Parking stories in the News/media

Coupon-mad

I don't know what concerns me most about this article:

https://www.northwichguardian.co.uk/news/24969226.patrons-anger-fine-parking-winsford-wetherspoons/

.. either:

... the reported fact that Euro Car Parks think it's OK to put a keypad indoors at a bar at a pub where you can order at the table using the app and might never approach the bar,

or

... the reported fact that the victim (rightly) complained to the pub staff and was fobbed off, then (rightly again) "took to social media to try to get through to the chairman of Wetherspoons, Tim Martin, and the chief executive of Wetherspoons, John Hutson, but there was no response" ...

or is the worst thing:

...the cluelessly thick Northwich & Winsford people commenting, victim blaming and actually telling the guy to "pay the fine"?

Coupon-mad

Oh and here's another one about a Euro Car Parks system that fails genuine patrons:

https://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/24963043.ipswich-man-gets-ticket-mcdonalds-cardinal-park/

"Daniel used the car park to pick up a takeaway order from McDonald's on Saturday, February 8, parking for 20 minutes before leaving.

He later returned to use the nearby KFC later that day but the automatic number plate recognition cameras to appear to believe he had been parked at the site for eight hours and four minutes."

A classic case of a 'double dip'.

Yet again no human checks for missing ANPR images?

Coupon-mad

Not doing very well by these accounts, are you Euro Car Parks?

https://www.kidderminstershuttle.co.uk/news/24962755.weavers-wharf-car-park-cashless-resident-reactions/

Wyre Forest District Council are no longer running it and the landowner actually believes that letting a notoriously litigious PPC loose with ANPR cameras and no way of paying by cash will entice shoppers and make for a "well managed and efficient car park".

Did they forget how to Google?!

Time will tell but some shoppers are already boycotting the Weavers Wharf car park and report that the retail park is already emptier of cars than it was.

Social media user Allan Brooks said: "I'm struggling to see where any "improvements" have been made:

"You can't pay by cash, you have to put your registration in, the costs have gone up by well over the rate of inflation, disabled people have to get to a machine to swipe their card and if you are going for an evening meal at one of the restaurants you now have to pay £5 to park."

John Baynham said: "We won’t be going there again then. Kidderminster will soon be a ghost town."

Margaret Burke added: "What a sad reflection on our town, if you want trade then make it accessible to the public. We won’t have any shops in the future unless someone thinks outside the box." 

Coupon-mad

Very interesting proof by Lynda Eagan (a trusted Facebook group ticket fighter) in her video here showing exactly how parking machines cause people's P&D tickets to print out with only the first digit of the VRM:

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdeln2ly1z0o.amp

Shockingly, there's one appalling account there of a District Judge last week actually being clueless enough to award Excel Parking Services £282 despite the fact that the Defendant's WS included proof that the machine was capable of routinely printing out tickets with just the first letter of VRMs.

District Judge Heppell said he was "not satisfied there was any fault with the machine".

Errm.. but it's not her burden to prove that, Judge...wise up! You are absolutely out of line with other Judges (including HHJ Pema who refused Excel an appeal on this EXACT point:



That's what HHJ Pema said at Bradford.

DJ Heppell should be ashamed. In my opinion: you are wrong. This is tone deaf.

I guess that DJ is maybe a rookie (or out of date) Judge who was overly impressed by Excel's hired 'suit' at the hearing.  Seems to have had no idea of the court's statutory duty - under the CRA 2015 s71 "WHETHER A PARTY RAISES IT OR NOT" - to consider the FAIRNESS of any term of a consumer contract?

Could be an easy one to appeal on the basis of failure to consider that duty, which is an error in law, IMHO. DJ Heppell sounds to me like he needs to learn about his s71 duty. 

Hope the victim gets Jackson Yamba of Contestor Legal to appeal that one for her. Any chance, @kryten3000 (assuming that Defendant was from the FB group?).

The BBC points out that Excel's bleating that "98% of people manage to put in their full registration" actually means that one in fifty are being caught out.

Money for old rope, eh, 'Captain Clampit' (Simon Renshaw-Smith, owner of Excel)?

kryten3000

Coupon-mad said:

Very interesting proof by Lynda Eagan (a trusted Facebook group ticket fighter) in her video here showing exactly how parking machines cause people's P&D tickets to print out with only the first digit of the VRM:

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdeln2ly1z0o.amp

Shockingly, there's one appalling account there of a District Judge last week actually being clueless enough to award Excel Parking Services £282 despite the fact that the Defendant's WS included proof that the machine was capable of routinely printing out tickets with just the first letter of VRMs.

District Judge Heppell said he was "not satisfied there was any fault with the machine”

DJ Heppell should be ashamed. In my opinion: you are wrong. This is tone deaf.

