Smart Parking Ticket Wrong Reg Number

thelastofman

Hi all,

I'm looking for some advice on taking a parking fine to POPLA. I parked in a car park and used the RingGo app to pay for parking (£1). I've used the same app at the exact same car park in the past but for some reason it defaulted to my car's old registration number. This is a car park which I later found out has ANPR - not sure why it didn't reject the payment for a car that wasn't in the car park.

I appealed to Smart thinking they'd understand especially since I'd recently been made redundant but no luck. They reduced the £100 parking fine to £20 to reimburse costs associated with issuing the parking notice. The car I own is on lease so I'm having to pay £15 admin fee for this parking notice. 

This seems like such a pain considering the original parking cost was only £1 and I did pay it. I have an electric car so I was charging the car at the same time which I also paid for. So what have they lost out on?

I've looked at the POPLA core template posted on here but wanted advice on whether it applies to my situation and whether I'll have any luck with appealing this parking fine.

Redx

Depends if you have admitted to being the driver or not , because it seems to me that you have foolishly told Smart who was driving , in which case POFA does not assist you at all

Given the story you have told us so far I doubt that popla will help you either , it's not the fault of Smart for the Ringo app causing the issue , that is between you and Ringo

The BPA CoP states £20 for a major keying error , which Smart offered as per the BPA CoP rules , so seems to be your best option if Smart know that you were the Driver

The lease company named you as lessee , not as driver , so you threw away the winning point of POFA if you admitted to being the driver

This is one of the downsides of using third party payment apps

The no loss argument vanished 5 years ago with the Barry Beavis case

Coupon-mad

You could have won.  If you'd appealed as registered keeper and not rushed to appeal as driver (sigh...).

Pay the £20.

thelastofman

Oh wow. So what difference does it make if I admit to being the driver? I've not had a parking fine previously so this is all new to me.

thelastofman

I've read the Newbies thread and the thread explaining why not to give away the driver. I should've read this before. Thank you for your time!

r3b3ccaaaa

I have figured out why i never received the PCN the copy of the letter they sent me didn't have the first line of my address!! Which by the way my full address is on my V5 and is registered with the DVLA. its beggars belief

r3b3ccaaaa

r3b3ccaaaa said:

I have figured out why i never received the PCN the copy of the letter they sent me didn't have the first line of my address!! Which by the way my full address is on my V5 and is registered with the DVLA. its beggars belief

Sorry wrong forum!

D_P_Dance

Read what Pete Wishart MP said recently in the House of commons about Smart Parking.

"I am sick and tired of receiving emails from people complaining about the behaviour of parking companies, telling me that they will never again visit Perth city centre because of the negative experience they had when they had the misfortune to end up in a car park operated by one of these companies. I have received more complaints about one car park in the city of Perth than about any other issue. That car park is operated by the lone ranger of the parking cowboys: the hated and appalling Smart Parking—I see that many other Members are unfortunate enough to have Smart Parking operating in their constituencies. It has reached the stage where one member of my staff now spends a good part of each day just helping my constituents and visitors to my constituency to navigate the appeals process.

…
The BPA does not have the ability to regulate these companies and has shown no sign whatsoever that it is trying to get on top of some of the sharper practices. The BPA gives a veneer of legitimacy to some of the more outlandish rogue operators by including them in their membership, allowing them to continue to operate. The Bill will oblige operators such as Smart Parking to amend their practices.

They are scammers, complain to your own MP.

Le_Kirk

r3b3ccaaaa said:

r3b3ccaaaa said:

I have figured out why i never received the PCN the copy of the letter they sent me didn't have the first line of my address!! Which by the way my full address is on my V5 and is registered with the DVLA. its beggars belief

Sorry wrong forum!

Right forum, wrong thread?