Excel Parking

[cjmatt42]

Hi,

 

I am just wondering if anyone has had any experiance with the above car parking company in the past. The ticket is for exceeding the parking limit in a retail car park in Mansfield ("Code 80 offence") in November last year. I cannot clearly remember that far back so am not sure what the parking limits are at the retail park however I will go out there and investigate.

 

This is the first time that I have received a parking ticket so am not sure as to the legal requirements of their charge. Their charge letter claims to have photographic evidence to support their claim.

 

I would be grateful if anyone could summerise the best way to appeal parking tickets and if they have had any success arguing their case with Excel.

 

Cheers

 

Chris

[cjmatt42]

Further to my original post I have received a second demand for money already. The first notice for £40 (if paid in 7 days), £60 (if paid in 14 days) was dated 9/1/07. The second notice dated for £100 is only dated on the 12/1/07. At this point I still have 3 days of the original 7 day and then 7 days at the increased price of £60.

 

As of yet I have not replied to Excel Parking but if anyone can advise the best approach then I would be very grateful.

 

Cheers

 

Chris

[sjhodson]

Chris, I was interested to see your post. I’ve just received (13/1/07) a £100 notice from Excel for a similar incident (80) also in Mansfield that apparently occurred on the 30th September, which like yourself I’ve no recollection of. Unlike you I’ve received nothing until this final notice. Have you contacted Excel to see what they are playing at yet? Simon

[patdavies]

Is this a PCN issued under the RTA1991 (which it must state on the ticket) on behalf of the local council or is this a private ticket.

 

If the former, then you need to review the threads regarding dates, etc.

 

If private, despite their threats, it is unenforceable against the RK - see the Euro Cark Park threads - which are on exactly the same basis

[seamstress]

Hello there,

 

I've recieved a " notice to owner of intent to issue court proceedings" letter this morning, unless i send them £100.

 

I,ve had no ticket issued at the car park and this letter is the only thing I've had with a contravention apparantly happening on the 9th September ?

 

I don't know what sort of a [problem] is operating at this car park but i for one will be fighting it.

[Supermiembro]

Hi everyone,

 

Sorry to hear about these fines for parking in Mansfield. I have also just received a demand from Excel for the same thing asking for £100 for overstaying on the 7th October.

I have wrote to them denying that I was there longer than the requisite time and that I will not be paying this and will go to court. It seems that there are cameras that record you entering and leaving so I probably shouldn't have denied it, but you should argue that they have no right to extort monet from you.

I will see what Excel say, but I for one am going to go to court without a lawyer and take my chances. I cannot afford to pay that much of a fine for staying too long in a free car-park.

I wish everyone luck against these sharks.

[Doglover]

I have also just received an intent to issue court proceedings from Excel parking in respect of an alledged overstay dated 29/9/06 (3.5 months ago) in Portland Park car park Mansfield.

 

Of course I haven't been able to previously question this allegation because contrary to their stated policy their attendant did not attach a PCN to my car. Furthermore the issue time stated on the notice is actually the time we arrived in the car park! We also have a shopping receipt marked with an issue time which left us 20 minutes to return to the car and leave within the permitted free parking time.

 

I have no intention of paying the £100 fine and will go to court even if it costs me the additional £80 to state that the attendant has printed the pcn after my car has left the car park.

 

Strange that the attendant would have had to stay at the car park until 5.10 pm to correctly issue the pcn. Wonder what time he finishes work and whether he was tempted to print it out on the way home????

[patdavies]

I strongly suggest that all of you read the Euro Car Parks thread further down.

 

From this you will learn exactly how to deal with Excel Parking.

[seamstress]

Hi all,

 

As Patdavies rightly says,read the Euro car park thread, I have and i've done exactly what it says on the tin.

 

I have written back to them telling them that I wasn't driving the vehicle at the time and I don't know who was.

 

You are under no obligation even as the registered keeper to tell a private company who was the driver so they have no case.

