PCN from TPS but I Paid SABA for the Parking Space at Railway Station

mj1

Hi Folks need some advice if anyone can help...

I got a PCN from TPS 14 days after the "parking offence" and I appealed saying that I had indeed bought a parking ticket for the day from the SABA website the day before I parked to help de-stress the journey... (LOL that plan back fired...)

Railway station is Long Buckby and I did what was I thought due diligence by checking the rail operators who pointed me at SABA to pay for parking. I have since grabbed screen shots showing the various operators saying that SABA are responsible for parking at the station and £6 would need to be paid.

So was rather surprised to get a photo PCN and did not think too much about who had issued it. I just followed the appeals process and sent proof that I had paid for a ticket. Thinking just a computer glitch and would be sorted by showing my parking permit.

Today I got a letter saying appeal denied and a brief line saying “SABA is not a valid method of payment for this car park”.

So I have started digging and now realise that I might have been scammed by SABA?

I am now working out if I should use the POPLA appeals process against TPS and what line of defence to take.

I have issued a complaint against SABA to ask why the £6 they took has meant I am now being fined £40 by TPS.

BTW - TPS have offered to reduce the fee to £20 as a gesture of good will – Such nice folk…

I think from my initial reading here is that I can’t now claim I was not the driver as I have appealed – so I need to find how best to defend this in court as I think it is a bit of a scam…

I will of course continue to search the forums..

But in the meantime any pointers for me would be great to read…

 

Thanks in advance

mj1

Just tried to find the owners to see if it was a railway co to complain to but alas some farmers set up the company with a help of a banker...

https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/09347610

So don't think they will be too helpful in me asking them to get the PCN cancelled.

Coupon-mad

I'd consider paying the £20 then making complaints on both TPS and SABA's websites then escalating the complaint in the end to:

AOS@britishparking.co.uk

Grizebeck

as above i would pay it

mj1

Thanks £20 is tempting but I am a bit annoyed that I did what I thought was the right thing and SABA get £6 for not giving me a parking space...

Anyway good advice and I can understand why folk might just pay £20 and be done with it...

Coupon-mad

That's not what I advised.  It's far from done!  All AOS members must respond quickly to complaints and then you can raise a complaint with the BPA.

mj1

Coupon-mad said:

That's not what I advised.  It's far from done!  All AOS members must respond quickly to complaints and then you can raise a complaint with the BPA.

Hi I don't know what grounds I have to complain... The rail companys list SABA as the one to pay but I bet the signage in the car park says otherwise..

I will attempt to get back to the Carpark to photo the signage and see what it says...

It seems like SABA should not be taking peoples money for the carpark that they have no right to charge for - I await outcome of my complaint to them that I made today.

TPS if they have not been paid / have any arrangement with SABA have a claim against me...

So I await SABA telling me why they took my money but not sure how best to complain to BPA depending on what their remit is...

Anyway I will update thread on progress - I should have read this parking thread and played the 6 month game...

Cheers

mj1

As a thought I might give local Northants paper a call to see if thy will cover the story as I bet I am not only one who is being PCN'd like this....

KeithP

Which car park did you use?
This smaller one right by the station...

... or the much larger one surrounding it?...

[click on either image to go to GoogleMaps]

Those two car parks are managed by different operators.
It looks like you paid for one and used the other.

mj1

Thanks that does indeed explain the issue - we parked in the new car park near where it says "Tasty Bites". That is the field the farmers have turned into a car park business and SABA replied this morning saying that there are two car parks and they must be the smaller one that was originally built for the railway station and hence on the train web sites. 

So I think I am scubby Doo'd....

The rail operators have no need to explain the situation and just show the car park they have while TPS are running the operation for the farmers...

As we bought the ticket on line I just made a bad assumption that it was one car park and did not really understand there was two. I bet others have done the same..

£20 to pay and I am not sure what grounds I would have to complain further....

SABA will no doubt wash there hands of the £6 I paid them and keep it...

A hard lesson....

Thanks to those that have replied....

Fruitcake

I suggest you pay the £20 but still complain to the landowners (both of them) and your MP about how deliberately misleading the website is. It's almost as if it's done deliberately to confuse the unwary. Any reputable company wanting your business would warn a motorist that there are two car parks, and to please ensure you park in the correct one.

Please take photos of the site and signage. We need photos of signs where the charge for breaching the Ts and Cs is £70 or less before any discount for early payment. TPS generally charge around £60 on the signs I've seen. It would also be useful to see if the charge for breaching the Ts and Cs is the same for both car parks.