Parking stories in the News/media

Coupon-mad

And here we have ParkingEye reportedly ruining a perfectly good pay & display system at Asda and replacing it with a complicated VRM and 'guesstimate how long you want to park for' regime that works as a 'PCN machine' instead:
https://www.middevonadvertiser.co.uk/news/new-rules-just-the-ticket-not-likely-573918

Apparently, there used to be 4 P&D machines and it worked well.

Now there is one VRM machine and people are taking more than ten minutes queuing to use it.

We all know people will make typos with their VRMs.

ParkingEye know that too.

A cynic might say that's why they could have been incentivised to change the system.  Not making enough money at Newton Abbott Asda?

Answer: change it to a more complicated system.

But wait, how to persuade Asda to let them?  Well...

The article tells us:

"Recently the parking machines at the car park have been out of service, encouraging more people to use the car park free of charge.
The new system has been introduced following complaints from customers about the car park being misused."

A cynic might also wonder who exactly it was that apparently 'complained to Asda that the car park was being abused'.  

But none of the shoppers interviewed for this piece say they were consulted or that the car park was 'being abused'.  That's rather odd.

...oooh, wonder who could possibly have wanted to make complaints about the old car park system being 'abused', eh?

...wonder why the old system machines went 'out of service' at a particularly convenient time, too?

Are Asda really that stupid?

Their ex-shoppers aren't returning:
https://www.teignmouth-today.co.uk/news/asda-shoppers-react-to-new-parking-rules-573924

Comments:

"Won’t be returning anytime soon. My lunch breaks are way too precious then spending them queuing at your one working machine, with very unconcerned staff!"

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► "Just boycott the bloody place!! As I’ve said before Nobody wants this grief just to go shopping. Go elsewhere"

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►" I stopped shopping there when the meters were changed, there is so much choice in Newton abbot, the last thing you need is standing in line for a meter to put money in the pockets of an unscrupulous parking company.

I used to be in ASDA three or four times a week, not any more."

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► "Puts me off shopping at ASDA with their parking meters!

Need to make their minds up whether their using them or not"

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► "Shame as lots of ppl not shopping there now because of it."

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► "I won’t shop there our Asda is free parking as all our other supermarkets"

Coupon-mad

Found this article about Iceland's car park at Oswestry.  Because we know Iceland are in bed with Excel Parking, I assume this might be infested by those notorious ex-clampers:
https://www.bordercountiesadvertizer.co.uk/news/23139226.iceland-boss-acts-parking-row-oswestry-shropshire-store/

"Recently a number of complaints about the parking penalties received by customers at the store have been raised, with many shoppers taking to Facebook to share their frustrations when faced with £100 fines from the food store.

Now, after months of appeals, Richard Walker, the store chain's managing director and the son of Malcolm Walker, who founded Iceland in Oswestry, has stepped in to resolve the situation after being contacted by a town councillor – and he said part of the problem had been caused by an "unknown third party" covering up the pay machine."

Oooh...wonder who on earth would have a motive to do that??

Coupon-mad

And here we have Smart Parking failing to bother to look for & find the orphan images showing this lady used this pub car park to drop off passengers twice in a day:
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/uk-news/woman-hits-out-after-getting-25546370.amp

A typical double dip account:

She had briefly set down and collected her grandchildren at the Tollemache Arms in Alpraham, Cheshire, - visiting the car park twice.

The usual ANPR scam happened.

After receiving a parking charge from Smart Parking suggesting she'd been in the car park for several hours, she appealed. And lost.

She then lost at POPLA as well, and the deluded Assessor said "Independent research has found that ANPR technology is generally reliable."

The lady had proof in the form of videos of the children that day, her shopping receipts at a Sainsburys elsewhere, and text messages confirming the arrangement to drop off and later collect her grandchildren.

After the newspaper got involved, Smart Parking suddenly managed to find the missing images and cancelled the scam PCN.

patient_dream

I know this is off topic but don't you think government has got their priorities wrong 

Rishi Sunak set to give Ofcom power to take on Netflix in wake of row over Harry and Meghan documentary

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11550305/Rishi-Sunak-set-Ofcom-power-Netflix-wake-row-Harry-Meghan-series.html

Fines of up to £250.000 if the code of practice is broken

Whatever you think about Harry and Meghan does not matter, the simple fact is that the Netflix series does NOT attempt to steal money from UK residents like the parking scammers do

We already have the Financial Conduct Authority who could money clamp the parking cowboys and the ATA's

Remember, it was indeed Rishi who approved the new code of practice which the Queen confirmed ...... Rishi really needs to concentrate on the British public because fining Netflix will be like paying for  a Mcdonalds burger to them. 

The very least that Rishi could do is ban these money scammers from DVLA access  

Half_way

Coupon-mad said:

And here we have Smart Parking failing to bother to look for & find the orphan images showing this lady used this pub car park to drop off passengers twice in a day:
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/uk-news/woman-hits-out-after-getting-25546370.amp

A typical double dip account:

She had briefly set down and collected her grandchildren at the Tollemache Arms in Alpraham, Cheshire, - visiting the car park twice.

The usual ANPR scam happened.

After receiving a parking charge from Smart Parking suggesting she'd been in the car park for several hours, she appealed. And lost.

She then lost at POPLA as well, and the deluded Assessor said "Independent research has found that ANPR technology is generally reliable."

