Parking stories in the News/media

Snakes_Belly

Coupon-mad said:

Woman charged £100 for the heinous crime of visiting B&Q twice:
https://www.bristolworld.com/recommended/i-went-to-bristol-bq-for-a-ps2-paintbrush-and-got-a-ps60-parking-fine-4144241

Gallagher Retail Park at Longwell Green, Bristol, you are named and shamed. Along with ParkingEye (who else?) who have introduced this new (and reportedly unnecessary) 'no return' clause that has caught out genuine customers.

An independent observer might conclude that this little regime does nothing positive for the retailers and just makes lots of money for ParkingEye... why are so many retail park owners so damn stupid?

The article says it's widespread:

"The car park is managed(sic) by ParkingEye, which also manages the car park at Imperial Retail Park in Hartcliffe.

Last month, Bristol World reported on a similar situation with shoppers in Hartcliffe expressing concern over ‘ridiculous’ £100 fines for returning to the car park within two hours of leaving.

Bristol World has contacted ParkingEye for comment."

That is absolutely ridiculous for a DIY store. Someone doing a job often has to pop out a few times for bits and pieces. I don't understand B and Q's mindset. It's like the people running the business don't understand their customer base.

Snakes_Belly

Coupon-mad said:

Have we seen this one before?
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/mum-hit-100-fine-taking-30019985.amp

So many cases of Excel Parking Services having non-working machines it's hard to keep up if this article has already been posted.

"A mum has been left furious after being fined for not buying a parking ticket in time, despite the machine not working properly.

Kerrie Hart had tried to pay for a stay in the Excel car park in Derby on February 28 but claims the machine was out of service and the company's app was not working."

Loads of parents were apparently caught out by this latest 'outrageous scam' (MP's phrase from 2018).

The kids play area is not responsible for Excel but are tearing their hair out and putting in loads of complaints (presumably with the landlord), as Excel's little game is clearly ruining their business.

Apparently, Excel reckon their Helpline is 24/7.  Anyone wanna test it?

I have not seen this article before but I think that the car park has appeared on this forum in the past. Very similar to the issues on the Burton on Trent car park where a few forum members have been caught out including myself, Keep Calm, Upstanding and the wedding party. I don't know what happened to the wedding party. Some got CCJ's.

The rep at my hearing said I could have telephoned. I don't know anyone who has ever got through at the point of paying for parking.

Coupon-mad

Another BPA ANPR "auto-PCN machine" reportedly fails to be pointed within the car park boundary:
https://www.thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk/news/23539695.food-driver-complains-sports-direct-parking-fine/

Take a bow, Highview, for allegedly pretending that a delivery driver doing U-turns in the road outside, more than once during his shift, was parked for over 4 hours.

Balderdash!  No human checks for other images made before rushing to issue a PCN automatically? This is not parking management.  Group Nexus named & shamed.

patient_dream

Coupon-mad said:

Another BPA ANPR "auto-PCN machine" reportedly fails to be pointed within the car park boundary:
https://www.thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk/news/23539695.food-driver-complains-sports-direct-parking-fine/

Take a bow, Highview, for allegedly pretending that a delivery driver doing U-turns in the road outside, more than once during his shift, was parked for over 4 hours.

Balderdash!  No human checks for other images made before rushing to issue a PCN automatically? This is not parking management.  Group Nexus named & shamed.

THE ARTICLE SAID .....
The parking fine system is operated by Highview, which is part of the Nexus Group.

Why don't these newspapers do real research instead of misleading people that Group Nexus is some sort of a powerful organisation when it's only a two man band  that means nothing

https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/11309569/officers

Coupon-mad

And another BPA firm - APCOA - is using a reportedly unreliable validation system at Tesco, which is driving shoppers away:

https://www.kentonline.co.uk/faversham/news/amp/i-ve-lost-sleep-after-being-slapped-with-parking-fines-for-287386/

The 77 year old shopper always validates his stay, despite the fact that it looks like APCOA expect people to manually type in not only their VRM but also an 11 digit code. Nice trap, if so.

