Parking eye fine ? Advice

[chris1888-197]

Hi, just looking for a bit of advice on a issue I have at the moment. 2 half yer as ago I got a fine through from a morrison shopping trip I had been on from a company called parking eye it was for £85 I think, I ignored it and they sent me 2-3 more letters then nothing until about 3 weeks ago when a letter from a solicitor arrived saying that they are acting on behalf of this company and I owe a fine of £150 and if I don't pay they will take me to court! They have sent 2 other letters, I actually was only over the time by about 8 minutes and I didn't even know there was a allocated time limit! What is everyone think my best options are ? I don't want to end up with it affecting my credit!

 

[shepster200]

I parked in a Toys R Us car park (1st two hours free) we shopped in the store and spent about £150, loaded the car with the items then spent four more hours in town.
Ten day later I received a£60 ticket, phoned the company and they advised me to send a copy of the receipt and they eventually waived the ticket..... Luckily.
Speak to citizens advice as it was such a long time ago, or failing that have you by any miracle got the shopping receipt from that trip?

 

[///M]

8 minutes and they're trying to screw you for what???

Absolutely outrageous mate. Don't stand for one second of that. I'd be on to customer services (the head office one) demanding a supervisor and playing merry hell saying it's the first you'd heard of it, you'd just done a massive shop for a family birthday and you'll never shop there again. And as if you'd have receipts it was years ago...

Then I'd be on Twitter tagging every account they have PLUS the Sun and the Star and any bugger else you can think of and letting everyone know how they treat their customers.

Give them hem absolute hell mate. That is SO out of order. You're getting absolutely fleeced there. Credit won't be affected unless it goes to a conviction. There's no way they'd accept the bad publicity of taking the pistols out of a customer on account of 8 sodding minutes.

A very stiff two fingers is how I'd play that one.

 

[chris1888-197]

Hi mate, no I don't have the receipt anymore! Yeah il think il call them and see what they have to say, the things is ( not looking for sympathy or anything) at this time I was really struggling to get about as I have bad arthritis and it was just after this that I got really strong medication to control it surely if I explained this to them with proof of how I actually was really struggling at the time they would understand ? It is really sad that you go to the shops and get fined for it! Because of how long you take ! If I had seen the signs would have to be honest made sure I did not go over the time [MENTION=53051]shepster200[/MENTION]

 

[chris1888-197]

Yeah [MENTION=5180]///M[/MENTION] I will def call morrisons tomorrow, you would think they would treat people who shop at there stores with more respect.

 

[///M]

Absolutely stunned Chris. Best of luck mate. Definitely don't give them any money!!!

 

[montana]

They are renowned for being pretty aggressive when it comes to charges. The internet is full of stories of people fighting it though , lots of reading for you. I haven't read the latest advice, however I would be looking for pictures of your vehicle along with timestamps to verify the 8 minutes. Links here https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=p...-8&oe=utf-8&gws_rd=cr&ei=_C1hVqnmB4SAUZ28gbgF

 

[montana]

Oh and its absolutely nothing to do with the store you shopped at , parking eye act independently with ANPR cameras at entry and exit to capture the time you enter and leave.

 

[chris1888-197]

Thanks [MENTION=52200]montana[/MENTION] il have a read through tonight. Surely tho morrisons would have to agree with them been there ? Because people say that they have contacted morrisons about it and they can sometimes get the fine dropped!

 

[matt9566]

I've recently got one (not from the same company) after reading through the internet i'm just going to ignore it for now... http://www.parkingcowboys.co.uk/parking-eye/ have a look on there, plenty of information that might be of help.

With it being a private parking charge then you have more of a chance to get it cancelled, they have less power than the council etc, as it was so long ago and you ignored them I would say to them it's the first you've ever heard of this charge, plus did they really lose out on any money for you being 8 minutes over ? I don't think so.

Have a look about and check that link out, there is plenty of information. Good luck!

 

[///M]

Thanks @montana il have a read through tonight. Surely tho morrisons would have to agree with them been there ? Because people say that they have contacted morrisons about it and they can sometimes get the fine dropped!

The buck definitely stops with Morrisons mate. Them not getting bad publicity is worth WAY more to them than trying to fleece you out of your hard earned.

