Ticket for overstaying free car park

swiftym

Hi,

The day shops reopened, sports direct were offering a 50% NHS discount for just one day (later to find out they extended it for a whole week). Nonetheless, I was furloughed, had nothing else to do so went and queues for a crazy long time.

Due to social distancing, the queue to get in the store was 4 hours but the car park only gave 3 hours free. As I queued for 2 1/2 hours, I went to front and asked the manager about the situation, he was of no help. I thought, right I’ve queued this long, I can’t leave now and it’s unfair to get a ticket for this. I queued, got in, paid and then found out if I asked the manager he would have given me a voucher to come back later in the week.

Fast forward a week or two and I’ve received a parking ticket. Is there anything I can do about this? I have time stamped photos of me in the queue for 4 hours. The PCN company rejected my appeal and gave me a POPLA reference number. I’ve emailed sports direct customer services but have heard nothing back. 

*the car park was a retail park with different stores there

Any help would be appreciated!

thanks

D_P_Dance

Nine times out of ten these tickets are scams, so consider complaining to your MP., it can cause the scammer extra costs, and in some cases, cancellation. 

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 later this year,

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

Umkomaas

Complain to the retail park operators.  Which parking firm?  What exactly (word for word) did you say in your appeal?  When is your POPLA deadline?

Nine times out of ten as a newbie you are likely to get a 'nine times out of ten' posting from the forum's 'nine times out of ten' expert!

Redx

Name the retail park and location

Name the parking company

Complain to the retail park management or landowner using the royal WE , aim for a cancellation by that means first

Coupon-mad

Should be easy to cancel by retailer complaint (or retail park management) so don't start POPLA yet.