The lady had proof in the form of videos of the children that day, her shopping receipts at a Sainsburys elsewhere, and text messages confirming the arrangement to drop off and later collect her grandchildren.

After the newspaper got involved, Smart Parking suddenly managed to find the missing images and cancelled the scam PCN.

Im of the oppinion that any double dips should result in at the very least, the PPC losing access to DVLA data and in turn directors of the PPC also being banned form running companies that can access DVLA data, as well as GDPR/Data protection regulatons on acuracy of data being enforced against the PPC and whoever takes on a PPC ( principal being liable for the actions of its agents) also being held to account - even better if the personal liablity bit of GDPR could be used where ( people such as) store managers could be persoanly hit in the pocket as a result of allowing a PPC to operate on their land

patient_dream

Half_way said:

Coupon-mad said:

And here we have Smart Parking failing to bother to look for & find the orphan images showing this lady used this pub car park to drop off passengers twice in a day:
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/uk-news/woman-hits-out-after-getting-25546370.amp

A typical double dip account:

She had briefly set down and collected her grandchildren at the Tollemache Arms in Alpraham, Cheshire, - visiting the car park twice.

The usual ANPR scam happened.

After receiving a parking charge from Smart Parking suggesting she'd been in the car park for several hours, she appealed. And lost.

She then lost at POPLA as well, and the deluded Assessor said "Independent research has found that ANPR technology is generally reliable."

The lady had proof in the form of videos of the children that day, her shopping receipts at a Sainsburys elsewhere, and text messages confirming the arrangement to drop off and later collect her grandchildren.

After the newspaper got involved, Smart Parking suddenly managed to find the missing images and cancelled the scam PCN.

Im of the oppinion that any double dips should result in at the very least, the PPC losing access to DVLA data and in turn directors of the PPC also being banned form running companies that can access DVLA data, as well as GDPR/Data protection regulatons on acuracy of data being enforced against the PPC and whoever takes on a PPC ( principal being liable for the actions of its agents) also being held to account - even better if the personal liablity bit of GDPR could be used where ( people such as) store managers could be persoanly hit in the pocket as a result of allowing a PPC to operate on their land

You are so right

Councils should get involved in this as they are not allowed ANPR in car parks, why should money scammers be allowed  ??

ANPR should only be allowed by professionals which parking scammers are NOT

Coupon-mad

In Scotland, UKPA are arguing the unarguable point that because all of their payment methods were (allegedly) not working for a few days, that fact - in IPC Cloud cuckoo land - gives them the right to charge £100 to each motorist instead:
https://www.largsandmillportnews.com/news/23185841.scrooge-parking-firm-hit-back-refusing-cancel-largs-fines/

Money for old rope, innit?

(a). Broken machines and a QR Code no-one could get to work...

(b). A local Councillor whose heart is in the right place but he doesn't realise these victims can just ignore these fake fines...

(c). Victims who can't manage to Google private parking and find out that there is no keeper liability (YET) in Scotland and they should just ignore the letters and not blab about who was driving...

KERRRCHIIING!!

Coupon-mad

UKPC finally applying for retrospective Planning Permission, three years after putting up reportedly illegal ANPR cameras at McDonalds Leeds:
https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/politics/leeds-mcdonalds-at-centre-of-14-hour-parking-ticket-row-applies-for-camera-permission-three-years-after-they-were-installed-3959578

Double dips, not Big Macs, have been the order of the day for UKPC for 3 years, reportedly.

KERRRCHIIING!!

Coupon-mad

And in a round up of the year in terms of lack of customer service ethic, the first to get a mention by the Grauniad are...yep, PPC World:
https://amp.theguardian.com/money/2022/dec/19/and-the-award-for-the-most-terrible-customer-service-goes-to-

Consumer affairs

And the award for the most terrible customer service goes to …

"From overcharging parking firms to underwhelming car dealers, we’ve seen it all. We name and shame the worst offenders."

Most lucrative business model

"This category is filled with contenders who have surpassed themselves with money-making wheezes. Plaudits must go to parking management firms whose nose for a quick buck could recalibrate a national economy.

Parkingeye’s unnecessarily wide-angled ANPR cameras at an Aldi store caught (and charged) NHS staff parking at the surgery next door, while Smart Parking doled out £100 bills to food bank customers and volunteers using a free community centre car park. In the face of local opposition, these doughty warriors stood firm (for five months in the case of Parkingeye) and raked it in until an Observer headline disrupted their cashflow.

The trouble with that business model is it only works if you haven’t bought a ticket. Flowbird, which manages car parks on behalf of Worcester city council, hit upon a more reliable income stream. Motorists who paid by card had their accounts repeatedly debited. One man was billed for £610 after his card was charged 122 times."

Coupon-mad

Article by the MS for Wrexham about Euro Car Parks allegedly ruining a shopping centre for years:
https://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/opinion/23191583.parking-issues-island-green-persisted-years/

"Parking issues at Island Green Shopping Centre have persisted for years. I received a significant number of complaints from constituents during 2019 and unfortunately, a similar pattern is emerging again. Shoppers are being unfairly fined and I believe it is having a detrimental impact on Wrexham city centre.

My representations to the operators, Euro Car Parks, have been largely ignored so I have now written to the Chief Executive of the British Parking Association as I believe the company may have breached their code of practice. I will keep constituents informed."