[noiseboy135db]

Just ask them for the number printed on your road fund licence (tax disc)

 

Real wardens have to put this onto real tickets to prove that they were actually looking at your car when they issued your ticket.

 

Doubt they've got that from a video camera

[patdavies]

 

Real wardens have to put this onto real tickets to prove that they were actually looking at your car when they issued your ticket.

 

Nonsense.

 

Councils can enforce via CCTV also.

 

The inportant point is that private car parking tickets are not enforcable at all

[Supermiembro]

I think Pat is right. The main point here is that a private company cannot fine you for anything really.

If I park on your drive you cannot issue me with a PCN and demand money from me, therefore neither can they.

But there is no law against them trying.

I am waiting to hear from excel after having wrote two letters to them, but I will go to court if I have to.

[Doglover]

Thanks patdavies for the advice re the Euro car parks thread. It took me a while to find it, but for those who may still need to refer, it is a link located under the last thread entry box.

 

It basically says you dont have to tell them who was driving and they need the drivers name to enter into a contract to obtain the fine.

[Supermiembro]

Hi Guys,

 

Has anyone heard anything from Excel yet? It has been almost a month since I last wrote telling them to go ahead and take me to court, but so far nothing.

[Supermiembro]

It seems that Excel are continuing with their demand for my money. I received a letter yesterday with a copy of a photo of my car entering and leaving the Mansfield car park with the times etc, although they are now asking for £40 instead of the original £100 that they asked for first. I have wrote back and told them to demand the money from the driver and not me the registered keeper, so if they can prove I was driving then good luck to them, but I will have my day in court if necessary.

[demon_x_slash]

Good, you're on the right track

[Money Grabber]

Hi, i too am having real trouble with Excel Parking. I got a ticket last year but appealed against it. Anyhow a few months after i recieved a letter from Excel saying they wanted £100 (£40 for the ticket & £60 costs) I called them and told them i appealed and they said the claim wasnt successful, they said they informed me by post but i never rec'd anything.

 

Anyway the lady said to send the money for the ticket (£40) and write a letter to explain what had happend.

 

A few weeks later i rec'd a letter from a debt ageny telling me they wanted £120 or go to court, I wrote the following letter:

 

In my capacity as the registered keeper of the above vehicle I acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 19.03.07 after paying £40 as agreed with a member of the Excel Staff on the no: 01142 660400 on 31st Jan 07.

 

I see your charge as unlawful, unenforceable and I am not liable. I will not be providing any further payment and your continued pursuit of this matter will constitute an offence under the Protection From Harassment Act 1997. I consider the matter closed and I am explicitly instructing you not to contact me again for any reason.

 

Now i have another debt company wanting £180.....

 

Any advice on what to do next?????

 

I was going to send the same letter again......

[brechiner]

I had a problem with a company called Parking Eye. The failed to have their contract outside the car park and they had the word FINE in the wording of their T&C's.

 

Each time they contacted me I wrote back stating that the cost to them would be £50 per letter that I had to open from companies I have not authorised to write to me.

 

I stated that the first 2 would be free and if I received a third letter from them or an agent of theirs then I would accept their acceptance of the contract between us. I would not charge for this letter but would charge for ALL 4 if I received a fourth letter.

 

They cancelled the ticket as they were 'concerned' (their words) about contacting me.

 

My sister tried that with Excel and had the same response a cancelled ticket after 3 letters.

 

hope this helps

[elviscat16]

Hi

I just wanted to share my current experience of Excel parking. In January 07 I was parked in a car park in Stockport and went over the time on the sticky ticket by 11 minutes. The fine was £40 (within one week) - completely disproportionate for the alleged 'crime', but I paid up 2 days later not wanting it to go any higher. I phoned the number on the ticket and made the payment over the phone with my switch card and that was that.

