some legal input please

Message

Aladinsaneuk · #1 Post by **Aladinsaneuk** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 8:23 pm

a couple of weeks ago we went down too ipswich to watch a concert. arrived and found a carpark space, it was a pay and display so i toddled off and paid for a ticket - i was a bit pissed off as i had to pay an extra quid as the machine refused to give me a ticket until it had 3 quid in it... anyway, popped the ticket on the dash and went to the concert

following day we notice there is a ticket on the nearside of the windscreen - 50 quid fine for not displaying a ticket

so filled in the appeal online and said we had a ticket - we actually still do have the ticket and sorry you made a mistake

get an email today saying appeal declined - operative could not see a ticket so cough up

s0 - go too court and say fuck off - and btw here is my bill for my time etc?

and who do i complain to - i class this as being almost extortion.... innocent till proven guilty?

#2 Post by **mangocrazy** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 8:27 pm

Don't pay. Go to the Citizens Advice website and start digging around. They are bullies, pure and simple. They will never take you to court, they just want to scare people and extort money from them. What are this bunch of scamsters called, by the way?

Falcorob · #3 Post by **Falcorob** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 8:27 pm

Who is the carpark operator? Who is the 'fine' off?

Aladinsaneuk · #4 Post by **Aladinsaneuk** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 8:29 pm

ncp

thats why i am checking - they are normally reputable....

Falcorob · #5 Post by **Falcorob** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 8:37 pm

Aladinsaneuk wrote:ncp

thats why i am checking - they are normally reputable....

Then I would send a letter to their HO in Croydon detailing the issue and asking if their use of in house appeals always leads to said appeals failing. I would then point out that you still have the ticket, and that you are more than happy to produce it as evidence of payment in a court of law should the need arise.

HO address is :

National Car Parks Ltd
6th Floor
Centre Tower
Whitgift Centre
Croydon
CR0 1LP

Not sure who the letter should be addressed to but you could start with Customer Complaints Department and see what happens.

Needless to say keep records of all correspondence, especially if they telephone you.

Or you could do what mangocrazy suggests instead.

#6 Post by **mangocrazy** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 8:39 pm

Ah - that puts a slightly different complexion on it. I'm sure NCP aren't angels, but I didn't think they sunk to the level of some of the lowlifes...

Aladinsaneuk · #7 Post by **Aladinsaneuk** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 8:39 pm

the email states:

The above Parking Contravention Charge Notice was issued to your vehicle as the Parking Attendant has recorded that the vehicle was parked in a pay and display bay without clearly displaying a valid pay and display ticket.

Whilst I appreciate you have purchased a pay and display ticket, this is only valid in Council Car Parks. Please be advised National Car Parks operate in private car parks and therefore I cannot accept this as a valid payment for Ipswich Cox Lane.

By parking in our car park, you indicated your acceptance of our terms and conditions. In the case of our Pay & Display car parks, these conditions include the requirement to pay for the parking in advance and to display a valid pay and display ticket or season ticket in the vehicle. There was no valid parking ticket or season ticket clearly visible in your vehicle, therefore, having considered your case fully, I must advise that the PCCN was correctly issued.

what the fuck?

that really makes no sense at all does it....

D-Rider · #8 Post by **D-Rider** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 8:40 pm

Clearly, as an employer, they are either failing to provide eyesight tests for their staff or they don't give adequate training in observation skills .....

... and their email is, frankly, baffling ..... they run a pay and display system but the ticket you buy is not valid in their car park but in one of the council's car parks

That is what I read isn't it ??

Falcorob · #9 Post by **Falcorob** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 8:49 pm

So he accepts that you've bought a ticket but thinks it valid only for Council Car Parks? WTF? (I'm assuming that you bought the ticket from the NCP machine?

)

If he/she signed the email I would use him/her as my first point of contact and address my next letter to him.

Dispute his findings and query his assumption. Ask for photographic proof that the ticket was not displayed properly. Also ask him of the validity of the PCCN in British Law and invite him to have his say in a court of law. Tell him that you refute his findings and that you are prepared to take the matter much further.

Aladinsaneuk · #10 Post by **Aladinsaneuk** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 8:51 pm

i have emailed them again, pointing out there little faux pas

i also asked them for details of the correct ombudsman.....

next up, i bill them for my time.... and my professional witness rate is not cheap.....

MartDude · #11 Post by **MartDude** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 9:22 pm

Is the head of their complaints dept. called Franz Kafka?

#12 Post by **Kwackerz** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 10:02 pm

That'll teach you to drive into f***** Ipswich!

Willopotomas · #13 Post by **Willopotomas** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 10:37 pm

Push for court. Is it NCP who're pursuing you or a third party? I'd be after the name of the bloke who issued the ticket to make a freedom of information request. I'd then find out if there have been similar complaints by tickets issued by him.

#14 Post by **Kwackerz** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 10:45 pm

I assume you parked in NCP and used an NCP ticket machine, not a council one that looked like it was in the carpark? Ive seen differing carparks backing onto each other before (Peterboro I think it was) and a mix up betwixt space and ticket machine is wholly plausible.

I still think it's vengeance for even considering going into Ipswich. I hope you washed and disinfected before you re-entered Norfolk.

flatlander · #15 Post by **flatlander** » Tue Apr 17, 2012 7:26 am

Have a look on moneysavingexpert and watchdog they have both dealt with these. IIRC they have no legal validity