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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To feel as though I've been mugged

25 replies

spiderslegs · 25/09/2011 00:10

Am in Windsor this weekend visiting Legoland & family, had a great day, met DSis for dinner,
parked in carpark, only had five pounds in change, thought that would probably be enough,turns out that's enough for an hour, can't pay with notes, can't pay by mobile. Ok, went back an hour later put another two hours in. 8.50 in total.

Lovely meal, come back a little late for the bill. Get back to car ten minutes late, clamped, as are four other people, thankfully the delightful booked are still around & kindly remove it for me for only 120 quid. Thanks, 120 quid for 10 mins. I thank you. Bastards.

OP posts:

BuntyPenfold · 25/09/2011 00:18

Agree, bastards.

ajandjjmum · 25/09/2011 00:19

Total bastards. I despise people who do this job.

AgentZigzag · 25/09/2011 00:21

I thought they were clamping down (sorry ) on this kind of thievery?

Can you appeal against it?

Original poster

spiderslegs · 25/09/2011 00:27

I can, appeal, think I'll be wasting a stamp as well as 120 quid though..

OP posts:

Original poster

spiderslegs · 25/09/2011 00:28

I can, appeal, think I'll be wasting a stamp as well as 120 quid though..

OP posts:

AgentZigzag · 25/09/2011 00:49

Don't quite a high % of people manage to win their appeals? Could be just bog standard parking fines though.

Do it to spite the twats.

What would you do with the £120?

Original poster

spiderslegs · 25/09/2011 01:04

Shoes, booze & spite....

Would probably chuck 40 in fave charity out of joy.

Nobbers.

OP posts:

jojane · 25/09/2011 09:36

We used to live in a flat with a small archway that led round the back to our private car park. DH came home from work one day to find a big lorry blocking the entrance. He parked next door in the conservative club car ark so he could find the driver. Was about 3 min and came back to find the car clamped. Bloke wouldn't unclamp it even though he j ew it had only been a minute. Had to pay £120 to unclamp it otherwise would be towed 2 hours away and cost £250 to get it back(plus travelling etc). I was heavily pregnant and went down to try and reason with him ie might need car if I went into labour right then sort of thing.

BleurghUna · 25/09/2011 10:03

That's extortionate! When we visited Legoland last year it was only £2 for a whole day. The tickets are so expensive you shouldn't have to pay anything for parking! These places are robbing us blind! How can anyone afford to go there when parking is £5 an hour?

niceguy2 · 25/09/2011 10:06

I don't think the car park was at legoland

BleurghUna · 25/09/2011 10:08

Just checked the Legoland website spiders and it says parking is £2 a day. You should definitely appeal against the clamping. How dare they! Link here - hope this works -
www.legoland.co.uk/Plan/FAQ/Car-Parking/

TheMonster · 25/09/2011 10:10

Bloody hell that is expensive parking!
However, if you were late back, you were late back.

RumourOfAHurricane · 25/09/2011 10:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

valiumredhead · 25/09/2011 13:32

Bet you won't ever be late again!

How can you appeal if you were late?

TheMonster · 25/09/2011 14:03

I don't think you'd have a successful appeal without a decent excuse.

Thingumy · 25/09/2011 14:10

I've witnessed a postal van being clamped while he was busy delivering,police had to be called out as the clampers robbing scumrefused to release his vehicle.

Whorulestheroost · 25/09/2011 14:16

Oh I feel so sorry for you op. These people are ruthless bastards who really don't give a hoot. I was clamped once. It was 3 wks before Xmas and I was 8 months pregnant with ds. I am a district nurse and had parked on a pub car park to go and see one of patients. When I got back I had been clamped. I spoke with the bloke and explained I was a nurse etc but he didn't give a stuff. Worse thing was I was already on maternity leave and just doing an extra shift for a bit of Xmas money. It cost me more to work that day than I earnt!
Lesson learnt though I never ever park anywhere I shouldn't. It made me so cross but then again the signs were clear I just hadn't seen them

MollieO · 25/09/2011 14:18

Sounds if you parked in one near the river near the back of the theatre. Absolutely extortionate but assume you don't know the area. If you ever go again you would be better off parking in Home Park www.rbwm.gov.uk/web/parking_romney_lock.htm which has a lot cheaper parking - £1.50 after 7pm or during the day all day parking is £4.60. It is about a 5 min walk from where you parked.

I think where you parked is privately owned hence rip off prices and quick clamping.

AhsataN · 25/09/2011 14:33

my FIL parked behind the local shops and was clamped £350 later to get his car unclamped. what bastards it was rife round here and guess who one of the clampers was LEVI BELLFIELD piece of shit!

whackamole · 25/09/2011 14:54

I was towed once, went to get the car and they wanted £500 for it. This was for a D reg Nova, bought for about £250. When I told them fine, keep the car, and went to get some stuff out the back (a pair of boots and some other bits and bobs) the guy actually went to punch me round the face. He then kicked out at me but only got my dad's car as I leapt in and we drove off.

Horrible fucking scumbags.

Oh, and they only towed me because I was parked in an open space next to a private car park for a car wash which was not in use as it was a Sunday.

Original poster

spiderslegs · 26/09/2011 18:15

Hello all, didn't abandon my thread, was using DH's smartphone (hence the slightly confusing wording in my OP, well that & the wine) & managed to hide the thread & couldn't work out how to unhide it until I got home.

No it wasn't at Legoland, it was indeed where you said MollieO, thanks for the tip for next time.

& yes, I was late so banged to rights really.

It got me thinking though, what if someone didn't have the money or did but £120 would mean penury for the rest of the month?

It just seems completely disproprtionate & I'm a bit shocked it's legal. It also felt quite intimidating having two enormous blokes waving their card reader at me demanding payment.

Grrrrr.

OP posts:

mumsamilitant · 26/09/2011 18:45

Add another grrrrr to that. I've been towed, £320 plus a ticket!

Kayano · 26/09/2011 18:51

Well... Op was late

mumsamilitant · 26/09/2011 23:36

Yes Kayano she was and guilty as charged but the amount being dished out by these people now is outrageous! I live in London and to park the car for an hour here is £2.20. We also have "zone" parking and I can't pop in to see friend across the road for a cuppa on the way somewhere in the car as its "out of my zone" without having to pay for the privilige in the same bloody borough.

Friends daughter parked her car somewhere which she thought was legal before going on holiday. Every day they slapped another ticket on which amounted to £750!

ajandjjmum · 27/09/2011 11:34

I have a on-going 'situation' where DH was given a ticket at 1.30 am at Woodall Services on the M1. He was there for over two hours - spent about 3.5 hours in Starbucks with his sister, and received a £90 fine from Parking Eye.

Some fab mumsnetters gave me some really good advice, the crux of which was that as it was on private land, they weren't in a position to issue a fine, but simply the cost they had 'lost' as a result of him not buying a ticket.

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