St Michaels Retail park, Basingstoke

AdzCuz

Hi, I inadvertently parked for longer than allowed in a small car park right outside Nandos in St Michaels Retail park Basingstoke. The car park has a single sign at its entrance displaying Max stay 30 mins which I missed navigating the one way tyre shredder. The rest of the car park is basically unlimited but this small car park was built to “better and safer service units 8-11” as per the town planning portal. I stayed from 16:52 to 17:45 having an eat in meal at Nandos in unit 8 (trying to keep the economy and myself alive). I received the fine some days later for £60 if I paid within 14 days, increasing to £100 if not. I followed the rules and contested the fine via their official route citing the error I made but also highlighting that I was using the car park for the purpose it was built and that 30 mins is insufficient time (these days) to get in and out of Nandos and eat with Virtual Queues etc. I included my receipt etc. I received the attached letter by reply.... help! 

Umkomaas

Skim read. Have you bellyached to Nandos about the impossibility of eating there within 30 minutes in order to avoid having £100 added to the bill you've received (and paid) from them?

[Deleted User]

Ultimately you will probably have to pay the fine, although I found an article on local news website saying that the signage text about the time limit is 'disproportionately small' so you may be able to go down that route

Complain to nandos head office and tell them you won't be going back and will find a new chicken provider. Make them aware that their landlords parking management company is losing them business. The tenants (nandos in this case) are the only ones with any power to get the time limit changed

Umkomaas

nerox said:

Ultimately you will probably have to pay the fine, 

Why do you say that?

[Deleted User]

Umkomaas said:

nerox said:

Ultimately you will probably have to pay the fine, 

Why do you say that?

Because there is little ground to contest. The op said themselves there is sign at the entrance

Le_Kirk

nerox said:

Umkomaas said:

nerox said:

Ultimately you will probably have to pay the fine if a judge says so 

Why do you say that?

Because there is little ground to contest. The op said themselves there is sign at the entrance

Maybe it should be as edited above!
OP, you do know your name is visible on the letter you have posted?

Umkomaas

nerox said:

Umkomaas said:

nerox said:

Ultimately you will probably have to pay the fine, 

Why do you say that?

Because there is little ground to contest. The op said themselves there is sign at the entrance

Have you seen the sign?  Did you mean 'fine', or perhaps a 'penalty'?  Which one?

MistyZ

There's often a sign at the entrance and it's often inadequate.  

OP you seem to have missed out on reading the Newbies' thread.  You need to do that now to get up to speed.  

You will see that Plan A is indeed to complain vigorously, assertively, politely but largely unapologetically to the landowner, insisting on cancellation.  From the document you've shown, the landowner would appear to be Area Estates Ltd.  So complain to them.  And complain to the manager of Nandos at the same time.  And have a complaint ready to go to Nandos' CEO if the manager fobs you off.

Unless I'm missing something - which I may be - I don't see anything particularly worrying in all that blather PCM have sent you.  

Why would anyone even attempt to eat a meal they've paid for at a restaurant - even a fast-food restaurant - within 30 minutes?  That's what I do at home with beans on toast.

D_P_Dance

Ultimately you will probably have to pay the fine, 

This is not a fine.  Why are you advising people suchly?

[Deleted User]

D_P_Dance said:

Ultimately you will probably have to pay the fine, 

This is not a fine.  Why are you advising people suchly?

That's my opinion, I never gave any advice

Coupon-mad

Ultimately you will probably have to pay the fine,

But no-one pays PCM here!  What on earth?  They are the firm who were on Watchdog admitting they 'make it up':

http://parking-prankster.blogspot.com/2015/05/is-it-pcm-uk-who-make-up-stuff-all-time.html

It isn't a fine and these are won in court.   Your post could have misled this poster.