SAR - Excel parking - Connect Cashless App

pablotoon19

Background

A PCN was issued for my vehicle for not displaying a valid ticket despite a payment being made for parking through the Connect cashless parking app as advised by the location signage. 

The app didn’t issue a receipt and subsequent interrogation of the connect cashless website shows no trace of this payment. Despite this the website correct lists my vehicle registration number, bank card number and telephone number. This was my only interaction with this app so the details could not be stored from a previous transaction. 

My online banking shows the transaction and my bank have verified the time of the transaction which, when viewed with the payment amount proves the time paid for covers the alleged time of “offence.”

despite this being stated to Excel parking who issued the pcn my appeal has been rejected in the absence of a VAT receipt from the app.

I don’t intend to appeal to IAS as this forum suggest that is a complete waste of time.

Following advice from other members of this forum I have submitted a SAR to excel parking and connect cashless requesting the following:

Please provide details of a payment of £xxx I made to Excel parking on date at time. (This payment has been confirmed by Bank at this time).

Please provide a breakdown of the charge I made on date at time, how many hours of parking were paid for and what convenience fee was charged.

Please provide details of the car registration number you hold against my details.

Please provide details of the bank card you hold against my details.

Please provide details of the car parking location you hold against my details.

Not holding out much hope, as their app and website shows no trace of this transaction, but the payment has been taken from my bank account, so they must hold some details of this payment.

If anyone has any similar incidents or further advice I’d appreciate it.

Thanks,

Pablo.

spbctjr

Hey Pablo,

Just seen your posts on the other thread.  I emailed dataprotection@excelparking.co.uk the following and got a response within 4 days:

Hi,

I am requesting the following data in order to appeal my parking fine which was issued unfairly under Parking Charge Notice Number *********** - Vehicle: *****

Site: Earlsdon Park MSCP Post Code: CV1 3BH Contravention Date: xx/xx/2024.

Please provide the following data:

1. Time of entry of my vehicle on 3rd May.

2. Any data related to the attempted payment timings using the Connect App on 3rd May.  As you state this app is provided by a third party company, but EXCEL is the Data Processor, so you have to provide this information as the company that provides the Connect App is contracted as a third party by Excel.

You can confirm my identity, as I am emailing from the email address that you sent the appeal rejection with the letter attached.

Please send this data via email to expedite the process.  You have 1 month under data protection laws to provide this information.  I will report a failure to do this to the ICO. 

Alternatively, please rescind the parking notice.  I will take this to court if my appeal fails, so please stop wasting every one's time.

 

Grizebeck

how will you take the matter to court......

spbctjr

Grizebeck said:

how will you take the matter to court......

No idea, but I did get the information I wanted.  I am no expert in these matters and this email was sent early on in the process.  I am learning bit by bit, but like most others faced with this situation we rely on the advice of people like yourself to go through this process in a way that is most likely to stop these cowboys taking our money.

pablotoon19

spbctjr said:

Hey Pablo,

Just seen your posts on the other thread.  I emailed dataprotection@excelparking.co.uk the following and got a response within 4 days:

Hi,

I am requesting the following data in order to appeal my parking fine which was issued unfairly under Parking Charge Notice Number *********** - Vehicle: *****

Site: Earlsdon Park MSCP Post Code: CV1 3BH Contravention Date: xx/xx/2024.

Please provide the following data:

1. Time of entry of my vehicle on 3rd May.

2. Any data related to the attempted payment timings using the Connect App on 3rd May.  As you state this app is provided by a third party company, but EXCEL is the Data Processor, so you have to provide this information as the company that provides the Connect App is contracted as a third party by Excel.

You can confirm my identity, as I am emailing from the email address that you sent the appeal rejection with the letter attached.

Please send this data via email to expedite the process.  You have 1 month under data protection laws to provide this information.  I will report a failure to do this to the ICO. 

Alternatively, please rescind the parking notice.  I will take this to court if my appeal fails, so please stop wasting every one's time.

 

spbctjr

Thanks very much for this. I sent my SAR away to them about 10 days ago and so far have just had the automated acknowledgment from them. I’ll update this thread if/when I get a detailed reply. Not holding out much hope but who knows….

Thanks again.

Le_Kirk

Companies have 30 days to comply with a SAR. After his time, complain to the ICO.

Floralsurf

Hi Pablo, 

My son and I have a similar issue with Excel. Bank confirms transaction, timing and reference but no VAT receipt on Connect app. Currently appealing through IAS against PCNs received. A tedious process!

In our case we also have an APCOA parking account for another car park operated by a different company. The VAT receipts for the other car park are showing on our APCOA and the Connect account. To us it looks as the the APCOA receipts have overwritten any VAT receipts we has in the Connect App. 

Excel argue they are not responsible for third party software. 

Grizebeck

Why are you wasting your time with the IAS

pablotoon19

Floralsurf said:

Hi Pablo, 

My son and I have a similar issue with Excel. Bank confirms transaction, timing and reference but no VAT receipt on Connect app. Currently appealing through IAS against PCNs received. A tedious process!

In our case we also have an APCOA parking account for another car park operated by a different company. The VAT receipts for the other car park are showing on our APCOA and the Connect account. To us it looks as the the APCOA receipts have overwritten any VAT receipts we has in the Connect App. 

Excel argue they are not responsible for third party software. 

Thanks very much for this. I had never used the connect app before this occasion and haven’t since. I tried downloading the apcoa app in case my VAT receipt would be there but nothing showing there either, although this app also has the same login details stored as the connect cashless app that I did use on this date. 

Seems like a massive scam.

Floralsurf

pablotoon19 said:

Floralsurf said:

Hi Pablo, 

My son and I have a similar issue with Excel. Bank confirms transaction, timing and reference but no VAT receipt on Connect app. Currently appealing through IAS against PCNs received. A tedious process!

In our case we also have an APCOA parking account for another car park operated by a different company. The VAT receipts for the other car park are showing on our APCOA and the Connect account. To us it looks as the the APCOA receipts have overwritten any VAT receipts we has in the Connect App. 

Excel argue they are not responsible for third party software. 

Thanks very much for this. I had never used the connect app before this occasion and haven’t since. I tried downloading the apcoa app in case my VAT receipt would be there but nothing showing there either, although this app also has the same login details stored as the connect cashless app that I did use on this date. 

Seems like a massive scam.

Thanks Pablo, interesting that there seems to be some duplication across apps one of which you have never used. I agree - such a scam! 

Coupon-mad

Floralsurf said:

Hi Pablo, 

My son and I have a similar issue with Excel. Bank confirms transaction, timing and reference but no VAT receipt on Connect app. Currently appealing through IAS against PCNs received. A tedious process!

In our case we also have an APCOA parking account for another car park operated by a different company. The VAT receipts for the other car park are showing on our APCOA and the Connect account. To us it looks as the the APCOA receipts have overwritten any VAT receipts we has in the Connect App. 

Excel argue they are not responsible for third party software. 

I don't know why you are wasting your time on thd IAS where it is futile, not impartial and (unless the parking firm backs out) you'll lose?  You know to ignore that. I trust you've read enough of the forum to know that.

The NEWBIES thread tells you NOT to try IAS.

(Any further discussion in this is for your own thread though, not here).