Being Charged £335 to Retrieve My Car After Being Clamped an

[Steffan]

750turbo said:

LukeSi said:

Pay by credit card and then get the company to do a charge back, you were paying under duress afterall.

Can this actually happen though, or is it an interweb myth?

Consumer Credit Act which governs Credit Cards does ensure this. I always pay for Holidays et6c with Credit cards because you can claim from the Card company. This will work.

[Chicane-UK]

Unbelievable. Isn't there any kind of government control / regulatory body for this sort of daylight robbery?

[Josh147]

Sir Bagalot said:

Silly question time

Why did you let them tow it? Why not open car door and sit there and pay the clamping fee? If they insist on towing you call police?

This is the first time I've ever experienced anything like this. I didn't know quite what to do.

Also, there were three guys standing really close to my car and my car was locked. By the time it would have taken to unlock it, open the door and get in the car, I imagine I'd have been jumped and bundled as far away from the car as possible.

I'm not exactly the biggest of guys, and it wouldn't have been too difficult for three blokes to overpower me.

[Josh147]

Steffan said:

Consumer Credit Act which governs Credit Cards does ensure this. I always pay for Holidays et6c with Credit cards because you can claim from the Card company. This will work.

Hi Steffan,

Can you give me any more guidance on how to go about this?

Thanks

[Terminator X]

Private firm rather than LA? Get over to pepipoo, they will be able to assist.

TX.

[Josh147]

Terminator X said:

Private firm rather than LA? Get over to pepipoo, they will be able to assist.

TX.

Thanks, already posted on there...

[dowahdiddyman]

Just had a good look at the area on google maps. Could not find a sign anywhere about clamping, what I did see was a sign opposite the post office showing no entry signs and signs saying private estate. From what I can see you were parked on a public road, with no parking restrictions, before you go about your car I would go and double check that there are no signs and that parking restrictions are not in place, if all is ok report your car stolen and tell the police you know where it is.

[Liquid Knight]

What was the name of the firm? I'll get some collegues to do a full audit to make sure all clampers are licenced. Stains is a little out of my way. One of my jobs is as an S.I.A inspector for East Anglia.

[swakelin91]

Something similar happened to me last year, I parked near a
Subway near home which apparently was a public parking area. There were no signs as far as I could see, however upon returning from Subway my car had been clamped and was due to be taken away.

The clampers said that I had to pay the fee to release the clamp, as well as the fee for my car to be towed to London (I live nowhere near London). All in all it came to around £350, so I paid it and they released my car (I had to as I had £8000 worth of camera in the boot that they wouldn't let me get out).

The next day I went back to the scene of the crime and took pictures of the area, I found one sign after a lot of looking, the sign was tiny and not visible when entering the car park. Therefore I wrote a letter to the clamping company with the photographs and description of the area and what happened.

In the end I got my money back.

[Josh147]

dowahdiddyman said:

Just had a good look at the area on google maps. Could not find a sign anywhere about clamping, what I did see was a sign opposite the post office showing no entry signs and signs saying private estate. From what I can see you were parked on a public road, with no parking restrictions, before you go about your car I would go and double check that there are no signs and that parking restrictions are not in place, if all is ok report your car stolen and tell the police you know where it is.

I think these images are out of date.
It must be a recent implementation for the clampers...

I've labled where one sign is (hidden behind a tree) and another is at the T-junction. You certainly wouldn't see the one at the T-junction because you'd be looking at what was oncoming traffic was coming down the road you'd just turned into.

To me, the notices are far too small and located in very strategic places to ensure that the vast majority of people wouldn't see the signs.

[Steffan]

Josh147 said:

Steffan said:

Consumer Credit Act which governs Credit Cards does ensure this. I always pay for Holidays et6c with Credit cards because you can claim from the Card company. This will work.

Hi Steffan,

Can you give me any more guidance on how to go about this?

Thanks

PM Me I will reply

[Josh147]

Liquid Knight said:

What was the name of the firm? I'll get some collegues to do a full audit to make sure all clampers are licenced. Stains is a little out of my way. One of my jobs is as an S.I.A inspector for East Anglia.

Parking Control Management (UK) Ltd - They have a PO Box address as follows:

PO Box 1161,
Slough
Berks
SL2 5PJ

Thanks for your help!!

[joebongo]

There should be a licence number on your "ticket."

Enter it here and check if they are indeed licenced.

https://portal.the-sia.org.uk/web/start.swe?SWECmd...

[Josh147]

joebongo said:

There should be a licence number on your "ticket."

Enter it here and check if they are indeed licenced.

https://portal.the-sia.org.uk/web/start.swe?SWECmd...

This is it, I was never given a ticket!
Maybe it was left on the car...

I couldn't believe what was going on at the time so my concentration was all over the place.

Even though I've been to the compound, I haven't actually seen my car which is worrying me slightly.

[Liquid Knight]

Google is yourbest friend....

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthr...

..basically you've been 'ad son.

Just emailed my associate (I won't say collegue because she is a total cow, perfect for this job then) to have a visit Monday.

[joe58]

Can I just say if he hasn't got a ticket or anything, surely it's theft. From a non legal mind it is to me.

[Liquid Knight]

Theft by deception = slapped wrist

Operating without an S.I.A Licence = £10,000 fine.

[Josh147]

Liquid Knight said:

Google is yourbest friend....

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthr...

..basically you've been 'ad son.

Just emailed my associate (I won't say collegue because she is a total cow, perfect for this job then) to have a visit Monday.

Thanks for the link.

Is this company registered?
Where do I go from here?
Can I report my car as stolen to the police?

[joe58]

Liquid Knight said:

Theft by deception = slapped wrist

Operating without an S.I.A Licence = £10,000 fine.

Fair enough. They've taken somebody's property with out giving them a legal document and to me that's theft.

[Liquid Knight]

You're better off asking the Police that yourself as I'm not qualified to answer.

The legal definition of theft is the removal of a persons property without any intension of returning it. So as you have your car back it isn't theft. You car has been held to ransome though. If they refuse to give you your money back then it is that which has been stolen and as it's less than £1000 I think it could be passed as a civil matter (especially in Essex ).