Parking ticket for offence that did'n occurr

irosati

A couple of days ago I received a parking charge from a private parking company for parking when at a bar. They say that the car was present without a valid entry on the exemption list, but this is not true because I regularly entered my registration in the tablet inside the bar. Fortunately I kept the receipt of what I consumed in the bar together with a friend so I have evidence that I was there. I contacted the bar Director of Operations and he replied that he cannot help even if he admitted that a malfunctioning of the digital device can't be 100% excluded.
Besides the notice I received is supposed to be the second one, but I have never received the first one. They also said that a notice was either affixed to my car or handed to me at the time of issue and this also not true. Therefore they said I lost my right to pay the discounted amount and to appeal.
What should I do? These people are liars and scammers!

Le_Kirk

Dear Director of Bar Operations

Sorry you feel unable to help one of your customers; I am equally sorry that my last ever visit to your establishment has ended on a sour note.  I am sure that my family and friends will feel the same.  Shame you feel unable to help despite the fact that the bar must have employed the PPC along with their malfunctioning tablet; I don't think the PPC just rocked up and installed the tablet and the signs; there must be a contract between you and them.

Yours faithfully

Disappointed of Tonbridge Wells

Fruitcake

It is not an offence.

What is the name of the parking company please?

Where did the alleged event occur? It may have cropped up here before, and I would certainly want to know where not to spend my money, and I am sure many of the people who visit this forum would want to know as well.

Get photos of the site and signage. Look especially for anything about a hidden keypad on the signs.
Go inside (park elsewhere and don't buy anything) and take photos of the keypad and bar area. Do it at a busy time and make sure people know why you are doing this.

Complain to the landowner as well as the director as advised above. Definitely follow through on your threat to never to go back to that bar unless the PCN is cancelled.

Complain to your MP and ask them to also forward it to the MP for where the bar is located.

Coupon-mad

Yes, name and shame the parking firm and the bar.  No paying this.  Don't be gaslighted by their letters.

Have you read the NEWBIES thread and know whether this is a BPA or IPC firm?

irosati

The parking company is called Alliance Parking and it's a IPC firm. The bar is the Academy Espresso Bar at the Pumphouse in Barry, Wales.

Coupon-mad

Aarghhh... that lot.  No point in appealing.  They refuse to hear appeals from registered keepers and you need to boycott that bar and tell them why.

No paying the chancer that is behind Alliance Parking.  Here's the guy responsible; used to be called AS Parking:
http://parking-prankster.blogspot.com/2016/12/has-kevin-mcmanus-perjured-himself-in.html?m=1

He is also on an influential policy board at the IPC Trade Body, so there is no point trying the IPC's kangaroo court of the (considered by MPs and right-thinking people to be a sham) 'independent appeals service'.

And here is Alliance's consumer blame culture exposed on their website:
https://www.alliance-parking.co.uk/appeals/

Basically "pay up or else". DON'T!!

There is no appeal, so (AFTER ONE RESPONSE, SEE BELOW) ignore them unless they file a court claim. Do not be gaslighted by scary letters.

No bailiff will come knocking but come back to us if this eejit tries a small claim next year or whenever.

We have enough evidence about what this company Alliance does, to conclude they are among the very worst rogue parking operators and 'come the glorious day' of the new Government scrutiny & regulation being in place, I predict they will be among the first to be DVLA banned.

Having said ALL of the above if you have not complained yet about this crap, then send a formal complaint to Alliance and tell them not to send the case to a third party debt collector, not to enhance the claim by the false £70 (that the Government signalled it intends to ban) and just to take the case straight to court.

Set out your dispute and state that the complaint is also about the untruth that an "earlier PCN letter was sent or affixed to the car" because it was not.  There was also no breach because the keypad was used.  The system is clearly faulty, as the bar admitted might be the case.

In their reply to this complaint, Alliance must now produce their evidence (all letters, the PCN, the keypad log from that day, all photos taken of the car AND the KADOE electronic request & response from the DVLA with dates showing).

This complaint also represents a SAR and the local MP and Watchdog will be contacted if Alliance fail to respond. This complainant reserves the right to go to the press and BBC's Watchdog, and will not be gaslighted by threats to 'sue for libel', as was reportedly recently threatened to another victim who complained to their MP.

You can't use that bar now unless you walk.  I'd boycott it and tell them why.  "If you lie down with dogs you might get fleas" as they say!

irosati

Thank you very much Coupon-mad, your reply is very helpful. I feel very frustrated and angry for all the time I'm going to waste on this crap.

Coupon-mad

Yes.

IMHO this is indicative of a typical ex-clamper mindset; by all accounts here and in the press, this firm need to clean up their act or get out.