CP Plus parking demand

Rooster199

I recently drove to see a show in Manchester, staying there overnight then returning home. On the way there and on the way back I stopped at Moto services Wetherby for 20-30 minutes. A couple of weeks later and I have received a letter from a company called CP Plus claiming that I stayed in the car park at Wetherby services overnight and demanding £100 from me. They give the time that my car arrived on the first day and the time it departed on the second day but not the time I departed on day 1 or the time I arrived on day 2. It's inconceivable that they cannot have recorded both my arrivals and departures so I conclude it's a deliberate attempt to harass me into giving them money, presumably they do this to a lot of people. The photographs they have sent to me show the car in two separate bays on the two days and I have sent them the invoice for my stay at the hotel in Manchester on the night they claim I was in the car park but they continue to pester me, demanding proof of my car's movements via a vehicle tracker, as if everyone has a tracker fitted. They are threatening to take me to court. Is this legal? What are my rights? 

born_again

Requested this moved to parking section, as not consumer rights.

MSE_ForumTeam5

Moved as per @born_again's suggestion 

nopcns

Please read the Newbies/FAQ thread to understand the process and how to deal with what is known as a "double dip". A complaint to CP Plus demanding that they do a manual search for the "orphan images" and you will be reporting them to the BPA for issuing a PCN without any manual checking for those orphan images.

Rooster199

I didn't know the BPA existed, thanks. Do they have the power to take away CP Plus's right to issue demands? Is this something that would scare them?

Nellymoser

No that won't scare them. They know there is no risk of any sanction points being issued. The BPA is very supportive of their members always excusing their poor practice and code breaches as an "admin or technical error"... but don't let that stop you reporting them.

Coupon-mad

Rooster199 said:

I didn't know the BPA existed, thanks. Do they have the power to take away CP Plus's right to issue demands? Is this something that would scare them?

No. But of course CP Plus will cancel once you do this, because you've sussed the 'scam' and they haven't checked the images properly:

A complaint to CP Plus demanding that they do a manual search for the "orphan images" and you will be reporting them to the BPA for issuing a PCN without any manual checking for those orphan images.

1505grandad

As specified in the BPA CoP:-

"22.2  Quality checks: before you issue a parking charge notice you must carry out a manual quality check of the ANPR images to reduce errors and make sure that it is appropriate to take action."

Rooster199

Is this a widespread practice? I suppose they're playing the numbers game - send out thousands of demands like this and enough people will pay them to go away to make it worthwhile. It really is evil. Imagine elderly people or people with mental health issues being pressurised like this. 

Nellymoser

Widespread been going on for years. The industry itself doesn't see it as evil they see it as effective car park management.

1505grandad

"Widespread been going on for years. The industry itself doesn't see it as evil they see it as effective car park management."

Also well known by the DVLA (where most of it all starts) but that doesn't stop them providing motorists private data for 250 (£2.50) pieces of copper.