Waitrose: Parking fine

[septic]

Hi all,

 

I came across this site via an online search and thought you might be able to help me.

 

I've just received today a letter from Waitrose in Brentford prompting me to pay a fine of £70 for parkign there last week. Apparently I had over-stayed at their carpark by an hour. Now when parking there I was under the impression that the carpark was free as there were no obvious signs notifying me of the 2 hour parking limit.

 

I hardly feel that paying this fine is fair at all and only just realised I over-stayed because of the letter (I haven't had a chance to read the letter because I'm at work and my family notified me of the fine via phone call).

 

I apologise if this issue has been discussed on the forums; I'm at work so I haven't had an opportunity to search through many topics.

 

I will sincerely be grateful for any help you can provide me on this matter.

 

Cheers

[DBC]

For a start it's not a "fine", its an unenforcible invoice. You don't owe them a penny. Do not contact the parking company and ignore all the correspondence from them. Could you tell us the name of the parking company?

[septic]

Thank you DBC for your prompt reply. I shall ascertain the name of the parking company for you (on the phone to my relatives as I type)

[septic]

Sorry, it was actually Morrisons not Waitrose, my apologies.

 

The parking company is called Euro carparks. Apparently customers have had difficulty finding parking etc which is the preamble to the "invoice" and incidentally, when I parked there, save for about 6 cars, the carpark was empty.

[DBC]

Euro Car parks well known on here and can be ignored. under civil law they can only claim for the actual material loss suffered by the land-owner. In your case these amounts to a big fat zero. So they cannot claim anything from you.

 

If you click onto here and scroll down to "Euro Car Parks, you will see the sort off letters they will send to you, all of which can be ignored. It's just part of their strategy to try and make you pay.

[septic]

Thank you so much for your help DBC! It is greatly appreciated!

 

Having read the link you've provided and the scans of the letters sent by Euro Car Parks, am I to assume that it is safe to ignore those letters as opposed to replying to them?

 

Is it advisable to reply to Euro Car Parks in relation to the above invoice and state my position, i.e. my refusal to pay on the grounds that the signs weren't reasonably visible etc?

[DBC]

No, ignore them. You don't owe them a penny. If you write to them , all you will get is the standard "your appeal has been refused" reply.

[septic]

Ah okay thank you for your help DBC. I'm very grateful

[sequenci]

Welcome to the forums, you're in safe hands.

 

Best wishes,

 

Seq.

[septic]

Thanks for the welcome

 

I've just been reading this thread, I'm sure some of you have encountered it:

 

forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=269814&

 

The bluelagoon guy is hilarious. I can't believe private clamping hasn't been deemed illegal as it has been in Scotland. Its such a sick and clearly extortionate means of making money.

 

I just want to thank you guys again. If it weren't for you guys, I would have been duped into paying this unfair 'fine'.

[DBC]

Yes, unfortunately, it appears that at least 30% of people who receive these invoices pay up without question. Did you see last week's Watchdog where the programme highlighted the way private parking companies try to fool people into think they are receiving official documents. These include lots of chequer patterns round the edge of the letters, the scales of justice on the letter heading and the use of the initials "PCN" (for "parking charge notice") which many people think means "penalty charge notice"

 

Then you have to look at the fancy names some of these companies give themselves, such as "Civil Enforcement Ltd" "Court Proceedings Ltd" and "CPS" which could be mistaken for "Crown Prosecution Service".

 

Glad to have been of help and spread the word to all you friends and family about this [problem].

[septic]

Absolutely shocking behaviour.

 

I will warn all my friends and family about this.

 

Thanks again!

[ldkquestion]

Yes, unfortunately, it appears that at least 30% of people who receive these invoices pay up without question. Did you see last week's Watchdog where the programme highlighted the way private parking companies try to fool people into think they are receiving official documents.

Btw, what was the title/content of the recent Watchdog segment about parking fines? (not the paper aeroplanes from a few months back)

 

Is it online?

[DBC]

Here it is :- Watchdog

[ldkquestion]

Thanks