Hi all,

Hoping someone can help out or offer advice with a parking fine I've been issued by excel. Basically, I was parked for 44 minutes over the allowed 2 hours in a decathlon car park 2 weeks ago. On Saturday I found a letter with an ANPR picture of my car asking for £60 in 14 days or it becomes £120.

Now I realise I was in the wrong here technically, but I really don't feel like giving up £60 to a private firm with zero authority or power just because I lost track of time.

Does anyone have any advice or experience with this kind of thing?

Cheers all!

Appeal. Ask them how it's cost them £60 for you to be 44minutes over on a free car park.

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/private-parking-tickets

Looks like Excel is a BPA approved operator, so there is a proper appeals process. 

 

But you'll need some mitigating circumstances to be successful. Just saying you lost track of the time won't cut it......How long over the 2 hours was the ticket issued?  

Private parking tickets are a "Request for payment" and not enforceable if you dispute it.

Tell them to get stuffed

 

The End

Ignoring used to be an option, but you need bigger balls these days as they will go to court and send round the bailiffs.

Private parking tickets are a "Request for payment" and not enforceable if you dispute it.

Didn't that change at the beginning of the year?

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Tell them to get stuffed

 

Certainly an option if they just ticket you and they don't have access to the DVLA database.....just ignore the ticket.

 

However this outfit seem to have sent the OP a letter so they have access. If ignored they will just get it enforced. 

As I understand the only people to give you a parking ticket is

 

Traffic warden/police or local council 

As I understand the only people to give you a parking ticket is

 

Traffic warden/police or local council 

 

True. I believe the OP will have got a PCN (parking charge notice) or similar.

True. I believe the OP will have got a PCN (parking charge notice) or similar.

 

Don't these private firms have to prove who was driving and You dont have to tell them, they have to prove it

Moved to gcc.

I thought they could now go after the registered keeper, regardless of whether or not you tell them who was driving.

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Thanks a lot all

And thanks ryan-re for this

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/private-parking-tickets

I was planning on ignoring it and denying all knowledge of the original letter. That, or as pointed out on money saving expert, I'll point out that the rigns were crap (genuinely never sports one) meaning that I never entered in to their "contract". I'll keep you all updated!!

Send a letter back stating that you are not entering into contract with them and that the matter is closed.

They cannot do anything! They get money through scare tactics alone. You dont have to pay a bean

The thing is, you paid for 2 hours and ran over by quite a substantial amount. You agreed to the terms and conditions. Now I'm not saying it's right and I would begrudge paying the fine, therefore, I would appeal and conjur up a reason as to why you were late.

Thanks a lot all

And thanks ryan-re for this

I was planning on ignoring it and denying all knowledge of the original letter. That, or as pointed out on money saving expert, I'll point out that the rigns were crap (genuinely never sports one) meaning that I never entered in to their "contract". I'll keep you all updated!!

Have a look at the car park first as most now have lots of really big signs that are hard to miss.

And as said before just because you lost track of time wont cut it.

My wife got one last month for not parking in a bay properly but she did park right next to another car.

But when you look at the photos she had parked half into another bay.

It says on the signs to stick to the marked bays.

We decided it just wasn't worth the hassle of not paying.

Fait enough. Although it is a free car park.

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But I agree that going back down and checking the signs first is a good idea!

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Something I've always wondered about the dvla, are they legally allowed to pass on owner details of a car to a third party? Doesn't the data protection act forbid that?

I believe they are as long as they're part of the bpa.

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I have heard of a lot of people ignoring things like this.

They get more and more threatening letters of what 'could' happen and thrn all of a sudden all letters stop and nothing ever comes of it.

Is it really worth taking you (if they can prove your the one committing the offence, and that the signs were clearly visible) for £125?

Hardly worth the effort of building up a case in my opinion.

For proper advice head over to pepipoo forums.

Hey Guys, 

 

I maybe able to shed some light on this...

 

I've had this happen a few times and on the first occasion that I was issued with one I did what I believed the correct method at the time, and appealed it through the companies appeal process. Long story short I was basically hitting myself off a biased wall. Now I know it's slightly different legally between Scotland and England, but in Scotland it basically illegally for them to practice in such a corporate profit driven manner, and victims who are subject to a fine can tell them to bolt. 

 

I see that Ryan-re has already copied the link to moneysavingexpert topic on parking fines issued by private companies and it's the best form of attack, as you will win and see the end of it. Despite their attempt to scaremonger you with increased fines and legal action, they basically don't have a leg to stand on.