Parking stories in the News/media

Half_way

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81961870#Comment_81961870

Supermarkets and their managers will only wake up once the PPC plague starts affecting their bottom line and their managers/site managers/those responsible for signing the PPC contract personally in the pocket

Umkomaas

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81961874#Comment_81961874

Lest we forget!

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2709056/NHS-hospitals-patients-hit-cowboy-parking-wardens.html .

patient_dream

I agree. What supermarkets will never know is how much business is lost due to parking cowboys on site. I would suggest that the number of people who abuse private car parks is very minimal and even those are potential customers who have to shop somewhere.

In my area there a few supermarkets who are cowboy free and those are the ones I spend my money in

All supermarkets have been sold a pup just like pubs and residential areas and landlords of retail parks

Hospitals are just a total disgrace

MothballsWallet

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81959932#Comment_81959932

I think it's more down to the risk of "double dipping" not being detected when the system is fully automated, and every one in PPC land is like a social media platform: they love automation because it saves them money for shareholders' bubbly and fat management bonuses for sitting in an office all day picking their noses.

Car1980

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81961844#Comment_81961844

This is a well known entrapment site, usually with people getting stung for not entering their reg numbers. Tall signs and small print handily ensure they aren't seen.

The library even happily admit the signage "can be easily missed" whilst directing people to appeal, all of which are obviously rejected.

Absolutely no mention of registering the vehicle on the entrance signage, which is also the signage adjacent to the entrance. It simply say "customers only".

UKPPO's PCNs are quite amusing as well. Printed on a a home printer and they don't adhere to POFA.

Nellymoser

I just can't understand why businesses won't verbally inform/remind their customers about the need to register their VRM for parking.

Nellymoser

New probe by consumer watchdog Which? points to drivers receiving unjust parking tickets due to flaws with ANPR cameras

https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/cars/article-15728593/Drivers-receiving-unjust-parking-fines-poorly-placed-ANPR-cameras.html

The big ANPR glitch why license plate cameras get it wrong

According to Dr Robert Gurney from the Vehicle Identification Group at Cranfield University, one of the biggest issues is the installation of cameras which are commonly attached to the top of poles to provide a higher and wider surveillance angle. But Gurney told Which? that such elevated positions limit their ability to detect registration plates, especially in cases where vehicles are 'tailgating'; the car's plate being blocked by the vehicle close behind.

He also suggested that ANPR systems sometimes reboot, which can result in them missing vehicles entering or exiting car parks during reset periods.

Poorly located cameras are even stinging motorists who haven't even entered the car parks they are monitoring. The vehicle was just driven passed the car park's entrance/exit points.

Another problem fuelling unfair parking charges is illegal vehicle cloning, individuals modifying the letters and numbers of their own registration plates to avoid detection.

It's claimed the tech has a 97% accuracy rate. But given the scale of ANPR enforcement in 2026, the 3% of instances not correctly surveilled is representative of two million missed readings at car parks PER DAY.

Individuals caught out by these ANPR flaws are then forced to go to staggering lengths to prove their innocence and avoid expensive pcns and the threat of debt collectors. 

I believe the parking industry is aware of these ANPR flaws yet feel PPCs IAS and POPLA give them no consideration when it comes to issuing pcns and assessing submitted appeals.

https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/the-truth-about-car-park-cameras-azvqY6Q0qgVx

Bazarius

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81963527#Comment_81963527

Hopefully the CMA will go through every operators in the parking industry soon to investigate the same hidden fees - starting with ECP.

1505grandad

"I believe the parking industry is aware of these ANPR flaws yet feel PPCs IAS and POPLA give them no consideration when it comes to issuing pcns and assessing submitted appeals."

As does the DVLA but still sell innocent motorists private data to this unregulated industry with no checks or a care in the world whatsoever.

patient_dream

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81963565#Comment_81963565

From the BBC article ….

Business Secretary Peter Kyle said consumers "should never be caught out by unclear pricing".

He said: "I welcome the CMA's tough action today to enforce the law and make sure businesses play fair.

The parking industry has ignored the ruling of the Supreme Court with their added fake add-on which was invented by OSNER and the BPA. I have yet to see any sign that clearly tells the consumer about the fake add-on.

YES the CMA should fully investigate this dreadful industry, the two ATA's, parking companies, debt collectors and the dodgy legals ….. ALL not being fit for purpose and running a multi million pound scam