MET parking charges at Macdonalds
Discussion
I have one of these now asking for £200. I have gone against all advice and decided to ignore them. I just cant be bothered (for now)
I am not binning the letters though and I will only take them seriously when I get a letter from the county court.
This is some sort of vengeance for the time I paid the same thieves £75 for driving in and out of the same car park twice (no return within 2 hours), looking for a parking space. I had not discovered motoring forums then and that letter freaked me out so I paid immediately.
I am not binning the letters though and I will only take them seriously when I get a letter from the county court.
This is some sort of vengeance for the time I paid the same thieves £75 for driving in and out of the same car park twice (no return within 2 hours), looking for a parking space. I had not discovered motoring forums then and that letter freaked me out so I paid immediately.
I used these guys and got some good advice. At the time their fee was only £5 though, it's subsequently gone up to £18.
http://www.parkingcowboys.co.uk/appeal-service/
http://www.parkingcowboys.co.uk/appeal-service/
Sheepshanks said:
Upatdawn said:
158 minutes, but i had been in, seems its a CHARGE not a FINE and for the driver not the owner/keeper, they have no power to collect
"Don’t believe the above? Watch a solicitor on Watchdog advising you what to do with the scam invoices.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAIcdi9niHA
THEY ARE NOT FINES
Only the Police, Courts or Council’s can fine you. NOT a private company, please remember that"
You seem to think you have this sussed, so I'm not sure what the point of the thread is?"Don’t believe the above? Watch a solicitor on Watchdog advising you what to do with the scam invoices.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAIcdi9niHA
THEY ARE NOT FINES
Only the Police, Courts or Council’s can fine you. NOT a private company, please remember that"
OTOH you might want to look at the date of that video, and then update yourself with the current legislation.
It's still possible to win but you have to understand the right way to do it.
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php...
If Maccy D can't/won't get MET parking to cancel the invoice then read this.
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php...
rscott said:
btcc123 said:
From the Money supermarket website.
Out of 23,500 people who appealed via one of these systems in the year to March 2014,45% were successful.
So I would not make a paper plane yet as this means that 55% of people were unsuccessful in their appeal so ended up paying the charge.
I would think 80% of the people who get these parking charges just pay the £50 as they do not know the difference between a charge and a fine and are not aware there is an appeal process.
Not quite right. 45% of the appeals were successful, but that doesn't mean 55% paid up. The appeal body decisions are only binding on the parking company, not the parker/keeper. In quite a few of these cases, the companies have had to go to court to demand payment (and lost in quite a few cases).Out of 23,500 people who appealed via one of these systems in the year to March 2014,45% were successful.
So I would not make a paper plane yet as this means that 55% of people were unsuccessful in their appeal so ended up paying the charge.
I would think 80% of the people who get these parking charges just pay the £50 as they do not know the difference between a charge and a fine and are not aware there is an appeal process.
The Beavis CoA judgement may be handed down within the next couple of weeks. It remains to be seen what effect it will have going forward.
Upatdawn said:
158 minutes, but i had been in, seems its a CHARGE not a FINE and for the driver not the owner/keeper, they have no power to collect
What reason on earth could you possibly have had for parking at a FAST FOOD restaurant for over 2 1/2 hours? To me that sounds like completely selfish behaviour and the fee you have been asked to pay is entirely reasonable.Squirm and quote PooPoo all you like, but blocking the MacDonalds car park for legitimate users for all that time is totally unreasonable. Man up, pay up and learn from your selfishness, I suggest.
nickwilcock said:
What reason on earth could you possibly have had for parking at a FAST FOOD restaurant for over 2 1/2 hours? To me that sounds like completely selfish behaviour and the fee you have been asked to pay is entirely reasonable.
Squirm and quote PooPoo all you like, but blocking the MacDonalds car park for legitimate users for all that time is totally unreasonable. Man up, pay up and learn from your selfishness, I suggest.
