Letters To Private Parking Companies... A suggestion

[Andy7807]

I'm glad your'e agreeing that the letters are for the intellectually challenged, becuse those that work for the scamsters (which you probably do) are certainly intellectually challenged to carry on these pathetic attempts to get money for nothing.

[ALEX,S DAD]

Ahh yes, the lovely "lego letters" for the intellectually challenged.

 

HI BURKNARD

If youve nowt nice to say or don't want to to offer advice I suggest you go watch HOME AND AWAY:lol:

[pin1onu]

HI BURKNARD

If youve nowt nice to say or don't want to to offer advice I suggest you go watch HOME AND AWAY:lol:

 

Home and Away is far to complex and sophisticated for the likes of Burknard. Teletubbies would be about right.

[qbal]

And what's wrong with the Teletubbies? I watch them every day. It's a very intellectual program!!! :D

[demon_x_slash]

I've yet to see these trollish denizens point out exactly what is wrong with using a template letter - perhaps said denizen above can do so. Any legal terms wrong in there...? Any erroneous references to the wrong Acts...? Any claims that are spurious or misleading...?

 

...

 

...

 

...no?

 

Didn't think so Can't really say the same for many private parking companies.

[ConsumerWarrior]

Hiya, yes its definately a free car park - used for Benson Beds, A Bike Shop and PC retail company. I've paid them one payment of £10 and I'm going to send them a letter tomorrow saying they are not getting anymore and the ten pounds should cover their admin costs but they won;t be getting a penny more. I'm so glad people like you are out there with web site like this to advise us blissfully ignorant people - not so anymore, got my fighting hat on.

 

 

If you feel that you have to pay them, do it in 1p coins. It will cost you to send them but it feels good knowing they've got to sort that lot out.

Edited May 20, 2008 by ConsumerWarrior
spelling

[pin1onu]

Posted to wrong thread.

[John.McLaren]

Hands up! I work for a major PPC contracted to one of the major supermarkets and one of its competitors situated next door. Physically the car parks are separated only by a different exit off the business park entrance roundabout. However the rules (dictated by the store management) are very different. In one store we issue a warning notice, which is subject to the discretion of the PPC employee at the time and in the other an immediate £70 'fine'. Even issuing a warning results in abuse.

In the first store in over 4 months I cannot think of one instance where a PCN has been issued. In the second it is a regular occurrence because that it what the store management demands. However the biggest problem/bugbear is you the drivers. Each and everyone one of you seem to think that you have a god given right to park where the f**k you want. We have a proportion of Disabled Parking and a proportion of Parent-Toddler space, but give out a warning let alone a ticket for 'I'm only here for 30 seconds' to someone taking a space meant for genuinely disabled customers or a young mother struggling with a baby buggy and a shopping trolley and I'm f**king Hitler, Pol Pot, and Robert Mugabe in a hi-vis jacket. That's without even going into the seemingly increasing numbers of individuals who seem to have gotten their blue badges in a 'Free in the Daily Mail this Sunday' promotion.

And then there are the incredibly busy individuals who must drive up to the ATMs park on double yellow lines with their hazard lights flashing and block everyone else while they queue to get cash they aren't even going to spend on site. If they were, they would park, shop, and get cash back.

If you get a ticket speak to the store's customer service desk first...

Comments anyone?

Edited July 12, 2008 by John.McLaren

[emsgeorge]

Actually John, I think most people on here will agree with you on the parking abilities of some people.

 

The whole point of most of us on here, is that these companies (the PPC's) have sprung up since the clamping laws came in, totally unregulated, making up the rules as they go along. Most totally ignore due process, and make up / twist the law as they want to attempt to 'enforce' regulations that many of us simply haven't agreed to, or 'fines' which are disproportionate to the actual losses.

 

These complanies make millions off the back of scaring people into thinking horrible things will happen if they dont hand over the money. Out of a £75 fine, the store usually only ever sees £10. If it wasn't a money making [problem], then the store should see 90% of the charge, and the ppc takes only a 'admin charge', or charges the store for its services.

 

Ive got an idea that works in a store round here. Ban people abusing your car park. Simple as. Its private land, and you dont have to have people you dont want either shopping or parking in your car park. That will inconvenience them, as they do to others with their parking skills.

[nero12]

Hands up! I work for a major PPC contracted to one of the major supermarkets and one of its competitors situated next door. Physically the car parks are separated only by a different exit off the business park entrance roundabout. However the rules (dictated by the store management) are very different. In one store we issue a warning notice, which is subject to the discretion of the PPC employee at the time and in the other an immediate £70 'fine'. Even issuing a warning results in abuse.

In the first store in over 4 months I cannot think of one instance where a PCN has been issued. In the second it is a regular occurrence because that it what the store management demands. However the biggest problem/bugbear is you the drivers. Each and everyone one of you seem to think that you have a god given right to park where the f**k you want. We have a proportion of Disabled Parking and a proportion of Parent-Toddler space, but give out a warning let alone a ticket for 'I'm only here for 30 seconds' to someone taking a space meant for genuinely disabled customers or a young mother struggling with a baby buggy and a shopping trolley and I'm f**king Hitler, Pol Pot, and Robert Mugabe in a hi-vis jacket. That's without even going into the seemingly increasing numbers of individuals who seem to have gotten their blue badges in a 'Free in the Daily Mail this Sunday' promotion.

And then there are the incredibly busy individuals who must drive up to the ATMs park on double yellow lines with their hazard lights flashing and block everyone else while they queue to get cash they aren't even going to spend on site. If they were, they would park, shop, and get cash back.

