Parking stories in the News/media

Coupon-mad

Driver's fury at being hit with £100 fine after parking at petrol station for 90 seconds

https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1864955/driver-parking-fine-petrol-station/amp

No idea which PPC is behind this one and quite frankly, who cares?  At the moment, in our long experience they are all as bad as each other anyway.

Not sure how this victim can have 'gone offsite shopping in Tesco' in 2 minutes flat.

Coupon-mad

NI Consumer Council advice on 'appealing' a private PCN:

https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/what-you-receive-fine-private-28561271.amp

"The Consumer Council has issued advice regarding this saying: "You can appeal a parking charge notice if you are the registered keeper of the vehicle but were not driving it the day the parking charge notice was issued. This is because the Protection of Freedoms Act (PoFA) does not apply in Northern Ireland, unlike England and Wales.

"As the registered keeper of the vehicle, you can appeal the PCN by asking the parking operator to provide evidence that you were driving on the date of the alleged breach, if no evidence exists, the PCN can be cancelled."

Or preferably:

JUST IGNORE IT in Northern Ireland,

Coupon-mad

"Vulnerable GP patients in Mirfield fined for parking at doctors surgery for appointments"

https://www.itv.com/news/calendar/2024-02-09/vulnerable-gp-patients-fined-for-parking-at-surgery

The Mirfield Health Centre in West Yorkshire -  STUPIDLY - didn't bother to Google it and contracted UK Car Parking Management (CPM) to "run" (ruin?) the car park four months ago, "intending to make sure only patients with appointments used the car park instead of shoppers."

Dum dum dum dum dum...

"But many patients with booked appointments have now racked up fines, either by entering their registration details incorrectly, not being aware of the new system, or not being in the right state of mind to use it properly.

When Hollie Lee went to the doctors ahead of her scheduled brain surgery, despite being cleared to drive, she wasn't able to process written information as usual and had requested information verbally. She says she was not made aware of the new requirement to log her car details, and subsequently received a parking fine.

Another patient, Avril Davies, visit her doctor when she was ill and "things were getting worse". She managed to make a mistake while entering her registration number into the system in her less-than-fit state.

Her and husband Peter ended up paying £100 instead of the early payment rate of £60 because their appeal was rejected. Mr Davies said: "[We] never thought for one minute that we'd have to pay money to go and see the doctor." His wife added:

"I think they're taking advantage of vulnerable people.  I was in no fit state to think about putting in a car [registration] number when I wanted to see the doctor and I was so ill, and because we could provide the proof that that's actually what we did, I do feel that [CPM] should be in a position to reimburse the money."

Janet Mould received two fines in three days, totalling £200. She'd tried to enter her car registration, but made a mistake in the process. 

A neighbour helped her to appeal online, sending proof of the appointments to CPM, but these were rejected and she said to ITV news:

"As a matter of principle I wouldn't have paid the fine anyway, I would have gone to court if necessary. The letters were quite threatening, it was quite upsetting, [and] I wasn't particularly well. It was quite distressing."

UKCPM ONLY BACKED DOWN (ON THESE FEW PCNs, IT SEEMS) WHEN THE LOCAL MP GOT INVOLVED.

Councillor Vivien Lees-Hamilton says she has had dozens residents within her ward contacting her about the issue.  She said one man who contacted her got three parking tickets over two or three days, despite suffering from severe work stress." 

THE IPC MUST BE SO PROUD.

Coupon-mad

Yet more misery caused by UKPC

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/desperate-shopper-slams-parking-company-28586257.amp

A pensioner who visited the Ravenside Retail Park in Erdington as she was 'desperate' t use the toilet, has slammed parking company UK Parking Control Ltd after being hit with a £100 charge.

She told BirminghamLive: “I went there as I needed the toilet. I went to Dunelm. I was just a little bit over on the passenger side. I didn’t park near anybody on purpose. I got the fine less than a week after it happened. I think it’s wrong in this instance. I haven’t done anything terrible and they are charging me £100."

This is parking management, is it?

No wonder so many people boycott retail parks now. Ex-wheelclampers like UKPC are waiting to pounce just like in the old days.

The BPA must be so proud.

Coupon-mad

Shopper fined for parking at Morrisons' Clacton supermarket

https://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/24109375.shopper-fined-parking-morrisons-clacton-supermarket/

https://news.knowledia.com/GB/en/articles/shopper-fined-for-parking-at-morrisons-clacton-supermarket-8a67042b65a1055e49086b2693042b0f2c5d3aeb

"A £100 fine which was unfairly given to a shopper who parked at a supermarket within its extended Christmas opening hours has been rescinded after the Gazette intervened."

