NCP and autopay

fyonn

Hello everyone,

I wanted to get people's opinion on my parking ticket. I used to park in Manchester all the time and I used an NCP carpark near the office. They brought in autopay and I used it every day for ages. Then I changed job so didn't have to park in town anymore. Fast forward to earlier this year and I went into Manchester and was due to park in an NCP again. I quickly checked the app and cofirmed that my car was still registered in the app, which it was and then went and parked for several hours. I didn't pay at the car park because I was registered and thus I knew it would charge me automatically.

Then some time later I get a parking fine in the post for not paying for my parking. I perhaps foolishly raised an appeal with them to say that it's their fault for not charging me and the appeal was rejected because autopay was disabled at this car park. that confused me as how was I supposed to know, so I went on the online chat and asked how I am supposed to know if autopay has been disabled for a particular car park? they told me that autopay was disabled for all car parks in 2023. I asked how I was supposed to know that and they tell me that they emailled all their customers in Nov 2023 when it happened. I use gmail for my email so I've not deleted an email in a decade and the only email I have from NCP in that month was something telling me about the exciting events I could attend if only I could park there.. I've checked the months to either side too I can't see anything from them that month or any month telling me that they'd got rid of autopay. I don't even know why they got rid of it.. they still clearly have the cameras, my numberplate and my card details.

So I feel a bit hard done by here. They are techincally correct, I parked there and didn't pay, but I thought I was paying. There was no intent not to pay, I acted in the way that they wanted and taught me to act with the assumption that they would do what they told me they wold do and charge me.

The NCP letter claims that their appeal is final unless i want to appeal to POPLA. should I do that? do I have a case?

Many thanks

David

Nellymoser

Others have experienced this issue. Search NCP app discontinued, read their threads. 

Car1980

I quickly checked the app and cofirmed that my car was still registered in the app

The onus is on them to remove the app or update it to state it's no longer in use. An email is no good. They post out PCNs instead of emailing, undermining their own point.

Coupon-mad

fyonn said:

Hello everyone,

I wanted to get people's opinion on my parking ticket. I used to park in Manchester all the time and I used an NCP carpark near the office. They brought in autopay and I used it every day for ages. Then I changed job so didn't have to park in town anymore. Fast forward to earlier this year and I went into Manchester and was due to park in an NCP again. I quickly checked the app and cofirmed that my car was still registered in the app, which it was and then went and parked for several hours. I didn't pay at the car park because I was registered and thus I knew it would charge me automatically.

Then some time later I get a parking fine in the post for not paying for my parking. I perhaps foolishly raised an appeal with them to say that it's their fault for not charging me and the appeal was rejected because autopay was disabled at this car park. that confused me as how was I supposed to know, so I went on the online chat and asked how I am supposed to know if autopay has been disabled for a particular car park? they told me that autopay was disabled for all car parks in 2023. I asked how I was supposed to know that and they tell me that they emailled all their customers in Nov 2023 when it happened. I use gmail for my email so I've not deleted an email in a decade and the only email I have from NCP in that month was something telling me about the exciting events I could attend if only I could park there.. I've checked the months to either side too I can't see anything from them that month or any month telling me that they'd got rid of autopay. I don't even know why they got rid of it.. they still clearly have the cameras, my numberplate and my card details.

So I feel a bit hard done by here. They are techincally correct, I parked there and didn't pay, but I thought I was paying. There was no intent not to pay, I acted in the way that they wanted and taught me to act with the assumption that they would do what they told me they wold do and charge me.

The NCP letter claims that their appeal is final unless i want to appeal to POPLA. should I do that? do I have a case?

Many thanks

Ignore them. No paying. You'll never pay this.

You could have won at POPLA if you'd come here before appealing because they can't hold a registered keeper liable. Sadly you binned that 100% winning POPLA point by saying who was driving and that means you can't use that.

Honestly you don't pay. Nobody would. No risk. You clearly have a case in court and it's really no big deal if it goes there.

You could try a complaint (see their complaints policy) then after they knock that back and you've exhausted it, escalate a complaint to the BPA and to the Train Operator that NCP are contracted by. That might see it cancelled.

Doesn't matter if not. We love a court defence here and know exactly what we are doing. No CCJ is risked by following our advice (just don't move house and fail to tell them).

Next time, come here first. You'd have won with one email if you hadn't said who was driving.