Smart Parking PCN – Paid Before Leaving / Gym Member – Advice Needed

ne02d

Hi everyone,

I’d appreciate some guidance on a Smart Parking PCN I’m expecting to receive.

Location: DFM Car Park, Nottingham
Operator: Smart Parking (IPC member)
Status: Not received yet, but likely incoming based on timings

What happened:

• I’m a member of the gym that uses this car park, so I’m an authorised user.
• I arrived at 12:15.
• I forgot to enter my registration on the tablet inside the gym.
• Before leaving the car park, I realised the mistake and paid for 12 hours of parking via RingGo at 12:53.
• I did not leave the site before paying.
• The payment covers the entire stay (receipt confirms 12:53–00:53).

I know Smart Parking’s ANPR system will show a 38–40 minute gap between entry and payment, which is probably enough for them to issue a PCN for “no valid payment recorded”.

My questions:

1. Given that I paid before leaving and paid for more than the full duration, do I have a reasonable basis to appeal?
2. Is it worth taking this to the IAS if Smart Parking reject the first appeal?
3. If IAS reject, does the operator ever re-offer a reduced settlement? (I previously had a Smart Parking charge reduced from £60 to £20 for the same car park however most recently they upheld the charge.)
4. Is there anything specific I should include in the initial appeal to maximise my chances?

I understand Smart Parking are IPC members so POPLA isn’t an option. I’m mainly trying to decide whether it’s worth risking the loss of the £60 early-payment discount in order to try the IAS route, or whether I should just pay the £60 if/when the PCN arrives.

Any advice from people familiar with Smart Parking or this site would be really appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Gr1pr

I would suggest

Plan A, A very strong complaint to the gym or landowner, requiring a cancellation of the NTK PCN, if or when it arrives in the post

Appeal once, with proof of full payment having been made prior to leaving the site, a payment that more than covers the full duration of the time on site, no loss has occurred

I would not bother with the IAS appeal

Do not pay penny, they have had their cake. !

ne02d

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81952103#Comment_81952103

So I am understanding correctly you are saying even if they (Smart Parking) reject my appeal I should ignore the subsequent communications?

Coupon-mad

You won't get a PCN, due to the removal of the '5 minute rule' in the Joint Code.

Obviously you ignore private PCNs from IPC firms if you get one because there's no fair appeal and they are laughably easy to beat in court. But you won't get a PCN.

James_Poisson

If it's here the very poor signage simply says to "purchase a parking ticket for the duration of your stay", I can't see any instruction or contract to tell you to purchase at any specific time during that stay only to cover the "duration" the vehicle was on site which was more than paid for.

Anyway they are a two bit scammer with nothing to offer don't get stressed out, and why would you even think of basically paying a third time anyway? You pay gym membership which includes parking, you paid again because of a technical catch em parking system instigated by greedy scammers, and then you ask if you should pay the scammers on top of all that.

Here's the reality; the gym pays the landholder a lease on the property including use of the car park. You have paid the land holder an additional fee as they also operate it as a public car park. The PPC vultures are waiting to pounce on any one they can that has erred as that's their only income stream.