If you get a ticket speak to the store's customer service desk first...

Comments anyone?

 

Hello John.McLaren

 

you seem to have missed the point here, it is private land therefore issuing £150 fines isnt backed up by any law but your companies think they can get away with it. Now im not going to call you a troll however you can post up a 1000 times shouting and screaming blue murder on here I somehow think it wont get you anywhere. Sorry if you dont like it, actually no im not but this is reality the sooner you realise the sooner you may get yourself a better more fullfilling way of spending 40 hours a week of your god given life.

[Andy7807]

As said previously, most people would agree that parking inconsiderately can be a problem and not helpful to those who need the bays, ie using disabled bays and toddler parking (aren't they too young to drive?). The problem is getting tickets for overstaying 2 hours when spending money in the said shops, or students getting 'fined' for not displaying thier permit at college/university car parks and the PPC's not taking any sort of 'appeal' into account, plus, the cost of the 'penalty' far exceeding any perceived 'loss'.

[John.McLaren]

I don't think I have missed the point. The point is that the majority of tickets issued are for drivers failing to comply with the contract. Whether the penalties are fair is a separate although important argument. I believe if you park in a disabled parking bay without the requisite badge you deserve a ticket. If you park in a Parent/Toddler parking bay when quite clearly you haven't got a toddler with you deserve a ticket. If you park your car for over 4 hours (in the store I work at) it is quite obvious you are not shopping for groceries and you'll get a ticket. The majority of these tickets are for local office workers trying to avoid paying in public car parks. I for one would be quite happy for retail car parks to become part of the public road system but then not only would tickets be issued (admittedly with a bigger burden of proof) you may also get points on your licence. It may then force you to think. In almost all cases it is drivers parking without due consideration for others. As far as fulfilling my life I am quite happy studying for a BA (Hons) Ceramics and supplementing my meagre student income with a part time job thank you.

[Andy7807]

Don't think you get points for 'real' parking offences???

[John.McLaren]

Trying parking on or within the zig zags at a pedestrian crossing it's a 3 pointer

[Andy7807]

Now your being silly

[lamma]

Trying parking on or within the zig zags at a pedestrian crossing it's a 3 pointer

 

Very debateable that that is a 'parking offense'.

 

And where does this 'failing to comply with the contract" come from ? You can not force a contract on anyone. Although many PPCs wish they could.

An unenforceable contract isn't a contract.

Is your part time job with a PPC by any chance ?

[John.McLaren]

No not really. You would be surprised how many drivers park on double yellow lines and, on or nearly on, the pedestrian crossing, blocking traffic, next to the cash machines with their engines running , hazard lights flashing, while they get the money that they desperately need to save someone's life.

That last bit is silly but you get the idea

[John.McLaren]

Parking in a dangerous position is another 3 pointer

[Andy7807]

Only PCN's issued by the Police in these instances attract points, if a Civil Enforcer issues the ticket they can't. We are talking about general parking, not extreme stupidity.

[John.McLaren]

Yes my part time job is with a PPC and I was intrigued, doing a bit of research etc. when I found and subsequently registered with this forum. There are always at least two points of view and I was surprised to learn that private land parking isn't enforceable by law but on the other hand uncontrolled parking leads to chaos and fisticuffs. as born out last week week by an elderly disabled gentleman charged with affray when he punched a builder for parking in a disabled space.

[John.McLaren]

So is parking in a disabled bay when you are not disabled acceptable?

Is parking in a Parent/Toddler parking bay when you haven't got a toddler with you acceptable?

If it is free parking throughout the car park there is no loss (apart from a parking bay designated for a particular use) so how do you deal with it?

[Andy7807]

As I said previously, disabled bays and toddler parking (still dont think toddlers should be driving) should be respected. If a company is providing parking facilities, then people should be able to park. To prevent non users from parking, use barriers with a ticket issued by the owners car park to get out. That would work for colleges etc as well, whose students forget their permit or visitors to the campus who have signed in to reception. This would alleviate the ad hoc parker who uses the car park to visit the nearby town or similar. There are too many people here, who are using a retail park, do shopping, have a meal and get a ticket for staying too long.

[lamma]

Disabled bay markings in private car parks are meaningless graffiti as you know. I don't use them, others do.

As you do know that these PPC invoices are unenforceable in law I hope you do not contribute to breaking the many Statutes that PPCs break all the time. Do you not work on the collections side at all ? e.g. just putting up signs.

[Al27]

Education is the best thing.

 

Instead of a sign saying 'if you're not disabled, you will receive a £60 parking charge notice', how about 'Please don't park here if you're not disabled. It's not fair on those who need easy access to the store'

[TheRanger]

A number of people have said they think the charges are unreasonable because they "just" crossed the street to post a letter, or they "just" met a friend and went for a coffee for an hour ... Where do we draw the line? A 15 min grace period? Why not a 4 hour grace period? Why should the freeholder even care about a grace period because you the driver is being lazy?

 

I agree that the fees may seem high, but then how else could they act as a deterent?

 

I don't buy the excuse that "oh the lot was empty why shouldn't I park there?" I could say the same about your living room while you're out shopping. Lot's of space, can I help myself?

 

Drivers need to be more considerate. It seems from this forum that everyone thinks they have an excuse to get away with illegal parking. It's the free-rider syndrome. Grow up.

 

There's no signs in the street saying don't take heroin, but that doesn't make it ok, does it? If it says staff only and you're not staff -- duh!

 

And, no, I don't work for a parking company.