Hampton by Hilton at Bristol Airport

Surfhopper

My wife and I both aged 73 were driven by a friend who is a blue badge disabled driver to the Hampton by Hilton hotel at Bristol airport on the eve of our flight to Gibraltar. We arrived at barriers leading to the hotel car park but couldn't see the hotel reception sign. There was no other traffic on the road except for a white van parked opposite the car park entrance on the road. The driver watched our confusion as we looked for the place where the driver could drop us off. We approached the barrier which didn't open, so my wife and I got out with our bag and walked through the barrier where we saw the reception sign on our left. Our driver spent less than a minute for this operation and drove off without switching off his engine. We were also outside of any double lines. We subsequently discovered that the hotel car park is owned by Bristol Airport and the white van by a company called Vehicle Control Services of Sheffield. The van driver, who had his window open and watched us without offering any assistance was, in fact, taking photographs which were subsequently used to issue our driver with a £100 fine for stopping. He had parked his van near a smaller sign opposite the car park warning drivers who stopped would be charged. The hotel receptionist told us that many guests had fallen into the same trap. There is an appeals procedure but can this company really fine us for this?

Coupon-mad

Yeah this is a normal scam for VCS. Search the forum for Bristol Airport and read what's been done before.
It is not a fine.

But there is NO APPEAL that will work, be clear on that - it is a scam.  However, part of that scam is, VCS take vehicles keepers and drivers to court and intimidate them and allege there was a contract formed from signage.  This is all explained in all the other Airport threads, and we win in court. 

We will help the person to fight it and they need to appeal even though it won't work (BUT NOT TO IAS, it is a kangaroo court you can't win).  Appealing the first stage, pointlessly, looks better to the Judge later when your friend wins.  Judges don't like ignorers.

Read other Bristol Airport threads and read NEWBIES PLEASE READ THESE FAQS FIRST (please).  No link needed.

HORIBLE, isn't it?   Now, you, your wife and the friend, can all three of you plus your families if they will, do this to fight back now:

Get ANGRY and GET EVEN about this scam! 

Please now make a real difference because not enough people have:

A TASK FOR SEPTEMBER:

The Government is (this month only) consulting about a new statutory code of practice (CoP) and framework to rein in the rogue parking firms.  Read and comment on the draft CoP proposal and the enforcement framework consultation, and get everyone you know to do the same.

You will need to register to comment on the CoP and enter an occupation even if you are retired or a homemaker, but otherwise it is easy to navigate, and comment upon each section/subsection individually. You can save comments to edit later and or submit comments once you are happy with them.

https://standardsdevelopment.bsigroup.com/projects/2020-00193#/section

You do not need to register to comment on the enforcement framework which can be found here. It has a link on page 5 to make comments.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/913272/Code_Enforcement_Framework_consultation.pdf

At the very least, we say the parking charge level should be £50/£25 or higher level £70/£35, as per Council PCNs in E&W.  

And we say the added fake 'debt recovery' costs are just double counting the cost of letters and MUST GO.  Remove that layer and you remove the ‘drivers’ behind the race to court.

HOW TO DO THE SUBMISSIONS:

Responses into the PAS 232 and MHCLG framework documents are not completely straightforward:

On the MHCLG response, you have to answer the questions on a 1-5 scale from strongly agree to strongly disagree, and then put some commentary. No way to upload documents or alternatives.

 

On the PAS 232, you have to click on each clause and sub-clause to put your comments, and a suggested rewording of their draft.  You can see comments which other people have written! 

 

But, when you click ‘submit’, a message pops up to say your comments have been received, but that only applies to the particular clause you have just addressed.

 

You have to click ‘submit’ separately for each individual clause response.

 

Some people will be caught out by this but can revisit it and add further responses up to 12 October.

 

 

Surfhopper

We were driven to the Hilton Hotel at Bristol Airport by a disabled, blue badge holder, driver, and stopped at the barrier to the hotel car park which is owned by the airport. The barrier didn't open, my wife and I, both aged 73, got out the vehicle and walked through the barrier to reception. Our driver didn't switch off his engine and within one minute drove off. A VCS video van was parked on the opposite side of the road and watched us. Our driver has now received a £100 charge and an appeal dismissed. It is impossible to enter the hotel without stopping at the barrier and you cannot see the reception sign until you stop. The hotel staff say the van is constantly parked outside the entrance to the car park to catch guests.

KeithP

Yes, that's pretty much a repeat of what you said in your opening post.

Did Coupon-mad's post not help you at all?

Coupon-mad

I really want to be sure all newbies do this.  We give advice every day and we try to make a difference but this is a unque opportunity for all newbies to make a real difference to the way the parking industry works:

PLEASE CHANNEL YOUR ANGER ABOUT THIS PATHETIC CHARGE: CALLING ALL NEWBIES! 

