parking control services

[hayleypp]

Hi, I have just received a pcn from Vehicle Control Services for parking in the car park of the flats in Regent Court, Sheffield, where I was visiting my friend. There were lots of notices around, but there they operate a guest pass scheme, where you put a little green day pass in your car on the dashboard, admittedly this was partly obscured by a pair of gloves, but was there all the same. Ive emailed to appeal, and after reading posts on this forum I may have made a mistake as they now have my address. Is this £80 legal, do I have to pay it? I have had a ticket before from the council and that ticket spoke of quite specific legal consequences I think, but this is more ambiguous and talks of additional charges through debt recovery. PLEASE HELP! thanks

[dx100uk]

its a speculative invoice NOT a council FINE

 

as with everyone else that has posted in this thead

 

IGNORE

 

dx

[Lefty]

From Parking Control Services website...

What happens if vehicles don’t pay the PCN.

The details of the registered keeper will be requested from the DVLA and passed over to our retained Collections Company who will pursue collection; in addition to this should the offending vehicle be seen on site again it will be removed and impounded as PCN’s our outstanding against the vehicle

 

Putting aside the dreadful grammar for a moment (..impounded as PCN's OUR outsanding against the vehicle... I think they mean ARE...) the entire statement is laughable. NO PRIVATE PARKING COMPANY HAS THE RIGHTS TO REMOVE OR DISABLE A VEHICLE DUE TO AN UNPAID (AND UNENFORCEABLE) INVOICE.

As for clamping a vehicle ON THE OWNERS PRIVATE PREMISES! All I can say is, I'd like to see them try!

Cheers

Lefty

[SURFBOY]

Just had a look at their website and they talk of "illegal parking" "offenders" . Someone should have a word with them.

Are they BPA members?

[Lefty]

Just had a look at their website and they talk of "illegal parking" "offenders" . Someone should have a word with them.

Are they BPA members?

The entire website is, in my opinion, very poorly written and littered with errors (both law relating AND English grammar!)... BUT the worrying thing is, seeing as the website is intended to secure new clients (and not really intended to provide help and information for "offenders"), potential clients are being mis-informed and are putting themselves at risk by association.

Cheers

Lefty

[Nev Met]

If you have time, look at my FOI request here http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/minutes_of_dvla_and_bpa_meetings#comment-22222

 

If it's still there, go to the 'minutes' of the 8th October 2008 section 9. I would appear that Parking Control Services were about to be investigated because they were suspected of obtaining information on behalf of Trustcard Ltd.

 

This info may be of use to someone.

[andy85]

I know that this thread was wrote along time ago but if there is anyone to there who has the real address for this company i would be really interested in getting this info.

[Lefty Jnr]

Hi Guys.

This thread may be quite old and dated now however I would like to point a few very important things out.

 

I am in no way shape or form linked to PCS however ive been browsing and looking through these forums for quite some time

and this subject is one that has angered me slightly.

 

Id like to also inform you that the user pcs 4971 is an ex PCS employee who was linked very closely with the director [EDIT].

He is just a bitter man who lost his job due to some "cowboy" doings himself.

 

I have seen many people on here complaining, some of them right, some of them wrong however one thing I do say is,

how would you like or appreciate if someone who you had charged at a shop because thats the price you had been told to charge,

then turned up at your personal home with a group of "peaceful" protesters who caused damage to your home?

 

PCS is a business, it runs as a business.

The managing director controls the business,

however the employees carry out the actions.

 

So if a clamper clamps your car because its not showing a permit,

is that then the fault of the MD or the clamper?

 

Clampers are not nice people, they are trained to take abuse, and they arent always above board.

 

Have you never thought that they may of clamped your car with no rights to do so, do you think they announce this money? Of course they dont! They then keep it for themselves.

 

So although complaints are to be addressed to MD's, some of the complaints that are being made quite frequently can subsequently be down to an employee's actions?

 

Please take some consideration into this as yes you may feel you need to lay the blame with someone, make sure it is the right person?

