Experiences with SIP Parking Ltd

Jonx999

This is quite long, but I need to vent about my recent experience with SIP Parking Limited (also known as SIP Car Parks) and also offer some tips for dealing with them.

I received a PCN from SIP Parking about 6 weeks ago after parking in a restaurant car park and not realising I had to enter my registration into a terminal inside. I appealed via their website and received an email acknowledging the appeal stating "we will send our decision to you by this email address within 28 days". I then heard nothing for over 28 days…

1. After that deadline had passed, I tried phoning but their phone number is pretty unhelpful (see bullet point 5). So, as an experiment, I tried entering my PCN number and registration into their website again as if starting a new appeal - and a message box popped up saying the appeal has already been dealt with and the decision email sent! The box provided links to resend the decision email and download the decision letter pdf.
2. I'm 99% certain that SIP did NOT email their decision to me within 28 days, as I've been watching my inbox and spam folder like a hawk. However, the decision letter (which rejected my appeal, of course) was dated only a few days of appealing, i.e. almost a month ago. Frustratingly, that meant my fine had increased from £60 to £100 because I'd failed to pay within 14 days of that decision date.
3. Curiously, the "resend email" button didn't work at all. Instead it displayed a system error page reporting an unhandled exception together with a SQL stack trace dump showing code relating to their appeals database, so perhaps SIP has a software bug preventing emails getting sent.
4. I decided to try appealing to the Independent Appeals Service. However, when I entered the PCN number into the IAS appeals page it stated that the PCN was not recognised - and to contact the parking company. But…
5. SIP's phone number make it difficult to speak to a human. The "press 3 for help and advice with PCNs and appeals" option just gives a terse recorded message saying they don't provide help over the phone, read the letter, use the website - and then hangs up!
6. After discovering their decision letter I tried phoning them again, experimented with the options, and found that option "7" took me to a human agent. I explained the situation nicely; the agent said that according to her records I had definitely been sent the decision email, but she did at least offer to reset the fine back to £60,

Anyway, I decided to pay just for piece of mind. I can afford it and just couldn't be bothered to keep wasting my time struggling against a crooked system.

So if you've been waiting for an appeal decision email from SIP, try re-entering your PCN reference number and registration into their appeals page and see if the decision letter link pops up. And if you phone them use option "7" and be polite.

Umkomaas

So if you've been waiting for an appeal decision email from SIP, try re-entering your PCN reference number and registration into their appeals page and see if the decision letter link pops up. And if you phone them use option "7" and be polite.

Alternatively, ignore them as there is no prospect of achieving success to any appeal with them or their sham IAS. Await a court claim, at which point, with the extensive advice and guidance here on dealing with a claim, there is a significantly greater chance of an impartial judge finding for you … that is if SIP don’t follow the path of most litigious parking firms these days, in discontinuing long before any court hearing.

Car1980

Oh, mate 🤦

Do some research and letting yourself from being scammed again.

"Be nice" 🤣 Sounds like you had Stockholm syndrome towards the end.

Nellymoser

Be polite...to a 'crooked system' !!!

Better to email a strongly worded complaint to SIP when there is no reply to your appeal. PPCs don't really want the £60 payment they want £100 plus their share of the £70 debt fee.

It's sad people support a 'crooked system' because they can't be bothered and can afford to pay.

Jonx999

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82143320#Comment_82143320

Probably true. This was my first ever experience of a PCN, and I naively thought they would be reasonable. A lesson learned!

Coupon-mad

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82143533#Comment_82143533

Hopefully but I'm not sure you are taking on board the right lesson - we are saying you should NOT have paid this invoice.

That's what was meant by scammed. The fact you actually paid.