URGENT question -

WilfredToadflax

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82004222#Comment_82004222

Thanks so much. That is reassuring to know. I will definitely be following forum advice to the letter.

I am going to write to Sainsbury's again. Are there template letters here I could use to send to the CEO?

Gr1pr

Sort of, study the last 10 or 20 pages at the end of this very long Successful Complaints thread

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4766249/successful-complaints-about-private-parking-tickets-how-to-get-them-cancelled

Umkomaas

No complaint templates. But, there is a thread detailing hundreds of successful complaints examples. Have a read through some of the posts, to give you some ideas for phrasing your own complaint. As an aside, I’m sure there will be a number of Sainsbury’s results in there.

Frame your complaint very much as you detail in your opening post above. Let them have copies of your receipts/cc/bank statements for the dates of the parking events, plus other evidence of regular shopping with them, if you have a Nectar card, give them that number as, I think, they can trace your spending patterns with them. Pile up the evidence. Be polite.

If you get no joy from the local manager, escalate to the CEO

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4766249/successful-complaints-about-private-parking-tickets-how-to-get-them-cancelled/p1

Gr1pr

Take our experienced advice on here above anything else, but this Harry Kind video may help you to understand the basics, subject to fact checking with us as well

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1941668243170588

Coupon-mad

Rip Off Britain yesterday was worse than useless. Don't bother to watch it! Hopeless - they didn't even tell people they don't have to use POPLA / IAS (or that they aren't fully independent so the appeals are doomed) or to INSTEAD complain to the retailers.

I shouted at the TV!

Have you exhausted Plan A?

A photo of your £170 letter is in post 4 of the NEWBIES thread. Not scary. Laughable.

Relax.

Obviously this will end up in a court claim but you should already know that from reading any DCB Legal thread.

Easy to see off. You want the claim!

WilfredToadflax

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82005136#Comment_82005136

Thanks @Coupon-mad I haven't had a chance to watch it yet anyway - but I have complained to Sainsbury's CEO. They got back to me quickly and have been conciliatory, but wanted proof of having shopped there. Fair enough in a way, but I often used cash in this period, because I had a part time job that paid in cash and I obviously don't have receipts from 2023! Also don't have a store loyalty card for anywhere as we got fed up with being inundated with junk mail after details get sold. It feels upsetting that the burden of proof is on me, yet I still haven't seen copies of the original letters so don't even know how long my overstays were!

Anyway, hopefully Sainsbury's might instruct Euro Car Parks to waive the fines. I just don't know.

It's a great relief that if not the potential court claim will be easy to see off, but still feels so awful that it has to go that far. I can't quite believe parking companies are allowed to make money out of people in this horrible way, or that debt collectors twist things to make it sound like you have no option but to pay in full.

WilfredToadflax

Update: I wrote to Sainsbury's CEO. Someone from the Executive Office emailed me back the same day and after some to-ing and fro-ing regarding proof of purchase, I received this today -

"Thank you for your email.
I am sorry for the upset that this matter has caused. 
I am pleased to confirm that the parking charges and debt action has now been cancelled and requires no further action from yourself.

Once again, please accept my sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused.
If I can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact myself on the below details.

Kind regards "

SUCH a massive relief!!! Thank you for all the reassurance and advice provided here.

Gr1pr

Well Done, plan A worked again. !

Coupon-mad

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82012306#Comment_82012306

Nice!

Please post a link to this thread in Successful Complaints About PPCs, to encourage others.