Appealing to POPLA with the 'one size fits all" template

Coupon-mad

Wells19 said:

Coupon-mad said:

The reason for the PCN is in those first 3 lines above the car images, and it is NOT overstay.

Did Mum & Dad keep the payment receipt in the car so they can prove she paid cash?

Yeah, i realise that. But overstaying was another reason we thought of simply because mum actually paid.

They didn't receive a receipt from the machine and when talking to the parking attendant, he assured them that they didn't need one.  He was obviously wrong

Wells19 said:

Coupon-mad said:

The reason for the PCN is in those first 3 lines above the car images, and it is NOT overstay.

Did Mum & Dad keep the payment receipt in the car so they can prove she paid cash?

Yeah, i realise that. But overstaying was another reason we thought of simply because mum actually paid.

They didn't receive a receipt from the machine and when talking to the parking attendant, he assured them that they didn't need one.  He was obviously wrong

Needs a formal angry complaint to the retail park, doesn't it?  That could see it cancelled this week.

Wells19

Coupon-mad said:

Wells19 said:

Coupon-mad said:

The reason for the PCN is in those first 3 lines above the car images, and it is NOT overstay.

Did Mum & Dad keep the payment receipt in the car so they can prove she paid cash?

Yeah, i realise that. But overstaying was another reason we thought of simply because mum actually paid.

They didn't receive a receipt from the machine and when talking to the parking attendant, he assured them that they didn't need one.  He was obviously wrong

Wells19 said:

Coupon-mad said:

The reason for the PCN is in those first 3 lines above the car images, and it is NOT overstay.

Did Mum & Dad keep the payment receipt in the car so they can prove she paid cash?

Yeah, i realise that. But overstaying was another reason we thought of simply because mum actually paid.

They didn't receive a receipt from the machine and when talking to the parking attendant, he assured them that they didn't need one.  He was obviously wrong

Needs a formal angry complaint to the retail park, doesn't it?  That could see it cancelled this week.

Yeah, i sent one earlier, fingers crossed. Thanks for your help with this

Wells19

Coupon-mad said:

Wells19 said:

Coupon-mad said:

The reason for the PCN is in those first 3 lines above the car images, and it is NOT overstay.

Did Mum & Dad keep the payment receipt in the car so they can prove she paid cash?

Yeah, i realise that. But overstaying was another reason we thought of simply because mum actually paid.

They didn't receive a receipt from the machine and when talking to the parking attendant, he assured them that they didn't need one.  He was obviously wrong

Wells19 said:

Coupon-mad said:

The reason for the PCN is in those first 3 lines above the car images, and it is NOT overstay.

Did Mum & Dad keep the payment receipt in the car so they can prove she paid cash?

Yeah, i realise that. But overstaying was another reason we thought of simply because mum actually paid.

They didn't receive a receipt from the machine and when talking to the parking attendant, he assured them that they didn't need one.  He was obviously wrong

Needs a formal angry complaint to the retail park, doesn't it?  That could see it cancelled this week.

I've been emailing the shopping centre and it doesn't seem like i'm going to get anywhere. But the only option i had was to contact the reception, after a bit of back and forth i've asked her to pass my situation onto someone that oversees parking issues at the shopping centre, because she doesn't seem to full grasp some things. I'm waiting for a reply now.

I'm gonna get the POPLA appeal ready just in case this doesn't work out. The appeal from GroupNexus and the POPLA reference number was on 08/01/24, so we don't have much time left to appeal to them. 

The problem is i'm not sure what POPLA examples to find as a guide, because the reason for the PCN is alluding to my parents not paying at all, which isn't true. So would this type of appeal come under what you mentioned before? A VRM keying error? I just don't know how to go about this appeal because this issue isn't that they overstayed, they're just being wrongfully accused of not paying. 

Wells19

And as mentioned before, the parking wasn't pay and display, it's the other type where you chose the image of your car and reg. 

Coupon-mad

But very similar: it does require payment, so it was 'pay' just not 'display'.

How about this as prep for POPLA evidence:

If local, can they go there when a parking attendant is around (you said there is one) and film themselves paying in cash - at the same machine as went wrong last time - and not getting any receipt.  Then going over (quietly filmed on a phone but out of sight!) to ask the guy why it doesn't produce a receipt and to grumble that "last time they got a PCN unfairly" and is he aware this is common, what should they do to avoid a repeat ... let him speak.  Record it.

