University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff and Parking Eye

RobinofLoxley · 10 May 2018 at 1:38AM

Apologies if already posted elsewhere.

I see UHW have contracted well known scammers Parking Eye to 'manage' the hospital's car parks.
Expect the inevitable large scale fleecing of motorists by this dodgy outfit using their ANPR based scams.
ANPR systems that we all know are unreliable as admitted by the BPA.

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/health/parking-wales-largest-hospital-changing-14635668

Coupon-mad · 10 May 2018 at 1:56AM

Note the time of your arrival.

Not that old scam again. Ill, worries, stressed and even bereaved people, parking knowing it's free, then LATER when they return to their cars, it dawns on them that they have to guess when they arrived...

The Hospital is CLUELESS and should be utterly ashamed of allowing PE on site.

RobinofLoxley · 10 May 2018 at 2:19AM

Coupon-mad wrote: »

The Hospital is CLUELESS and should be utterly ashamed of allowing PE on site.

Exactly, who in their right mind would sanction this given PE's reputation. A case of 'out of the frying pan into the fire'.

Anyone who has visited hospital for an appointment knows you can have a wait for hours.
Then as you say have to remember the exact time you passed the ANPR cameras, not the time you actually parked after spending ages trying to find a space (and who knows what random time the cameras are set to).

Then in the middle of a consultation have to run out to find one of these terminals to register for another 4 hours. What if someone is having an operation as a day case?

Edna_Basher · 10 May 2018 at 9:54AM

I'm sure I read somewhere that at the time when the Welsh Assembly Government decided that hospital parking in Wales should be free, UHW Cardiff were given special dispensation to continue charging for parking because they were tied into a long (20 year?) contract with Indigo.

If this Indigo contract has now come to an end, why / how did UHW Cardiff get permission to bring in ParkingEye?

Edit: I've only just noticed that parking will be free - albeit only for the first 4 hours.

Weasel_Watcher · 11 May 2018 at 3:48PM

This BBC article is confusing. It gets it right in the first few paragraphs then makes the cardinal sin of calling planned Parking Charge Notices notices to be issued by Parking Eye "fines"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-44069699

"In July 2017, 75 members of staff lost a court case against Indigo which compelled them to pay thousands of pounds in parking tickets they owed.
The Cardiff and Vale University Health Board is bringing in management company Parking Eye to oversee the car parks using automatic number plate recognition cameras.
With up to 16,000 cars using the site every day, a spokesman said this will "reduce the potential of gridlock".
Fines of up to £70 will be imposed if patients and visitors use the wrong parking zones.
Anyone staying longer than four hours will need to register at terminals across the hospital site."

However, the biggest contradiction here is surely the idea that Parking Eye will be able to issue what are essentially parking invoices, when The Welsh Governmnent has mandated against hospitals charging to park. How can this stand?

Castle · 11 May 2018 at 4:22PM

Weasel_Watcher wrote: »

The Cardiff and Vale University Health Board is bringing in management company Parking Eye to oversee the car parks using automatic number plate recognition cameras.
With up to 16,000 cars using the site every day, a spokesman said this will "reduce the potential of gridlock".

Let's hope those 16,000 send in SAR's to PE:)

Elanfan · 18 August 2018 at 11:36AM

Beware too. Make sure you get and retain the printout from the PE machines (staple it to your appointment letter). Ive received a speculative invoice from them. Luckily I have retained the printout and yet they have still rejected an appeal. I would love to know what they are on? Perhaps someone left the pharmacy open or more likely this is proof that they are just money making scummy scammers!

Anyway Ive cost them £27 via POPLA and further complaints are being raised. Will post up the wording of my complaint if I’m successful. :eek:

Ralph-y · 18 August 2018 at 11:54AM

thanks for the info ....

have you thought of writing to your MP to let he/she know ?

please read / watch the below ....

https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2018-02-02/debates/CC84AF5E-AC6E-4E14-81B1-066E6A892807/Parking(CodeOfPractice)Bill

and slightly longer, the committee stage

https://www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/d5550515-cce9-4185-83ec-754dadb7524a

''Rip-offs from car park Cowboys must stop''; unfair treatment; signage deliberately confusing to ensure a PCN is issued; ''years of abuse by rogue parking companies''; bloodsuckers; ''the current system of regulation is hopeless, like putting Dracula in charge of the blood-bank''; extortionate fines; rogue operators; ''sense of injustice''; unfair charges and notices; wilfully misleading; signage is a deliberate act to deceive or mislead; ''confusing signs are often deliberate, to trap innocent drivers''; unreasonable; a curse; harassing; operating in a disgusting way; appeals service is no guarantee of a fair hearing; loathed; outrageous scam; dodgy practice; outrageous abuse; unscrupulous practices; ''the British Parking Association is as much use as a multi-storey car park in the Gobi desert''; and finally, by way of unanimous conclusion: ''we need to crack down on these rogue companies. They are an absolute disgrace to this country. Ordinary motorists and ordinary residents should not have to put up with this''.

