Lost appeal for parking shall I appeal via POPLA

Stacey1025

Hi All,
I'm after some advise please. I parked at a shopping centre on 13th April and paid on exit. You type in your last 3 digits of your registration and your vehicle comes up, you click on your vehicle and pay the charge which was £3 (which if for up to 4 hours). I left and thought nothing of this. On Friday 13th May I got a ticket through the post saying I had not paid. It said I was there 3 hours and 28 minutes. I looked on  my banking and it showed I had paid £3 and showing it was for parking at Crown Wharf which is where I parked. I appealed via the parking company NEXUS. They came back to me saying my appeal has been rejected. They said I can see a fee was paid but there is no record of your vehicle registration being correctly entered, preventing a valid permit from being generated for this vehicle. They have said on this occasion only we will accept the reduced cost of £20 in full settlement to cover the administrate costs of correctly issuing this charge. They have said they will hold this price for 14 days. 
They have said I can appeal via POPLA but if rejected I will have to pay the full price. 
I did type in my last 3 digits and would of clicked on my vehicle. What would be the chance of my typing in the incorrect one and paying the same fee. I'm not happy as I did pay and don't feel it's fair. I know it's only £20 but its the principal. 
Can someone gives me some advise please? I don't want to loose and have to pay £100 fee.

Coupon-mad

Complain to the Managing Agents at Crown Wharf, who I think changed a couple of years ago.

The bottom of the large entrance sign board of retailer names tells you who it is.

DO THAT BEFORE POPLA.

Explain that the driver paid (attach proof) and you've no idea why this flawed system recognised your car on the cameras but didn't recognise your payment. This system is meant to be foolproof but it clearly isn't. The driver clicked on the right vehicle so how on earth are you required to pay £20 punishment - for what?!

If your first appeal was done as keeper (without saying who was driving) do this complaint to the MA the same way. Or did you already appeal as driver?

95Rollers

Like CM says ALWAYS complain to the Landowner first (this is known as Plan A). If that doesn't quash the PCN then by all means do the POPLA thing - BUT don't expect too much from it as POPLA is owned by the BPA (British Parking Association)which is one of the 2 "DVLA Recognised"(?) trade associations for parking firms.  So basically they are just a members club, they are NOT a governing body nor regulators as they have no control over what their members nor do they ever sanction them for anything. So in a nut shell their loyalties lie with the hand that feeds them - the parking firms who pay yearly subscriptions that allow them to obtain your details from the DVLA with no screening, background checks, safeguarding measures nor justification other than a tick box which says "reasonable cause" (where there is no section to elaborate why its reasonable or justified or proportionate like the Police or NCA etc would have do to if they wanted a vehicle's keeper details!).  

The findings of POPLA are not law, they are NOT legally binding on the motorist and these will not influence any court case as lots of people win in court despite rejected appeals from parking firm and POPLA/ IAP as the UK government recognised that they are NOT fit for purpose. 

Stacey1025

Thank you for you comments. I have appealed as the driver. I will contact the managing agent thank you.