Stopping in bus stop - Quorum Business Park - Private Land £60 for 3 mins! Excel Parking CCTV

Coupon-mad

Poor (non-prominent) signage is generally the main & strongest point in any defence.

You can only read those signs if you stop.

Herzlos

Biketruck said:
Finally, I went and had a good look at the site today and noticed that the actual signs are facing away from you when you drive towards the bus stop layby - and they're pretty damn small considering they are charging you £60 a pop! The X in the photo is where I parked - and so I wouldnt have much of a chance to see the sign.  The only sign that is facing you is just their normal NO PARKING sign - not no stopping - and that's full of small print. I did a video of the drive past and you'd have no chance to see or read their signage. 

There's a couple of points about the signage:

1. It's facing away from the flow of traffic, so hard to spot.

2. The font on most of that is tiny, and it's not reasonable for anyone to be able to read it.

3. It's contradictory - if it's "NO Stopping" then they can't charge £60 if you stop. You can't contractually agree to something that you're forbidden from doing, that'd be a penalty, and I'm pretty sure Excel are approaching from the angle that it's a contractual invoice you agreed to by parking, which just isn't possible.

Biketruck

Herzlos said:

Biketruck said:
Finally, I went and had a good look at the site today and noticed that the actual signs are facing away from you when you drive towards the bus stop layby - and they're pretty damn small considering they are charging you £60 a pop! The X in the photo is where I parked - and so I wouldnt have much of a chance to see the sign.  The only sign that is facing you is just their normal NO PARKING sign - not no stopping - and that's full of small print. I did a video of the drive past and you'd have no chance to see or read their signage. 

There's a couple of points about the signage:

1. It's facing away from the flow of traffic, so hard to spot.

2. The font on most of that is tiny, and it's not reasonable for anyone to be able to read it.

3. It's contradictory - if it's "NO Stopping" then they can't charge £60 if you stop. You can't contractually agree to something that you're forbidden from doing, that'd be a penalty, and I'm pretty sure Excel are approaching from the angle that it's a contractual invoice you agreed to by parking, which just isn't possible.

Hi, 
Yes - agreed - the signage is turned away and is small. 
Even tho they have a camera graphic - it's not clear that they are filming you - arguably predatory filming
Yes - they can only charge you by you accepting their contract ie. it's a civil invoice not a PCN.
Also, the signage that you can see on approach to the layby says "no parking" - not no Stopping - so there's a contradiction there. 
Finally, there is no grace period - for you to even realise that you've broken their rule
I'm in up to my neck now - so in for a lamb in for a lion! 
!!!!!!
Sad thing is that a 'Judge' may well take a very 'simple' view and say Mr Biketruck, did you indeed stop in the bus layby? Yes. Guilty - Pay the fine!
But !!!!!! em! I'm aving a go - theiving scum!

Biketruck

For info - here is another way to have a go at Excel Parking Services!
https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.excelparkingservices.co.uk

It's amazing reading some of the reviews! Good to know that there's so many people trying to have a go. 

volkswin

I will be in due course writing to Excel and the Park management.

In short my disabled wife due to her condition can need the toilet in a hurry, we were only in this area as I had an appointment for post cataract surgery examination and as such could not drive after the examination, as a result my wife had to drive me home not long after leaving the clinic my wife informed she needed the toilet very urgently and we came across a  small retail area with some shops including a Greggs being unfamiliar with the area and being in a very urgent condition my wife pulled into the first layby she seen (this turned out to be the bus stop) and I exited the vehicle and proceeded into the Greggs to see if they had a toilet.

In the meantime my wife despite being in some discomfort became aware of her surroundings could see that there where signs on the lamposts but from the drivers seat she couldn't make them out anyhow she decided to move the vehicle and after a few minutes eventually found the disabled parking area around 150yds away from the bustop.
In the time it took me to go into the Greggs, talk to an assistance and then leave the shop probably a minute or less ny wife had moved the vehicle, needles to say by the time I found where she was parked it was no longer a priority to find a toilet i wont go into the details.

I would of thought at the very least they should be a grace period as whats the point of signs if you dont get time to read and act upon them.  

volkswin

The IPC code of practice states you must have a sufficient grace period copied from the code of conduct below:
13 Consideration and Grace Periods on Private Land 13.1 Motorists must be allowed a sufficient Consideration Period so they may make an informed decision as to whether or not to enter or remain on the Private Land. If a Motorist chooses to reject the opportunity by entering or remaining on the Private Land without reading terms and conditions, they may be deemed to have accepted them immediately. 13.2 Before a Parking Charge is issued Motorists must be allowed a Grace Period save and except when 13.3 is applicable. A Grace Period is a 10 minute period at the end of a Permitted Period of Parking. 13.3 A Grace Period is not required when the Permitted Period of Parking does not exceed 1 hour providing that the signage on the site makes it clear to the Motorist, in a prominent font, that no Grace Period applies on that land.  

1505grandad

For information this thread was started by @Biketruck

Suggest @volkswin starts their own thread to avoid confusion.