G24 ANPR PCN - no Permit - only 1hrs free parking ! Sports Direct & Matalan​​​​​​​, Heathcote Road, Longton, Stoke on Trent ST3. - worth appealing?

[Catm1234]

Hi, 

sorry to jump on this thread, but

 

I have also received a charge from the same car park as the OP. I’ll be honest, I was completely oblivious to the fact that it was anpr now. I walked to the old machines (still in situ) saw they were turned off and presumed they were broken so it was free parking. 

I’ve now received a fine.

I was there 28 minutes and did spend at sports direct.

 

I understand now that this ordinarily would give me free parking (if I had scanned my receipt on exit) is it worth appealing on these grounds?

 

And can I still pay at the early payment rate if I appeal and it’s unsuccessful?

I don’t really want to go down the route of ignoring letters and it being passed to debt collectors.

 

many thanks for any advice!

 

[honeybee13]

Hello, welcome to CAG.

 

Don't appeal, you could make things more complicated for yourself.

 

Please start a new thread of your own, this one is for advising Doffydel.

 

Best, HB

[Catm1234]

Hi, I received a ‘contractual parking charge notice’ through the post from G24 on the 20th April. This was for parking in Matalan/sports direct car park without paying.

 

I don’t often go here and I’ll be honest, I completely missed all the signs about ANPR (apparently it changed to this late last year), I walked over to the old machines that were still in situ and were turned off, so I just presumed they were out of order and not working. I shopped for 28 minutes (according to my letter which also has a photo of my car on) and then left.

 

what I should have done is scanned my receipt from the shop on exit and I would have actually got free parking as it’s free up to 30 minutes if you spend apparently looking online. I no longer have my receipt but can show on my bank statement I spent money in sports direct.

 

Is it worth appealing on these grounds?

Many thanks for any advice.

Catherine 

 

[honeybee13]

Hi.

 

It's hardly ever worth appealing because it's extemely unlikely to be accepted. See what the forum experts think, just in case you're an exception.

 

Could you let us have the information requested in the forum sticky please? It will help us to advise you.

 

 

HB

[dx100uk]

had to remove your upload as you'd left your reg number showing

please read upload and use PDF only.

 

there is no such thing as a 30mins limit, no-one can change the original times granted at planning stage by the council which would have been 2 or 3 hrs.

do not appeal by poss complain to the shop with proof. how unfair things are 30mins!!

[Catm1234]

Date of the infringement

17th April 
 

 

2 Date on the NTK [this must have been received within 14 days from the 'offence' date]

20th April 
 

[scan up BOTH SIDES as ONE PDF- follow the upload guide]

please do not put JPG Picture files into your post

 

3 Date received

22nd April 
 

4 Does the NTK mention schedule 4 of The Protections of Freedoms Act 2012? [Y/N?]

Yes 
 

5 Is there any photographic evidence of the event?

Yes 
 

6 Have you appealed? [Y/N?] post up your appeal]

No
 

Have you had a response? [Y/N?] post it up

N/a
 

7 Who is the parking company?

G24

 

8. Where exactly [carpark name and town]

Sports direct and matalan

Heathcote road

longton

stoke On Trent 

ST3 2NU
 

For either option, does it say which appeals body they operate under.

Unsure 
 

There are two official bodies, the BPA and the IAS. If you are unsure,

please check HERE

 

If you have received any other correspondence, please mention it here

 

Copy the windscreen or ANPR section to your thread and answer the questions...

……....

In either case scan up bothsides of any letters/tickets in or appeals made out to ONE MULTIPAGE PDF ONLY

please do not put JPG Picture files into your post

[brassnecked]

30 minute restriction completely unrealistic, if you are stuck in a socially distanced queue and queue to go into shop, could be an hour or more, thereby any assumed contract is frustrated by impossibility of complying with T & C's as put on signage.  that's a point for later though

[Catm1234]

Sorry, just checked online again and it’s an hour free parking if you spend in store like I did, I just didn’t scan my receipt annoyingly!! 

