POPLA Annual Report 2024 finally released

Coupon-mad

https://www.popla.co.uk/reports

So... why did it take them so long to release this one?

Shocking that only 20% of assessed cases went in favour of the motorist and in particular, I noticed most people actually managed to LOSE their APCOA Airport appeals. Sad...

Gr1pr

It definitely isn't fit for purpose due to failing to give a consistently correct decision at airports etc, plus fails to take into account laws like the EA 2010, or appeal judgments,  or the winning arguments we see in the court cases on here

They should not get the contract from the mhclg next year  !

Frankly,  London Councils gave a better and fairer service a decade ago

patient_dream

YES .. POPLA  is a disaster and a disgrace
BUT ..... it is also a disaster by the BPA ESPECIALLY AFTER THE WHOPLA FIASCO ... Such a scam

Just look at what BPA rogue traders get up to and the BPA does NOTHING.

The IPC/ and their kangaroo IAS are not worth talking about, a complete shambles

If government wants to make peace with the people, they had better do something about this mega scam

Nellymoser

It's shocking the report reveals 23,800 POPLA appeals are NOT contested by operators. 

Shocking previous reports reveal similar exceptionally high numbers.

Shocking POPLA don't know the reasons why this number is so high, guessing it could be because:  

• "the operators think POPLA will allow the 

  appeal"

• "a goodwill gesture"

• "landowner requests pcn to be cancelled"

Shocking POPLA hasn't considered the operator wrongly issued a pcn and wrongly rejected motorists appeals.

Shocking to increase POPLA numbers they add this 23,800 to the 13,216 appeals assessors allowed and claim 40% (37,016) of appeals that 'completed the POPLA process' resulted in the appellant’s parking charge being cancelled.

Operators who withdrew from POPLA process at the initial stage clearly DIDN’T 'complete the process'.

Have to agree POPLA are a disgraceful example of an independent appeals service. MHCLG definitely need to look at a replacement, no improvements to the ATAs appeal services please.

Car1980

The fundamental problem is that it's an appeals service by its very nature, instead of a claims service.

The "appellant" has to disprove and is guilty until proven otherwise.

It can never ever be fair.

patient_dream

We need an appeals service like this ....
The last government looked at this and so should this government

https://www.trafficpenaltytribunal.gov.uk/

Nellymoser

A very accurate recent review of POPLA. Hope this person was aware and responded to the govt CoP consultation.

"I appealed with POPLA and… I WON!

So why the 1 star I hear you ask?"

https://uk.trustpilot.com/reviews/6908f8961800bd064903f6fa

"EDIT: OK, POPLA, simple question; if you are independent and you are good regulators, why is the industry so corrupt ?"

Somehow can't see POPLA replying to their EDIT.

Umkomaas

Nellymoser said:

A very accurate recent review of POPLA. Hope this person was aware and responded to the govt CoP consultation.

"I appealed with POPLA and… I WON!

So why the 1 star I hear you ask?"

https://uk.trustpilot.com/reviews/6908f8961800bd064903f6fa

"EDIT: OK, POPLA, simple question; if you are independent and you are good regulators, why is the industry so corrupt ?"

Somehow can't see POPLA replying to their EDIT.

The full review (linked above) is worth reading. He's got it bang on. In sharp contrast is the puerile, template, fob-off response to it by POPLA!). 

Coupon-mad

Here's the crux of it: 

I appealed with POPLA, filled out all the necessary evidence, uploaded documents and images, then Parking Eye withdrew the claim. 

Despite everything, I wasn’t relying on POPLA. I couldn’t care what they say.

So why are POPLA getting a low score?
Well, I have dealt with POPLA before. If you “lose”, it is because their strict and bias criteria is designed that way. Honestly, when you realise what they are assessing, you realise they aren’t designed to look beyond tickets and times.

Most people appeal because something went wrong, and in many cases, the Parking Company played a part in that, but they hide behind terrible Parking sign “contracts”, which in itself is a silly notion. In reality, if their verdict sides with you, you probably shouldn’t ever have needed to log an appeal with them in the first place!

However, if you lose, POPLA give the green light for the hounds of very dodgy legal companies to chase you and harass you. I mean, really unprofessional companies that try to manipulate you and advise you that you do HAVE to pay. They can’t do that!

Basically, if you have absolutely concrete evidence where the case shouldn’t even get to POPLA, like mine, they might find in your favour, but where is your right to compensation ? You don’t really win at all. POPLA know that. The parking firms know that.
It would always be easier to just pay the fine, especially the reduced ones, than compile all the necessary information and documentation, and explain you version of events multiple times, than go through 2 appeal processes! It’s just stupid. Why has parking a car in the UK become such an anxiety fuelled, stressful task these days? It’s so wrong that we allow companies to operate like this. How many times have we seen machines not working properly, but the companies hide behind “contracts” you never sign and “signs” with tiny T&Cs? 

What should happen is clear; the Parking firms can reject your appeal, but if you go to POPLA and you win, ergo you did not commit any parking violation so the rejection of your first appeal, directly with the Company was quite unnecessary, the parking firm should be told they must compensate for wasting hours of people time.

Further, the signage should not be the absolute law. Say if a payment machine is spitting back coins, and you can prove it ( happened to me years ago in Wales, tried everything I could to pay but no signal either. I paid what the machine would take and hoped I'd be back in time. I paid back then, despite evidence ) that alone means the parking firm didn’t meet their requirements to the “Customer”. Rubbish and problematic options to pay? Tough on the companies then. Run a business better. 

I have paid many parking fines, with no hesitation, if I am to blame. If I overstay, or miss a sign, I'm gutted but that is on me. The amount of times I know the Parking company is at least partly accountable but seeks to profit off misfortune, even if caused by its own sloppily run business, is astounding. We motorists are fed up of this industry!

POPLA are, as is well known, not independent. They will state the usual lines, but it’s an impossibility. The world has woken up to “regulators” and how things are run. You can’t be funded by the people that finance you, and operate like this, and claim “we are independent”. It’s illogical nonsense. You are not independent any more than I am to my own employer.

If you were independent, you’d go a few steps further and actually crack down on this whole dodgy industry.

Seriously, Brits are starting to say enough is enough with the extortionate nature of this countries industries! Parking industries are one of the worst!

Parking Eye rejected my evidence because they thought there was a chance I'd just pay the invoice, or ignore it, which looks bad legally. They did this because they hoped I wouldn't go through the effort of appealing again. There was no doubt I worked there. That's not how a trustworthy and reputable company operates.