Euro car parks

[gordon stephenson]

Has anybody any experience euro car parks, Just received a charge from them regarding parking in a halfords car park in Uxbridge while visiting my son, Are they legit, caught by number plate recognition camera,
Thanks, Gordon.

 

[gavcarter]

Quick Google and they appear to be an actual company. But charging to park in Halfords?
Are they for real?
Ring em up tell em you sold that car last week and you have nothing to do with the ticket

 

[armalites]

Just send them a copy of your receipt to prove you were shopping. The issue will come if it logged you as accessing the carpark and then leaving 4-5hrs later as they won't count that as shopping time unless you can provide receipts to prove.

 

[Wozzaaah]

They’re one of the big players.
I think the days of ignoring PCNs are gone, the advice now is to pay as the charges rapidly escalate if you don’t and court cases almost always go in their favour.
They usually offer a discount if you pay within a certain time.
They probably have you on CCTV parking then leaving the site so unless you can produce a proof of purchase from Halfords during the time you were parked there you are in breach of their contract which will state that parking is for customers only.

 

[armalites]

Quick Google and they appear to be an actual company. But charging to park in Halfords?
Are they for real?
Ring em up tell em you sold that car last week and you have nothing to do with the ticket

They do the same in Aldi stores, if you are parked more than 2hrs

 

[skotl]

As above. Unfortunately, even if we don't agree with the practise, big companies like this are rarely "cowboys" (nowadays - different in days gone by) - the sign will likely say "charge for parking more than x hours" and they will have logged you being there for longer than that.

As Woz says, best to just pay and keep an eye out for parking signs in future. If you don't pay then they will simply contact DVLA for your details and pursue you through civil courts, with each step being billed back to you. Pay up and lesson learned, I'm afraid

 

[armalites]

As above. Unfortunately, even if we don't agree with the practise, big companies like this are rarely "cowboys" (nowadays - different in days gone by) - the sign will likely say "charge for parking more than x hours" and they will have logged you being there for longer than that.

As Woz says, best to just pay and keep an eye out for parking signs in future. If you don't pay then they will simply contact DVLA for your details and pursue you through civil courts, with each step being billed back to you. Pay up and lesson learned, I'm afraid

Surely they've already contacted DVLA as that's how they've got his details?

 

[skotl]

Surely they've already contacted DVLA as that's how they've got his details?

Indeed - thought that after I'd saved it The local co-op here just slaps a ticket on the windscreen, then uses DVLA if that doesn't get paid.

 

[armalites]

I don't really have issues with it as they are usually pretty generous with time and the signs are very clear these days

 

[Wozzaaah]

We have a new development here, M&S food, Toby Carvery, Subway, Papa John, Domino’s, massively busy all the time and 3 hours free parking BUT...you need to display a ticket even though it’s ANPR controlled.
It’s only opened recently but already hundreds have been slapped with PCNs either for failing to display a ticket because they didn’t realise they had to or because they entered a digit incorrectly when they put their Reg no into the ticket machine.
People have also been charged £20+ for phone calls to the parking company trying to appeal!
They’ve had so muck flak over it they’ve now changed the system so you no longer need to get a ticket but they won’t cancel any outstanding penalties.

 

[Robotstar5]

We have a new development here, M&S food, Toby Carvery, Subway, Papa John, Domino’s, massively busy all the time and 3 hours free parking BUT...you need to display a ticket even though it’s ANPR controlled.
It’s only opened recently but already hundreds have been slapped with PCNs either for failing to display a ticket because they didn’t realise they had to or because they entered a digit incorrectly when they put their Reg no into the ticket machine.
People have also been charged £20+ for phone calls to the parking company trying to appeal!
They’ve had so muck flak over it they’ve now changed the system so you no longer need to get a ticket but they won’t cancel any outstanding penalties.

We had one earlier in the year where a pensioner put an O instead of 0 in and got a ticket, there was so much fallout in the local news the ticket was withdrawn

 

[armalites]

We have a new development here, M&S food, Toby Carvery, Subway, Papa John, Domino’s, massively busy all the time and 3 hours free parking BUT...you need to display a ticket even though it’s ANPR controlled.
It’s only opened recently but already hundreds have been slapped with PCNs either for failing to display a ticket because they didn’t realise they had to or because they entered a digit incorrectly when they put their Reg no into the ticket machine.
People have also been charged £20+ for phone calls to the parking company trying to appeal!
They’ve had so muck flak over it they’ve now changed the system so you no longer need to get a ticket but they won’t cancel any outstanding penalties.

If you've entered a digit incorrectly then a ticket would be a benefit as it would be easy to prove that you made a mistake.

I've always been concerned about making a mistake typing my reg in.

 

[cumbriasteve]

I saw the episode of The Bailiffs are coming where a guy ignored tickets after the keyboard lawyers advised him parking tickets could not be enforced because the company could not prove financial loss and other weird and wonderful get out of paying clauses.

By the time court costs and recovery costs were added it would have been cheaper to buy the land himself.

 

[8ob]

This is worth a read, there are a few get outs https://www.lawontheweb.co.uk/personal/parking-fines

A friend of mine runs a private hire service and his cars are always getting tickets, he manages to put them all to bed long before any court action.

Bob

 

[ajlelectronics]

The best place for genuinely helpful advice is pepipoo.com

 

[armalites]

At this moment we are all speculating, what hasn't been confirmed is whether the OP was parked legally IE whilst shopping or just parked there while visiting someone.

 

[fizzy]

I have no objection to them slapping a ticket on someone if they overstay for hours in a supermarket carpark but I DO object to having to type in your reg and then return to your car - especially when it is raining and you don't know the reg as it is a hire car.
I also object to paying for hospital parking. When my Uncle was dying looking for change and feeding a machine was the last thing on my mind.
BTW I have never paid a parking ticket - a stern letter usually works.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

General caveat, some rules/laws may differ North of the Border.

 

[RonA]

Ring em up tell em you sold that car last week and you have nothing to do with the ticket

Don’t think that’s going to work, probably paid the DVLA to get your address & in true DVLA style they’ll dob you in as the owner
RonA

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Don’t think that’s going to work, probably paid the DVLA to get your address & in true DVLA style they’ll dob you in as the owner RonA

Afaik, anyone can pay a fee [£2 iirc] to the DVLA to get registered owner details - I think the wording is something like 'applicant must show good reason' [i.e. not so you can go stalking the attractive female you spotted in traffic ]. And there'll doubtless be a 'special' reduced fee for parking enforcers etc who'll 'be bulk buying'