VCS Charge Notice for Stopping in Prohibited Zone at Liverpool Airport

worriednoob

Hi everyone,

Need some advice as I've received a charge notice for parking on red lines.  I had come back from a holiday and we had parked up two family cars at the airport carpark for the week.  Upon returning, we got to our cars and headed towards the exit barriers.  Upon the barriers lifting as soon as my car left the carpark, it suddenly lost power and I had no choice but to park it on the red lines.  At this point I got out and ran to the one of the exit barriers that my child was driving and pressed the buzzer and spoke to someone, explaining the situation.  He said just try starting the vehicle again, so I ran back and tried to start the car again.  This time it started, so I immediately drove off.

1. Have I got any chance of appealing this or should I just pay it off?
2. Do VCS have any ability to contact the airport carpark to confirm my story?

If you think it's too much of a headache, I'll just pay the penalty off.

Gr1pr

1) you can definitely appeal it as keeper if you want to, but expect a rejection, regardless of circumstances, even engine troubles 

2) the airport contracted Vcs so there is definitely contact between them, and a contract too , confirming your story may be difficult however 

I suggest that you carefully study the IPC CoP version 9 before making any rash decisions like paying 

Umkomaas

Ask the airport to intervene to get it cancelled. Refer to the incident and the involvement of the airport employee in getting it resolved. 

worriednoob

Thanks very much guys.  I will try and contact the airport and will keep you posted.  Much appreciate your advice.

LDast

Only someone who is low-hanging fruit on the gullible tree pays a vexatious scammer like VCS. If you are here on this forum asking about it, then you are not low-hanging fruit or gullible, unless you ignore the advice you receive here. If you think that you have received a "penalty" or a "fine" you are gullible because it is neither of those. It is only an invoice for an alleged breach of contract.

Under no circumstances do you reveal the identity of the driver. VCS have no idea who the driver is. VCS only know that you are registered keeper of the vehicle. Now, you need to understand why this is relevant...

When PoFA was introduce in 2012, it allowed parking scammers to transfer liability for the parking charge to be transferred from the unknown driver to the known keeper, as long as the requirements of PoFA were fully complied with. However, PoFA does not apply on land under statutory control such as airports and railway stations because they are covered by bylaws.

So, because they cannot rely on PoFA and they don't know the identity of the unknown driver, unless the known keeper blabs it, inadvertently or otherwise, it's Catch 22 for VCS. No matter what they threaten, and they will, you, the known keeper, only have to keep shtum about the unknown drivers identity.

Gr1pr

This is not their first rodeo either 

https://parking-prankster.blogspot.com/2014/01/vcs-spanked-in-court-as-motorist-and.html

worriednoob

LDast said:

Only someone who is low-hanging fruit on the gullible tree pays a vexatious scammer like VCS. If you are here on this forum asking about it, then you are not low-hanging fruit or gullible, unless you ignore the advice you receive here. If you think that you have received a "penalty" or a "fine" you are gullible because it is neither of those. It is only an invoice for an alleged breach of contract.

Under no circumstances do you reveal the identity of the driver. VCS have no idea who the driver is. VCS only know that you are registered keeper of the vehicle. Now, you need to understand why this is relevant...

When PoFA was introduce in 2012, it allowed parking scammers to transfer liability for the parking charge to be transferred from the unknown driver to the known keeper, as long as the requirements of PoFA were fully complied with. However, PoFA does not apply on land under statutory control such as airports and railway stations because they are covered by bylaws.

So, because they cannot rely on PoFA and they don't know the identity of the unknown driver, unless the known keeper blabs it, inadvertently or otherwise, it's Catch 22 for VCS. No matter what they threaten, and they will, you, the known keeper, only have to keep shtum about the unknown drivers identity.

Thanks for the explanation LDast. Sorry, but are you suggesting that this notice can totally be ignored?  Because surely VCS can:-

1. Take it to court, thus increasing the invoice amount?
2. Check the cameras which show the driver stepping out of the vehicle, thus revealing the identity?

Gr1pr

1) the invoice cannot go higher than the PCN and signs state, extra fees and charges could be added on top, but the invoice stays the same 

2) there is no way of revealing an identity UNLESS somebody foolishly reveals it, this isn't NCIS or CSI  !

Pictures would possibly show an unknown subject and possibly give away gender and ethnicity 

Coupon-mad

Don't ignore it.

Just get it cancelled by the Airport, pointing out to them that their own Airport byelaws ALLOW EMERGENCY STOPS.  Complain!