Euro Car parks parking fine
Discussion
I've just been to a small branch of Marks and Spencer with a private car park in Petersfield. I had no idea that I had to pay to park there and on the previous couple of occasions I popped in there I didn't pay not realising it wasn't anything other than a Marks and Spencer operated car park provided free for the benefit of their customers.
I was in the store about 15 mins and came out to find Euro car parks had issued me with a ticket with a pay £40 now or £80 after he next 14 days ticket.
The car park is operated by Euro car parks and sure enough there is a notice by the entrance which I hadn't seem before saying this is a pay and display car park etc.
So the question is whether to challenge the fine or not. I vaguely remember hearing that these private car parking companies have no right to impose fines (because they aren't the police or and official government agency - is this true??)
Ironically you end up parking there for free if you shop at M&S because they give you a voucher for the 50p back so I wasn't trying to avoid paying - I just didn't know.
Advice?
Saxon
PS This has come at a particularly bad time because I have been off work for 6 months with cartilage problems and the bloody salary stopped this month!!
I was in the store about 15 mins and came out to find Euro car parks had issued me with a ticket with a pay £40 now or £80 after he next 14 days ticket.
The car park is operated by Euro car parks and sure enough there is a notice by the entrance which I hadn't seem before saying this is a pay and display car park etc.
So the question is whether to challenge the fine or not. I vaguely remember hearing that these private car parking companies have no right to impose fines (because they aren't the police or and official government agency - is this true??)
Ironically you end up parking there for free if you shop at M&S because they give you a voucher for the 50p back so I wasn't trying to avoid paying - I just didn't know.
Advice?
Saxon
PS This has come at a particularly bad time because I have been off work for 6 months with cartilage problems and the bloody salary stopped this month!!
This really is becoming a problem. These sharks and the parking Management companies as a whole are no better than illegal scammers, but that is my opinion and I am sure many would disagree.
In every case where a carpark is directly servicing outlets, I would complain to each outlet at every opportunity, and spell out to them that it is likely to deter customers from using them....
...but hang-on, this is England isn't it... oh well then... just take the charge on the chin and say nothing and put up with it....
In every case where a carpark is directly servicing outlets, I would complain to each outlet at every opportunity, and spell out to them that it is likely to deter customers from using them....
...but hang-on, this is England isn't it... oh well then... just take the charge on the chin and say nothing and put up with it....
Saxon
first of all DO NOTHING util you receive a Notice to keeper letter from them EXCEPT if it is a lease/company car, then contact ECP at once saynig you are the driver
(this is because the lease/company will pay at once and invoice you, which we do not ant
Second
As well as Dwights advice, rgister with pepipoo.com. It is free, place your problem on file and follow their advice to the letter. They have a 100% success rate at POPLA on the 'Genuine pre estimate of loss' and not only that by doing this it cost EPC nearly 30 quid out their own pocker (2.50 for the DVLA search, and 27.00 for the POLPLA appeal
PLEASE do not give these buggers anything, as it it mugs who do that keep them in business
so Onto the MSE and pepipoo sites, Schoolrunmum and HCanderson are really good people to listen to,amongst others
Keep the forum informed on you progress and i look forward to your post on pepipoo
Regards
first of all DO NOTHING util you receive a Notice to keeper letter from them EXCEPT if it is a lease/company car, then contact ECP at once saynig you are the driver
(this is because the lease/company will pay at once and invoice you, which we do not ant
Second
As well as Dwights advice, rgister with pepipoo.com. It is free, place your problem on file and follow their advice to the letter. They have a 100% success rate at POPLA on the 'Genuine pre estimate of loss' and not only that by doing this it cost EPC nearly 30 quid out their own pocker (2.50 for the DVLA search, and 27.00 for the POLPLA appeal
PLEASE do not give these buggers anything, as it it mugs who do that keep them in business
so Onto the MSE and pepipoo sites, Schoolrunmum and HCanderson are really good people to listen to,amongst others
Keep the forum informed on you progress and i look forward to your post on pepipoo
Regards
3Dee said:
This really is becoming a problem. These sharks and the parking Management companies as a whole are no better than illegal scammers, but that is my opinion and I am sure many legitimate car park and business owners who's facilities are abused by all and sundry would disagree.
In every case where a carpark is directly servicing outlets, I would complain to each outlet at every opportunity, and spell out to them that it is likely to deter customers from using them....
...but hang-on, this is England isn't it... oh well then... just take the charge on the chin and say nothing and put up with it....
Fixed that for you In every case where a carpark is directly servicing outlets, I would complain to each outlet at every opportunity, and spell out to them that it is likely to deter customers from using them....
