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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to ignore 'Parking Charge Notice' from Parking Eye

133 replies

ComposHat · 04/01/2013 12:54

Just before Christmas I was travelling from England to Scotland when we stopped at a service station for a break at a service station just over the border just before midnight.

When we returned to the car after a loo break and a cup of coffee, the car resolutely failed to start. After a call to the AA we were told that it would be a three hour wait until a patrol would get back to me.

Anyway the patrolman showed up after about three hours and got me us underway again, colder, grumpier but none the worse for wear.

All well and good, until I got a letter from a company called 'Parking Eye' trying to get me to pay £100 quid for overstaying the two hour free parking period (in a deserted car park at midnight in a broken down car) complete with two blurry pictures of my car's number plate. The driver (who may or may not have been me ;-) ) isn't visible in their cruddy shots.

Having scanned a few forums, the consensus seems to be to ignore these money grabbing chancers and deposit the letters they send straight into the dustbin. However I am by nature quite nervy, so am a bit worried about the consequences, equally I don't have a spare £100 lying around to hand over to these cowboys.

Has anyone had any experience in dealing with 'Parking Eye' or other Private Parking contractors and what did you do? Any help greatly appreciated.

OP posts:
mercibucket · 08/01/2013 16:50

Interesting. Good that you can get it transferred. I don't think you have to pay their fees if it's small claims? I'm just working out the 'wost case' for my ticket atm

NeverpayPPCs · 08/01/2013 21:07

Dont worry bailiffs will never be sent by a PPC and they wont do court, for more info on these money sucking scum google mse parking forum.

Wallison · 08/01/2013 22:30

Now there's a shill. There are a lot of car-drivers out there who seem to have got their knickers in a knot that they can't park any damn where they like (NB I am not referring to the OP when I say this).

Mercibucket - it's standard when a defendant enters a defence that they can request and are granted a local court hearing. And yes, mostly small claims won't award costs but they can.

I don't get the tango on the driveway analogy, but I'm probably being thick. A parking space is a parking space, not some kind of nebulous and nonsensical request.

PRBunny · 08/01/2013 22:46

Evening Wallison,

How are you?

The case law I was referring to in my posts yesterday is VCS vs HMRC. This established that only the landowner can offer a contract to park. A contract to park could not be made between the private parking company and the motorist.

The other notable one is VCS vs Ibbotson.

Happy bedtime reading!

mercibucket · 08/01/2013 23:04

hilarious - watch 'parking mad' on bbc1 now

great fun Wink

Wallison · 09/01/2013 09:18

I don't see what difference the first case makes in practical terms - even if the contract is between the landowner and the driver (rather than the parking company and the driver), the parking company are still entitled to act as agents and there is no consideration as to the legality of the penalties they extract from drivers. In the second case, the question seems to hinge on paperwork - there wasn't a proper contract between the parking firm and the owner. Again, nothing to do with whether or not the fines should be paid.

Original poster
ComposHat · 09/01/2013 17:03

Another letter reminding me that Iay have forgotten to pay their Parking Charge Notice. Can you pay a notice? Their computer is working over time.

OP posts:
mercibucket · 09/01/2013 18:49

You could notice a notice maybe?

There is a good thread on pepipoo with a list of all the letters you will get so you can tick them off as they arrive

nikkimale85 · 17/04/2013 21:34

hi i was just reserching parkingeye as i also have been stung by them, i havnt read through the whole thread but i can see the overiding opinion is to ignor but i am worried as on this site : www.britishparking.co.uk/AOS-Members
it says they are one of the few that use "debt recovery" :/ what does this mean? im scared to not pay but obviously dont want to

EhricLovesTeamQhuay · 29/04/2013 10:07

I've just got a parking eye letter for a 13 minute overstay in Aldi. I was having lunch with a friend who lives above Aldi, the flats are part of the building and residents have agreement to park in the car park. I'm not planning to pay but should I not respond or should I appeal?

Anna8284 · 07/08/2013 09:38

Help, I have had a the fine letter , 21minutes and I didn't even leave the car. I've appealed it witch meant I've confirmed I'm the driver and they have declined it. i Was just about to pay it and see this. As I've confirmed I'm the driver shall I just pay it??????????

Coconutty · 07/08/2013 09:41

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

JustBecauseICan · 17/08/2013 10:08

Marking place as am trying to convince my elderly (and a bit freaked) mother who is on her 3rd letter as of this morning! (free car park, overstayed by 15 mins)

idiuntno57 · 17/08/2013 10:28

all the people peepoo (sp?) have recently changed their advice as parking eye have started issuing court orders.

idiuntno57 · 17/08/2013 10:28

sorry at missing there

JustBecauseICan · 17/08/2013 10:51

Can you link to latest advice? Because I've just spent 2 hrs ploughing through Money Saving Expert, watching Watchdog clips, reading threads on here and on my local consumer FB page and can't find anything?

idiuntno57 · 17/08/2013 10:56

sorry i can't do it from my phone but go to peepoo (need to check spelling but is mentioned on the moneysaving expert threads) and look at parking ticket/parking eye section.

KeepTheFaithBaby · 17/08/2013 12:59

I got one in June. I paid but appealed sending a copy of the statement saying I had my newborn baby with me and lost track of time. They refunded the fee and the debit card transaction fee (this was Parking Eye).

nomorecrumbs · 17/08/2013 13:07

Wow, I'm amazed they read the appeal, much less refunded you.

Private parking 'companies' are all a load of cowboys. Ignore any letter, ignore ignore ignore.

KeepTheFaithBaby · 17/08/2013 13:20

I know...I'm too much of a scaredy cat to not pay but decided to take a punt at appealing and Lo and behold, got a cheque back!

bassduck · 30/08/2013 14:31

Hi,

I got a private parking charge of £70. I rented the car at Europcar. Will I get trouble not paying in this case?

Thanks for the help!

bassduck · 30/08/2013 14:36

Europcar obv gave them my name and address, so maybe it's better to pay this?

zipzap · 30/08/2013 14:42

Try the honestjohn.co.uk website - he's really good in cases like this.

bassduck · 30/08/2013 15:49

Thanks, I posted there.

northernlurker · 30/08/2013 15:55

Ignoring letters may not work now. It used to be that they couldn't proceed to court unless you confirmed you were teh driver. Now the givernment have stopped them clamping you (good) but changed the law so that even if you don't reply they can assume you were there (bad). It's not clear if this will mean more cases actually getting to court. Dh is refusing to pay one on the grounds that the charge is excessive for the loss incurred so we'll see. Personally I wish he'd just pay the reduced charge of £30 and be done with it but he says that's what 'they' want you to do. I shall be bloody cross with him if he is taken to court but I accept that's still unlikely.