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Parking stories in the News/media

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Comments

  • Coupon-mad
    Coupon-mad Posts: 152,806 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited 2 September 2022 at 12:20AM
    As we already know, ten minutes is not long enough to pay a parking fee, in a car park that makes it difficult (take a bow, I-Park for ripping off all these people, reportedly):
    https://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/20848162.motorists-hit-100-fines-strand-street-car-park-whitehaven---not-buying-parking-ticket-fast-enough/

    Sad that the new statutory CoP only sets the bare minimum FIVE minutes consideration and expects people to have to appeal if they took longer.  

    I tried to argue that. They'll learn!
    PRIVATE 'PCN'? DON'T PAY BUT DON'T IGNORE IT (except N.Ireland).
    CLICK at the top or bottom of any page where it says:
    Home»Motoring»Parking Tickets Fines & Parking - read the NEWBIES THREAD
  • Coupon-mad
    Coupon-mad Posts: 152,806 Forumite
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    edited 2 September 2022 at 3:24AM
    And take a bow Gemini.  BPA firm.

    Not content with featuring on the last page yesterday, reportedly ruining people's peace of mind in a Scottish car oark, here they are again:
    https://www.whtimes.co.uk/news/stanborough-lakes-parking-issues-9233898

    This time victims are reporting being ripped off at Stanborough Lakes.  A guy who is suffering from cancer and has just lost his brother, says:

    "We are suffering an enormous amount of stress and this has compounded that stress. We are law-abiding people and try to do everything the right way, but we can’t stand injustice. I have made a post on Facebook, only to be swamped with people experiencing the same parking problems at the lakes".

    We will never go there again. I personally have lived in the area for 40 years but have never been subjected to this sort of experience. 

    I am not the only one,” Paul stated. 

    The article continues:

    Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council had sold the parking area of Stanborough Park to a private company, Gemini Parking Solutions.

    A spokesperson for the parking solutions company said: “The pay and display machines at Stanborough Park car parks have been working correctly."

    Wonder if it is on fact still under statutory control and owned by the Council?

    I feel an FOI coming on...again.

    PRIVATE 'PCN'? DON'T PAY BUT DON'T IGNORE IT (except N.Ireland).
    CLICK at the top or bottom of any page where it says:
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  • Coupon-mad
    Coupon-mad Posts: 152,806 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited 2 September 2022 at 12:49AM
    Horizon Parking (BPA) are about to unnecessarily infest Ashdown Forest in Sussex:
    https://www.sussexlive.co.uk/news/sussex-news/map-shows-44-car-parks-7531324.amp

    "Holders of a blue badge will continue to be able to use forest car parks free of charge. Horizon Parking Ltd won the contract to manage parking in Ashdown Forest after the consultation took place."

    How is that going to work with ANPR then?

    And how are people arriving with cash at one of the 40 car parks going to manage to pay or somehow exempt a disabled driver/passenger, within five minutes or so, when there are NO MACHINES?

    "While pay machines will only be located at the Forest Centre car park, there will be various payment options available for forest visitors. These include paying via one of the five apps available, calling the parking company, buying a pass on the parking company's online parking portal or by visiting the Forest Centre during working hours to pay by cash."

    What if they walk to the Forest Centre and it's shut, and they can't pay by app? Doubt the signal among the trees is brilliant...

    "To avoid misconceptions, Ashdown Forest have addressed how the fees are just for parking, not to enter the actual forest. It is not yet known when the parking fees will begin, but the forest will make it clear so nobody gets caught out."

    Yeah...right. 

    I predict a disaster of bad publicity for Ashdown Forest and people vowing never to return.

    PROVE ME WRONG, HORIZON PARKING.

    But I won't visit there ever again.

    PRIVATE 'PCN'? DON'T PAY BUT DON'T IGNORE IT (except N.Ireland).
    CLICK at the top or bottom of any page where it says:
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  • "She even paid the first one, assuming they must be right...as a lot of victims do."

    This is what has happened on the two car parks in Lichfield previously operated by Excel. So many people have paid as they had no proof of payment being a ticketless system.

    I always knew that Excel were low (hence my forum name) but they now seem to have gone completely rogue.

    Nolite te bast--des carborundorum.
  • Maybe these Gemini PCNs are arising as a result of 'Capture Delay' which IMHO should be banned in cases of immediate transaction reliability, such as a car parking fee:
    https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/79451474/#Comment_79451474

    Seems possible this could be set to happen with ticketed or ticketless systems.
    The principle of capture delay is that if a customer has ordered an item which is not in stock they don't pay until the order is fulfilled. It's not for PPC's to use to their advantage.

    There is definitely evidence of issues at the merchant end of the transactions.

    Nolite te bast--des carborundorum.
  • Le_Kirk
    Le_Kirk Posts: 24,695 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Horizon Parking (BPA) are about to unnecessarily infest Ashdown Forest in Sussex:

    "Holders of a blue badge will continue to be able to use forest car parks free of charge. Horizon Parking Ltd won the contract to manage parking in Ashdown Forest after the consultation took place."

    What would Winne the Pooh think?
  • Fruitcake said:
    The fact that the Capture Delay is a variable that can be set by the merchant/PPC to ensure a failure to pay occurs is very worrying, especially as it is buried deep in the operating system.
    Whilst it is acceptable, and to a consumer's advantage if they are not billed, say, until goods ordered are despatched, in this instance it is entrapment.

    Imagine it happened in a shop. You pay by card, it isn't declined at the point of sale, you leave with goods or eat a meal, then the system says, you haven't paid and now you have committed an offence.

    To me, setting the capture delay at a PDT machine such that the motorist will fail and have no way of proving they paid is no different to doctoring time stamps on photo "evidence".

    There are a number of instances of this and no ticket to prove that the driver has paid. Excel are not issuing tickets as they are trying to save the planet!

    If these parameters have been set by accident then surely they should have cancelled the PCN but they are pursuing them.  

    Nolite te bast--des carborundorum.
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