Euro/Sainsburys Car Park Fine

Lillymae

Hi,

Hope this is ok to post here as I’m still fairly new to the forum!

This is problaby going to be a "you need to pay this" but thought it was worth asking!


Parked in a Sainsbury's car park recently in my WAV and assumed ( wrongly) that it was a 3 hour free parking!
We walked into the local town and while there my youngest, who is disabled, was violently sick, so badly that we needed to go and buy a new set of clothes before heading back to the car.



Didnt think anything of it and then received a parking charge for staying longer that allowed, there is no time limit mentioned in the letter but after phoning the shop they stated it was a 2 hour limit and we were 2 hours 20 minutes.



They have attached photos of the number plate entering the car park and a very, very dark (almost impossible to see) one of us leaving.



Is there anything I can do or will I just have to pay it?

Ebe_Scrooge

Is this in England, Wales, or Scotland ? If Scotland then just ignore it, so long as you haven't named the driver - and don't contact them at all. If England or Wales then follow the advice in the "stickies" at the top of this board on how to go about appealing.

<The moral rights and wrongs of the alleged offence have already been discussed on the OPs other post in the main Motoring board>

MistyZ

Hi there.

You won't find many 'you need to pay this' responses on this board. You're dealing with scammers - half an hour's perusal of posts here will reveal why that description is used so often.

Were the clothes bought in Sainsbury's? That would help with a landowner complaint. You don't go into detail about what you've said to them so far, but it would be best to focus on yourselves as customers. Sainsbury's do have the authority to cancel this - start with the manager but be prepared to escalate the complaint to their CEO if necessary. His email address is dotted around this board, I think it's Mike Coupe.

In addition to the landowner complaint, send the blue text template appeal from the Newbies' thread within the timeframe. That will almost certainly be rejected but you'll get a POPLA code. Do some reading of the Newbies' thread and other posts. Check out recent advice (especially from Coupon-mad) about how to tackle grace periods in POPLA appeals.

1505grandad

Do you have a Blue Badge for the youngest?.

The_Deep

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]It is not a fine, it is an invoice from an ex- clamper for damages for the harm they allege they suffered when you did what you did. We call it a scam. Pay them not one penny unless a judge so orders it.[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Nine times out of ten these tickets are scams, so consider complaining to your MP after the election, it can cause the scammer extra costs and work.

Parliament is well aware of the MO of these private parking companies, many of whom are former clampers, 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.

[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2019/8/contents/enacted[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]

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

MistyZ

1505grandad wrote: »

Do you have a Blue Badge for the youngest?.

Great point!

And even if there's no blue badge, your son's disability should be referred to in the landowner complaint and in the first appeal to ECP. Below the blue template in the Newbies' thread there's this note:

'If an occupant of the car is disabled or elderly/infirm, then the keeper can add that, without implying who was driving. A copy of the Blue Badge (BB) is a good idea to upload/attach, but a person with a long-term debilitating condition (not a broken arm!) can be disabled without a BB, and will be legally entitled to a 'reasonable adjustment'. That can and should include an extension of time, over and above free or paid-for parking time.'

The_Deep

No BB is needed to enjoy the "reasonable adjustments" which the law allows.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reasonable-adjustments-a-legal-duty/reasonable-adjustments-a-legal-duty

Threaten them with a counter claim for disabled discrimination unless they cancel.

Lillymae

1505grandad wrote: »

Do you have a Blue Badge for the youngest?.

Its in England and yes the youngest is the one thats disabled!

Fruitcake

Lillymae wrote: »

Its in England and yes the youngest is the one thats disabled!

That wasn't the question that was asked, but it does help. Does the child have a BB?

Have you read the sticky thread for NEWBIES yet that tells you how to deal with this?

If occupants of the car were sainsbugs customers, has the keeper complained to the store manager.

You should check with the council planning department to determine if approval was given that allows motorists to park there and then visit other shops to support local businesses, or whether the car park is only for the use of sainsbury's shoppers.
Also find out what the parking limit on the planning approval is as we know parking scammers sometimes arbitrarily reduce this to their own advantage in breach of planning regulations.

Coupon-mad

Euro/Sainsburys Car Park Fine

This is problaby going to be a "you need to pay this"

:rotfl:

:rotfl:

I read nothing more, then fell off my chair! You need to read more of the forum!

AND NOT THE 'MOTORING' FORUM:

<The moral rights and wrongs of the alleged offence have already been discussed on the OPs other post in the main Motoring board>

Oh dear, I won't read that as it will no doubt annoy us regulars that - despite being on MSE - some motorists are so clueless about the fact private PCNs are ALWAYS a scam.

Every single one at retail car parks, can be cancelled by the retailer. EASILY.

MistyZ

I too had a bit of a reaction to mention of 'Moral rights and wrongs'. Discussions about the morality of people who have allegedly overstayed for 20 minutes in a car park while helping a disabled child .... what the heck?