LCP Harlesden Plaza Appeal

ParkingVictim101

Hi NotAnthoerOne, I - like you - have just received a Notice to Keeper, seeking £100 from the same company. This one for around 15 minutes in an empty car park on Sunday evening (the time it took to be served at the Burger King). So I - like you have - am trawling these forums trying to make sense of it all before appealing. All tips about your initial submission, and what you do next (PoPLA appeal?) would be much appreciated.

I THINK my course of action needs to be:
1) Appeal first on the company's own appeal page - drawing from the template on the Newbies thread, and not revealing the identity of the driver
2) Simultaneously write in strong terms to Burger King - who, while they have initially disavowed responsibility, are shamefully complicit in enabling this racket. It was, after all, their drive thru we were attempting to use when we were caught in this 'trap' (for that's what it is: a trap)
3) Write to my MP, pointing out the context of the recent Parking Code of Practice Act enactment - and giving the details (i.e. "Private Parking Company sends family a bill for £100 for 15 minutes in an empty Burger King car park at night)

I then await the response from the company, which will probably look like the one you received, but which must have a PoPLA number. Then:
4) I put together a PoPLA appeal, where I can draw on the successful example elsewhere on the forum

Then I dont know... All advice and support welcome.
(There's also a poster called Coupon Mad - who seems active and knowledgable on this topic. Coupon Mad - are you there? I've read gratefully your advice to date, but the reply from the PPC above (July 2019) shows how the law, judgements, and hence PPC tactics are evolving )

Egbert_Nobacon

Hello ****,

Thank you for your email addressed to Dave. I have been asked to get back to you on his behalf.

I am sorry to hear you received a parking fine at one of our stores. I can appreciate your concerns around this, especially given the circumstances.
If you feel this has been incorrectly issued, then please follow the appeals process outlined in the letter you have received.

Should you feel there are circumstances which prevent you from being able to pay the fine, I would urge you to get in touch with the parking company as soon as possible and explain this to see if they can be of any help.
I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help to you on this occasion.Thank you for taking the time and trouble to contact us.

I would be inclined to reply to Dave Lewis stating how disappointing it is to learn that Tesco support scammers and that if shopping at Tesco comes with a £100 surcharge you have no choice but to use their competitors.
Also how LIdl and Aldi are always prepared to cancel these charges for genuine customers.

The_Deep

LCP are not your average ex-clamper scammer, they are a large land company with assets in the hundreds of millions of pounds, they own this land. I doubt if they would listen to Tesco.

IMO, If they took this to court, you are likely to struggle. However, as nine times out of ten these tickets are scams, 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. .

ParkingVictim101

Quoting from above post: "Can I please get an opinion.... I have found a case from 2015 where the 'appeal' was won based on there being no evidence of the signs appropriately lit on the event of parking. I have received pictures from LCP with there signs supposedly lit but the pictures are dated from 2017. Wouldn't this mean that they have no evidence of the signs being appropriately lit on this most recent occasion? "

>> This is an interesting point Not Another One. I see their contention that their signs are adequate/upgraded/lit etc but they are manifestly not adequate. I will aim to film a drive through later this week when I am passing nearby. To my mind the related issue is that this doesn't look like a private car park at all - it looks like, and was signed like, the entrance to a Burger King drive through - that's how we were suckered in. We entered not intending to stop at all, but rather get a drive through. We then couldn't find the way through / out!

I dont understand their wording in your post above that they claim not to even need a contract?!