I guess that DJ is maybe a rookie (or out of date) Judge who was overly impressed by Excel's hired 'suit' at the hearing.  Seems to have had no idea of the court's statutory duty - under the CRA 2015 s71 "WHETHER A PARTY RAISES IT OR NOT" - to consider the FAIRNESS of any term of a consumer contract?

Could be an easy one to appeal on the basis of failure to consider that duty, which is an error in law, IMHO. DJ Heppell sounds to me like he needs to learn about his s71 duty. 

Hope the victim gets Jackson Yamba of Contestor Legal to appeal that one for her. Any chance, @kryten3000 (assuming that Defendant was from the FB group?).

I don’t know if the defendant will appeal or not but we hear that the judge was not interested in the facts presented in evidence and that they have been previously overruled when finding for the defendant. It seems they are scared of upsetting Excel for some unknown reason. 

It absolutely stinks. 

morini3andahalf

This BBC news report really worries me because it is exactly my situation with OPS Llangranog. The machine went to the payment screen as soon as I keyed the first letter of my VRM and I am convinced the machine is set up to do exactly this.

Very concerned I could lose if it goes to court now.

Nellymoser

Is this something Trading Standards should be investigating?

1505grandad

Another Euro Car Parks scam:-

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/drivers-given-parking-tickets-by-scandalous-firm-because-of-faulty-machines/ar-AA1A4NQf?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=9b365bbcc6e44bccb0293885f48895c7&ei=48

"Affected motorists told the PA news agency they are being “bullied” by Euro Car Parks despite buying tickets to use Syston Town Square car park in Leicestershire."

"A video posted online appears to show a woman typing her registration into the keypad on one of the car park’s two machines, but different numbers and letters are displayed on the screen.

The RAC described the situation as “scandalous” and warned it has received reports of similar problems elsewhere."

1505grandad

"Parking tickets cause anger and frustration among drivers.

Here the PA news agency answers 10 key questions about them."

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/what-are-the-different-types-of-parking-tickets/ar-AA1A4WTZ?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=9b365bbcc6e44bccb0293885f48895c7&ei=59

" What should I do first if I receive a parking ticket I think is unfair?

Several extensive online guides exist with advice on how to challenge a penalty charge notice or parking charge notice, such as by the RAC and consumer website Money Saving Expert.

Read those before doing anything."

Disappointing:-

"What happens if I just ignore a parking charge notice?

Some operators may take the case to a county court.

The RAC warns that drivers’ credit rating will be affected if they fail to defend a claim and receive a judgment they do not pay.

Bailiffs may also try to seize your property."

TomOrrow

Coupon-mad said:

Very interesting proof by Lynda Eagan (a trusted Facebook group ticket fighter) in her video here showing exactly how parking machines cause people's P&D tickets to print out with only the first digit of the VRM:

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdeln2ly1z0o.amp

Shockingly, there's one appalling account there of a District Judge last week actually being clueless enough to award Excel Parking Services £282 despite the fact that the Defendant's WS included proof that the machine was capable of routinely printing out tickets with just the first letter of VRMs.

District Judge Heppell said he was "not satisfied there was any fault with the machine".

Errm.. but it's not her burden to prove that, Judge...wise up! You are absolutely out of line with other Judges (including HHJ Pema who refused Excel an appeal on this EXACT point:



That's what HHJ Pema said at Bradford.

DJ Heppell should be ashamed. In my opinion: you are wrong. This is tone deaf.

I guess that DJ is maybe a rookie (or out of date) Judge who was overly impressed by Excel's hired 'suit' at the hearing.  Seems to have had no idea of the court's statutory duty - under the CRA 2015 s71 "WHETHER A PARTY RAISES IT OR NOT" - to consider the FAIRNESS of any term of a consumer contract?

Could be an easy one to appeal on the basis of failure to consider that duty, which is an error in law, IMHO. DJ Heppell sounds to me like he needs to learn about his s71 duty. 

Hope the victim gets Jackson Yamba of Contestor Legal to appeal that one for her. Any chance, @kryten3000 (assuming that Defendant was from the FB group?).

The BBC points out that Excel's bleating that "98% of people manage to put in their full registration" actually means that one in fifty are being caught out.

Money for old rope, eh, 'Captain Clampit' (Simon Renshaw-Smith, owner of Excel)?

Respect to Lynda Eagon, as the youngsters say.
The moving picture tells the full story.

Not a fault of the machine but something worse ... software likely written to induce this error, and one that can then be blamed on a customer.
The diversion to pay is the distraction of a con man!!
Allowing the ticket issue to proceed without a valid registration is preventable by fail safes built into software.
Even Euro Car Parks have corrected that issue with their new machines on Island Green Wrexham.

So where is the self regulation from the professional bodies (cough, cough) to curtail this abuse.