Smart Parking PCN

Steverob1983

On the 6th of August 2023, I was on a family holiday in Cornwell. This was around the time of the Boardmasters festival and Newquay was very busy. Me and my Brother had tried several car parks to get somewhere to park but all were full. We came across Tower Road car park and after several minutes managed to find a couple of spaces to park. When going to the machine to buy a ticket, the machine was out of order and the only way to pay for parking was via the app. Me and my Brother along with several other people all stood by the machine trying to download the app which was made very difficult by the very poor mobile signal in the area.  We managed to set the app up, Paid for 2 hours of parking, and went about our day. We returned to our cars and left the car park with 2 minutes remaining on our tickets. Both Me and my brother received the PCN through the post on the 14th of September 2023. The PCN stated that we had paid for insufficient time. We both did appeals online via the smart parking website stating that we had paid for sufficient time and had proof on the app we used to pay. Neither of us heard anything back until we received the first Debt recovery plus a letter. At this point, I phoned Debt Recovery Plus to question why they were chasing us for the debt when we had proof that sufficient time had been paid for. The person on the phone was very rude and arrogant and told me it was because it had taken us over 10 minutes to pay for parking. We entered the car park according to the ANPR at 12:44.39 and the app shows parking was paid for at 13:01. She stated that the sign clearly states that parking must be paid for within 10 minutes or you must leave the car park. I managed to find a photo of the sign and it states no such thing. The only thing it states is that if you do not agree to the T's&C you must leave the site within 10 minutes. Clearly, we agreed to the T's&C as we both purchased tickets. I have included copies of all the letters.  

Fruitcake

Debt collectors are powerless and can safely be ignored.

Never, ever 'phone a parking company nor any of their agents, ever. 

What happened when you complained to the landowner and your MP? That is always Plan A and it is never too late to do so.

You are now in ignore mode unless/until you receive a letter of/before claim or a court claim from Smart. If you do, you will be the first, but never say never.

If you move home within six years then send a rectification notice to the DPO of Smart instructing them to erase your old data and replace it with your new address for service.

All this is explained in the sticky Announcement for NEWBIES that can be found on the main forum page where you clicked on the Create Thread button.

Coupon-mad

We both did appeals online via the smart parking website stating that we had paid for sufficient time and had proof on the app we used to pay. Neither of us heard anything back until we received the first Debt recovery plus a letter.

Hmmm.  We keep hearing this about Smart Parking not sending POPLA Codes.

Complain to Smart, them to the BPA.

Complain does not mean 'appeal'.

Coupon-mad

@Steverob198

What happened?  Smart cancelled the PCNs when the BPA breathed down their neck?

Coupon-mad

Steverob1983 said:

Both Me and my brother received the PCN through the post on the 14th of September 2023. The PCN stated that we had paid for insufficient time. We both did appeals online via the smart parking website stating that we had paid for sufficient time and had proof on the app we used to pay. Neither of us heard anything back until we received the first Debt recovery plus a letter. 

You realise this is a major pattern now?

Short notice but please - YOU AND YOUR BROTHER - do this survey now (and then a short & friendly video call next week) to tell the Government's consultancy outsourced firm your experience of 'appealing' and being told 'we sent you a rejection letter' (but you didn't get it...no proof they ever emailed it, and given we've seen20 or so cases like yours we think they never sent the POPLA Code at all.

Please earn yourself £60 and help regulate the parking industry.  This is an official thing and MSE Towers has agreed I can share it...

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6528490/official-dluhc-paid-research-have-you-ever-appealed-a-parking-charge-notice#latest

URGENT

Please earn £60 and help us push the regulation of the parking industry and new appeals service over the line.

There should be appeal (ADR) available at ALL stages to keep cases out of court.

And proof of actual date of posting or emailing rejection letters.

Coupon-mad

Same as all these:

Something of a pattern, eh?  Especially as the same has happened to your friend:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6524609/smart-parking-major-keying-errors-appeal-no-response-debt-recovery-plus

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/80511826/#Comment_80511826

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6503076/smart-parking-not-responded-to-appeal

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/80511533/#Comment_80511533

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/80719312/#Comment_80719312

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6514685/smart-parking-pcn-not-received-escalated-to-debt-recovery-within-a-month

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6513559/smart-parking-notice-and-debt-recovery-plus

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6506021/smart-parking-and-debt-recovery-plus

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/80514282/#Comment_80514282

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6489447/smart-parking-ltd/p1

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6489424/smart-parking-didnt-responded-for-appeal

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6525173/smart-parking-penalty-error-and-now-debt-collector-letter

I suspect this might be DR Plus causing it.  Smart have blamed DR Plus before. I suspect they do the back office appeals for Smart and just deliberately or negligently, they (or Smart) drop the ball in a lot of cases and overlook appeals.

Smart Parking had a similar 'problem' once before, and had to admit it to the BPA.