting this waived? The wording on this forum states 100% discount in every case, but not a complete write off.

Thanks in advance for any information you provide

Coupon-mad

Also, "Based on feedback we have also added an additional sign ourselves to the ticket check point directing guest to speak to a Cinema Hose should their stay be longer than 3 hours".

When did they add that sign then, and ask them how many complaints they have had, and why ''speaking to the Odeon now'' is not enough for the Odeon to bother to step in and tell the scammer to cancel it?

Yes, after exhausting the complaint FIRST as PLAN A, only then do the appeal (within 28 days, not within 14). Please let's not have posts telling us about the 'discount', LOL!

MSUser

I've tried calling them, but their automated system now says everything you need is one the website, which is why I went through their online chat.

I have managed to find the general manager on LinkedIn, but didn't know whether to contact him on there or not.

Also, what can Odeon actually do in this instance? Can they get this charge cancelled?

MSUser

For anyone visiting this post in the future:

Resolver have a complaints process in place for Odeon, so I'm going to go down this route next

resolver .co.uk/freeadvice/companies/odeon-complaints/services

Coupon-mad

Oh don't use Resolver...they are clueless about parking scams.

MSUser

There doesn't appear to be any other method of contacting them, from what I can see on their site

Resolver at least gives me a way in...

So once I've waited for the 14 days to pass, I should then appeal?

Will I have to pay something in the end, or will the charge be waived. I don't want to do this then get stung for the £100 at the end, or have debt collectors on my case

Coupon-mad

So once I've waited for the 14 days to pass, I should then appeal?

No. I told you that you have 28 days. You are not waiting for any 14 day period to do anything...

Will I have to pay something in the end,

Not if you get the Odeon to get their finger out & cancel it, or if you win at POPLA (but that's very much PLAN .

The Odeon can CERTAINLY cancel Care Parking charges, if they signed the contract then they are the principal. So far, the Odeon are letting the tail wag the dog and this will lose them custom in future, so a Manager needs to step in and end this nonsense and cancel any patrons' PCNs where they were not alerted to, or given an opportunity to learn about and exempt themselves using some sort of keypad, from these unfair terms.

Point this out and point out that clearly the time limit is NOT fit for purpose and thus falls foul of the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

JesterShoe

How can you have a time limit on a cinema car park!

If you went to see Avengers Endgame it is 3 hours 2 mins long, you also need to get your treats, tickets and watch Pearl & Dean ads.

I'm fully with Coupon-Mad and the limit is definitely not fit for purpose.

MistyZ

MSUser wrote: »

I've contacted Odeon via their online chat and they have basically said it's not their problem and I should contact the landowner to dispute.

Is it Colin Alexander you've found on LinkedIn? It is hard to find an email addy for him.

But you could indeed try the landowner. Was the online chat suggestion backed up with a name & email address? If not you could ask them to give you that information.

Ask for Colin Alexander's email while you're at it and just send pretty much the same complaint to anyone who may have the power to cancel this PCN.

The_Deep

Were you a minute or an hour over? If the former, read this.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_minimis.

Do they have a Facebook Page? If so, write some bad stuff on it.

Nine times out of ten these tickets are scams so complain to your MP.

Parliament is well aware of the MO of these private parking companies, and on 15th March 2019 a Bill was enacted to curb the excesses of these shysters. 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, persistent offenders denied access to the DVLA database and unable to operate.

Hopefully life will become impossible for the worst of these scammers, but 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.

Umkomaas

Go to the top of the tree:

https://ceo email.com/s.php?id=ceo-10480&c=Odeon%20Cinemas%20Limited-Managing%20Director

The forum won't allow the full link to be published, but if you copy and paste the above into your browser address bar and remove the space between 'ceo and email' so it becomes ceoemail you'll get the email address of the Odeon's MD.

Get him involved if you can't get through to the local wallah.