Ocean Parking PCN – Should I Pay or Fight?

ChoudhryMultani

Hi everybody!

I am new to process and I’d appreciate advice from anyone experienced with private parking claims, particularly Ocean Parking/Anchor Security.

Chronology:

I parked at a site offering 2 hours free parking for customers for dinning.
I forgot to enter my vehicle registration (VRM) into the customer tablet.
After 2 hours I went to pay for little more stay and my friends said did you register your vehicle then I realised I forgot, then I paid for 2 hours and then left after sometime within the permitted period.
Ocean Parking subsequently issued a £100 PCN for failing to register the VRM.
I appealed and provided evidence that I was a genuine customer and didn't realised I have to register my vehicle.
Ocean rehecteded my appeal and accepted that the failure to enter the VRM was a genuine error. They offered to reduce the charge to £20 if paid within 14 days.
I never received this email/letter and therefore didn't know about the £20 offer or the deadline.
About a month later, as I had heard nothing regarding my appeal, I contacted Ocean to chase it.
They then told me that the £20 offer had been sent but had expired, and that £100 was now payable.
They have since provided an .eml file as evidence that the email was sent. I genuinely never received/saw it.
I would have paid the £20 had I known about the offer.
They then asked to appeal to ISA, should I do it?

My questions:

Do I have a reasonable basis to defend this if Ocean takes it to court?
How significant is Ocean's written acceptance that the VRM failure was a genuine error?
Does the fact that I paid for 2 hours after realising the mistake help my case?
Can Ocean reasonably revert to £100 when I never received the £20 offer?
Should I pay the £100 now, or fight it?

Regards,
CH

Jame4ters

Have you read the “Newbies” thread? If not do so.

Where is the car park?

Was the tablet hidden/ not obvious?

Why are you wanting to pay anything?

ChoudhryMultani

@Jame4ters
1- Have you read the “Newbies” thread? If not do so.
No, I haven't gone through all that I will read it.

2- Where is the car park?

Royal Punjab Restaurant is available on-site at 22 Wisemore, Walsall, WS2 8EZ

3- Was the tablet hidden/ not obvious?
No

4- Why are you wanting to pay anything?
To avoid further tension

Thanks!

Coupon-mad

"After 2 hours I went to pay for little more stay and my friends said did you register your vehicle then I realised I forgot, then I paid for 2 hours and then left after sometime within the permitted period."

But why didn't you just put your VRM in the tablet at that point?

It doesn't have to be done on entry, just while you are parked.

Did you pay the wrong party? Is the site either Pay and Display or exempt your car using a tablet?

Do I have a reasonable basis to defend this if Ocean takes it to court?

Yes. Everyone does. No risk. No using the IAS but no paying. Safe to ignore. But get some pics of the signs AND the tablet and where it is placed (a screen on a bar is NOT prominent).

Read post 4 then post 2 of NEWBIES PLEASE READ THESE FAQS FIRST.