UKPC Sting

Steviebaby7 · 4 November 2018 at 1:48PM

On October the 24th, around 9 am, the driver of my car at the Bridgwater Retail Park, in Somerset. They've visited this site many times, and did what they normally do, checked they had three hours to stay there by glancing at the sign (which was 40 feet away), and walked off into town.
Upon returning to the retail park, they did some shopping in Lidl, then returned to my car. By this time they had the best part of an hour before their time was up, so was rather horrified to find a PCN attached to the windscreen. The reason given for the charge is "vehicle owner/driver left site". To say they were astonished is putting it mildly, because there have been no problems parking at the retail park at any time in the past.
By way of social media, I found out that UKPC had changed the parking policy there very recently. That's perfectly fine, as long as the change is loud and clear, and drivers have no doubts about the rules. However, close examination of the photo I took of the parking sign shows that the warning about not leaving the site is in tiny writing above head height and is difficult to read. I suppose UKPC wouldn't make much money though, if their signs were clear and obvious.
A browse through Bridgwater social media shows a bit of chat about this retail park, and the goings on there. It appears that the parking warden sits incognito in an unmarked vehicle watching for drivers leaving the site, then issues the ticket. Effectively, it's a sting operation, and I'm rather disgusted by it.
Obviously, the poor signage will be used in the appeal, but I wondered if anyone could add to this?

Thanks in advance.

beamerguy · 4 November 2018 at 2:13PM

URGENT ... EDIT YOUR PROFILE. CHANGE "I" TO KEEPER
WE DO NOT NEED TO KNOW WHAT YOU DID, IT'S JUST THE TICKET

Nothing new for UKPC. They have been known to hide behind wheelie bins and they also fake pictures.

You need to ask for photo proof of this deed.

Now, this will depend if you class them as predators

Leaving site is difficult to prove

It's a UKPC scam, they have been banned by the DVLA twice now

It will be interesting to see the pictures of proof they provide.

In the meantime find out who owns the retail park and complain to them, especially about predators. goodness knows what they are taking pictures of ??

Castle · 4 November 2018 at 2:13PM

Edit your post to remove the identity of the driver.

The_Deep · 4 November 2018 at 2:35PM

Leaving site claims are virtually impossible for PPCs to win in court. They firstly have yo prove that the driver left site. They then have to show they made an attempt to mitigate their loss by informing the driver of the financial consequences of their action, and they have to prove that such a condition is not unreasonable or conflicts with the drivers' human rights.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2150551/Thousands-beat-parking-fines-judge-tackles-766k-Mr-Clampit-landmark-penalty-claim-case.html.

UKPC are known fraudsters,

http://parking-prankster.blogspot.com/

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/11858473/Parking-firm-UKPC-admits-faking-tickets-to-fine-drivers.html

and the industry is entirely unregulated, They are scamming the public with inflated claims for minor breaches of alleged contracts for alleged parking offences, aided and abetted by a handful of low-rent solicitors.

Parking Eye, CPM, Smart, and others have already been named and shamed in the House of Commons as have Gladstones Solicitors, and BW Legal, (these two law firms take hundreds of these cases to court each week, hospital car parks and residential complex tickets have been especially mentioned. They lose most of them, and have been reported to the regulatory authority by an M.P. for unprofessional conduct

The problem has become so widespread that MPs have agreed to enact a Bill to regulate these scammers. It has even been suggested that some of these companies have links with organised ccrime.

Watch the video of the Second Reading and committee stage in the House of Commons recently. MPs have a very low opinion of this industry.

http://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/2f0384f2-eba5-4fff-ab07-cf24b6a22918?in=12:49:41

https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2018-07-19/debates/2b90805c-bff8-4707-8bdc-b0bfae5a7ad5/Parking(CodeOfPractice)Bill(FirstSitting)

and complain in the most robust terms to your MP. With a fair wind they will be out of business by early in the New Year.

Quentin · 4 November 2018 at 2:49PM

The_Deep wrote: »

..... With a fair wind they will be out of business by early in the New Year.

A little over optimistic!!

Op, don't miss any appeal deadlines in the expectations of the government making this coming to pass!!

Coupon-mad · 5 November 2018 at 12:16AM

Obviously, I'm going to use the poor signage in my appeal, but I wondered if anyone could add to this?

We must assume that new posters have read (must have read, please) the NEWBIES thread and know when/on what day (carefully counted) to appeal to a windscreen PCN from a BPA member.

You are not going to write your own appeal and nor are you going to appeal immediately.

Steviebaby7 · 5 November 2018 at 5:44PM

Sorry, I'm new to this and do tend to rattle on more than I should..it's all a learning experience. Editing done, hopefully the post is more acceptable.

I've looked at the photos. Four poor quality snaps of the car, no evidence of the driver leaving the site whatsoever. So they only have the word of their sneaky warden to go on, a guy who is poorly paid and gets a bonus for all the successful tickets he hands out.

I'm going to compose an email to my MP, this dodgy industry certainly needs to be properly regulated.

I've counted that the 19th of November is 26 days, so that's the day to make my appeal. I've read the NEWBIES thread, but I'll need to go back to it again and again, stuff takes time to sink in.

Thank you all for replying, I certainly appreciate your advice.

The_Deep · 5 November 2018 at 6:44PM

I've read the NEWBIES thread, but I'll need to go back to it again and again, stuff takes time to sink in.

Indeed, there is no silver bullet and it is not painting by numbers. You will either have to put in the hours or pay them.

If you do decide to pay them be aware that the money could well end up facilitating white slavery, and the importation of narcotics, and fake Nikes.

Coupon-mad · 5 November 2018 at 6:57PM

Steviebaby7 wrote: »

I'm going to compose an email to my MP, this dodgy industry certainly needs to be properly regulated.

Good, and can you include this line which I think we should put in EVERY complaint to MPs, to cast doubt in their mind if nothing else (we NEED to start playing dirty):

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?p=75001291#post75001291

Please include that suggested sentence by waamo, in your MP complaint.

Steviebaby7 · 9 November 2018 at 12:35PM

.Here is part of a letter that I've written to my MP. Yes, an old fashioned letter. I'm a postie, and need to support my own industry..

What I would like to bring up with you, is the outrageous and underhand way that these companies operate. You may be aware of the private members bill introduced by Sir Greg Knight MP, which seeks to regulate these companies, as, at the moment, they can best be described as cowboys operating in the "wild west" that is parking on private land.
We all need to park our cars somewhere, don't we? When we park our cars, the terms and conditions of parking need to be clear in a way that motorists have no doubts whatsoever about what they need to do, or what not to do. Printing warnings in this size of font on sparse signage six and a half feet above the ground can hardly be described clear, or fair. What it is, is underhand and unfair, and in fact, a scam. But that is how companies like UKPC operate, and is a small example of why we desperately need this industry to be properly regulated.
At the moment, they are free to make up rules as they go along, and extort money from motorists who don't understand the difference between a parking fine, and a parking charge.
It is no wonder that many stores are struggling to survive. It's not only the unfair tax system that is at fault, motorists may as well stay at home and do their shopping on computers, where they will have no fear of being slapped with a £100 charge by a company that is simply operating a racket. I certainly won't be visiting Bridgwater Retail park again, and none of the stores located there will have my business.
I have read that some of the individuals involved in running private parking companies have criminal convictions. Given that, is it a great leap to surmise that they may be involved in the funding of organised crime? I think not, and I believe that Giles Watling MP has suggested as much, though I may stand corrected.
I look forward to your correspondence on this matter.

UKPC Sting

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