Parking stories in the News/media

Coupon-mad

Take a bow One Parking Solution (run by ex-wheelclampers) for sending a consumer a costs assessment of over £10,000 which they knew, or should have known, is unrecoverable when the other party has not acted unreasonably: 

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6501614/one-parking-and-llangrannog-again

Doesn't this look like vexatious litigation?

I hope Wrexham Court finally puts them back in their box, because someone needs to.

ANPR has no place in beach car parks.  Especially not OPS' little game where there's no reliable signal to pay to park at Llangrannog.

The BPA must be so proud.

Coupon-mad

Next up, Horizon Parking

Another vexatious embarrassment:

https://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2024-01-26/blue-badge-holder-furious-she-was-asked-to-prove-disability

"Surrey blue badge holder 'furious' she was asked to 'prove' she was disabled to appeal parking fine..."

AT A HOSPITAL.  Astonishing.  Have they not heard of the Equality Act 2010?

ANPR has no place in hospital car parks.

The BPA must be so proud.

Coupon-mad

Umkomaas said in 2022:

Smart Parking spoiling days out at Fantasy Island. (Credit: NoToMob Fourm). 

https://www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk/news/local-news/fantasy-island-daytripper-receives-fundamentally-7300370

Apparently, Fantasy Island reckons swapping from Smart Parking (faceless & flawed) ANPR system) to ParkingEye (faceless & flawed ANPR system) is a good idea:

https://www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk/news/local-news/fantasy-island-change-parking-provider-9052633?int_source=amp_continue_reading&int_medium=amp&int_campaign=continue_reading_button#amp-readmore-target

Fantasy Island to change parking provider as customers complain of unnecessary fines

"Customers have complained in the past about being fined despite paying to park."

Still going to happen.

PROVE ME WRONG, PARKINGEYE.

That's how PPCs make money.

ANPR has no place in retail/customer parks.

The BPA must be so proud.

Umkomaas

Apparently, Fantasy Island reckons swapping from Smart Parking (faceless & flawed) ANPR system) to ParkingEye (faceless & flawed ANPR system) is a good idea:

Swapping a house pet for a hyena!  Much more grief to come. White knuckle ride on the fairground, another dose of it within 14 days of getting home.  Further clicks incoming for the online local press over in Lincs!

Coupon-mad

This is a weird one, unrelated to any PPC:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13009367/amp/pensioner-swindled-scammed-posted-railway-staff-accused-parking-offence.html

"Elderly pensioner swindled out of £800 by scammers who posed as good Samaritans trying to help him cancel a fake parking ticket before taking him to altered ticket machine"

We do see a lot of people swindled out of hundreds of pounds when they are duped into paying debt collectors, so I see similarities.

Coupon-mad

 Back to the usual:

UKPC in 'double dip scam PCN' shocker:

https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/24072086.swindon-b-m-parking-fine-leaves-shopper-angry/

"Ms Mumford went to the shop twice before Christmas, once on December 8 for about 20 minutes at around 2.30pm and then once the day after on December 9 for about half  an hour at around 11.30am.

The PCN was issued on December 12 and stated Ms Mumford had parked for 20 hours and 34 minutes. The fine was for £100 but would be reduced to £60 if she paid it within 14 days of it being issued.

Ms Mumford appealed and attempted to dispute the fine multiple times. She said she could not get through to anybody over the phone and was left in the dark for weeks."

Apparently UKPC and the BPA reckon it's all OK because the BPA carpet was lifted and the dirt swept right under it.

Whatever happened to mandatory human checks to avoid double dips and illegal automated decision-making?

ANPR has no place in retail parks.

The BPA must be so proud.

Coupon-mad

Another one, with a perplexing excuse from Group Nexus - CP Plus:

Weirdly, they are trying to wriggle out of an alleged 'double dip' case (two different drivers) and blame the consumer for the issue that CP Plus used old DVLA data and didn't reissue the PCN as the new statutory Code will require:

https://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/24066413.tower-retail-car-park-crayford-woman-hit-hefty-fine/

"The notice claimed that Alison arrived at the car park at 4.18pm and left at 7.40pm, but Alison claims she was never there for that duration of time.  Alison explained:

“What happened was, my partner parked there to pick up a birthday card for my son at 4.18pm. Then I went back to the McDonalds drive through at 7.40pm.  So, the cameras have recorded my partner going into the car park, but not out, and its recording me leaving the drive through, but not entering.”

