Premier Park Ltd PCN despite being gym member

DMdolphin

Hi.
I have received a postal PCN from Premier Park Ltd that has been sent to the registered keeper. It has been issued due to “Unauthorised entry/parking” and has photos of the car entering and leaving the premises.

Parking at this car park is free for gym members, if the car registration is entered at the terminal inside the gym. The driver is a frequent visitor to the gym and is in the habit of entering the registration. On the date of this PCN they are sure they have entered the registration. There must have been a system error or maybe a keyring mistake as to why this PCN has been issued. The signage is very prominent for the terminal and can’t be missed.
I know that land owners can dispute a PCN but the staff say they don’t own the land, they rent it. The gym is known for not helping customers regarding a PCN and even have posters in the gym stating this. The gym has told the registered keeper to appeal to Premier Park Ltd and quote the gym membership number.

There is proof that the driver is a gym member but am unsure how to use this as evidence without revealing who the driver was. I have read the newbies thread and cases regarding Premier Park Ltd and know not to identify the driver. I also intend to use the newbies BPA template but am unsure about the PDT machine part and signage.

Please can anyone advise if any part of the appeal template needs to be changed for this situation and how to provide evidence without revealing who the driver was?
Thank you for reading.

Egbert_Nobacon

Just send the BLUE template unaltered.
They will reject your appeal as they want your cash.
The template has 2 purposes - it lets them know you are receiving forum help and doesn’t reveal the driver.

The gym claim they rent the land - so who from ?
This will be where the landowner complaint should go.

Quentin

You say you don't intend revealing the driver's id


You need to edit your OP to remove details of the driver


Use the third party as in "the driver did this/is a member etc"/ "The keeper did that etc"


The ppcs monitor this forum and can use posts in your thread against you in court

MistyZ

So many posts involving gyms!

This one for example:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5952883/premier-park-charlatans&highlight=premier+park+gym

Okay so that poster got a chunky 'goodwill' reduction (which they subsequently threw away) but that's not the same as a successful appeal. The gym's advice re. membership number doesn't guarantee success or indeed a reduction, it's a gamble.

Ask the gym manager who the landowner is and while you're at it, ask him or her to request a cancellation from said landowner. Never mind all those posters waiving responsibility, it's worth a punt. But if they won't cooperate complain to the landowner mentioning that the gym's recommended course of action is misleading and insist on cancellation.

Premier Park are milking gym members left, right & centre. Xercise4Less seems to be particularly inappropriately named. Somebody has to get a cancellation soon. You need to be very forthright and determined with both gym & landowner.

NeilCr

For clarity.

Is the car park for gym members only? It sounds as if it may be from what you say - but, just checking!

Or are there are other users - for example, it's part of a retail park.

DMdolphin

Quentin wrote: »

You say you don't intend revealing the driver's id


You need to edit your OP to remove details of the driver


Use the third party as in "the driver did this/is a member etc"/ "The keeper did that etc"


The ppcs monitor this forum and can use posts in your thread against you in court

Edited now, thanks.

NeilCr wrote: »

For clarity.

Is the car park for gym members only? It sounds as if it may be from what you say - but, just checking!

Or are there are other users - for example, it's part of a retail park.

The car park is just for use of the gym.

The_Deep

In which case wrtite bad stuff on their Facebook page and cancel your membership.

A wrong or missing VRN is very often regarded by a judge as a trifling matter, not really a BOC at all, and any claim in court is likely to be thrown out, read this

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

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.

NeilCr

The_Deep wrote: »

In which case wrtite bad stuff on their Facebook page and cancel your membership.

.

I see this advice quite a lot. I do think that it is an "it depends"

The gym could be the only local one/really good/OP has been going there for years etc. In which case doing these things may not be the best idea. There is certainly no way I would do that - although I would raise a stink all the way through the gym management - if I knew they had the ability to do something about it. In our gym's case they have no control, anyway.

In other cases - lots of gyms around/not that bothered about the gym/very anti PPCs then sure do that.

Once again a question of individual priorities. For me (I realise others are different) my gym is much higher up the pecking order than a problem with a parking ticket. Most of my friends there would say the same.

The_Slithy_Tove

NeilCr wrote: »

The gym could be the only local one/really good/OP has been going there for years etc. In which case doing these things may not be the best idea.

And that is how they treat loyalty? Just like the banks, etc., there is no such thing as customer loyalty, you are just a number and a source of profit. They care not a jot about you individually, so the same should apply to them.

NeilCr

The_Slithy_Tove wrote: »

And that is how they treat loyalty? Just like the banks, etc., there is no such thing as customer loyalty, you are just a number and a source of profit. They care not a jot about you individually, so the same should apply to them.

Our gym is very good, actually. Not too big - friendly and supportive and does an awful lot of very good, community stuff.

And it's been excellent for me - I have made some terrific friends there and we have the best gym teachers around. And, it's the only gym in town

As I said the parking is not within our gym control so it is not an issue for me. But, I do know that moving away from somewhere that is important to me and where I have good friends would not be a great idea. Especially, over one parking ticket.

And I know I am saying that on a parking ticket forum (!) - I just think sometimes it is important for folks to look at a different picture. I, totally, understand the strong feelings that regular posters have. While I don't always completely agree with everything Coupon-Mad says I strongly admire her principles and the stands she would take. Not buying on any estate with a PPC for example.

But, there are those of us who have an alternative take and our priorities will not always tie in with others. I hope (and generally believe) that the regulars here get that.

MistyZ

Haha NeilCr! I'm nursing a few bruises from the local swimming pool .... again. It's crazy there. But it is so convenient. Yes of course most people weigh up principles and outrage (and bruises) v. convenience & other benefits.

It's okay to get advice to boycott / name & shame places that enable PPCs though, it's as well to be reminded that's an option.