Euro Car Parks - car had a breakdown

imfromyorks

I got a PCN from euro car park. My car had a breakdown while at Sainsbury’s car park and I had to wait for hours until the rescue arrived. I got a PCN from Euro Car Parks and appealed with correspondences with the breakdown service plus I used parts of the template letter from here stating obvious issues they cannot charge me. 

They sent me an email to refuse my appeal with a reason “There have been no reported extenuating circumstances and the vehicle registration has not

been added to the exemption list for the date in question, therefore parking charge has been

issued correctly and remains payable”
they told me if I don’t agree I’ll have to appeal to POPLA. 

I’m feeling this is so unfair as it wasn’t my intention to park over the limit and car breakdown was unavoidable.
I had a similar breakdown at Tesco car park and when I appealed with breakdown evidence, they cancelled the PCN within only a few days.  

Can someone please advise what I shall do? I’m so annoyed about this. 

thanks in advance. 

KeithP

It won't help you this time, but these situations are so avoidable.

Next time something like that happens go straight to Customer Services as soon as the problem is known and ask them to put your vehicle's registration mark on their exempt list.

It happened to me in a Tesco car park. My car wouldn't start after shopping and I knew I couldn't get help for a couple of hours.
The customer services rep tapped away at her keyboard and announced " you now have permission to stay in the car park for twenty-four hours. Come and see me again if you need more time".

Coupon-mad

But do that now.  Ask for the store to step in and exempt you,  by making an ANGRY retrospective complaint to the Sainsbury's Store Manager.  

Take the 'appeal refusal' and a copy of the PCN to the CS desk and ask ONLY to speak to the Store Manager (not the CS desk jobsworth).

Insist they cancel the PCN.

If they refuse, or lie and tell you that "there's nothing we can do; Euro Car Parks own the car park" (they do not!) then escalate the complaint online to Sains Head office this weekend and tell them the store lied to you.

Preferably an email complaint by name to their CEO.

Sainsbury's can and will cancel it.

If all that fails, try POPLA as a last resort because OBVIOUSLY this scam charge isn't to be paid!  Not even if you lose at POPLA.

No-one here pays Euro Car Parks.

Please read the sticky thread NEWBIES PLEASE READ THESE FAQS FIRST.

Same advice as here:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6451827/i-got-a-ticket-without-ever-entering-a-parking-space-or-leaving-my-vehicle#latest

and here:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6451808/needing-a-little-advice-euro-car-parks-appeal-rejected#latest

But why aren't customers telling supermarkets when these things happen?  Of course you need ANPR time limit exemption if you break down and you can ask for it whenever you are delayed when shopping.  You don't have to appeal a fake PCN nor even get one!

This isn't OK.

imfromyorks

Hi

Thanks to all replies and special thanks to Coupon-mad. 

I have made a contact to Sainsbury’s via their social media where I received super quick response from them. However, the customer service were super slow and super confused as if they didn’t know what to do. I emailed Sainsbury’s branch manager and heard nothing back from them. Eventually I managed to speak with the manager who appeared to be very helpful and told me my email was in their junk box. The manager told me he was going to cancel the PCN for me. 

I think I need to let you know here in case my thread is useful for someone who may come to search for similar issues. 

Thanks again. 

Fruitcake

Complain again if you haven't received a cancellation within a week at the most.

You should also complain to your MP about this.

B789

Remember that any "evidence" that they have cancelled the PCN they stated over the phone isn't worth the paper it was written on. Double check on the PPC website that the PCN is cancelled and if not, ask whoever it was you spoke to to confirm by email that they have indeed cancelled the PCN.

imfromyorks

B789 said:

Remember that any "evidence" that they have cancelled the PCN they stated over the phone isn't worth the paper it was written on. Double check on the PPC website that the PCN is cancelled and if not, ask whoever it was you spoke to to confirm by email that they have indeed cancelled the PCN.

Thanks. I got an email from the manager that they’re going to ask EuroCar Parks to cancel it and will let me know when it is done. 

So there’s only an email in hand at the moment. 

imfromyorks

Fruitcake said:

Complain again if you haven't received a cancellation within a week at the most.

You should also complain to your MP about this.

Thanks. I thought about writing to the prime minister when I was in the very angry moment. 😊