+1Squirm and quote PooPoo all you like, but blocking the MacDonalds car park for legitimate users for all that time is totally unreasonable. Man up, pay up and learn from your selfishness, I suggest.
nickwilcock said:
What reason on earth could you possibly have had for parking at a FAST FOOD restaurant for over 2 1/2 hours? To me that sounds like completely selfish behaviour and the fee you have been asked to pay is entirely reasonable.
Squirm and quote PooPoo all you like, but blocking the MacDonalds car park for legitimate users for all that time is totally unreasonable. Man up, pay up and learn from your selfishness, I suggest.
Squirm and quote PooPoo all you like, but blocking the MacDonalds car park for legitimate users for all that time is totally unreasonable. Man up, pay up and learn from your selfishness, I suggest.
Upatdawn said:
i also took a dump, does that count?
hora said:
Im guessing its whilst he popped into some other nearby businesses/shops?
There should be a barrier system at said places. At least then you'd get less people overstaying.
Don't say you mean like clamping There should be a barrier system at said places. At least then you'd get less people overstaying.
.Maybe the legislation needs a tweak to allow/include a charge up to £150 to allow for the cost oc infrastructure ie anpr setup, moitoring etc to detee pee takers,
People moan at the legal costs of Police/Hato etc stat removal at approx £150 upwards to over £6k but it's set in legislation.
Of course it won't happen as it's unpopular even though it usually affects the selfish, Banning clamping well intentioned but badly thought through.
t.Funkycoldribena said:
Corpulent Tosser said:
Personal responsibility perhaps.
It's great that gullible idiots like yourself keep blindly following this line because it keeps these private companies off the rest of us.You keep lining the ppcs pockets with your cash,they work really hard for it....You pay for 1hr of parking at a car park and leave the exit after being in there for 65 minutes - It would not be justifiable, logical or even moral to charge any penalty for this IMO and any notice of charge would be hotly contested.
You drive into a car park, note no spaces which are suitable for your car and leave without stopping (other than to let Doris put her Smart into a space half the size of your Range Rover) or buying a ticket - It would not be justifiable, logical or even moral to charge any fee or penalty for this IMO and any notice of charge would be hotly contested.
You park up in the car park of a fast food establishment, have a bite to eat, use their facilities and then spend 2 hours looking around the local shops before leaving - bend over and take your 'acting like a cunit' tax like a man. Next time park somewhere else and look for and at the signage as to terms of use and charges.
HTH
Funkycoldribena said:
Corpulent Tosser said:
Personal responsibility perhaps.
It's great that gullible idiots like yourself keep blindly following this line because it keeps these private companies off the rest of us.You keep lining the ppcs pockets with your cash,they work really hard for it....As for lining the pockets of PPCs I have never ever given money to one of these companies, If there are parking restrictions I just abide by them, that way I don't get issued invoices for overstay.
It really is quite simple.
Nothing will come of it, MET aren't particularly litigious.
I got a ticket at the end of 2013.
- Parked in a Macdonalds right behind a high street.
- I went to a cash machine on said high street. Girlfriend went to join the back of the queue in the restaurant.
- Rejoined girlfriend, bought food with said cash.
- Returned to car - parking ticket. "Driver not on premises at time of issue".
Hump. Didn't bother appealing it...technically they were right, I'd stepped off the premises, but I was still a genuine customer. Figured an appeal would be a waste of time. So I kept my receipt for the food which was timed within minutes of the ticket being issued.
Received a few threatening letters from MET.
Then a few more from a rather dodgy looking "debt recovering firm". Usual gumpf....we may take you to court, blah blah.
Then a few more letters from a solicitors, but inviting me to pay the full amount to the debt recovery firm....not MET themselves. But again, very vaguely threatening court action.