These are the exact words used, so you should quote them to your MP in a complaint and ask him/her to contact Sir Greg Knight MP if he wants further information about this scam.

and some quotes from the committe stage

"The other area is hospital parking, and I want to single out one company for some pretty shady practices. That is ParkingEye"
" is very clear to me that there is collusion between parking companies and solicitors’ firms—so-called roboclaims companies. "
"They are often set up adjacently and involve the same directors and personnel. Incidentally, the same personnel get involved in the so-called appeals bodies."
"Essentially, it is a money-making enterprise that takes advantage of motorists up and down the country. They operate in a very business-like fashion, which is why I call them roboclaims companies."
"The companies are jamming up parts of our legal system."
“I now pretty much know exactly how the parking companies and in particular the IPC have been running this scam for the past 5 years. Basically both of the appeals processes are a complete and utter sham, (and part of that sham is Gladstones Solicitors itself)”
"The appeals process at Excel/VCS is run by a team of minimum wage office workers with no legal knowledge or experience whatsoever,"
" It is claimed by the head of the appeals service (retired Judge Bryn Holloway) that this is a completely independent fair process, it is not”
"The letter mentions two individuals—Will Hurley and Bryn Holloway—and concludes this is a typical example of the clear collusion between the IPC, their members and the IAS"
"what we can do about roboclaims companies and solicitors firms that profit, often in shady ways"
" the very large amounts of money that can be involved in such scams—a company called Smart Parking was involved in one such scam on my patch"
"tightening up the rules regarding the unfair use of automatic number plate recognition" "BW Legal, regularly issues 10,000 county court judgments a month, and is known to have issued 28,000 in one month"
"They are jamming up our court system, and are often totally unjustified."
" because the lifeblood of trying to extort money from people is having access to their details."

All from Parking (Code of Practice) Bill (First sitting) Hansard

Ralph:cool:

Elanfan · 22 August 2018 at 8:21PM

Hope PE are reading this - what’s the matter with you? I sent you the printout of parking confirmation giving me permission to park yet you still rejected my appeal. Is this really your business model, rejuect apoeals and hope people pay. Myself and many other folks on here are costing you time and money so that eventually you’ll just collapse and the world will be much much better for it.

My popla appeal:

Provision of a 73 page evidence pack is designed to obfuscate the recipient and is clearly intended to intimidate and confuse. I consider it vexatious, unwarranted, unconscionable harassment of a quite seriously ill person and a clear breach of responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010. That said:

Page 32 of 73 evidence pack shows the sign giving 4 hours parking extended by 4 hours if reg no is keyed in to the PE machine
Page 16 of 73 shows the printout confirming the driver did exactly that!
The driver is a blue badge holder so permitted to use car park 10a. Case closed I’d have thought?

Your assertions that further submissions are not permitted are entirely refuted. In this country we have a principle called Justice and for you to arbitrarily decide you will not consider further grounds for appeal when the first appeal to PE has been completely ignored and rejected giving no grounds for rejection certainly does not conform to justice.

It is appreciated that you could go back and forth with some individuals forever however as PE are either being daft or vexatious (I don’t know which) in turning down what was a straightforward appeal WITHOUT GIVING ANY REASON see page 23 of 73 (which must in itself be a breach as I’m not psychic). I also reserve the right to rely on PoFA 14 (2) (a) as PE have not complied with those requirements either. Further, I have raised an EA2010 complaint to the landowners for discrimination.

Feel free to use your own version.

Thank you for submitting your parking charge Appeal to POPLA.

An Appeal has been opened with the reference ********

Parking Eye Ltd have told us they do not wish to contest the Appeal. This means that your Appeal is successful and you do not need to pay the parking charge.

Yours sincerely

POPLA Team

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::T

Ralph-y · 24 August 2018 at 7:35PM

well done ....

I hope you sent off a letter to your MP complaining about the episode and how much angst it has caused you ....

Ralph:cool:

University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff and Parking Eye

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