Athena Civil Parking Charge Notice - Lidl Car Park Dundee

NathanBrown123

I did take the advice onboard and have been using very different wording with them than I have here, I was trying to convey the facts of the situation on here so I could get solid info back.

I said in my very first post that I never shopped there and was new to the area (not from Dundee) and I received the first letter after already having parked there a second time - I have not and will not be doing it again after all this drama of course. I was just clarifying this for anyone offering advice in case it was missed.

Redx wrote: »

You mean

The driver parked at Lidl , so you haven't got the hang of this yet , time to catch up with the English and Welsh due to your keeper liability starting next month

Words mean something

I would suggest that the driver stops Parking on private property unless using the facilities

Umkomaas

NathanBrown123 wrote: »

Thanks, I'll just wait it out then. Just to repeat incase it wasn't clear that on both occasions I parked at LIDLS I never actually shopped at LIDL. Therefore I have no receipts (never usually keep them anyway) or proof and so I am merely objecting and bluffing my way through this.

Even if the MD doesn't cancel, it's then a case of ignoring Athena, especially in Scotland as there's nothing they can do unless they know the driver's details. And, even if you have given away who the driver was, Athena have never pursued a court case.

But things are changing in Scotland (around Spring 2020?), so you'd better wise up about fly-parking, because that will most certainly bring you considerably more grief than you are experiencing now, and for anyone north of the border, in the very near future.

NathanBrown123

In the letter they sent me they already had my details as it said they applied to the DVLA for them and were granted so it already named me and had all my information. I was a bit surprised the DVLA just gave away details so easily to be honest.

Umkomaas wrote: »

Even if the MD doesn't cancel, it's then a case of ignoring Athena, especially in Scotland as there's nothing they can do unless they know the driver's details. And, even if you have given away who the driver was, Athena have never pursued a court case.

But things are changing in Scotland (around Spring 2020?), so you'd better wise up about fly-parking, because that will most certainly bring you considerably more grief than you are experiencing now, and for anyone north of the border, in the very near future.

Fruitcake

NathanBrown123 wrote: »

In the letter they sent me they already had my details as it said they applied to the DVLA for them and were granted so it already named me and had all my information. I was a bit surprised the DVLA just gave away details so easily to be honest.

The DVLA don't give away keeper details, they sell them and make millions of pounds per year as a result.

If your user name is your real name then you have identified the driver in several of your posts. Even if it isn't your real name you shouldn't blab about the driver's identity on the internet. You should only ever refer to The Driver and The Keeper, even on here.
Parking scammers read this forum and have been known to use information from here at the appeal stage and in court.

Redx

You have a lot to learn and catch up on , especially the wording yet again

The DVLA keep registered keeper details and sell them at about £3 a pop , not driver details

The parking companies have electronic access and the DVLA claim the cash every time the RK details are accessed , so not given away at all

So they easily obtained and paid for RK details and posted the NTK to that RK

The PPC have no idea who was driving , unless somebody blabs on social media , forums and the like

In the interests of clarity , you can do what we do and say the Driver parked on the day and the Keeper or Registered Keeper received the postal notice.

The following words should never be used

My , Me , Myself & I

You will find this advice useful if a similar thing happens in 2020 and beyond

We need people in Scotland to adapt and catch up now that your politicians have capitulated and dobbed their voters in by allowing the same fiasco in England and Wales to apply in Scotland

Words really matter , so start writing the same way we do or suffer the consequences

NathanBrown123

Thank you for bearing with and explaining in more detail, evidently it was needed.

So is the general consenus that the registered keeper should wait it out and hopefully the MD of Lidls will resolve the charge and even if they don't just ignore the letters from ATHENA - unless they start sending court letters (although recall another poster saying they never have)

Redx wrote: »

You have a lot to learn and catch up on , especially the wording yet again

The DVLA keep registered keeper details and sell them at about £3 a pop , not driver details

The parking companies have electronic access and the DVLA claim the cash every time the RK details are accessed , so not given away at all

So they easily obtained and paid for RK details and posted the NTK to that RK

The PPC have no idea who was driving , unless somebody blabs on social media , forums and the like

In the interests of clarity , you can do what we do and say the Driver parked on the day and the Keeper or Registered Keeper received the postal notice.

The following words should never be used

My , Me , Myself & I

You will find this advice useful if a similar thing happens in 2020 and beyond

We need people in Scotland to adapt and catch up now that your politicians have capitulated and dobbed their voters in by allowing the same fiasco in England and Wales to apply in Scotland

Words really matter , so start writing the same way we do o suffer the consequences

Umkomaas

All above have been correctly assimilated.

Redx

Past events do not guarantee future events , in England and Wales a lot changed after the Beavis case

I am very sure that Scottish courts will rue the day that the changes happened

NathanBrown123

A customer services representative replied moments ago.

See below:

"Thank you for taking the time to contact our CEO. I have been asked to reply on his behalf.

I was sorry to learn that you received a parking charge. I appreciate this may have been frustrating for you.

In order to ensure that sufficient parking spaces are available at all times to our customers, Lidl employs third party contractors to monitor and control our car parks. So far, this service has proved reliable and effective in reducing car park abuse and in freeing up spaces for our customers. On this occasion only I would like to appeal the charge on your behalf. To enable me to assist I kindly request the following information:

· The parking charge notice number
· The vehicle registration number

Please reply directly to this email (without deleting the subject line):

I look forward to hearing from you."

The driver is still awaiting their second letter for parking at the same car park (we assume its inevitable). This was explained in the original email to the CEO should the driver wait for the second letter before replying? Or keep the representative in the loop that they are awaiting a most likely second letter...

Umkomaas

· The parking charge notice number
· The vehicle registration number

Without those in your communication with the CEO, they had very little prospect of cancelling the charge with Athena. Those two items are the reference points most PPCs work on. Provide them straightaway.

You might want to mention that you fear another PCN is on its way and (politely) ask that they contact Athena to try to head it off.

I must say that when Lidl do cancel a PCN, they do indicate that it is a one-time gesture, so you may have a new PCN to deal with on an 'ignore' basis. But get this first one cancelled to start with.