 

An urgent task – deadline approaching in a week or so:

Please now make a real difference because not enough people have yet, and time is running out. 

The Government is consulting for just a few more days, about a new statutory code of practice (CoP) and framework intended to rein in the rogue parking firms. 

Does it go far enough?  Read and comment on the draft CoP proposal and the enforcement framework consultation (two separate consultation documents).

HOW TO DO THE SUBMISSIONS:

BSI PAS 232 – COMMENTING ON THE CODE OF PRACTICE AS DRAFTED:

1.    You will need to register then log in, to comment on the CoP and enter an occupation even if you are retired or a homemaker.  

 

2.    Register, log into the BSI page, and download & read the cover letter here:

https://standardsdevelopment.bsigroup.com/projects/2020-00193#/section

 

3.    Read the cover letter again and note the suggested extra questions... if you agree that, say, the 'loading/unloading and dropping off, asking for directions, and disabled people parking on double yellows as they can on street' activities listed should be exempt (not parking events, what do you think?) then please go to the Annexes at the end of the PAS Code and find the one about Exempt Vehicles and state what other activity you think should be added to the exempt list. 

 

4.    Download the PAS itself and start commenting on what you wish to say something about.  Quick links to each section appear on the left of your page. 

 

You don’t have to comment on everything, e.g. you might want to skip the definitions and focus on later sections, and certainly look at the Annex tables at the end that show things like consideration & grace periods and exemptions.

 

5.    Submit comments when you are happy with them. Don’t just ‘SAVE’ and forget!

 

THAT IS HALF THE JOB DONE!

THE MHCLG CONSULTATION IS EASIER AS IT IS JUST A LIST OF QUESTIONS. 

 

6.    You can do it first if preferred or pushed for time:

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=EGg0v32c3kOociSi7zmVqAVPfAOtwRxLhHRwQ610oElUMzhQSVo0WUQ4SERVSEZaUU9DTUhFQ1VMUy4u

If your answers exceed 4000 characters (approx. 500 words to a single question or 16000 words (approx. 2500 words) for all the questions below, you can email your answers to parking@communities.gov.uk as long as you state who you are.

THESE ARE THE QUESTIONS YOU WILL SEE, FOR RESPONSES TO THE FRAMEWORK:

Q1 Do you agree or disagree that members of APAs should be required to use a single appeals service appointed by the Secretary of State?

Strongly agree/Somewhat agree/Neither agree nor disagree/Somewhat disagree/Strongly disagree

 

Q1.1 Please explain your answer

(free text)

 

 

Q2 Please provide any other feedback on the determination of appeals, including the funding model and features that an appeal service should offer e.g. telephone or in-person hearings, the ability to submit evidence online

(free text)

 

Q3 Please provide any comments you have on the proposal to enforce the Code by combining the ATA’s existing audit procedures with additional safeguards.

(free text)

 

Q4 Please outline any alternative means by which the Code could be monitored and enforced. You may wish to cite evidence from other regulatory frameworks which are relevant.

(free text)

 

Q5 Please provide any feedback you have on the proposed governance arrangements for monitoring the new Code of Practice

(free text)

 

Q6 Which parking charge system is most appropriate for private parking?

 a) the Three-tiered system

 b) Mirroring the Local Authority system

(free text)

 

 Q6.1 Please explain your answer. You may, for example, wish to make reference to other deterrent frameworks (for example, for railway tickets or traffic violations)

(free text)

 

 

Q7 What level of discount is appropriate:

40% as is currently offered in private parking and suggested in the three-tiered system, or

50% as is offered in Local Authority parking?

a) 40%

b) 50%

 

Q7.1 Please explain your answer, including whether the discount should be set at a different level

(free text)

 

 

 Q8 How should the level of parking charges be set and how should the levels be revised in future?

(free text)

 

 

Q9 Do you agree or disagree in principle with the idea of the Appeals Charter?

Agree/Disagree

 

Q9.1 Please explain your answer

(free text)

 

 

Q10 Do you agree or not that the examples given in the Appeals Charter are fair and appropriate? Agree/Disagree

 

Q10.1 Please explain your answer.

You may wish, for example, to suggest additional cases to be covered in an Appeals Charter or query existing examples.

(free text)

 

Q11 Do you agree or disagree that the parking industry should contribute towards the cost of the regulation?

Agree/Disagree

 

Q11.1 Please explain your answer.

(free text)

 

YOU CAN INSTEAD GIVE MORE CONCISE ANSWERS ONLINE, USING THE MHCLG PAGE LINK.

Don’t forget that answering these questions is the easier bit…

Looking at the BSI PAS (the draft code of practice itself) involves logging in and submitting comments again, and again and again and takes more time!

There is a discussion about PAS submissions and what the pages look like, here:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6195417/am-i-doing-something-wrong/p1