Smart parking - where to go from here

Ju_do71

Hi - apologies in advance but I can't find anything in the threads to help with this...I received a letter from Debt recovery plus advising me I owed for a parking ticket issued by smart parking - I have never received any correspondence from smart parking so was confused - when I checked the details they gave this was in relation to parking on a business park car park back in Feb - I checked my paperwork and at the time I was having my MOT done at my usual garage and obviously myself and the garage have all the proof of this so I wasn't too concerned as I hadn't actually been parked so to speak - I contacted debt recovery plus who point blank refused to listen so I emailed smart parking with a copy of the MOT details and they just referred me to debt recovery plus so I'm going round in circles and getting extremely stressed with the DRP letters - can anyone please help ? 

fisherjim

Have you read the newbies thread?

You should not be communicating with debt recovery plus they are rude low life muppets that only want cash and have no authority anyway.

Smart parking are also low life idiots that are only interested in money and they won't consider anything you say as they have a no win no fee contract with Debt recovery plus.

Either Not so Smart have a misread in their anpr system or maybe the garage mechanic took the car for a drive ir something and parked up.

You need to do a SAR to Smart to reveal all the information they have on your vehicle.

Trainerman

Yes. Do not be stressed by letters from DRP. They are comedians who can do nothing. Forget threats of CCJs or any such. You owe nothing until it has been to court AND a Judge says that you do .... which with the help of the experts on here is most unusual.

Read up on the Newbies so you understand the process, and see if you can get a landowner cancellation. Whatever you do, do not let on who was driving as I believe that Smart are not POFA compliant

Ju_do71

Thank you - sorry should have made clear that the garage doing the MOT is on the business park in question - I will have a look at the newbies thread as you advise about the landowner cancellation - I know I haven't breached any of their terms and conditions of parking as I can prove the car was getting it's MOT done at a garage on the business park at the time but i can't believe they won't just take one look at the proof and say ok we won't take this further ! Absolutely awful 

Half_way

Where is this businesses park?

patient_dream

Ju_do71 said:

Thank you - sorry should have made clear that the garage doing the MOT is on the business park in question - I will have a look at the newbies thread as you advise about the landowner cancellation - I know I haven't breached any of their terms and conditions of parking as I can prove the car was getting it's MOT done at a garage on the business park at the time but i can't believe they won't just take one look at the proof and say ok we won't take this further ! Absolutely awful 

Well, you are dealing with 2 scammers.  Smart is NOT so Smart and DRP are just the biggest joke in the parking industry and you just IGNORE DRP

Was this an ANPR caputure of your car ? or pictures taken by a goon (warden) ?

After the MOT was completed where was the car parked awaiting your collection

Coupon-mad

Why didn't the first PCN and reminder arrive?

What address did Smart use?  Your logbook address may well have caused this.  Out of date old address on it?

Please stop phoning these people!

Ju_do71

No idea why the actual PCN did not arrive but Smart have sent me a copy of it and the address is correct so no idea why I didn't get it ? They didn't send me a copy of the reminder though and I definitely didn't get one - otherwise I would have just sorted this out straight away which is the annoying thing !!

The PCN I was sent did have a pic of the car leaving the business park and after the MOT the garage has designated parking where all customer cars are left 

I did contact the garage who had loads of the same thing happen and advised me to send my proof in but obviously it's too late for that now - the garage also told me numerous businesses had complained and the cameras have now been disabled 

patient_dream

So it was ANPR

Sadly the flaw in ANPR is they don't actually know what is happening within the car park, it is only an IN/OUT camera.

As the garage has dedicated customer parking that must be considered as a private area for the garage and of course if Smart have no signs in the private area, you have not broken any rules and this can only be seen as a drive-thru and not a parking event

If the garage suffers this problem they should complain to the landowner on your behalf.  They will lose business otherwise

Doubt a Judge would rule in favour of Smart if it went that far.

But, please ignore DRP and all their lies, they are just idiots
Part of the BPA group of fools

D_P_Dance

 I can't find anything in the threads to help with this


Have you read the newbies, they cover most situations and also there are lots of Smart cases on previous threads.  Read this and complain to your MP>

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.

Coupon-mad

Then send a written appeal to SMART by post (get free proof of posting from the PO and DON'T send it 'signed for').

Say that:

- the first letter(s) did not arrive at all, and given Smart are required by the BPA CoP to send a reminder then that's two letter mysteriously in a Smart 'black hole'.  Odd.  And given that it is known that Smart had to cancel dozens of PCNs a year ago  because their mail consolidator had failed to actually post the PCNs, you will be complaining immediately to Sara Roberts at the BPA, if you are not assured that this was their postal prover's error (again) and provided with a new PCN and the chance to appeal to POPLA.

- you were not driving as the MOT centre (garage) parked the car.  They want the PCN cancelled and have advised that the system has ruined the businesses and the cameras have been switched off.