Private parking requiring registration details

PhilAskew

. PRIVATE PARKING MACHINES - REQUIRING REGISTRATION NUMBER 

Every time I have used one of these machines at other private parking sites, it guides you through the process and doesn't give you a ticket prior to entering registration number, (albeit it may be incorrect).  I have used one of these that just dispensed a ticket without this.  I got a ticket which I appealed but was rejected but received a £20 admin charge.  I appealed to POPLA and they said ticket was issued correctly and cost when up to £60, or £100 as would have been over their 14 days.  I have now received £160 charge from debt collector. I will go to court if needed but would like some advice if anyone can. I have requested info on their machine operation and stats on the number of people that have been caught this way, and functionality calibration of machine but they have refused. Reviews show this has happened before to others.  Any advice welcome, especially  on how I can get the stats if that is possible please?

Coupon-mad

There are no stats.  You'd win this in court.

Which PPC issued the PCN?

Have you read the NEWBIES PLEASE READ THESE FAQS FIRST thread and exhausted PLAN A, which was never POPLA?

PhilAskew

thank you for your response.  The PPC is Initial Parking.  You say there re no stats but this company will have their records, i.e. number of 'fines' for a better word that have been issued because of 'so called' keying errors. Is there no way I can get this information as the company have refused t give me anything.  Also I am struggling to find any posts relating to 'Plan A' 

PhilAskew

Apologies I have found the posts you have responded to on the Newbies thread.  Being guiding by the PPC and being ignorant to other avenues,  I appealed to POPLA as being the only option according to the the PPC.   The PPC said they are required by law to inform me that the 'Government Ombudsman' provide acceptable parking resolution services, but I was not allowed to appeal to them and must use POPLA. 

Is this correct/legal?  POPLA are clearly biased in their response.  When POPLA informed me of their decision (via a link) this page also contained a 'link' for me to 'pay now'.  So much for their independence.

Half_way

POPLA is funded by the parking industry, and decides if the parking industry follows rules set by the parking industry.


whos car park was this?

Fruitcake

Plan A is always a complaint to the landowner and your MP, and it is never too late to do so.

Where did the alleged event occur? It may have cropped up here before.

Initial Parking have not done court to date as far as I know. That doesn't mean they won't, but the chances are the won't start with a claim for a single ticket.

PhilAskew

Half-Way
thank you.  It is my vehicle.

Fruitcake
Initial Parking at Lands End
Whilst they (and POPLA) make it sound like they doing you a favour, I think they just rely on people paying the £20 when they demonstrate they have a ticket with no registration number, and are now miles away.

Not_A_Hope

I have requested info on their machine operation and stats on the number of people that have been caught this way, and functionality calibration of machine but they have refused.

You can ask for a redacted copy of the PDT machine record for the date you were parked.This will show a payment made at the time shown on your ticket and may indicate if other drivers had difficulty entering VRMs on that date. 

You are not the first to have found problems with PDT tickets not printing VRM details and there is case law you will be able to quote in your defence that will support your case

Coupon-mad

PhilAskew said:

Half-Way
thank you.  It is my vehicle.

Fruitcake
Initial Parking at Lands End
Whilst they (and POPLA) make it sound like they doing you a favour, I think they just rely on people paying the £20 when they demonstrate they have a ticket with no registration number, and are now miles away.

The £20 rip-off is being removed with the statutory CoP when it eventually comes in.