Shop Car Park

[wennol]

Hello, I'm new around here. Went to a shop in North Wales today and parked in what I thought was their car park. I was only there about half an hour and when I came out there was an officious looking old chap, wearing a yellow jacket going round looking at the cars. As I was leaving the car park I saw a ticket machine and a notice to the effect that cars were allowed to park free for half an hour and then pay after that. Apparently you still had to get a ticket BEFORE you parked otherwise you would be charged £75. There was nothing on my windscreen to say that I had been booked so can they do anything? Can/Do they REALLY ask DVLA for driver details? If so it's morally wrong surely.

[green_and_mean]

Can/Do they REALLY ask DVLA for driver details? If so it's morally wrong surely.

 

I guess they will say its morally wrong not paying for a parking ticket if you use their car park.

[wennol]

I guess they will say its morally wrong not paying for a parking ticket if you use their car park.

 

Well as a retired Civil Servant I remember we had rules which prohibited us from divulging personal information to others.

[green_and_mean]

There is a multitude of information that can be accessed by the public such as the electoral role, register of births deaths marriages, property details, company details etc etc not much is private these days.

[pin1onu]

Well as a retired Civil Servant I remember we had rules which prohibited us from divulging personal information to others.

Hi welcome to the forums.

 

You're right. The data protection act is supposed to protect us. However the DVLA makes 30 pieces of silver (£2.50) for every query by a private company. They deem the PPCs to have "reasonable cause". Its been the subject of a few threads on these boards. There are some on these boards who are preparing to challenge the DVLA.

 

If you want more information on the DVLA releasing information have a look on the Directgov website.

 

In the meantime have a read of the Private Parking Charges/Companies guide in the stickies section at the top of the forum.

 

If you receive anything in the post use Bernie the Bolts template letters to respond.

[Filthy Monkey]

I guess they will say its morally wrong not paying for a parking ticket if you use their car park.

 

Ah, the parking attendant's blinkered view! ...but is it morally wrong to park in a free car park and not display a free ticket!?

[green_and_mean]

Ah, the parking attendant's blinkered view! ...but is it morally wrong to park in a free car park and not display a free ticket!?

 

a) I'm not a parking attendant

b) The car park is only free for 30 mins

c) If you don't get a ticket when you arrive how are they supposed to know when you parked?

 

If anyone is blinkered its you thinking you have some god given right to park where you like for free. The shop in question is trying to run a business not provide free parking for any Tom, Dick or Harry that decides to park there. It is their land which they rent or purchased and have to pay to maintain, if they wish to charge people to park there that is their right. Failing to pay for this service is no different from stealing goods from the shop itself.

[pin1onu]

a) I'm not a parking attendant

b) The car park is only free for 30 mins

c) If you don't get a ticket when you arrive how are they supposed to know when you parked?

 

If anyone is blinkered its you thinking you have some god given right to park where you like for free. The shop in question is trying to run a business not provide free parking for any Tom, Dick or Harry that decides to park there. It is their land which they rent or purchased and have to pay to maintain, if they wish to charge people to park there that is their right. Failing to pay for this service is no different from stealing goods from the shop itself.

 

Failing to display adequate signs and then demanding a penalty charge of £75 is as good as stealing from the motorist.

 

I agree with you on the other points about trying to run a business and the right to charge for the use of land is lawful. However as is so often the case with these landowners the methods they choose to try and control the parking are dubious at best and illegal at worst.

[green_and_mean]

Failing to display adequate signs and then demanding a penalty charge of £75 is as good as stealing from the motorist.

 

I agree with you on the other points about trying to run a business and the right to charge for the use of land is lawful. However as is so often the case with these landowners the methods they choose to try and control the parking are dubious at best and illegal at worst.

 

There was signage and a ticket machine surely that would indicate to most that the car park was controlled?

[pin1onu]

As I was leaving the car park I saw a ticket machine and a notice to the effect that cars were allowed to park free for half an hour and then pay after that. surely.

 

There was signage and a ticket machine surely that would indicate to most that the car park was controlled?

 

 

I used the term adequate signage. The OP only saw the machine and the notice as he was leaving the car park. This suggests to me that the signage was not adequate.