parking charge notice while training at my gym

deejbk01

summary of events: 
Prior to 09:32 enteredgym car park, no spaces were available
09:32 entered overflow car park
09:32-09:47 found parking space, looked around for parking guidance reading sign and machines, unloaded car with 2 children and buggy
09:47 logged into Ringo app to book 2 hour parking session. See screenshot. No option was available
About 11:47 returned to car
11:50 drove out of overflow car park

My first step would be complaining to Business being patronised. However I don't believe the gym (Nuffield) own the land or whether they would be able to help, I think the overflow car park is shared between Premier Inn, Pizza Hut, KFC and more.

how could I determine who is the land owner, or should I complain straigt to UKPC?

Front
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jcCvlZ7jyaz2hwlbq_otX8tgL57gs2QB/view?usp=drive_link
Back
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jhnQ9i2_uiMncwKwtbzGOVyDIosVsv2T/view?usp=sharing
Screenshot
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jhvvLT8JJOSdU8YTuz-19j42vCUZ_JdS/view?usp=sharing

deejbk01

Anyone able to help with this please?

LoneStarState

Hi there

Are you saying you never paid because the 2 hour option was unavailable?

A complaint to Nuffield is still worthwhile, they may be able to request cancellation or refer you to the actual landowner of the car park.  Easiest shot would be to go back to the site and see if there are signs advising who manages/owns the land.  Alternatively land registry/contacting the council to ask who pays the non domestic business rates.  

B789

If there was no 2-hour option available, why didn't you just choose the 3-hour option? I don't understand why the screenshot of the Ringo app has any relevance to anything.

Are you saying you chose the 3-hour option but were given a PCN anyway or you didn't pay at all?

deejbk01

LoneStarState said:

Hi there

Are you saying you never paid because the 2 hour option was unavailable?

A complaint to Nuffield is still worthwhile, they may be able to request cancellation or refer you to the actual landowner of the car park.  Easiest shot would be to go back to the site and see if there are signs advising who manages/owns the land.  Alternatively land registry/contacting the council to ask who pays the non domestic business rates.  

That's right,

I should probably add, 1-2 hours is free, 3 hours comes with cost. the driver only wanted to, and did, stay for two hours. that is not reflected by the timing on the camera of when the driver drove in and out of the very very busy car park with few signs and machines scattered around it

fisherjim

There is no 2 hour option on the app as 2 hours is free, drive in drive out within 2 hours no problem no action needed.

Staying over 2 hours you need to pay, in your case up to 3 hours (you were on site 2 hours 18 minutes) I don't understand the confusion, you even admit you stayed over 2 hours and never paid.

If the signage was confusing or defective as most UKPC signs are there is a start point after trying to plead with the gym or land owner, otherwise you are in a normal battle with the UKPC gravy train.

The Newbies thread on here has the process to follow.

Le_Kirk

deejbk01 said

how could I determine who is the land owner, or should I complain straight to UKPC?

This is often posted by one of our regulars @Umkomaas

1. Google searches
2. If a retail park, check on any signage which lists the on-site outlets
3. Ask retailers on the site if there is a managing agent
4. Ask retailers on the site to whom do they pay rent
5. Contact the local authority and ask who pays the non-domestic/business rate for the car park (some councils have a spreadsheet on their website)
6. Contact the local Valuation Office and ask if they know. They often have a website which might provide the information 
7. Contact The Land Registry and for around £3 they should be able to provide definitive detail
8. If you haven't already done so, give us the name of the car park/site/location, we may have seen other cases there. 
Posted by @Umkomaas
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/78322090/#Comment_78322090

deejbk01

fisherjim said:

There is no 2 hour option on the app as 2 hours is free, drive in drive out within 2 hours no problem no action needed.

Staying over 2 hours you need to pay, in your case up to 3 hours (you were on site 2 hours 18 minutes) I don't understand the confusion, you even admit you stayed over 2 hours and never paid.

If the signage was confusing or defective as most UKPC signs are there is a start point after trying to plead with the gym or land owner, otherwise you are in a normal battle with the UKPC gravy train.

