Parking Eye

[nemo]

@ blacklight

I'm not going to be much help with your query but just wanted to say that your circumstances are just as it happened in my case last week.

Having had a look at the abundance of data on the internet, I must admit that I've not reached a decision that I could say that I'm confident with. However, what I feel strongly is by not doing anything i.e. ignoring, PE is most likely to continue and harass with more unsavory letters but at not much real cost for them. Whereas if I appeal their charge aka. "the speculative invoice" then they are very likely to reject it giving me the opportunity to take the POPLA route. I understand that the POPLA appeal would cost PE money just for the appeal to be considered.

In the event where POPLA appeal fails then I plan to switch to ignore mode but what I am unsure is

1. will I complicate matters by engaging with PE in the first place?
2. albeit being a "private" dispute, will I weaken my position by not engaging or following the appeal process even though it may be inherently flawed or unjustly executed (due to my belief that PE is not in a position to charge for the "overstay" let alone then intimidate by sending an invoice for a service that is neither quantified nor performed correctly.

To do or not to do is the quandry I'm stuck in

Good luck and hopefully you'll come to a decision much quicker than I have!

[blacklight]

@ blacklight

1. will I complicate matters by engaging with PE in the first place?
2. albeit being a "private" dispute, will I weaken my position by not engaging or following the appeal process even though it may be inherently flawed or unjustly executed (due to my belief that PE is not in a position to charge for the "overstay" let alone then intimidate by sending an invoice for a service that is neither quantified nor performed correctly.

To do or not to do is the quandry I'm stuck in

Good luck and hopefully you'll come to a decision much quicker than I have!

Others have taken the approach of using a non-appeals related address to send their missives to, as (in my and their opinion) there is nothing to "appeal".

If it doesn't "go away" after a firmly worded communication, then I would probably engage the (at their expense) POPLA route. I am trying (rather poorly) to contact the centre managers/agents, as I suspect they will be less than happy that paying customers of their clients (tennants) are hardly being encouraged back, especially at this period of festive abundance.....

[blondjoe]

Hi all, just found this forum after getting a parking notice charge off parkingeye. I parked in Colliers carpark, The Range St Helens, for 2 hours +29 mins. I went the carboot by there on a Sunday morning then went in their shop. I phoned the range & they told me that it was a private carpark & they didn't own it but wouldn't tell me who did. So they want me to pay £100. or £60 if paid within 14 days for parking 29 mins over. Most of your advice says ignore, or should I offer them money for the 29 mins that I went over.

[labman]

Ignore IMO.

@Nemo - it's good to see someone researching this, and the appeal then ignore is one of the options from this site's advice. Personally speaking, I would totally ignore as long as you're prepared to put up with 3-5 increasingly threatening letters afterwards. They will then stop.

For issues over land ownership, the Land Registry is the place to go if you are really that concerned. It is highly unlikely Parking Eye own the car park, or indeed any car parks.

[blondjoe]

Thanks for the advice labman. After reading many of the posts on this forum there doesn't seem much that they can do apart from send more letters. I will keep updating as & when I get the letters. It's forums like this & people like you that give us the courage to fight these ripoff merchants.

Ignore IMO.

@Nemo - it's good to see someone researching this, and the appeal then ignore is one of the options from this site's advice. Personally speaking, I would totally ignore as long as you're prepared to put up with 3-5 increasingly threatening letters afterwards. They will then stop.

For issues over land ownership, the Land Registry is the place to go if you are really that concerned. It is highly unlikely Parking Eye own the car park, or indeed any car parks.

[blacklight]

An update for you.

I sent an email to their info address (not appeals), including photographs refuting the statements they make in their letters regarding signage and pointing out a few things.

I got an email (from appeals) stating the charge was cancelled.

I may go see if the signage suddenly changes....

[swifty]

An update for you.

I sent an email to their info address (not appeals), including photographs refuting the statements they make in their letters regarding signage and pointing out a few things.

I got an email (from appeals) stating the charge was cancelled.

I may go see if the signage suddenly changes....

way to go you, nice result

[nemo]

Ignore IMO.

@Nemo - it's good to see someone researching this, and the appeal then ignore is one of the options from this site's advice. Personally speaking, I would totally ignore as long as you're prepared to put up with 3-5 increasingly threatening letters afterwards. They will then stop.

For issues over land ownership, the Land Registry is the place to go if you are really that concerned. It is highly unlikely Parking Eye own the car park, or indeed any car parks.

Thanks for that labman - personally its the thought of companies, fully legitimate on appearance, thinking that it's ok to send letters that are grossly misleading and deceptive with the sole intent of generating ill-obtained revenue is what upsets me the most. Secondly, how is it possible for this companies to operate in plain sight without detection or proper regulation?

Land ownership is not a point that I'm looking to explore as it's clear from the Department for Transport guidance that both the land owner and the land holder are able to recover an unpaid parking fee.

As for the charge itself, I am bemused how a demand of £50 payment for 30min overstay in a 3hr free park (subject to the signage is clear and visible - which wasn't the case ) can be perceived to comply with the below - the more I read the info on the net and this forum, the more I get wound up.

"Charges for breaking a parking contract must be reasonable and a genuine pre-estimate of loss. This means charges must compensate the landholder only for the loss they are likely to suffer because the parking contract has been broken. For example, to cover the unpaid charges and the administrative costs associated with issuing the ticket to recover the charges. Charges may not be set at higher levels than necessary to recover business losses and the intention should not be to penalise the driver."

[labman]

Indeed it is a penalty, and as such is unlawful. Land ownership and land holder are issues as you may well find Parking Eye are neither, and often the land is held by several different companies (-eg- a retail park). Without total agreement, there is a serious question as to whether any can reclaim charges. You might have been dealing purely with the one who hasn't agreed. Often companies don't even realise they have to.