Wells19

Coupon-mad said:

But very similar: it does require payment, so it was 'pay' just not 'display'.

How about this as prep for POPLA evidence:

If local, can they go there when a parking attendant is around (you said there is one) and film themselves paying in cash - at the same machine as went wrong last time - and not getting any receipt.  Then going over (quietly filmed on a phone but out of sight!) to ask the guy why it doesn't produce a receipt and to grumble that "last time they got a PCN unfairly" and is he aware this is common, what should they do to avoid a repeat ... let him speak.  Record it.

That would be perfect, but i think they've done all the fighting they can do. This is just another problem stacked upon a list of other things that's happened to them lately, so they're just exhausted from it all. I'd do it myself if i had a car, but i don't.

In this case, i'm just looking for a template in POPLA guides on the newbies thread, that would apply to them. It seems like an unusual situation...no receipt given from paying with cash. And the canceled initial attempt at payment on the card only machine? I'm not sure if that would even play into it, perhaps it confused the system and it's only looking at the first attempt where they didn't pay, not the second attempt where they actually paid. I have no idea.

The logical way to deal with this is with the shopping centre, i'm hoping the receptionist has handed the email thread to someone that's more knowledgeable. A quick chat with a parking attendant would confirm to them that the machines don't give receipts. And if they don't give receipts, there's probably other transactional errors on the machine as well. 

Coupon-mad

No need for POPLA yet. The code lasts 33 days not 28.  Please don't ask how we know that or disagree and show us the 28 days that POPLA say. Believe us: It is valid till day 33.

Forget POPLA and instead, escalate the complaint.  Follow up again.

Be pushy - a thorn in her side - and tell the Retail Park that it's put your parents off ever returning and you feel like telling the local paper and encouraging people to boycott the place. Point out how awful their Trip Advisor reviews no doubt are, due to this moneymaking 'scam'. 

Wells19

Coupon-mad said:

No need for POPLA yet. The code lasts 33 days not 28.  Please don't ask how we know that or disagree and show us the 28 days that POPLA say. Believe us: It is valid till day 33.

Forget POPLA and instead, escalate the complaint.  Follow up again.

Be pushy - a thorn in her side - and tell the Retail Park that it's put your parents off ever returning and you feel like telling the local paper and encouraging people to boycott the place. Point out how awful their Trip Advisor reviews no doubt are, due to this moneymaking 'scam'. 

Yeah, i did actually see in the newbies thread that it's 33, not 28 so that's a bit more time at least. 

I have been adamant and pushy in my last email so here's hoping

Wells19

Coupon-mad said:

No need for POPLA yet. The code lasts 33 days not 28.  Please don't ask how we know that or disagree and show us the 28 days that POPLA say. Believe us: It is valid till day 33.

Forget POPLA and instead, escalate the complaint.  Follow up again.

Be pushy - a thorn in her side - and tell the Retail Park that it's put your parents off ever returning and you feel like telling the local paper and encouraging people to boycott the place. Point out how awful their Trip Advisor reviews no doubt are, due to this moneymaking 'scam'. 

Bit of an update, i'll fill you in. The receptionist told me that they have a 15 min Grace Period for their car park.

"There is a grace period of 15 minutes but that is only valid upon entry and leaving ( if you enter the carpark and leave within 15 minutes that is free) however with you staying over 15 minutes (4 hours 4 minutes) this would not be the case for the 15 minutes grace period charges apply after parking over 15minutes"

I'm not sure she knows what she's on about. Correct me if i'm wrong, but there's a 10 min Grace Period for all BPA members, which GroupNexus is. 

I sent her proof of this with a screenshot source from the BPA website and the link to it. She seems to be claiming that that's why my parents received the PCN, for overstaying, even though it states on the letter that it's because according to GroupNexus, they didn't pay at all.

Above everything else, what she said doesn't make sense. "with you staying over 15 minutes (4 hours 4 minutes)"

????? It's 4 mins overstay from the price they paid. AH, headache!

I told her to pass the situation onto someone that's more qualified.

After some back and forth, they haven't replied to my last email which was on thursday, so i've just emailed again. It seems like after i showed proof for the reason of the PCN (sent attachment of the first PCN they received and also the reply to the appeal showing the reason GroupNexus and highlight in yellow)....they've gone quiet.  

I left the Parking charge reference number in the email for them to settle it, i'm just hoping someone replies now and it's someone other than that clueless receptionist.

Coupon-mad

She seems to think they didn't pay but your point is,  they did.