 

I am new to this forum however plan to be heavily involved in some of the issues on here so watch this space!

[Lefty Jnr]

Hi PCS 4671, I've had a parking charge notice of these cowboys in Cardiff, It was half past 7 at night and I stopped for 10 minutes round the corner from my house because there were no spaces on my street and had to unload shopping. They are so sneaky and must have just been waiting for people to pull up. They want £75 or £150 after 14 days and I'm determined not to pay it, what are the chances of them taking me to court over it? A lot of people around are saying just don't pay them and ignore the letters etc. My other thought was just send them 20 odd post dated cheques for £3.25 for the next 20 months and say its all I can afford . I was going to appeal but after reading your last post I dont think I'll bother. Has anyone else just not paid them?

 

Im sorry to be the one to tell you this, however PCS 4671 is the only operative that worked the Cardiff area as thats where he lived! So your preaching to the wrong man. I think you'd find that hes the one that actually clamped you.

[DBC]

Im sorry to be the one to tell you this, however PCS 4671 is the only operative that worked the Cardiff area as thats where he lived! So your preaching to the wrong man. I think you'd find that hes the one that actually clamped you.

 

Who's saying anything about clamping?

[Lefty Jnr]

Who's saying anything about clamping?

 

Apologies, as I said I am new here just getting to grips with it all

[Jcochrane]

May I ask a question from another point of view and would welcome any suggestions? I own (freehold) a garage and forecourt and have a continual problem of people parking on the forecourt and even right up against my garage doors. This then makes it impossible to get my car in and out of my garage. Additionally I am required, under the house deeds to keep the forecourt free for access to allow other garage owners to drive over my forecourt to access their own garages.

 

Over the last couple of years I and many other home owners on our estate have used PCS to great effect. We can actually use our garages and on the rare occasion of someone ignoring the notices not to park a phone call to PCS gets the matter sorted out. If I can' t employ a parking company to fine, clamp, remove offenders what can I do. From what I have read here I don't think I wish to continue with them but I do need to have some legal way of deterring and dealing with the illegal and inconsiderate parkers. Can any one here offer advice or point me in the direction of a reputable company.

[Old Snowy]

I understand your concerns and that you are also caught in a double bind. You do need to understand that the common business model of private parking companies (PPC's) is predicated on enforcing against infringement. There is no money in deterrence only in enforcement and from this point of view PPC's can only be described as self-serving - you tell them that you have a problem and they will continue to prove that you do - but then that's the only way that they can make their money.

 

As you have probably realised clamping on private land will become illegal at the beginning of next month and so aside from the fact that you have chosen not to use PCS, longer term you need an alternative. Its difficult to make meaningful suggestions without a detailed knowledge of the site but as general things to consider there are lockable posts (Halfords used to sell these and may still do so) outside your and your neighbours garages or a lockable barrier across the access to your forecourt?

[Jcochrane]

Had thought about some form of barriers but access must be allowed for emergency vehicles. Yet another reason why in my deeds I am to keep my forecourt clear. But how can I comply that's the problem? I have also read that clamping is to be allowed in the future but only for authorised/registered companies. In other words the cowboy companies will become a thing of the past. If that's true then it would make sense as there must be some legal means available to people to deter illegal parking. Otherwise any one can park on any persons driveway they care to and get away with it. Surely that can't be right.

[SURFBOY]

I sympathise with you about your parking problems but clamping is surely not your answer, you need traffic flow so you say. Clamping would hold the problem vehicle there adding to the problem.

[Jcochrane]

Very true but it is amazing how quickly the owners seem to appear once a car is clamped. The company can also remove the vehicle if required. After the first two clampings the message was out there and it made such a difference. I don't dread getting up at 4am to go to work wondering if I can get the car out and then returning in the evening at 20:30 wondering if I can garage my car. I know I could give up using the garage but I don't relish the thought in the early hours in the morning having to clear snow off and around the car before setting off. There would also be an increase in my car insurance if I can't garage the car.

 

It would be a return of a nightmare if there is no way to deter these selfish parkers.