Parked for 6mins and then left because I had no change, still got fined by Parking Eye

greymountain_65

As the title says, I got a parking charge notice letter from Parkingeye for £100. I appealed it but got an email back about a week later saying they have "not got sufficient evidence to confirm that the terms and conditions were not breached". 

They say I can appeal through POPLA but the discounted rate will not be available?

I think its pretty ridiculous I have to pay, since I was there for 6mins in total. I waled to the machine after parking, found out it didn't accept card and I don't think I saw any apps I could pay on, so I walked back to my car, got in and left. 

Anything I can do?

Gr1pr

Study the advice in the following new case , especially the reply by coupon mad 

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6619896/parking-charge-notice-for-entering-and-leaving-car-park-in-7-mins-without-parking#latest

DE_612183

don't pay - it's not a fine it's a speculative invoice

Car1980

"not got sufficient evidence to confirm that the terms and conditions were not breached"

Er, the fact your victim declined the terms and conditions and left the site?

Forget the mug's discount because you're not paying in any case. Try Popla for this one, only for the purpose of preventing debt collection letters clogging up your letterbox.

1. I parked the car and walked to the payment machine and attempted to pay. It did not accept debit cards, and no payment option via an app appeared possible. As I had no change I walked back to the car and left.

2. Therefore the contractual offer by Parking Eye was refused. As no payment was made and I left immediately, no consideration was exchanged. No contract ever existed between myself and Parking Eye. Therefore no contract was breached or could have been breached.

3. The time that elapsed between entering the car park, walking to read the contract at the machine, refusing the contract, walking back to the car, setting off and leaving the car park was 6 minutes.

4. The advice if you do not agree to the terms and conditions is to leave. This is exactly what occurred.

5. Parking Eye refused to cancel their charge stating they had "not got sufficient evidence to confirm that the terms and conditions were not breached". Presumably the only way to satisfy such nonsense would have been to film the entire six minutes. 

Myci85

I'm fairly sure I successfully appealed through Popla against Parking Eye years ago, and their code of conduct at the time gives you distinct 'grace periods' both at the start and end of a parking period. If nothing has changed, you can absolutely fight this as you were within the initial grace period which is given to do exactly what you did - read signage and decide if you want to park. 

I had to go to the final stage with Popla appeal though, as despite mine being a completely clearcut case within the grace periods too, Parkingeye still kept ignoring that. After several stages of them continuing to try and make me pay, I finally got a response that they would let it go 'as a matter of goodwill'.... that infuriated me!

Read up on the code of conduct they sign up to. 

Gr1pr

Your case could have been under an old CoP, definitely different in 2025 

The main points are already given in the earlier replies

And it's Consideration period at the start of a parking period,  grace periods are at the end of an authorised parking period,  not the beginning 

The 2 are not counted together these days,  just one or the other 

Coupon-mad

But the OP can win at POPLA. Just needs to go to town at POPLA stage, explaining exactly what they did in those 6 minutes.

ParkingEye won't contest it.

I literally have no idea why people keep mentioning the discount like it matters. Drives me mad! It's not as if you're EVER going to pay it, not even if POPLA doesn't work. Nobody cares about the bribe.

greymountain_65

Thank you for your help gentlemen. Will appeal it through POPLA and see what happens. And also thank you for letting me know that I need to detail the 6 mins (to the best of my memory).

Coupon-mad

I'm a lady! 

Ralph-y

and the best help you will ever get !

greymountain_65

Coupon-mad said:

I'm a lady! 

Oh, my bad! Thank you madam