But this guy - having already had 2 PCNs for no reason - on the 3rd visit, took photos of every screen to prove he DID validate his stay.  They are shown in the article.  The details match.

And it seems that Tesco Customer Services agreed that he did validate his stay that day.

Yet APCOA spat that he didn't.  But they crawled back under their stone, cancelling all 3 PCNs.

Who do we think is telling the truth?

Also, if a genuine shopper is getting THREE PCNs this Spring alone, surely Tesco realise the system isn't fit for purpose.  Tesco?  Engage your brains!

Coupon-mad

Here's the BPA's Smart Parking actually taking £100 off a victim who says they evidenced a clear 'double dip' situation:

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/23542300.amp/

She even lost at POPLA who are also named and shamed.

Apparently they ignored clear evidence that she was at work in between the visits.

She then (astonishingly!) actually paid.  What is WRONG with people?  This is why scammers with ANPR systems have prevailed for so long.

Only then did she raise it with the Retail Park and local paper.  And Smart Parking did the usual furious back-pedalling and have now 'promised a refund'.

Smart Parking why don't you just clear off?

You and your ilk are not wanted and remote systems do precisely nothing useful for shoppers at retail parks.  Experience shows us that ANPR is not fit for purpose in the hands of private firms.

ANPR is especially not needed at a retail park large enough to be able to allow 6 hours free parking.  All you need is a gate and a "no overnight parking" rule that a local security staff could implement with a flying visit, if they really think there's a problem.

Half_way

Why dont people just go for the retail park owners ?

full bore - breach of GDPR by your agents smart parking, you ( retail park owner ) are jointly and severally liable

Coupon-mad

And several victims of ParkingEye are saying they actually paid, instead of simply (OBVIOUSLY!) just complaining to the owners/managing agents of Mount Pleasant Retail Park over unfair "no return within" parking charges:
https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/hull-east-yorkshire-news/fury-after-shopper-fined-70-8473778.amp

Again, what's the matter with UK motorists actually paying, instead of engaging their brain and complaining to the Retail Park who can always cancel these?

Coupon-mad

Can anyone help to unpick this?

https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/waitrose-egham-disabled-parking-row-26982863.amp

Seems to be illegal...

Looks like 'RBCS' is involved in (and putting their name to) parking "outrageous scam" operation using ANPR at Waitrose, that allows a fly-by-night BPA member 'Park There' to extract £100 a pop in fake PCNs from disabled shoppers.

"A Runnymede Borough Council spokesman said: “The car parks next to Waitrose and Travelodge in Egham are privately owned and monitored by automatic number plate recognition systems. While blue badge holders can use the car parks for three hours without having to pay, because of the ANPR system, they must register their vehicles, so the system recognises them and does not issue a fine.

“Anyone finding it difficult to use a computer to register their badge can either ask a friend or family member to help, contact our customer services team by phone or in person at the Civic Centre and we will help them to register, or visit one of the borough’s libraries."

"A fine". 

Eh? That reply and the sign with their RBCS logo, means these are spaces 'provided by' a local authority.

It's not private, not 'relevant land'.

Councils can't pretend land they own is 'private' if it is also open to the public for parking.  It is illegal for Councils to use ANPR to issue parking charges.

Who owns what?

Wonder whose KADOE link is enabling this? 

Might need a FOI request.

Coupon-mad

Here's ParkingEye apparently thinking it's OK to issue a charge of £100 to a university professor who was locked into this barriered car park within minutes of arrival:

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/i-locked-inside-underground-car-26996795.amp

Machines were not working so she tried to leave.  Couldn't.  She was trapped for 28 minutes and of course she will lose at POPLA.  Despite the blinking obvious fact (from her account) that THIS WAS NEVER AN AGREED CONTRACT.