...to not to want to pay McDonalds 125 quid for using their car park?

[missscarlett]

I was desperate over the summer holidays when it was raining for something for the kids to do which was indoors and cheap...took the kids out to our local McDonalds in Leytonstone for lunch and to play in their kids area for a couple of hours. I know McDonals are evil, I know - but it was the summer holidays with NOTHING to do and I was going mad indoors - I didn't read the signs in the car park, which must have said something along the lines of 'Give us your money, eat fast and p*ss off!' and now a company which works for them (called MET) has just sent me a letter, trying to get me to cough up 125 quid for overstaying(well, only 75 if I'm good and pay up fast!) Argh! Do I have to pay it? I'm tempted to tell em to stick it but can they take me to court? Give me a CCJ? Send the bailiffs round?? Should just grit my teeth and pay up?

Dont pay it!! Dont contact them, dont appeal, dont do anything just totally ignore it. Unless its a council car park they cant make you pay unlesa they take you to court which they wont do.

I had parking eye (the bastards) try and charge me few months ago. I googled the name and found loads of info on martin lewis website.

Lots of legal info and personal experiences.

If you find a sign or notice, take a photograph of it as if you are in a car because that's how you'd see it. It would be back up evidence for you.

I got a ticket from a private company for being in a 2 hour parking space for 1 hour and 1 minute! It's one of those with changing limits (1 hr when matches on) and someone hadn't informed the attendent the match was cancelled. He ran when faced with about 10 cars worth of people telling him he was wrong and I can't work out why he hadn't realise it was cancelled due to the monsoon and hurricaine ripping up at the time. exageration!

I rang and was told to appeal - against what I asked because I hadn't even been over the hour they thought allowed and they admitted there was 5 minutes grace period!!

They said appeal or they would chase payment. I didn't and neither did they.

I parked at my local college during the day & was given a £40 ticket. I ignored it & that was the end of it. I'm assuming they aren't linked to the Dvla & that's why they wheren't able to trace me.

I was in hospital once and talking to the nurse looking after me about the parking. She told me that she puts her car in the P&D out the front, doesn't pay, sometimes gets a ticket, but not always, never pays the ticket and has never had any come back. They know they can't come back on it so are taking their chance.

I'd never pay anything that wasn't on a council road.

go to money saving expert site and it will tell you all about this SCAM

who drags these up and why?

I had one of these in a big DIY shop.

I went back in there with the receipt not just from that day, but from the other half a dozen visits that I'd paid them over the previous month (was doing big renovation on the house, so was keeping receipts for returns, luckily).

I asked to talk to the manager, pushed the fine letter and the receipt bundle across the table to him and stood there making a face at him! He contacted the company and got it revoked for me.

Was horrible to receive it though. i though I'd been snapped speeding at first.

I have had similar issues with Toys R Us at one of their car parks. I parked in car park, had a long wander round the shop, couldn't find anything I wanted and returned to my car. As I got to the vehicle and was putting DD in the, a uniformed guy came and put a ticket on car window. His explanation was that the car park is for Toys R Us shoppers only. I pointed out had been in Toys R Us. He said I didn't have any shopping from there so could't have been.

So, Euro Car Parks have sent me letter after letter since March when it happened. I have responded in writing every time confirming that I was in the shop. Their agents have rung me (got phone no.from directory enquiries) threatening to take me to court, 'blacklist' me and send bailiffs to collect the ever increasing fine.

I have legal cover with Home Insurance so rang them for advice. They explained that;

• Euro Car Parks could take me to court but, as above post explains, the burden of proof falls on them. Their photo of my car parked in the car park is not sufficient proof that I didn't adhere to the signs. Basically they have no proof.
• Euro Car Parks cannot register a debt with a Credit Reference Agency as I have not entered into a credit agreement with them.
• They cannot send bailiffs unless they took me to court, which they won't do as they have no proof.

I suggest your first course of action would be to dispute what they say and ask them to send you proof of the signs clearly in place and how you didn't adhere to them. Or ignore them and hopefully they'll go away (I've not heard from Euro Car Parks since beginning of November so fingers crossed they've given up)

Aaaaarrrrggghhh. Who has bumped this and why????

To add - like someone upthread said, the point of the restriction was that apparently people had been parking there and then going off to work for the whole day. Even the till girl said "If we can see you're a shopper, it won't be a problem"

either way it doesn't matter (even less so because this thread is over a 3 years old). but even if you never had any intention of shopping there penalty clauses are not enforceable under contract law. so the most a private car park company could claim for is what they lost due to the breach of contract.

of course public authority tickets are different as they are specifically legislated for and are enforcable

Hi,
similar thing happened to us at Pizza Hut car park. We sent stroppy letters to pizza hut and the parking company and have not had a demand for payment since. (We did not pay).