As Matt says below, definitely play it like this is the first you've heard of it.

Honestly, if you have a twitter, make full use of it! They'll soon cave when they see your whole story and realise that it makes them look like insensitive arseholes.

Although to be honest, and I DO have experience of things like this, you can just ignore it completely until it goes to court. Because it won't go to court. It will probably get passed around a few collection companies for a bit but eventually they'll just write it off.

I bet you an hour stood outside their store wearing a sandwich board saying "Morrisons are fleecing me for £150 because I have arthritis and was 8 minutes over on my parking" will get it squashed with no issues too. Hell, just photocopy some flyers and hand them out in front of the store. They'd soon change their tune.

They probably make a small fortune out of gullible people paying BS fines like this. Don't let them take your money mate!

 

[montana]

I stand corrected then, it appears they may have some power.

I wouldnt be using social media without first doing some research , i suspect them to be wise about people saying they haven't received the letters before (was the letter recorded?). PE are well known for it, even been on WatchDog
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&r...SLynvMUDfhpTwWXjnoqSlg&bvm=bv.108538919,d.d24

EDIT: More links
http://www.parkingcowboys.co.uk/parking-eye/

More info on what a PCN is http://www.parkingcowboys.co.uk/private-parking-tickets/

 

[chris1888-197]

Thanks everyone for the advice (really appreciate it), I contacted citizens advice this morning and they said they can take it to court but it's too late to appeal the fine. He said if it does go to court then the judge rules for or against me, and he sayes I can go and give my side of the story. He also said it won't affect my credit rating wish I saw as worried about.

 

[matt9566]

The only way it could affect your credit rating is if you went to court and they ordered you to pay the charge in lets say a month and you didn't..

Have a really good read through all the links and online before you make any contact with them

 

[Liam2708]

I received one, and was advised to completely ignore it and not retaliate in anyway. A few letters came through threatening increased fine amount and court etc, then it eventually went away.

 

[///M]

I received one, and was advised to completely ignore it and not retaliate in anyway. A few letters came through threatening increased fine amount and court etc, then it eventually went away.

This exactly!

Basically they just get away with whatever they can get away with. It's far too much of a pain (financially and administratively) for them to take everyone to court. So they just try and bully you into it. When it's clear that's not going to work they move on.

Problem is, most people crap themselves and pay up. If everyone stood up to them and let the public know what was going on, shady practices like this wouldn't go on. Well, the government could always step in a look after their people... yeah right!

That company is worth millions and I bet the vast majority is from stuff like this. Makes my blood boil!

 

[ashtons99]

A lot of historical cases have been resurrected lately in light of the "chip shop owner ruling". Parking fine companies have sold off a lot of their non payment cases to companies who have picked them up in the hope of winning some, either by scaring people into paying the higher penalty or going to court. 5 years ago you could effectively bin the ticket and provided you didn't communicate with the company they couldn't do much with it.
Then the courts ruled that parking companies could pursue registered keepers for the penalty charge. Again a lot of parking companies took this line but gave up when the going got difficult. Then comes along debt collection companies who buy the bad debts and have started pursuing old cases.
You really have two options
1. Carry on ignoring and sit out all the threats of county court actions.
2. Appeal to the ombudsman with whatever your grounds are, be aware of the "chip shop owner case" though,the court gave the appellant short shrift when he appealed that the charge was unreasonable.

There is ample information on the net on it. It might be worth while giving it a run at court, it's a long time ago and they need to have retained all the evidence, photos, times etc. if it was me I would have my day in court with them

 

[chris1888-197]

Yeah I think il just sit and wait it out as you said [MENTION=6120]ashtons99[/MENTION], yeah I read about that is it something beavis the guys name was ? . [MENTION=52105]Liam2708[/MENTION] how long ago was your ticket ? I never heard from the company for 2 half years!@matt9566 yeah that is what the guy from citizen advice said if the decision goes against then I would have to pay or affect my credit rating! One thing is for sure! Il never be in morrisons again in my life!

 

[Liam2708]

[MENTION=4447]chris1888-197[/MENTION] it was probably around 3 years ago now.