[dx100uk]

go pester the store to cancel it take proof of purchase 

[Catm1234]

Do you think they have the authority to do that? I’ll perhaps give them a call first as I’m about 30 minutes drive away so don’t want to get

there and they then say “it’s nothing to do with us” thanks 

[dx100uk]

yes ofcourse they do.

they employed the fleecers or the landowner did and they agreed the scheme, they'll be getting loads of complaints , no-one bar the council can dictate a 1hrs limit and that will not be what was originally granted upon planning consent of the original development.

 

 

[brassnecked]

Actually an hour is insufficient with Covid Restrictions anyway

[Catm1234]

I’ve rung the store and they said they can’t get involved but have advised me to appeal and send my bank statement to show proof of purchase and they may look on it favourably given it only came in late last year and for the most part they’ve been closed subject to lockdown so the car park has had very little use since the changes.

 

My other question is

 

I’m now 10 days into my 14 day cheaper fine option, if I appeal within the next 4 days and its found to be unsuccessful could I still pay the reduced rate? There’s no mention on the letter. 
thanks 

[dx100uk]

there is also no mention in the letter of the word FINE.

 

ignore them do not appeal.

 

 

 

[lookinforinfo]

If you want to continue not paying then you will need to take photos of their signage as it is often their downfall. Faults with their signage usually leads to PCNs being cancelled. So take your receipt and see if the store can help you. Or if they have a Consumer help section. 

If they still stonewall complain about them on Trust Pilot  etc and see if you can shame them into resolving your PCN. Especially if they do not have planning permission for their signage from the local council.

 

 

[Catm1234]

Thanks all for your help.

 

When I spoke to the store they were fairly confident that they would potentially look at it favourably as it’s been introduced fairly recently and that I had qualified for the free parking with evidence of spend.

 

As a result, I have emailed my appeal to them tonight.

I don’t think the wording is very clear on the paper, the option to pay at the lower rate is up in 4 days time and it’s unlikely I’ll get a response before then.

 

Will I have to pay full price if unsuccessful?

 

Thanks 

[dx100uk]

you won't be paying ANYTHING!! 

emailed an appeal to who?

 

[Catm1234]

I emailed it to G24. The store said they had had numerous issues with people not understanding the new Anpr process since it came in and that if we appealed to G24 with evidence of purchase then hopefully they should still look favourably at the case even though it’s been in a little while now. 

[dx100uk]

no!

you just i'd yourself as the driver and lost protection under pofa2012 i bet..

 

what did you put?

 

dx

[Catm1234]

I know I probably have done the wrong thing but I thought this may be the simplest and quickest way of them hopefully stopping the charge.

 

I explained that due to the lockdowns and stay at home rule this was my first visit to the store since the changes, signage wasn’t clear and the fact that the old machines are still in situ made the situation even more confusing.

 

I just told the truth that I didn’t see any other signage to suggest anything other than what I thought was a faulty machine so it was free parking.

 

I went on to explain that had I scanned my receipt on exit then I would have qualified for free parking and I provided evidence of in store purchase too. 

[dx100uk]

oh dear...have not read any threads here .....rather than being scared of a powerless parking company issuing a speculative invoice and some supposed discount period...fell for the oldest trick in the book.

[FTMDave]

Good grief.

 

Private parking companies never, ever, accept appeals - ever.  They are bloodsuckers only interested in conning & bullying motorists into paying money they don't owe.

 

Of course Sports Direct could call the fleecers off - it's Sports Direct who employ them!  So as the local store has been useless, email the CEO [email protected] and demand they call their dogs off.  Don't mention the appeal, but do attach proof of purchase.

[brassnecked]

You have let them scalp you, you hae put all their ducks in a row for them, their appeals never work, and you gave them your email, something you should never do.  When they reject your plaintive appeal as they will do, they will say you have lost the right to pay a reduced fleecing charge  and you have killed any POFA protection by outing yourself as the driver

[dx100uk]

but we have big corks and big buckets so dont worry

 

dx

 

[Catm1234]

Oh dear, I probably too innocently thought that as previous people had appealed and appeared to be successful according to the store then I would be in the same boat as them, or there would be some sort of marker to indicate what appeals would be allowed that the store had agreed with them.

 

The breach I have is ‘failure to pay parking tariff’ so is there no chance they would reconsider given I’ve provided evidence now that there wouldn’t have been a tariff to pay? 

I’ll contact the CEO as advised above.

thanks all