Parking Eye

[Littlepleasures]

Anyone else been caught out? Went to my local out of town shopping centre last week. Went for a swim first then met a friend for lunch. After that I went round the shops, bought a few things. Apparently I was there for 4 hours 51 minutes and the time limit is 4 hours. They've charged me £80!! Here's the thing, I've been using this car park for 30 years and had no idea there was a time limit. There might be signs up like they say but I haven't registered it. I can see the point if it's one shop or inner city but there are over 30 shops, a library, leisure centre. No reason for anyone to park there unless they are using the facilities so who are they trying to dissuade by having a time limit? Have sent in an appeal but DH thinks I haven't got a leg to stand on. To cap it all, the email address they give for appeals is invalid so am out the cost of a stamp and an envelope as well!

I think they are trying to dissuade the people who work in those establishments from parking there all day and taking up spaces that customers could use.

If the signs are there and are clearly visible then I don't think you have a leg to stand on either, you will have to suck it up and pay.

Advice: keep all tickets if you park in one of their car parks! I got a fine last month. The letter told me I had parked for an hour. Yes! And bought a bloody ticket too! Luckily I know they're a bunch of cuts so I'd kept it. They emailed a week later saying they'd cancelled it. It was really stressful though. I do think understand how a fine was generated for me.

Sorrel soup me too but u didn't keep the tickets. They have given me 3 tickets saying I went over the time. I'm sure I didn't but have no proof ☹️

Sorrel soup me too but u didn't keep the tickets. They have given me 3 tickets saying I went over the time. I'm sure I didn't but have no proof ☹️
Where's their proof that you did?

Exactly. They send a pic of you coming in and then leaving. That's their evidence!

Can you appeal it on the grounds that you were spending money there the whole time - show receipts/bank statements.

Ask them for an objective justification for the charge.

Sorrel that's excellent evidence....

I've just been handed a fine for a work visit. Which I'm livid about because the security team are meant to input your details on the system. As it's a company lease car the fine has been paid, so will be deducted from my wages until the company refund the money.

I got caught out a few weeks ago. 34 minutes over the 3 hours!! Me and dds went shopping then for a pizza. Bloody 34 minutes. I think 3 hours isn't enough time at all. I had to suck it up and pay £85!

Cats. That's what I've done. Ive described what I did during the time and that I will provide evidence if they don't believe me but as that involves trawling through bank statements and going to the leisure centre hoping they can trace when I was there from my card records, I'm hoping that won't be necessary.
Uretha
Never thought about employees parking.
What is going on? Are the local councils selling these car parks off to balance the books? The car park for the out of town cinema complex has recently installed charges where parking has always been free . Now you've got to wait in an extra queue in each of the facilities you use to enter your car reg but a staff member has got to authorise each one. In the pub there , there's only one machine so it's been a real pain for all concerned. Luckily I did notice the new parking rules there but only because I noticed a queue then realised it was a ticket machine. Searching for an explanation, I did find the signs but very small writing which you'd only notice if you were looking for them. A massive sign at the entrance saying THIS CAR PARK IS NO LONGER FREE. PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU HAVE PAID. would be more appropriate but they wouldn't make so much out of us less observant souls.

It worries me that I had a valid ticket but still got fined. Did everyone in the car park that evening get one?? If it was a system error surely they wouldn't have issued fines but realised it was their problem. Really dodgy.

I think the whole system is designed to make money out of user confusion. The car park I used is only used by people using the facilities so why put a time limit on it? Surely the longer you are there the more you're spending in the shops and cafes. I can understand the time limit to catch those using it to avoid paying town centre charges or parking charges while at football or rugby matches which can be a real problem in our city but there is absolutely no way anyone's using it for that. It's about 3 to 4 miles outside the city. In the 30 years I've been using this car park I've always found a space no matter how busy, so there's no way it's based on preventing monopolising spaces.

Join the facebook group fight your private parking invoice - amazingly knowledgeable people there who can help.

Are you in Scotland or England OP? Cos the advice for tackling these is different depending on where you are.

In England Fairfax.

OP, I strongly recommend that you go to the parking forum at moneysavingexpert.com. They will tell you exactly how to fight this. I had a Parking Eye ticket and followed their instructions and did not have to pay. Your ticket is an invoice not a fine and if you challenge it the right way you have a very good chance of getting off.

Don't contact Parking Eye until you've taken advice as It's important that you don't identify who was driving.

Good luck!

Flamingoshoes
Thanks for the tip. Lots of good advice out there.

Got a Parking Eye ticket for £70 (reduced to £40 if paid within 14 days) about 2 months ago in North london Aldi. Parked there for 28 minutes and forgot to enter the car reg number. Immediately appealed to Parking Eye with the proof of purchase (my credit card statement screenshot) through their website. Got a reply back saying they cannot cancel the charge and I may appeal through Popla if I wish to take it further, gobsmacked!

Gave me 14 days extra to make the payment to be still £40. I paid after a few days. Emailed Aldi customer service with the proof of purchase and the lady replied in 2 hours saying she will get this charge refunded from ParkingEye within 28 days. A relief!

I believe Parking eye should have waved this off in the first place which they did not. It's not that I did not shop from the store. Last month I got the refund cheque from Parking Eye for £40 paid. Sorted.

Good luck.

Thanks for sharing your experience mickyme. Doesn't sound like I've got much of a chance of them waiving the charge as ignorance and a shocking sense of observation are my only defences. The few purchases I made that day , I realise were all cash and the receipts are long gone. You've given me an idea though. I might write to the manager,of the centre if I get no joy. I feel such a fool. These parking regs have been in place for years apparently but I've never stayed as long as 4 hours before so I've been blissfully unaware all these years.
I agree in your case they should have waived your charge as you had adequate evidence; I had a similar experience with a motorway Travelodge car park but it was immediately waived when I sent in evidence of my stay. Not sure which company it was.