Parallel Parking Ticket while I was on a extended holiday out of country

khyberpass

I went for my first holiday in years around Europe. 
I left on the 24 June and didnt return until 27th July....

I got a letter 3 days ago from Parallel Parking (Parking Charge Notice Reminder) stating that on the 27th June (3 days after i left the country) my car contravened their parking rules, and notifying me i could no longer appeal, and would have to pay £100, as this was a reminder.

It was dated 2nd August, but i didnt receive it until 9th August ? It says I must pay by 16th August or it will be passed to Gladstones Solicitors with additional charges applied

I spoke to my parents, and my dad had used my car, and did remember parking in the carpark, but was adamant he had paid for a ticket.

I have not replied to the company yet, but what should I do?

Do I state it wasnt me, and let dad appeal the ticket (he can only think he got the registration wrong, ?) 

It seems crazy 

Any help much appreciated

Thanks

Coupon-mad

Send a SAR (see NEWBIES thread 2nd post) and ask an extra question in it, for the data to include the machine record showing what the driver suspects was a minor keying error.  The driver was not the keeper (keeper was abroad) but as part of the SAR, the keeper requires the machine record from that period/location, showing what must be either a minor 'near-miss' VRM or the family's other car VRM (other car reg is xxxx xxx and you require the data protection officer to look for it). Payment of £x was made by cash between x time and x time so the applicable VRM data should be easy to find.

khyberpass

Thankyou for your help @Coupon-mad.   We requested the VRM and sure enough, it showed the entry of my fathers registration (rather than my registration ), at that time, so evidencing pur payment of parking, but with an error of input...

They have said they still expect full payment of the fine, despite this, and when we appealed to the ISA , they upheld Parallel Parkings side (which shocked us). 

We have said that we will go to court, as it is clear we paid for parking , and only inputted another family car registration in error. 
Gladstones have now written to us with a "warning - court proceedings are imminent" letter, asking for £170!!!

Have we got a case, or what should we do next ?

It seems crazy that we paid for parking, but they still want to fine us over an input error?

Thanks

Coupon-mad

 when we appealed to the ISA , they upheld Parallel Parkings side (which shocked us). 

It shouldn't have done...!

In fact if you read the 3rd post of the NEWBIES thread you shouldn't have bothered with the kangaroo court of IAS.

Gladstones letters and what to do is in post 2 of the NEWBIES thread.

Respond robustly and call it a 'keying error' which the Government stated in February 2022 will in future result in cancellation of all such parking charges because placing the burden of VRM 'keying errors' on consumers and expecting the driver to pay a disproportionate penalty for a typo that a smarter system should prevent, is unfair.

Fruitcake

The IPC have been banging on about it being a moral duty for their members to install typo-proof machines to prevent this very thing from happening.
Complain to the PPC and IPC that Parallel Parking have failed to comply with their trade association's moral duty.

Plan A is always a complaint to the landowner and the keeper's MP, and it is never too late to do this.

Where did the alleged event occur? It may have cropped up here before.

Info about the IPC's reg campaign.

The International Parking Community (IPC) on Twitter: "@_TheIPC's mantra is that no motorist should be marginalised - or humiliated! (See news article below) @_TheIPC's award nominated "Get Your Reg Right" campaign urges the manufacture of #typoproof #parking payment systems as a moral duty. #mondaythoughts https://t.co/izGqyc1wO0 https://t.co/ztH9lbYpX2" / Twitter

This web page shows Parallel Parking allegedly support this programme.

Supporters (getyourregright.info)

Click on the blue box on this web page.

"Get Your Reg Right" Don't Get A Ticket For Making A Typo

khyberpass

Thank you both very much @Fruitcake & @Coupon-mad. 

The reason we did the IPA was because their communication said we would have failed to follow the full complaints procedure if we didnt go through this...we live and learn!

The incident happened in Townsend Place Kingswinford DY6 9JL..I dont know who owns the land, or the MP, but I will try to find this information.

I will follow the advice to robustly respond calling it a keying error (which we have done twice already). 

Will then wait to see if they progress it to a court hearing, which they have claimed will happen 14 days from the letter, if we havent made payment!

Coupon-mad

But you'll know that it can't progress to court 'within 14 days' once you've read the second post of the NEWBIES thread.