Still brilliant you're doing the research though. Please keep posting up, as you may well come across something we ave not read.

[ticketcollector]

To everyone out there that has been sent a letter asking to pay a fine, I am now on my seventh set of letters, they usualy come in sets of four or five for each "incident", gradually getting more threatening then ending up as a debt collecting agency, threatening baliffs, court appearences and the threat of losing your credit rating. I have never had so much amusement in my life as I do when I recieve one of these letters, I even go out of my way to use these car parks to collect more of them. I do now however have to use my partners / familys cars as they ignore mine these days, just did a 12 hour stint and not a peep from them. So. enjoy the letters, laugh at them, dont respond and cherish the warm feeling that each letter costs them to post, then go and park in the same place all over again, I may also start to wave at the camera on the way out

[labman]

To everyone out there that has been sent a letter asking to pay a fine, I am now on my seventh set of letters, they usualy come in sets of four or five for each "incident", gradually getting more threatening then ending up as a debt collecting agency, threatening baliffs, court appearences and the threat of losing your credit rating. I have never had so much amusement in my life as I do when I recieve one of these letters, I even go out of my way to use these car parks to collect more of them. I do now however have to use my partners / familys cars as they ignore mine these days, just did a 12 hour stint and not a peep from them. So. enjoy the letters, laugh at them, dont respond and cherish the warm feeling that each letter costs them to post, then go and park in the same place all over again, I may also start to wave at the camera on the way out

While I can see your point, and indeed your enjoyment in ignoring the letters, I don't think parking there purely to irritate and make a point should be particularly encouraged. Sorry to be a bah humbug!

[nemo]

Can't say that I'm not tempted but don't think I have your resolve () for putting up with spam - its bound to get under my skin, sooner or later.

Personally, I have no problems with having to pay for something with reason but definitely not for extortion!.

[labman]

Personally, I have no problems with having to pay for something with reason but definitely not for extortion!.

Nor, I would imagine, when they have no right to demand the money. If I sent you an invoice you wouldn't pay it. It is only the same, but people don't see it like that.

[swifty]

I see PE are taking over my home town (Barrow-in-Furness), over the past couple of weeks they've put camera's and signs up on nearly all the retail parks.

They're like a damn disease !!!

[bluebottle]

I see PE are taking over my home town (Barrow-in-Furness), over the past couple of weeks they've put camera's and signs up on nearly all the retail parks.

They're like a damn disease !!!

That's because, like most PPCs, they go around convincing retail park operators they have a problem with parking when, in fact, they don't.

[ticketcollector]

Nor, I would imagine, when they have no right to demand the money. If I sent you an invoice you wouldn't pay it. It is only the same, but people don't see it like that.

A friend of mine has just walked in the office having collected several threatening and unpleasant letters from UKCPS from Exeter, another firm along the lines of ParkingEye, a quick read of this forum has put her mind as rest, UKCPS are notorious and quite well documented on this consumer site http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk...om-UKCPS-%A375!
I'm just wondering how many people do actualy pay their "fines" to keep these firms solvent?

[labman]

I've had a couple from UKCPS. The last one I got, I asked him if it was a Penalty Charge Notice or a Parking Charge Notice. When he replied it was a Parking Charge I said, 'That's good, I don't have to pay that then!' and handed my ticket back to him. He took it foolishly, then said I don't want this, it's yours. I told him I wasn't accepting it, and if he dropped it he could be caught on camera littering and receive a fine! lol

NOT to be advised at all.

For anoyone who wants to do a good deed though, these are excellent:

http://forums.pepipoo.com/index.php?showtopic=73598

[Fearful and uncertain]

Nothing new based on what I have read here, however as a single person with not a lot of disposable income I could really do with advice on what to do with my Parking Eye, "Parking Notice"!!! I have been charged £85 (£50) if I pay it by tomorrow, for being in Morrison's car park in Falkirk over the 3hr free car parking, though I did return to my car within the three hours then chose to go and do some shopping and have lunch within the store on my return. My Parking Charge Notice has photos of my car entering and leaving the car park with the date and times...what should I do and is the law different in Scotland???

[michael]

It is, in as much as the Protection of Freedoms Act doesn't apply in Scotland, so they can't chase4 the registered owner if they don't know who the driver is.

Anyway, regardless of that, save your £85 (£50), just ignore them and enjoy Christmas.

[Fearful and uncertain]

Thank you very much and I will take your advice, best wishes

[ploddertom]

Thank you very much and I will take your advice, best wishes

Remember they do occasionally send you letters where they have had their Red Crayons out or from a "supposed" Solicitor. Again do not respond but ignore.

[Fearful and uncertain]

Thanks for the advice

[gavlar761]

Hi guys, i have received a parking charge notice saying to pay £100 in 28 days reduced to £60 if payed within 14 days after pulling into a motorway service area and fell asleep in my car. After seeing various posts on various websites, do i have to pay this?

[labman]

Hi guys, i have received a parking charge notice saying to pay £100 in 28 days reduced to £60 if payed within 14 days after pulling into a motorway service area and fell asleep in my car. After seeing various posts on various websites, do i have to pay this?

Have a read of the relevant bit of this - you shoul then have all the facts necessary to make a decision. FWIW, the common decision on here at present seems to be to ignore totally. I'm not aware yet of anyone who has used the ppeals process:

http://www.legalbeagles.info/forums/...rking-Offences

[swifty]

I expect there'll be more activity on this subject very soon after the boxing day sales, loads of folk parked up for hours waiting for the stores to open in order to grab the best bargain.
I bet they didn't bargain on PE having a bonanza time sending out statements to them..