Euro Car Parks - Over stay in retail park

Spint

Just received a PCN through the post for overstaying at Merrielands Retail Park, Dagenham.

I never gave it a moment's thought about whether there was a time limit as I often go there to do shopping at Aldi, B&M, TK Maxx and KFC. I guess this time we were longer because we bought quite a lot of stuff. On the PCN it doesn't state the actual time limit but we were there apparently for 2hrs & 48mins so I'm assuming it's a 2 hour limit. I can understand if it was a car park for just a supermarket but this car park is for a good handful of shops where surely you can end up spending far more than 2 hours there.

Is there any way to successfully appeal against this? I'm guessing that Euro Car Parks is not interested in the fact that we were there actually spending a lot of money at establishments which is the purpose of this car park in the first place!

I really feel like telling them to F off but I'm sure they're legally entitled to extract money from me all because they put a sign up somewhere stating that I can only spend my money at the shops for no more than 2 hours.


Thanks very much and hope you can help.

Coupon-mad

Welcome!

You seem to be taking it far too seriously. Just complain to all the store managers first. One of them will cancel it in minutes.

If they can't, then the managing agents whose name & contact details are probably at the bottom of the retail park entry plinth will cancel it when you (of course) complain.

Did you miss when you read our advice thread before you posted, that this (retailer complaint) is PLAN A?  It's the first thing you are advised to do in the top sticky thread NEWBIES PLEASE READ THESE FAQS FIRST.

Spint

I sent an email to the shop B&M but received this:

Thank you for your email and I am sorry to hear that you have received a parking ticket.

It is unfortunate that restrictions and charges need to be imposed due to
non B&M customers using the car park, and customers using our car
park as base while they continue shopping etc with other retailers or
attending other appointments.

We have no direct control over these penalty notices as they are issued and controlled by the car park
management company working with the landlord of the property. The company who manage the car parks are open to reviewing parking tickets when a customer is able to provide details of purchases (receipt or bank statement) in our stores at the time the ticket was received. All contact details for the parking company will be on the letter you have
received.

I do hope that this incident does not deter you from shopping with B&M in the future and we look forward to seeing you in one of our stores.

Kind Regards,

That was through the email address they gave on their main website, should I have contacted the store directly? I can't find the details for the retail park management team or landowner. I can appeal directly to ECP
themselves and give them copies of the receipts I received from my purchases?

This is so frustrating because I'm trying to pack and organise my holiday, I'm leaving on Thursday and now have to deal with this. I'm really running out of time.

What if I left it until I came back on 8th June? Not a good idea?

Thanks very much again.

Boat_to_Bolivia

If they can't, then the managing agents whose name & contact details are probably at the bottom of the retail park entry plinth will cancel it when you (of course) complain.

Did you try this as suggested by CM or try complaining to the other stores on site?

Just stop panicking and of course NO PAYING.

DW190

Aviva Investors are the owners

https://completelyretail.co.uk/scheme/2429

KeithP

"I sent an email to the shop B&M…".

But the suggestion was…

"Just complain to all the store managers…"

And it's rather easy for someone to deny a request by email, isn't it?

The suggestion was that you visit all the stores, and in each case ask to speak to the manager face to face. Give them each a copy of your PCN and ask each one to arrange for it to be cancelled.

Spint

Yes, I would like to go there in person and see the store managers but I've ran out of time for now, I can't get down there now until mid-June to speak to them or look for the allusive sign with the managing agent's details.

I saw that website that said Aviva are the owners but is it them who I should contact in the meantime?

I'd like to wait until I get back but as long as I don't have a bailiff knocking on my door when I get back and/or it won't affect my case? I realise this is a private firm and not the council so it's not the same.

Thanks again.

Boat_to_Bolivia

You will not have a baliff knocking on your door! Why do you think that?

Fruitcake

If you can't visit in person them email the CEO of every store on the site AND the managaing agents of the site AND the landowner AND your MP.

If none of that works then go for Plan B, an appeal to the PPC using the template in blue text you will find in the sticky Announcement for NEWBIES.

As for bailiffs knocking on your door, I too am baffled why you think that might happen.

Coupon-mad

Ring them all up and say you have a complaint and want to speak to the Store Manager.

Do not say 'a Manager' and do not discuss it with the young kiddie who answers the phone. The phone number is on your receipt, or easy to Google.

Euro Car Parks don't sue anyone anyway.

And you can beat them at POPLA in most cases by saying thag the £100 on the signs is buried in small text and was not prominent enough to be seen, let alone agreed.

You do NOT need evidence or knowledge of the signs to say that. And of course there are other standard POPLA appeal points, as seen in the NEWBIES thread.

Spint

I managed to get a friend who went to the retail park today to take photos of the signs.

Unfortunately I've  literally have run out of time, I'm off tomorrow morning until mid-June otherwise I would've phoned up or gone in there myself.

I will only be able to do things by email now. Is it a definitely a no no to appeal directly to ECP even though I can supply them with my receipts? Judging by the sign, I was only 18 minutes over the limit not 48 minutes. I'm actually curious if they're really that mean. Obviously the time limit is deter folks from using the car park for purposes other than shopping there but with my proof of receipts, will they be utter dicks?

I will go through the newbies section in detail soon and use the advice you gave on POPLA, not sure if the signs help?

Thanks very much.