Gatwick Short Stay [b]PCN despite pre-paid booking[/b], head

[Mar5hall]

Had a mate who’s just relocated from Spain over for a visit recently, and he genuinely couldn’t get his head round the sheer scale of the “gotcha” motoring enforcement industry we’ve built here, 35 in a 30 territory, ANPR average speed cameras everywhere, and now private parking firms operating what’s effectively a volume business model off the back of technicalities. He said back in Spain nobody bats an eyelid about this stuff to anywhere near the same degree. Made me think how numb we’ve all become to it.

Anyway, relevant case in point: Gatwick short stay parking. Pre-booked, pre-paid, did everything right, turned up and the car park was full. An attendant waved me through to park elsewhere on site, I did as instructed, and a PCN duly arrived through the post a couple of weeks later for parking outside the booked zone.

Appealing now on the basis that:

• Booking/payment evidence is solid
• I was directed by an on-site attendant, in good faith
• Any “breach” only happened because they failed to honour a paid booking in the first place

Posting mainly as a warning, if you’ve pre-booked Gatwick short stay and get moved by staff, get the attendant’s name or a time-stamped note if you can, because apparently that’s not enough to stop the charge being issued in the first place. Will report back on how the appeal goes, but wanted to flag it before anyone else gets caught out the same way.

[donkmeister]

I don't suppose you have a dashcam do you? When I had a Gatwick parking dispute I offered dashcam footage in my email to NCP. Just the offer of this seemed to be what got them to check their own CCTV and confirm the situation (different to yours). Maybe the logic is you aren't going to be sending them footage unless you are pretty confident.

[Nicetobenice]

If you haven't already appealed it may be worth researching if the non-relevant land defence works at Gatwick airport

I've used it at Manchester airport a few times now

They pissed me off so much over a new drop off zone i quite fancy the idea of taking a packed lunch and parking there every day for a week just because it appears than I can.

[Hereward]

I collected someone from Gatwick. There is an Express Pickup section in the car park. I missed the entrance and drove through the drop-off zone. I then went round again and found the Express Pickup area.

I thought it best to pay the drop-off charge (as well as the Express Pickup charge) and then simply email them to explain my error and ask for a drop-off zone refund.

They refused, saying that I should have paid more attention to the signage. Utter wkers!