Course it has.  Great business model:

If anyone makes any 'noise' just fall in with the BPA line and sweep that particular (drop in the ocean) PCN under the carpet and carry on - business as usual - eh, Group Nexus?

The shoppers' heinous crime? Parking a few minutes too early. Eager to avoid the crowds in the run-up to Christmas, Tracy and Ian's visit to the shop saw them arrive at 6.37am.

Two and a half weeks later, however, they received a fine from parking firm Group Nexus. Tracy said: "We did our shopping, came back, and thought nothing more of it. But the fine stated we had entered the car park at 6.37am and the parking facilities were not available until 7am."

Again:

This is parking management, is it? No wonder so many people boycott retail parks.

The poor shoppers and the poor shops.  ANPR is not fit for purpose when in the hands of private firms, IMHO.

The BPA must be so proud.

Coupon-mad

Cardigan mayor investigating Parking Eye issues at Coleg Ceredigion

https://www.tivysideadvertiser.co.uk/news/24107288.cardigan-mayor-investigating-parking-eye-issues-coleg-ceredigion/

"CARDIGAN town mayor Cllr Sian Maehrlein is stepping up her investigation into why so many motorists are being wrongly punished for using the Coleg Ceredigion car park.

Cllr Maehrlein is maintaining an eagle eye on controversial parking operators Parking Eye. “I’m like a dog with a bone over this,” she warned. She is continuing to urge drivers who feel they have been unfairly targeted to appeal fines received – while at the same time seeking to establish whether such cases can be probed by a higher authority."

I wonder WHY so many PCNs, eh, ParkingEye?

Given the fact that, at most sites, PCNs are the only way you and your ilk make money, will this Mayor spot that it's likely to be what we'd call a typical "ANPR Protection-Racket style" operation?

Yawn. No wonder so many people boycott retail parks.

The poor shoppers and the poor shops.  AGAIN!

ANPR is not fit for purpose when in the hands of private firms, IMHO.

The BPA must be so proud.

patient_dream

Does the DLUHC read this thread ?  

These are real life stories where parking companies have gone from being rogue traders to ferox predators
(Ferox is normally associated to Trout/Salmon who normally live in peace with each other but one or two for some reason turn ferox, they grow teeth like fangs and then they attack anything that moves)

Going to shop nowadays is like driving into a prison with rules that cannot be associated with spending money

The DVLA PLAYS A BIG PART IN THIS, they sell data for £2.50  and now, it's no different to a ponzi scheme .... "How to turn £2.50 into £100"

Given the increase in living and mortgage payments over the last 15/16 years since POFA2012, the DVLA has missed the perfect opporuinty and the very minimum they charge for selling our private data to predators should be £50 
We know the DVLA say they don't make a profite selling data which of course is utter rubbish .. how can they not make a profite on millions of £2.50
OUR PRIVATE DATA IS PRICELESS

£30 or more should go into a government fund  to fix the millions of potholes that cost people millions in repairs

How many Parking companies would risk £50 with their rubbish claims
At the moment it's as cheap as chips to scam people

Coupon-mad

Another court failure by Excel Parking Services:

https://www.thestar.co.uk/business/excel-parking-sheffield-mum-slams-firm-after-case-dismissed-4517028

David Walsh at the Sheffield Star had the privilege of attending this one, and reports:

"Judge Guy Baddeley said the small print on photos submitted in evidence was unreadable. It meant the company had failed to prove to him there was any charge for her mistake: “For these reasons I will dismiss the claim.”

Meanwhile, advocate Rustam Ali was unable to answer a series of questions. He also apologised for being an hour late."

Sign at Broomhill Rooftop, run by Excel, who had sent 12 letters, including a ‘final demand’ and a ‘letter before claim’ warning of legal proceedings and debt collection charges.

The firm sued Mrs Walker after she input the wrong number plate. The victim added:

“As time went on it became more apparent the company bullies people into paying, at a time when money is short for many. I hate that kind of corporate greed."

And so say all of us. Hopefully the DLUHC is moving quickly & robustly enough to see this crap stamped out this year.

Castle

Coupon-mad said:

Another court failure by Excel Parking Services:

https://www.thestar.co.uk/business/excel-parking-sheffield-mum-slams-firm-after-case-dismissed-4517028

David Walsh at the Sheffield Star had the privilege of attending this one, and reports:

"Judge Guy Baddeley said the small print on photos submitted in evidence was unreadable. It meant the company had failed to prove to him there was any charge for her mistake: “For these reasons I will dismiss the claim.”

Meanwhile, advocate Rustam Ali was unable to answer a series of questions. He also apologised for being an hour late.

Perhaps he had trouble parking!

Nellymoser

And trouble keying in his reg. plate details!