Parking stories in the News/media

Coupon-mad

Around 18 million drivers in 2025.

patient_dream

GENEROUS is a rather a fairy tale word for a rogue trader industry

Nellymoser

North Yorkshire woman Heather White tells of her 'intimidating' two-year pcn ordeal with Euro Car Parks, three other agencies and a legal firm who discontinued court proceedings just weeks before the hearing date. (Same practice reported many times here on this forum)

Heather felt quite aggrieved she had been denied the opportunity to lay out her case in court before a judge.

https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/euro-carpark-court-redcar-heather-33215543?int_source=amp_continue_reading&int_medium=amp&int_campaign=continue_reading_button#google_vignette

kryten3000

Kaizen2024 said:

Except the above case confirms that this judge has interpreted the law as the full charge is lawful; therefore, offering a £20 settlement is a generous concession.

£20 more than covers the costs of a DVLA lookup and a letter.  I'm seeing this "generous" offer made more often as parking companies realise that they can exploit this to their advantage.

Even £10 would be an inflated amount.

For example - a motorist enters vehicle registration on the company tablet (with no receipt of course) then "oh dear your registration wasn't recorded but pay us £20 and we'll say no more about it".

Or when a disabled badge holder hasn't displayed their badge (probably because they were showing to a hospital receptionist or some other pointless bureaucracy which discriminates against the disabled motorist).
Or when a permit slips in a resident's car (because the parking attendant rocked the car until it fell off)
Or when a driver mistypes their registration when paying (because the machine was faulty).*

For many this £20 is a tempting offer and I will often tell people that their time spent defending a claim is worth more than that, but it does not stop this being another income stream.

Where the motorist can show their right to use the space retrospectively, the PCN must be cancelled in full with the costs absorbed into general company expenses.  This might make the companies be a bit more careful when issuing charges too but I doubt that will happen.

*If the parking industry is determined to always make the motorist the villain, let's remember all the tricks and schemes dreamt up by the companies too.

Nellymoser

Kent online reports in 2025 revealed Euro Cark Parks revenue stream from this 'generous' £20 fee offer was almost £20,000 at Kent Country Parks. The journalist was asked to forward details and her FOI figures to the parking consultation. Hope she did.

*If the parking industry is determined to always make the motorist the villain, let's remember all the tricks and schemes dreamt up by the companies too.

And continually broadcast loudly about them 📣

patient_dream

BBC RIP OFF BRITAIN TODAY

UKPC AGAIN
DISABLED BADGE
UKPC CAVED IN WHEN CONTACTED BY RIP OFF BRITAIN

Nellymoser

Maybe we don't need a new appeals service just a permanent TV programme highlighting unfair pcns with presenters chasing the PPC for comment. Seems to be very successful at getting PPCs to cave in.

Nellymoser

Nottingham mum says she was left "dumbfounded" after Premier Park accused her of parking in Springfield Retail Park in Bulwell for a whopping 17 hours and 44 minutes on Dec 18. 

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/woman-fined-60-10-minute-113722081.html

The woman has submitted an appeal insists she parked for a mere 10 minutes and has proof she was in several other places during that time period.

Campaigner Hugh Bladon, of the Alliance of British Drivers, said he'd heard of "too many" of these sort of cases. "It's all to do with raising money from the motorist," he said.

Humdinger1

Nellymoser said:

Maybe we don't need a new appeals service just a permanent TV programme highlighting unfair pcns with presenters chasing the PPC for comment. Seems to be very successful at getting PPCs to cave in.

That's a whole new TV channel right there to cover all the cases @Nellymoser! What a hilariously brilliant suggestion!  Thank you Humdinger 

1505grandad

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/outrage-as-funeral-car-and-mourners-fined-100-each-after-church-service/ar-AA1UJotJ?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=697232e2bb7a49ad918af2ec5954786b&ei=14

"The blunder came despite a volunteer calling management company, Creative Car Park, to tell them they wanted the automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) camera at the church's car park turned off the funeral."

"A representative from the firm is then said to have told assured them that a 'blackout' would be in place around this time - but this was never put in place. Local media said at least 10 mourners said they were later given £100 fines for parking in the church car park."

Some paid  -  but at least the contract may be terminated.