What will they try and charge for next!

[Mr Tank]

Hi

If you may have seen I had a problem with the SEACs lights the other weekend.

Well we stopped at Maidstone Services for a meal and a nature call, then we moved to the filling station to fill up and to sort out the lights.

From the time we arrived at the Services, to the time we left it took 2hr 37min.

Well today I received a Charge Notice from Road Chef because our stay on the premesses was longer than the free parking Period!

The charge is £80 or £50 if we pay with in 14 days, and if payment is not received with in 28 days an additional charge of £30 will be charged!

What next will they try and charge us for, also the pictures taken for the reason to make this charge was a front picture so guss what Bikes would not have been charged etc (I am not against bikes it's just the systems discriminate against cars etc) as they don't have number plates at the front they could read!

Off course I am appealing against it, I can for two reasons,

1. We had a brake down.
2. Or as a Blue Badge Holder the waver the notice.

But I will not use the Blue badge yet I will see what the say with regard to the brake down appeal!

So bewere when going into any Road Chef any longer than two hours you may get a parking charge!

Andy

Edited by Mr Tank on Friday 24th May 12:28

[Convert]

Andy,
How exactly is the charge notice worded, and who is it from?

You may not have to pay at all, if it hasn't been issued by a local authority / police force.


Most Parking charge notices can be ignored.
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/private-p...

[mrzigazaga]

Hi Andy...I had the same scenario a little while back when i went to howlfrauds to buy a set of replacement rear speaker's for delilah..While i was looking some guy started talking to me about amps..speakers..boosters..Whatchamacallits and ujimaflips..I very nearly told him to do one as i only wanted a cheap replacement..He was a member of the public..however an hour later he decides he has to be somewhere else so i went about my business and a few day's later i received a fine for over staying the free period which was an hour at the site..I called the company who own the site and accused them of employing someone to keep people talking so that it exceeds the time allowed for parking..I had to send in the receipt from howlfrauds and it was squashed..I would call the company that run that site and explain it to them..They should squash it also...There should also be a sign that explains that its a stay of an hour only..But if you had broken down then they should not penalise you for it..Even red route's dont do that...Hope you get it resolved...Ziga

[7 TVR]

Convert said:

Andy,
How exactly is the charge notice worded, and who is it from?

You may not have to pay at all, if it hasn't been issued by a local authority / police force.


Most Parking charge notices can be ignored.
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/private-p...

+1 I have ignored one of there tickets with no follow up problems

[ElvisWedgely]

As far as I am aware you are not obliged to pay a penalty fine unless it has been issued by the local authority or the police. For a small fee any parking company can get your details from the licencing authority and issue a penalty notice. A similar situation happened to a friend of mine where the penalty was issued by the car park firm for over staying. He wrote a letter back giving no explanation except that he is refusing to pay and that the matter is now closed. That was over a year ago. He hasn't heard from them since. Be very careful before you pay this fine and who it's from as most are out to fleece the public.

Tony. TCB.

[Mr Tank]

Hi

The Notice is from CP Plus Ltd on behalf of Road Chef!

I will not pay it, I was using there services, I was not parked in one area for more than 1 and a half hours in either case and if you have a recorded brake down then there charges should be wavered!

But the whole concept is beyond belief.

You are not allowed to take your time in the services anymore, plus the whole issue with regard to some road user not being charged because there system only takes pictures from the front, thus they can't be recorded is disgrimnation and I will fight that and its about time we all do!

Sorry bike owners it's not ment personely!

Andy

Edited by Mr Tank on Friday 24th May 13:11

[Zippee]

Just bin it - don't enter into any correspondence. Same goes for the follow up letters you'll get threatening bailiffs - eventually they just go away.

[Mr Tank]

Hi

Don't worry I will not pay it!

Also I will now not use Road Chef because of them allowing this type of practise in there services!

As we all should, because some poor person will just pay for peace of mind and Road Chef should not be party to such rip offs.
They are not happy with the extra food and fuel prices they charge they now want you in and out in less than two hours if not then they try and sting you for more by appling parking charges!

So that's one less motoway services I will use!

Andy

[ElvisWedgely]

I have just looked up the web site for CP Plus Ltd and I can't see no mention of them being connected with the local authority or the police. I think that says it all.

Tony. TCB.