Today I received an email from my company car fleet dept saying they had received notification of this UNPAID fine through from our Fleet management company and they would be taking £83.50 from my salary to pay the Fleet management company who had paid Excel parking! They attached a pdf version of excel's ticket.

So Excel parking have now received 2 lots of money for this parking offence. I phoned Excel, as my company's email suggested, but was met with the most patronising rudeness I have ever ever heard. I checked with my bank that the money had gone to Excel in January and indeed it had and they are sending me a copy statement (which costs £2.50) as evidence. I emailed Excel but of course received back their standard email, saying this would be dealt with.... Having read many of the issues people have had with the time Excel takes to deal with 'appeals' (which this isn't as I paid it!!) I am really worried that this will all take so long that the money will be taken from my salary - all when I did actually pay this fine!!!

[Zamzara]

Hi

I just wanted to share my current experience of Excel parking. In January 07 I was parked in a car park in Stockport and went over the time on the sticky ticket by 11 minutes. The fine was £40 (within one week) - completely disproportionate for the alleged 'crime', but I paid up 2 days later not wanting it to go any higher. I phoned the number on the ticket and made the payment over the phone with my switch card and that was that.

Today I received an email from my company car fleet dept saying they had received notification of this UNPAID fine through from our Fleet management company and they would be taking £83.50 from my salary to pay the Fleet management company who had paid Excel parking! They attached a pdf version of excel's ticket.

 

Inform your company that you consider the second demand for payment to be fraudulent, and that they are not authorized to deduct it. There are strict rules on wage deductions, even if they are agreed, and I doubt a disputed invoice from a third party is good grounds.

 

Also report Excel to the police and Trading Standards, with proof of your initial payment. If you were mislead into believing their ticket was official, include that in the complaint. Ask your company to co-operate in the complaint.

[erikzabel]

Today I received a PCN from Excel for £100 for a contravention of Code 80 dated 26/11. When the amount was questioned they stated that is was because we had not responded to the first notice. Hardly surprising really because we never received one! My wife argued our case and the amount was reduced to £40. What is happening in this retail centre at Mansfield? The fee has been paid but I wish we had been aware of this site, maybe it would have been a different story.

[Eyore]

I came across this forum whilst searching for Excel Parking Services. I too received one of their £100 penalty notices in January for "overparking" in Mansfield.

 

Just wondered if anyone has heard from Excel. Are they continuing to threaten you with court action, has anyone actually had court proceedings issued or is it as everyone states just empty threats to intimidate you into paying?

 

Excel have just informed me that me "appeal" has failed (I didn't appeal I just told them that I wasn't there when they claim, provided evidence and told them I had no liability). I have now received a "final demand" and they say they WILL issues court proceedings. Lets see what happens!

[Money Grabber]

Hi i am still going round and round with mine..... Exel write a letter, i write one back, i get a letter from there solicitor, i write back to them, Excel write back to me... They have sent it to a debt collector, however i sent all the leeters to them and they passed it back to Excel. I recived another letter this morning from the debt collector and i just called them and told them i wasnt paying it...... I have been thretend with court and i will be very pleased if i do go cos at least someone will have to listen to me then.......

 

When you try and talk to someone at Excel there is never anyone of any authority that can help and they tell you to put it in writing.

[Eyore]

To stop the debt collectors lettes write to the debt collectors and Excel repeating what you have already told them and tell them to either issue court proceedings against you (as they keep threatening) or stop contacting you. If they contact you again with another demand for payment you can report them to the police for harassment.

[Supermiembro]

Whatever you do, do not telephone Excel as it is a premium rate number. Better just to write to them each time and tell them to take you to court or stop harassing you. Somebody else here has suggested that you could charge them for each letter they write to you, I'm not sure about that but it might work.

The carpark in Mansfield has cameras that snap you entering and leaving, but they will find it difficult to prove who was driving your car,especially entering where they snap the back of your car, so bear that in mind.

Good luck and just refuse to pay them as I am doing.