Euro Car Parks at the pub - complaint success

SpenserPee

Hello All,

I'm a Newbie and had no idea (until last month) that the problem of the Parking Sharks even existed - let alone the fact that it must now be a multi-million pound "industry".

Last month we went to the pub and had a meal - a pub we'd visited often - 3 meals and drinks were about £85. About 2 weeks later we received a demand from Euro Car Parks (Who?) for another £85 for parking at the pub. New system, lousy signs and no help or guidance from the staff - my Wife (the registered keeper) was upset - I was hopping mad.

Googling "euro car parks" turned up THIS forum - and my education began. Thank you all for some great posts and advice and for giving me the perspective and the full picture.

Next I looked up the land owners - Mitchells and Butlers - who own some big chains like Harvester and Toby Carvery. Some useful info on their web site - they name the Executives and the Directors ... so easy for a major complaint

Next I looked a TripAdvisor - 100's possibly 1,00's of similar complaints - I was not alone.

So, I wrote a snorter of a complaint to ALL of the Executive Board (sent individually by email)
Success - the demand was cancelled and I eventually (even) received and apology (of sorts)

If you're in a similar position at any M&B pub I suggest the following:-

1. Go to TripAdvisor and post a BAD review citing the "Parking Scam" (worth joining TA just to save £85)
2. Send a link to your review to Greg.McMahon@mbplc.com - M&B Company Secretary and General Council

I think this WILL work... and a LOT easier than writing to all of these...
Phil.Urban@mbplc.com Tim.Jones@mbplc.com; Susan.Chappell@mbplc.com; Nick.Crossley@mbplc.com
Dennis.Deare@mbplc.com; Chris.Hopkins@mbplc.com; Gary.John@mbplc.com; Susan.Martindale@mbplc.com
Greg.McMahon@mbplc.com; [email]Helen.Tallents@mbplc.com ;Denise.Burton@mbplc.com[/email]

... though that works too :beer:
(and I always include the CEO and the Finance Director - complaints at the top cost money)

More worryingly - I learned that M&B now regard this practice as "industry standard". They are rolling this out to many more of their 1,600+ establishments and their "chosen supplier" is Euro Car Sharks... and I was basically told "Butt Out - We'll do whatever we like"

Anyway, M&B and their Hired Goons (ECP) rattled my cage - so I resurrected an old web site (been dormant for years) and started a Blog - basically to take the micky out of them. Of course I will send anyone with a real problem here with the recommendation they actually read the advice given and don't go off half-cocked. ALWAYS complain. DON'T PAY - it just makes it worse if you pay.

For a bit of light relief my second blog post (just finished) is a Mini-Survey

Rate Your Parking Management Firm

You should find all your "favourite" firms there - not just Euro Car Parks.
It may make some people feel better

I don't know if Newbies can post links?
...
Ok - they won't - but the address may well be in my profile ... maybe a more experienced user oblige ... if not I guess Google may catch up eventually.

Always complain and try to keep smiling.
Best of luck to everyone
Spenser

Umkomaas

Rate Your Parking Management Firm

You should find all your "favourite" firms there - not just Euro Car Parks.
It may make some people feel better

I don't know if Newbies can post links?
...
Ok - they won't - but the address may well be in my profile ... maybe a more experienced user oblige ... if not I guess Google may catch up eventually

Duly obliging!

http://www.legalbullies.co.uk/

Well done on getting your complaint resolved.

SpenserPee

Many thanks for the link - I have also received my very first blog comment too - from a local who knows the pub in question.
I will try and find a "button" that does the "thank you" job (I've never done Facebook and haven't contributed to a Forum in (probably) the last 20 years. Goodness - how things have changed. What's a "like"?)

Anyone who follows the link will realise I take an extreme dislike to bullies. I believe complaining is better (a much sharper tool than the law) than courts - though I would definitely GO to court if needed - don't be scared - stand UP - be counted.

If you Google "tripadvisor toby parking fine" you will find a few (there are 1000's more) reviews where both the customer and the Manager talk about "fines" - to me this is a deception they are deliberately perpetuating. It is NOT a fine and M&B clearly have ideas above their station if they believe otherwise.

To me obtaining money by deception is usually called fraud.
To me the behaviour of ECP is coercion.
To me obtaining money by coercion is extortion
These are crimes.
Ok, the amounts in each case are relatively small and they are done under the guise of legitimate business - but this is now a multi-million pound industry for some. To me - criminal.

I need to explore MSE (and elsewhere) - but I'm looking for GOOD articles on the following and would appreciate any links if anyone has them... ? ... here - elsewhere - always share a good link

McKenzie Friends
For anyone finding themselves dragged to Court. You need at least one friend. I have some stories that would make folks smile - like a cheeky friend who told the usher at the Court of Appeal that he was from a newspaper. He sat in the Press Gallery taking notes and all three of the judges kept looking at him. He was suitably scruffy (just like a real Fleet Street Journalist) because he'd slept in the car - having no money for a hotel.

Leveraging ISO9000
When your complaints fall on deaf ears you can cost a firm a LOT. I used just the threat of this back in 2002 in a complaint against O2 - it worked wonders - you just need to quote the right jargon. I'm not up-to-date on QA ... but someone out there has to be.

Shareholders
If you want to change a large Company this may be the way to go. You only have to buy one share (about £3 for M&B) to have the legal right to attend a Shareholders Meeting - though best done with a posse of friends - one share each if you can. Why? Well, you might get to ask an awkward question. You can hand out leaflets and you may get to rub shoulders with some people who the elected Executive Board are very, VERY scared of (folks with much more than one share)

Thoughts (or links) that expand any of the above welcome. I can expand these ideas - but why re-invent the wheel if somebody's already done a better job.

Thanks Again

Keep smiling
Spenser

BrownTrout

M&B pub management always cancel tickets at any sniff of a complaint
FYI - M&B no longer brew beer!!

mazzersdad

The local Toby Inn where I live, also M&B, has this scheme, equally poorly signposted. TripAdvisor is full of reviews mostly around the parking charge issue. Consequently the pub is very poorly rated. At least the Management there are prepared to talk about it, and seem to be able to waive this 'charge'.

A friend of mine is currently in dispute with a Marstons Ales pub. He got a charge for going to the restaurant there. The staff there say they cannot intervene. I have referred him to this forum for advice. He has stopped using the pub as a result, which introduced this scheme to deter commuters parking there during the day. That seems to have deterred many and Eddie says the car park was virtually empty in the middle of the day but he overstayed his welcome and got the charge as a thank you for going to the pub and spending £40.

SpenserPee

Nice post mazzersdad and what you say about M&B ties in with my "research" on TripAdvisor. They DO care about bad reviews and their local Managers have been given the power to direct the Hired Goons.

If he hasn't already, your friend should definitely complain to Marstons - all the top brass. They need to realise we will take our business elsewhere. It doesn't happen so much these days but when I was younger I often handed over more money than I'd intended (and more than I could really afford) in the pub. If they sour a feel-good experience - that you are paying for - it sticks in the craw just a bit more (speaking for myself, that is)

Has he tried writing to CAMERA?
True they acomplished their mission a few decades ago - but they are still going (they're not just Beards) - and they still carry some influence with drinkers. I was never a Member - but have helped out at a few beer festivals on occasions (so... I LIKE beer :beer:). If he strikes the right chord with CAMERA maybe something could be done? Worth a try?

Kind Regards,
Spenser