Parking: The Big Con? - On Channel 5 tonight, 7pm

95Rollers

patient_dream said:

95Rollers said:

Hopefully it will educate people of the scam. Its worrying how easy it is for someone to set up a parking company and get access to people's personal data and images!  Another reason why you MUST be even more vigilant when on private land NOT controlled by one of the bigger companies!  What background checks or safeguarding measures do the ATAs instil to vet and check for suitability...if any!?!  We know the DVLA do nothing as they leave "regulating" to ATAs who aren't regulating bodies!!!  What measures are there to stop a registered sex offender, convicted blackmailer, Stalker, fraudster or identity theif getting access to this valuable info!?!? Which the DVLA offer up for all at £2.50 per unit!?!  Apparently they don't make a profit - then why bother if that's not the case and FOI findings say otherwise?! 

I had to laugh what you said "Sex Offender and stalker"

We know the BPA fail in background checks ..... hence "Mr Upskirt" and he was the CEO ?
What background check did government do on the IPC ?  

Its very concerning to say the least considerig the anount of info they can access and power abused.

Another of IPCs board is a disgraced teacher who was struck off for life after getting drunk and touchy and kissy with his pupils at a school prom when he was supposed to chaperoning and safeguarding then had the audacity to attempt to blackmail his former employers at disciplinary stage!! His name is Chris Naylor. 

Excel's NW Area manager is a disgraced police officer who was sacked and jailed for illegally accessing police computers to assist him in stalking and harassing vulnerable females who he'd pester for sex! His name is John Forrester. They take on all life's winners.  I read that Britannia parking have a convicted paedophile working for them  - but unlike the aforementioned I have no solid proof of this as it came from an anonymous employee review on Indeed job site. 


The BPA didn't condemn Upskirter Troy or distance themselves or worse still show a shred of solidarity to his victims which is very strange  behaviour in the PR and corporate world...🤔 

Snakes_Belly

I watched the programme on My5 last night. It was very informative and the representatives of this forum came over very well.

Would have like to have seen the debt collection agents called out more.

Residential parking did not feature. It would have been good to see a case like sadwithoutmynelson's mentioned. In my opinion residential parking issues are the worst. They must seriously effect people's mental health.

The couple who received a ticket for overstaying because they thought that the blue badge gave them three hours was a good example of the disparity between council car parks and PPC's in the way they operate. This causes confusion to the most vulnerable

I did wonder why the lady who helped the disabled couple did not champion the mutiple amputee veteran who was taken to court by VCS. I would have liked to see that case get a mention. I did also wonder which PPC's she was referring to when she said that some were very understanding.

Snakes_Belly

I find it hard to believe that the DVLA don't make anything from supplying keeper details. This must be a totally automated process as illustrated when the presenter set up his own PPC.

D_P_Dance

I think that residenial parking tickete susually gather much more heat then those at shopping complexes.  Residents talk to other residents, tenants to landlords, and landlords like myself, can get very stroppy with Management Agents.  I have had to threaten one awful MA with court on two occasions.  

Snakes_Belly

D_P_Dance said:

I think that residenial parking tickete susually gather much more heat then those at shopping complexes.  Residents talk to other residents, tenants to landlords, and landlords like myself, can get very stroppy with Management Agents.  I have had to threaten one awful MA with court on two occasions.  

If you have the sort of run in with a PPC like I did you can avoid the car park in the future. The residents are having to deal with it on a daily basis and can't avoid it. Hopefully the new CoP will improve the rights of tenants so that no tenant or leaseholder is ticketed for using their own parking spot.

Fruitcake

I watched it and thought, well, it was better than a lot of programmes about it, but there was a lot missing. I was disappointed that the presenter, having explained the difference between a penalty and an invoice at the beginning, degenerated into calling them fines and penalties later on.

I am worried that the description of the judge's findings in the plasterer's case might make people think GPEOL is a thing again.

Our two regulars did themselves, and us proud. Well done to them, and it was nice to put a face to each name.

Did anyone else think that the images of helpful websites appeared to linger on MSE a little longer than the others? 

I thought the MP did exceptionally well, especially considering the responses we have seen from other MPs reported on this forum. It's a pity Sir Greg, may he live for a thousand years, wasn't interviewed.

All in all, I think the programme did some good.

Umkomaas

Snakes_Belly said:

I did wonder why the lady who helped the disabled couple did not champion the mutiple amputee veteran who was taken to court by VCS. I would have liked to see that case get a mention. I did also wonder which PPC's she was referring to when she said that some were very understanding.

Well look whose logos are adorning the foot of parent Excel's webpage. They're all in it together. 

https://excelparkingservices.co.uk/

holderness

I recently asked a block manager why a caretaker to an apartment block required a CRB check when they then handed out a keyfob to a parking operative without any checks or without a written contract. Her jaw dropped when I explained that said operater had criminal convictions including racially aggravated assault and threats to rape. I then pointed out that if anything happened the person who handed out the key could be sued for negligence 

Coupon-mad

"They take on all life's winners."

Haha!

Well we will see what happens in the end, won't we? Perhaps what goes around, comes around.

bargepole

Snakes_Belly said:

I find it hard to believe that the DVLA don't make anything from supplying keeper details. This must be a totally automated process as illustrated when the presenter set up his own PPC.

What they didn't say in the programme, is that for the PPC to get details electronically, they have to sign a KADOE agreement and pay for the cost of a dedicated terminal.

They then input registration numbers, and back comes the keeper details within a matter of seconds. No intervention by any DVLA staff required.

The DVLA manipulate their accounts to make it appear that the £2.50 fee just covers their costs, but the reality is that they make a sizeable profit from all this, and pay bonuses to some staff based upon the volume of data sold. Hence why they shamefully side with the PPCs and ATAs whenever a complaint is raised.