Multiple APCOA parking tickets

vcole2904

Hi All,

I am new here and really hoping for some advice.

I have been parking in an APCOA car park while I use the train to get to work since September. Towards the end of January I stopped paying in advance because the trains kept getting cancelled or delayed for various reasons.

Anyway, I didn't realise that there was anything wrong with paying using the app a few hours after I had already headed off on the train and did pay (although didn't notice the price was reduced slightly for arriving at the carpark after 10am).

I checked the website and knew you could pay late, but hadbt realised that you could only do so using the website. (Basically a lot of stupid mistakes my end).

On the 10th February I received a parking ticket for the 26th January. I appealed and assumed it would go through ok as I hadn't deliberately tried to not pay, but nope, they sent through a rejection. 

I have now received a second ticket and am conscious that there were at least 4 more incidents where I made the same mistake and am going to get more tickets.

Please can someone advise me of what I should do and how to resolve this, if possible. I have such little time before the tickets double from £50 to £100! 

B789

I’m assuming you made the fatal mistake of identifying the driver… If the PCN is non POFA, just by virtue of the fact that the car park was non relevant land under railway bylaws, the this would have been an easy win. However, you are where you are.

In order to assist you, you first have to read, re-read and read again the Newbies thread near the top of this forum. Once you have begun to understand the content and the advice and steps involved, you will be able to get better assistance here from the experts.

For now, is your PCN a “Parking” or a “Penalty” Charge Notice?

vcole2904

Thank you for coming back to me. I really appreciate it.

They are both Parking Charge Notices, containing pictures of my car when I entered and left.  I naively thought it was a mistake their end and once they realised this, they would just cancel them.

Umkomaas

I appealed

What exactly - verbatim - did you say in it?

vcole2904

I said the following, rather foolishly:

I believe there has been a mistake. The sign stated you could pay within 24 hours of leaving the carpark. I have wasted a fair bit of money on parking in recent months from paying early and the train being cancelled or delayed and having to drive to Oxford instead. The app states the period I paid for is 1 day and seeing as each day ends at 11.59, I had believed that I must have paid for the whole day. 

I think I have really messed up now. The response I got was as follows:

Whilst we appreciate the comments in your appeal, the ANPR cameras observed your vehicle entering the car park at 07:15 and leaving at 17:03. The payment was made at 16:35. This car park has a reduced tariff after 10:00. For a payment to be valid it must be made on arrival and cover the full duration of the stay. As your vehicle was parked in contravention of the terms and conditions of the site we are satisfied that the notice was correctly issued in accordance with the BPA code of practice, and therefore not able to waiver the charge on this occasion. Therefore you now have a number of options: Pay the Parking Charge Notice at the discounted price of £50 within 14 days. Please note that after this time the Parking Charge Notice will increase to £100.

I am reading through the guide and trying to understand. It's just a joke they can do this

Coupon-mad

Please just appeal ALL the subsequent ones as registered keeper, using this wording:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/79871679/#Comment_79871679

As for the first one, just ignore it now.  By appealing as driver you've probably blown your chances of winning at POPLA, so do nothing and ignore the debt demands.

DO NOT PAY.

APCOA don't sue anyone.

vcole2904

Coupon-mad said:

Please just appeal ALL the subsequent ones as registered keeper, using this wording:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/79871679/#Comment_79871679

As for the first one, just ignore it now.  By appealing as driver you've probably blown your chances of winning at POPLA, so do nothing and ignore the debt demands.

DO NOT PAY.

APCOA don't sue anyone.

Thank you so much. I really appreciate everyone's guidance here and the resources are great.

Just ashame I was so foolish in the first place and didn't do my homework!