[mrzigazaga]

I know that the one where i was given a fine for an over stay was to stop people using it to park all day while they are at work or to stop people parking there when the local team is playing but in general they will get over looked..Im not sure if i would ignore it though..Yes only police and council fine's can be enforced but what happens if they are renting the land from the local authority?..It may be worth the phone call, You can also make your feelings clear to the manager....Ziga

[Wedg1e]

Much as I don't agree with the charging, there is usually a sod-off big sign stating that if you overstay you will be charged, there is no reference as to whether or not you use their facilities; so in principle I'm sure they do have a legal leg to stand on. They have offered a 'service', you by parking have accepted it, therefore you should pay. Obviously the whole ethos is to stop people with caravans & motorhomes (and lorries) who are usually fairly self-sufficient, from using the land on which the owners pay rent, rates etc., so whilst it appears unjust, would you be happy about some stranger parking their motorhome on your land for a few hours?

As a biker I applaud the inability to read number plates though of course the principle should apply, even though it could be argued that you could fit a dozen bikes into the space of one motorhome so should we not pay one-twelfth of the price?

ETA I'm sure that presentation of a valid receipt for food and drink will lift the penalty notice.

[Rockettvr]

There's a radio ad doing the rounds at the moment about driving whilst tired. It advises that if you feel tired you should pull into a service area and take a nap! Could be an expensive kip if the service stations are going to fine you for staying more than a couple of hours !!!!

[wooly350i]

Best way is to publicise these sort of goings on so the rest of us can choose to go elsewhere, perhaps pistonheads should add a forum to name and shame.

[carob]

I say a mistake was made, pay for it.... Fighting parking fines FFS. There is more st going on in this country that we should be taking a stand against never mind parking fines.

Rob

[Mr Tank]

Rockettvr said:

There's a radio ad doing the rounds at the moment about driving whilst tired. It advises that if you feel tired you should pull into a service area and take a nap! Could be an expensive kip if the service stations are going to fine you for staying more than a couple of hours !!!!

A very good point here!

Because pepole are aways being told to pull over if your are tired!

Another reason for us avoiding Road Chef's

Andy

[Mr Tank]

Wedg1e said:

Much as I don't agree with the charging, there is usually a sod-off big sign stating that if you overstay you will be charged, there is no reference as to whether or not you use their facilities; so in principle I'm sure they do have a legal leg to stand on. They have offered a 'service', you by parking have accepted it, therefore you should pay. Obviously the whole ethos is to stop people with caravans & motorhomes (and lorries) who are usually fairly self-sufficient, from using the land on which the owners pay rent, rates etc., so whilst it appears unjust, would you be happy about some stranger parking their motorhome on your land for a few hours?

As a biker I applaud the inability to read number plates though of course the principle should apply, even though it could be argued that you could fit a dozen bikes into the space of one motorhome so should we not pay one-twelfth of the price?

ETA I'm sure that presentation of a valid receipt for food and drink will lift the penalty notice.

Ian

I agree with you in some way,
Yes if a lorry driver or Motorhome park over night then they should pay for the privalage.
But as we were under the garage forcourt cameras and can be seen with the bonnet up fixing the car, with a RAC van in attendance (He was not a lot of good anyway!) they can see that it was not somebody trying to take a free kip!

Rob

Sorry mate but £50 or £80 for 37 mins over the time is a bit of a piss take!

If you want to pay that for a brake down and call to nature then please do!

Andy

[carob]

Rockettvr said:

There's a radio ad doing the rounds at the moment about driving whilst tired. It advises that if you feel tired you should pull into a service area and take a nap! Could be an expensive kip if the service stations are going to fine you for staying more than a couple of hours !!!!

Good point indeed.

But if people where to fall asleep for more than 2 hrs that seems to be permitted in this case they should not of been behind the wheel in the first place as they must be shattered. A DANGER in other words. I would PAY for a hotel room to rest in. Either the cost of a hotel room or a parking fine if i "overslept" in my car past the permitted time allowed would be money well spent. That instead of falling asleep at the wheel and potentially killing myself and countless innocent others on a motorway.

Rob

[carob]

Rules are there for a reason, i didn't break em...

Rob

[carob]

And who in the right mind would spend 2 hrs in the most dullest of places as a Toad Chaf or any other motorway services.

Rob

[mrzigazaga]

Perhaps a simple solution would be for them to charge an hourly rate of £1.20 and then that way no-one would get upset by the over stay fines..Ziga