The Newbies thread on here has the process to follow.

The driver did not stay over 2 hours, the driver ensured to return the my car within 2 hours: 09:47-11:47. The driver was very dilligent in returning to the car after no more than two hours

summary of events: 
Prior to 09:32 entered gym car park, no spaces were available
09:32 entered overflow car park
09:32-09:47 found parking space, looked around for parking guidance reading sign and machines, unloaded car with 2 children and buggy
09:47 logged into Ringo app to book 2 hour parking session. See screenshot. No option was available
About 11:47 returned to car
11:50 drove out of overflow car park

B789

So your argument is that the ANPR images do not show parking, only entry and exit to the site. Your "contract" for parking started when you purchased the ticket. What you have to do is be able to argue that the 18 minutes that it took you to find a parking space and initiate payment, was due to circumstances beyond your control.

Why exactly did it take 18 minutes to find a parking space? How big is the car park? 18 minutes may be difficult to explain.

Have you done anything about finding out who is the landowner yet? Have you tried complaining to the Gym, whether they own the land or not? Have you written to your MP with a complaint about these unfair practices by an unregulated private parking company?

fisherjim

deejbk01 said:

fisherjim said:

There is no 2 hour option on the app as 2 hours is free, drive in drive out within 2 hours no problem no action needed.

Staying over 2 hours you need to pay, in your case up to 3 hours (you were on site 2 hours 18 minutes) I don't understand the confusion, you even admit you stayed over 2 hours and never paid.

If the signage was confusing or defective as most UKPC signs are there is a start point after trying to plead with the gym or land owner, otherwise you are in a normal battle with the UKPC gravy train.

The Newbies thread on here has the process to follow.

I did not stay over 2 hours, I ensured to return to my car within 2 hours: 09:47-11:47. I was very in returning to my car after no more than two hours

summary of events: 
Prior to 09:32 entered gym car park, no spaces were available
09:32 entered overflow car park
09:32-09:47 found parking space, looked around for parking guidance reading sign and machines, unloaded car with 2 children and buggy
09:47 logged into Ringo app to book 2 hour parking session. See screenshot. No option was available
About 11:47 returned to car
11:50 drove out of overflow car park

I did not stay over 2 hours,

You see you are using the wrong terminology which will get you no where.

They will say you quite clearly did and their anpr proves that!

You may not have parked for over 2 hours, but anpr shows the vehicle's VRN on site for over 2 hours and that is the problem with that system and where people get (purposely) caught out.

POPLA will side with UKPC on that one that's why a landowner complaint is plan A.

deejbk01

B789 said:

So your argument is that the ANPR images do not show parking, only entry and exit to the site. Your "contract" for parking started when you purchased the ticket. What you have to do is be able to argue that the 18 minutes that it took you to find a parking space and initiate payment, was due to circumstances beyond your control.

Why exactly did it take 18 minutes to find a parking space? How big is the car park? 18 minutes may be difficult to explain.

Have you done anything about finding out who is the landowner yet? Have you tried complaining to the Gym, whether they own the land or not? Have you written to your MP with a complaint about these unfair practices by an unregulated private parking company?

I absolutely can, 

So it was busy on the day the driver went in and they found someone returning to their car, waited a couple minutes to vacate their space before parking in it. Then after getting out of the car, unpacking and assembling the buggy and getting 2 children out of the car, looking around for the parking signs, reading the sign and then going to the parking machines (i have used these machines in the past, simply entering the registration and having 2 hours free parking), on the day on question the machines were out of order (i went there today, still out of order, photo attached), returning to signs and then having to download a mobile phone app, after entering location information, only to find there was no way to book 2 hours parking (as per screen shot), then taking the 2 children to Nuffield health reception to inquire what to do about the parking situation, and finding out the receptionist did not know what could be done to book two hours (as neither the app nor machines were able to facilitate this), at this point the driver took a screenshot (09.47), and made a point to return to the vehicle by 11.47, 2 hours after attempt to initiate parking session