Alison claims that she can prove that she was working during those hours, and says she has proof of the two separate transactions on hers and her partners bank accounts.

CP Plus appear to be psychic:

“Regarding Mrs Boyle's claim, we have checked the movements and cannot find a record of a multi visit.  She has, however, stated that "my partner parked there to pick up a birthday card for my son at 4.18pm." but this Parking Charge does not relate to this visit.”

Eh?  How do they know? Did they follow them around?

No apology. No cancellation.

Where's the doctrine of good faith?

Just arsy arguments, an extortionate £170 escalation, no new PCN issued and the usual consumer blame culture seen from this industry again and again.

ANPR has no place in retail/customer parks.

The BPA must be so proud.

Coupon-mad

Next up, Britannia ruining the peace of mind of an elderly widow of a solicitor, whose heinous crime was spending £600 in Waitrose in a busy day before Xmas:

https://www.advertiserandtimes.co.uk/news/amp/it-s-a-bit-rich-waitrose-shopper-who-spent-over-600-on-9349194/

"Ingrid Rock spent three hours in the Lymington supermarket in Stanford Road on Christmas Eve, bagging a load of yellow sticker bargains on the day to fill her freezer as well as for the festivities.

But her cost-cutting move ended up backfiring when she got a parking ticket through the post stating she had to pay the whopping fine for being parked up longer than two hours."

She didn't know what to do and had to get Waitys to cancel it.

ANPR has no place in retail/customer parks.

The BPA must be so proud.

Coupon-mad

Next up...OMG, a FIVE YEAR CONTRACT that goes against NHS Car Parking Principles:

https://thestrayferret.co.uk/harrogate-hospital-parking-firm-given-five-year-contract/

Named & shamed:

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust 

and ParkingEye

...who should BOTH know full well that this contract goes against the NHS rules.

FIVE YEARS OF THIS!

Which idiot signed it?

"Car parking company ParkingEye was given a five-year contract to operate Harrogate hospital’s car park, says the hospital trust.

The company was contracted to run the hospital’s new automated number plate recognition system car park in September 2023.  At the time, the NHS Trust said the ticketless system would help to reduce congestion on Lancaster Park Road.

However, since then, the hospital has been criticised for hiring management firm Parkingeye to operate the car park.  The Stray Ferret has also received numerous letters and complaints that the company has issued unfair parking fines.

A Freedom of Information response from the hospital trust has revealed that the company was given no money as part of the contract as it receives all its income from parking fines."

Despite that being against the NHS rules:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nhs-patient-visitor-and-staff-car-parking-principles/nhs-patient-visitor-and-staff-car-parking-principles

Contracted-out car parking

NHS organisations are responsible for the actions of private contractors who run car parks on their behalf.

NHS organisations should act against rogue contractors in line with the relevant codes of practice where applicable.

1. Contracts should not be let on any basis that incentivises additional charges, for example ‘income from parking charge notices only’.

The 2015 Health Technical Memorandum 07-03: NHS car-parking management: environment and sustainability provides further advice on providing parking in the NHS.

1. The BPA must be so proud...

Coupon-mad

Here we have Northwest Parking Management not exactly covering themselves in glory, by taking an innocent victim who ran a fish & chip shop to court ... sounds familiar?!

https://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/people/chefs-relief-as-ps3000-plus-hartlepool-marina-parking-bill-is-dropped-after-18-month-long-dispute-4480312

"Lee Pennick says he received up to 18 parking tickets dating between June and August in 2022 when he ran a fish and chip shop at Hartlepool Marina.

He and the company that owns the restaurant always disputed the tickets on the grounds that for years the building had been issued with a number of parking permits by the Marina’s owners.

He said: “You feel like a criminal going to court even though I’m not.  If it was one or two tickets, I would have paid them just to get rid of them. But I got about 18 equalling over £3,200."

But when Lee turned up at court last week for a hearing to decide the case, he was told that it had been dropped by Northwest Parking Management.

The BPA must be so proud.