...but hang-on, this is England isn't it... oh well then... just take the charge on the chin and say nothing and put up with it....
Could you suggest a legitimate way for landowners to protect their interests apart from barriers which are criminally damaged frequently without fear and replaced at great expense.
It seems the pay to park and get an instore refund is the only solution ??
saxon said:
I was in the store about 15 mins
Did you buy anything and did you keep the receipt? If so, possibly M&S might be able to get it cancelled.I stopped at an out-of-town pub the other day and never saw the machine - it was only on leaving they asked if I wanted the parking refunded. They said if I'd been ticketed they can get it cancelled for a first "offence". As it happened, I hadn't.
Genuine mistake or not, if it were a council issued ticket you would be paying without fuss because they will prosecute you for not paying. Just because its a private company issuing the ticket should make no difference.
As you did shop there, take your receipt back, tell them you dropped a bullock and see if they will cancel it. Nothing ventured and all that...
As you did shop there, take your receipt back, tell them you dropped a bullock and see if they will cancel it. Nothing ventured and all that...
Edited by shep1001 on Wednesday 23 July 21:04
fatboy b said:
Their loss was 50p + an admin fee to send a letter - say £5, not £40 or £80.
Its not about the loss, its a deterrent not to do it again. Can the council show a loss for the tickets they issue for parking offences which are in the same price range? No they can't but people still pay becuase they will follow it through to court Back to the store with your receipt and the ticket - its the simplest and best advice. We have all made that mistake - usually you get away with it. You should have gone straight back into the store at the time, TBH.
The parking management company didn't just turn up and decide to charge - they were invited in by M&S to stop people using their limited parking, on which they pay business rates by the way, to park for free all day and go to work, or go shopping elsewhere. It's not unreasonable, it's their car park. Unfortunately the ticket machines and enforcement staff do cost a fair amount, which M&S pays to keep the car park available for customers. The fines are part of the equation as to how much M&S pays. Which shows you how desperate M&S are to keep their free parking for the use of their own customers.
My local Asda operates a similar scheme and refunds the £1 they charge if you spend more than £5 in store. The shop is very close to Newark town centre - less than a five minute walk to most shops, offices, the market and all the banks. Being an old town with origins before the civil war, the town centre has narrow streets and very limited town centre parking. The Asda car park has about 250 spaces, and is full on occasion.
I am totally certain that if they didn't
a) charge
b) limit it to 3 hours and
c) have enforcement
then there would be no space in the car park all day on weekdays from about 8.30 am.
The parking management company didn't just turn up and decide to charge - they were invited in by M&S to stop people using their limited parking, on which they pay business rates by the way, to park for free all day and go to work, or go shopping elsewhere. It's not unreasonable, it's their car park. Unfortunately the ticket machines and enforcement staff do cost a fair amount, which M&S pays to keep the car park available for customers. The fines are part of the equation as to how much M&S pays. Which shows you how desperate M&S are to keep their free parking for the use of their own customers.
My local Asda operates a similar scheme and refunds the £1 they charge if you spend more than £5 in store. The shop is very close to Newark town centre - less than a five minute walk to most shops, offices, the market and all the banks. Being an old town with origins before the civil war, the town centre has narrow streets and very limited town centre parking. The Asda car park has about 250 spaces, and is full on occasion.
I am totally certain that if they didn't
a) charge
b) limit it to 3 hours and
c) have enforcement
then there would be no space in the car park all day on weekdays from about 8.30 am.
saxon said:
The car park is operated by Euro car parks
Interesting in this example that M&S say the car park is owned by Euro Car Parks - I'd be amazed if that's true: http://www.kirkintilloch-herald.co.uk/news/local-h...PurpleMoonlight said:
The PPC is entitled to collect the charge plus the costs to do so.
£40 is not unreasonable in my opinion.
I saw a case where the judge commented that it was only reasonable to charge the costs directly attributable to the generating and sending of the 'invoice' (therefore printing and postage basically), NOT those connected to the running of his business (the P&D equipment, uniforms, offices etc). Therefore £5 is entirely reasonable.£40 is not unreasonable in my opinion.
SimonD said:
I saw a case where the judge commented that it was only reasonable to charge the costs directly attributable to the generating and sending of the 'invoice' (therefore printing and postage basically), NOT those connected to the running of his business (the P&D equipment, uniforms, offices etc). Therefore £5 is entirely reasonable.
No doubt, there are many judges and many different views.The legistation is the typical Government bodge. It should have legislated for a fixed charge that PPC's could levy then everybody would know where they stood, or parked in fact ....
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