All a bit suspicious and underhand. It seems they send out letters that appear to be from a certain solicitor, but with the exact same template layout as their own letters, with poor quality company logos, basically saying "contact this number to arrange payment". I did a bit more research and wrote a long letter to the actual solicitor (looked them up online and send the letter direct to them, recorded). Told them the alleged charge was disputed and I wouldn't be paying it, and that I had evidence to prove that the charge was unnecessary, unjustified and not a genuine pre-estimate of loss (free car park), and that they should advise their client (MET) to take me to court if they felt it necessary. Basically, "put up or shut up".
Didn't receive any more letters from them. About a year later, after I'd moved house, they sent a few more letters from "Debt Recovery Plus" demanding the money again. Ignored them; as far as I'm concerned, I never received the letters as they went to an old address (parents house). Think they sent about 4 of these letters, again threatening court action, then they just gave up.
I got a ticket at the end of 2013.
- Parked in a Macdonalds right behind a high street.
- I went to a cash machine on said high street. Girlfriend went to join the back of the queue in the restaurant.
- Rejoined girlfriend, bought food with said cash.
- Returned to car - parking ticket. "Driver not on premises at time of issue".
Hump. Didn't bother appealing it...technically they were right, I'd stepped off the premises, but I was still a genuine customer. Figured an appeal would be a waste of time. So I kept my receipt for the food which was timed within minutes of the ticket being issued.
Received a few threatening letters from MET.
Then a few more from a rather dodgy looking "debt recovering firm". Usual gumpf....we may take you to court, blah blah.
Then a few more letters from a solicitors, but inviting me to pay the full amount to the debt recovery firm....not MET themselves. But again, very vaguely threatening court action.
All a bit suspicious and underhand. It seems they send out letters that appear to be from a certain solicitor, but with the exact same template layout as their own letters, with poor quality company logos, basically saying "contact this number to arrange payment". I did a bit more research and wrote a long letter to the actual solicitor (looked them up online and send the letter direct to them, recorded). Told them the alleged charge was disputed and I wouldn't be paying it, and that I had evidence to prove that the charge was unnecessary, unjustified and not a genuine pre-estimate of loss (free car park), and that they should advise their client (MET) to take me to court if they felt it necessary. Basically, "put up or shut up".
Didn't receive any more letters from them. About a year later, after I'd moved house, they sent a few more letters from "Debt Recovery Plus" demanding the money again. Ignored them; as far as I'm concerned, I never received the letters as they went to an old address (parents house). Think they sent about 4 of these letters, again threatening court action, then they just gave up.
Corpulent Tosser said:
Personal insults, I like that it shows the character of the person using the insults.
As for lining the pockets of PPCs I have never ever given money to one of these companies, If there are parking restrictions I just abide by them, that way I don't get issued invoices for overstay.
It really is quite simple.
It was the condescending way you put it.Just boils my piss how these ppcs can charge extortionate amounts for such minor indescretions esp. in hospital carparks.As for lining the pockets of PPCs I have never ever given money to one of these companies, If there are parking restrictions I just abide by them, that way I don't get issued invoices for overstay.
It really is quite simple.
my wife has had two parking eye tickets.
we've ignored them fully. yes they send a few letters, but nothing has happened.
I also have staff who use a huge retail, parking eye monitored car park as its in a city centre.
they will park for 8/9 hrs- the limit is 3 hrs
parking eye have given up even writing to them now.
park on the road, in a chargeable bay (or in a chargeable carpark) and fail to pay- a loss has been incurred.
on land where no machines/charging exists, forget it.
my non legal advice is to ignore it.
we've ignored them fully. yes they send a few letters, but nothing has happened.
I also have staff who use a huge retail, parking eye monitored car park as its in a city centre.
they will park for 8/9 hrs- the limit is 3 hrs
parking eye have given up even writing to them now.
park on the road, in a chargeable bay (or in a chargeable carpark) and fail to pay- a loss has been incurred.
on land where no machines/charging exists, forget it.
my non legal advice is to ignore it.
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