£1,906 parking fine

[RoaminRog]

Basically, if it’s council issued, it’s a fine and therefore has to be paid, but if it goes to court they have discretionary powers to consider mitigating circumstances, but if you receive a parking charge it’s from a legalised burglary company who will threaten you until the cows come home, hoping to scare you into parting with as much money as they feel they can screw out of you. They really don’t want to get involved in real legal proceedings, even though they say they will pass your case to their ‘Legal Dept’ and then to the ‘Recovery Team’ and then the Bailiffs, it’s all bulls**t.
As far as they are concerned you are not a person with a real imperfect life, you are simply a case number.

 

[Tim120]

Julie doesn't pay for parking when she has her regular treatment at Hinchingbrook Hospital Tim. I think it's only for that particular department though.

When my wife was having scans/treatment at different hospitals in Surrey, it was barrier with APNR on way in, machines to pay in hospital, barrier with APNR on way out, at the time it was the last thing on my mind.
Thinking about it now and looking at the table of charges, link below, I will not put into words what I'm thinking.
I do remember buying the 'seven exit pass' at some point.
Interesting to read the 'how we use the money' section, I read that as, you fund the building of more places where we can charge you, so we can build more places where we can charge you. Grrrrr.

Parking Linky Thingy

 

[chas142]

I think she should stand her ground, wait for the court case and I would put money on them pulling out, hours before the hearing. Our experience with Hermiston Gate Retail Park taught us these so called parking companies are very good at threatening behaviour BUT it is only a charge, not a fine. There is no need to pay it, they only offer you an appeal service to get you to part with your details, to save them paying DVLA for them. These companies are crooked through and through, and know every trick in the book to scare the s*** out of genuine people.

I will remember this, I got a text telling me to pay a parking fine recently, no information about car, location or time, or who this was from. I might have stayed longer in a car park than I said, but I had paid for 3hrs but said leaving after 2.5hrs.

 

[Tim120]

I will remember this, I got a text telling me to pay a parking fine recently, no information about car, location or time, or who this was from. I might have stayed longer in a car park than I said, but I had paid for 3hrs but said leaving after 2.5hrs.

That sounds more like a scam to me, no doubt you were given a place to send payment to?
Also need to be very careful scanning a QR code to pay that looks official but isn't. News article in link below.

Linky Thingy

 

[Fazerloz]

I think she should stand her ground, wait for the court case and I would put money on them pulling out, hours before the hearing. Our experience with Hermiston Gate Retail Park taught us these so called parking companies are very good at threatening behaviour BUT it is only a charge, not a fine. There is no need to pay it, they only offer you an appeal service to get you to part with your details, to save them paying DVLA for them. These companies are crooked through and through, and know every trick in the book to scare the s*** out of genuine people.

Would you put £1906 on it.

 

[Thistle]

Wasn’t their legislation being proposed once upon a time to kerb these crooked companies. Limit the charges, put the burden of proof on them, enforce clear unambiguous signage etc.
Their working practices are hardly honourable at the best of times!

But I guess then a lot of the councils suddenly realised they too could start scamming victims via all their anpr cameras in congestion zones etc where they could doing the decent and honourable thing of sending the registered keeper a bill!

But no, instead let their victims sweat and you are effectively potentially guilty until you prove yourself innocent yet are unable to do because they won’t provide info from ANPR to clarify in advance.

 

[barryd]

I'm testing the system this morning. Had to go into Darlington this morning as Michelle is getting her hair done which for reasons beyond me takes two hours. So I pop to a place called a Sainsbury and do a bit of Christmas shopping. Was there about 15 minutes. Two hours later I pick her up and she wants to go to the Sainsbury as well. So I'm back in their car park about two and a half hours later. So will the camera have clocked me in earlier and more importantly "out" again?

 

[Fazerloz]

I'm testing the system this morning. Had to go into Darlington this morning as Michelle is getting her hair done which for reasons beyond me takes two hours. So I pop to a place called a Sainsbury and do a bit of Christmas shopping. Was there about 15 minutes. Two hours later I pick her up and she wants to go to the Sainsbury as well. So I'm back in their car park about two and a half hours later. So will the camera have clocked me in earlier and more importantly "out" again?

That would depend on if the car park is ANPR controlled many are not.

 

[barryd]

That would depend on if the car park is ANPR controlled many are not.

Pretty sure that one is or it was. I remember when they first opened there was a display that showed your reg as you drove in. Mind you its not been there for years so who knows?

 

[colinm]

I'm testing the system this morning. Had to go into Darlington this morning as Michelle is getting her hair done which for reasons beyond me takes two hours. So I pop to a place called a Sainsbury and do a bit of Christmas shopping. Was there about 15 minutes. Two hours later I pick her up and she wants to go to the Sainsbury as well. So I'm back in their car park about two and a half hours later. So will the camera have clocked me in earlier and more importantly "out" again?

As it happens gf's appointment yesterday took longer than expected. I had gone to Wickes and Lidl and done some shopping, after a while I moved to another carpark which was closer to the hospital.

 

[Norfolk NewBoy]

I'm testing the system this morning. Had to go into Darlington this morning as Michelle is getting her hair done which for reasons beyond me takes two hours. So I pop to a place called a Sainsbury and do a bit of Christmas shopping. Was there about 15 minutes. Two hours later I pick her up and she wants to go to the Sainsbury as well. So I'm back in their car park about two and a half hours later. So will the camera have clocked me in earlier and more importantly "out" again?

They often say "no return for 3h". Looks like you may be in for a PCN!

 

[barryd]

They often say "no return for 3h". Looks like you may be in for a PCN!

LOL! That would be ridiculous. I presume its no return for three hours if you have used your two hours free. It would be a pretty dumb store who sent someone a parking invoice for shopping there for 15 minutes and then popping back two hours later to spend more money with them for another 15 minutes! However as a precaution I have kept both sets of receipts. Thinking about it I think I saw a parking attendant wandering about so maybe they are not using cameras anyway.

 

[JQB]

Parking fines: Woman faces £1,906 bill over five-minute payment rule

Rosey Hudson paid for parking each time, but is being taken to court for £1,906 by Excel Parking.

www.bbc.co.uk

Car parking is a vulture industry in rip off Britain. Evil bunch of untrustworthy criminals, vultures preying on the motorist. Never enter an anpr car park!

 

[JQB]

So much for Data Protection by the DVLA, who get a kick back from these parasitic parking companies by giving out your personal details. Understandably the police if required for a traffic offence.

Parasites, yes a very apt description of these vultures.

 

[Fisherman]

Car parking is a vulture industry in rip off Britain. Evil bunch of untrustworthy criminals, vultures preying on the motorist. Never enter an anpr car park!

My experience happened in the 1990s so this type of behaviour has been going on for years. I was utterly determined that I was not paying this ridiculous fine. My son was crying in severe pain, my priority was to get him medical treatment asap. But I did pay my parking dues prior to leaving the car park and entering the hospital.
Their complete lack of concern for my situation appalled me. Had I lost I would have had to pay around £500 in costs, at a time when that was a lot of money to me. So I was relieved when the judge after consideration came down in my favour. She stated that my actions in such circumstances were entirely reasonable, and that the actions of the company who managed the carpark were in contrast without compassion, and unreasonable. I thought they would appeal, but thankfully they did not. It was actually reported in the newspapers at the time.

 

[trevskoda]

Car parking is a vulture industry in rip off Britain. Evil bunch of untrustworthy criminals, vultures preying on the motorist. Never enter an anpr car park!

Some folks here use dummy stick on n plates for c parks.