This was my appeal that I have sent to POPLA, I really need to know I suppose whether to waste my time fighting or just ignore like some of the advice people have given? This is what has happened though, thank you to anyone that can help!
On 11th July I entered Tower road Newquay car park (PARKING EYE) at 14:29:29, I got out of my car (1minute max) checked the price, didn't have sufficient change so proceeded to the snack hut on the car park to get change literally took me and my boyfriend 2 minutes, I walked to the closest machine and blindly started typing in my car reg then went to put money in, the machine wouldn't accept my money, the screen had only the date and time and appeared to be frozen, wasted 2 more minutes, I walked across the car park to the other machine and this was doing the same thing, wasted another 2 minutes trying it, neither machine would accept my money. I tried repeatedly and got my boyfriend to look just in case it was me.
Myself and my boyfriend saw and spoke to another confused man on the car park who also was unable to pay and we noticed that there were other cars parked without tickets in their windows. Wasted 3 more minutes puzzled.
We decided to leave the car park. As a consumer it is my right to choose how I pay.if I am offered and then said service is out of order should I be penalised?
The car park does have a pay by phone service but I flat right refuse always have always will to sit on a car park typing in my card details to pay by phone, it's time wasting and I don't trust it all. Especially not when I now have change in my hand.
At 14:43:16 I departed the car park and went to the one next door where I paid for my ticket at the machine and enjoyed the rest of my day.
I spent 13 minutes on the car park! That's not enough time to get my nan out of the car if she had been with us!
On the 29th of August I received a letter dated 26th August telling me that I had a REMINDER to pay my fine dated 11th July. I hadn't received an initial letter let alone a reminder! To make matters worse I had until 31st August to pay the £60 fine. Otherwise it would become £100. 3days to respond to reminder when I haven't received a first letter? I understand the ticket must be issued 28days after the initial parking charge incident other wise it's a breach of the data protection act, but I wasn't contacted and had no correspondence from the 8th August at all until a reminder on the 26th?
I immediately responded to this by trying to call the company. Conveniently it is an automated service where I can speak to no one.
I then responded with an appeal, I included all the information you see above as well as reminding them that all of my actions above can be seen on CCTV. I asked that I be given a route to complain as customer service is zero and the fact they are trying to charge me to walk around a car park with faulty machines FOR 13 MINUTES is ridiculous.
They declined my appeal, they replied with a bog standard reply dated 6th August, "your recent appeal has been unsuccessful due to the fact the car park is a 'pay&display/paid parking' only. Our records show you did not purchase a valid parking ticket or the appropriate parking time on the date of the parking event. However, as a gesture of goodwill, we have extended the discount period for a further 14days from the date of this correspondence"
So they didn't read a word I said in my appeal? They mention nothing about the fact that their pay and display service was not in working order and the fact they should be apologising for MY inconvenience on the day, they mention nothing about complaints to their own customer service department (as i believe there is none) It seems to me they only care about the money not the actual circumstances. I am not very happy that they can get away with this, how many other people that day drove away not being able to pay with their change, didn't have a phone, had no battery on their phone to pay had no signal, was 82years old and didn't even own a phone and have also been charged for their 10 minute stay?
I'm not making excuses for this I just know I have a right to choose not to pay by phone and leave the car park if the only other suggested method of payment is out of order.
Especially when I was standing there as a paying customer in the first place.
I hope you can help me on this matter
On 11th July I entered Tower road Newquay car park (PARKING EYE) at 14:29:29, I got out of my car (1minute max) checked the price, didn't have sufficient change so proceeded to the snack hut on the car park to get change literally took me and my boyfriend 2 minutes, I walked to the closest machine and blindly started typing in my car reg then went to put money in, the machine wouldn't accept my money, the screen had only the date and time and appeared to be frozen, wasted 2 more minutes, I walked across the car park to the other machine and this was doing the same thing, wasted another 2 minutes trying it, neither machine would accept my money. I tried repeatedly and got my boyfriend to look just in case it was me.
Myself and my boyfriend saw and spoke to another confused man on the car park who also was unable to pay and we noticed that there were other cars parked without tickets in their windows. Wasted 3 more minutes puzzled.
We decided to leave the car park. As a consumer it is my right to choose how I pay.if I am offered and then said service is out of order should I be penalised?
The car park does have a pay by phone service but I flat right refuse always have always will to sit on a car park typing in my card details to pay by phone, it's time wasting and I don't trust it all. Especially not when I now have change in my hand.
At 14:43:16 I departed the car park and went to the one next door where I paid for my ticket at the machine and enjoyed the rest of my day.
I spent 13 minutes on the car park! That's not enough time to get my nan out of the car if she had been with us!
On the 29th of August I received a letter dated 26th August telling me that I had a REMINDER to pay my fine dated 11th July. I hadn't received an initial letter let alone a reminder! To make matters worse I had until 31st August to pay the £60 fine. Otherwise it would become £100. 3days to respond to reminder when I haven't received a first letter? I understand the ticket must be issued 28days after the initial parking charge incident other wise it's a breach of the data protection act, but I wasn't contacted and had no correspondence from the 8th August at all until a reminder on the 26th?
I immediately responded to this by trying to call the company. Conveniently it is an automated service where I can speak to no one.
I then responded with an appeal, I included all the information you see above as well as reminding them that all of my actions above can be seen on CCTV. I asked that I be given a route to complain as customer service is zero and the fact they are trying to charge me to walk around a car park with faulty machines FOR 13 MINUTES is ridiculous.
They declined my appeal, they replied with a bog standard reply dated 6th August, "your recent appeal has been unsuccessful due to the fact the car park is a 'pay&display/paid parking' only. Our records show you did not purchase a valid parking ticket or the appropriate parking time on the date of the parking event. However, as a gesture of goodwill, we have extended the discount period for a further 14days from the date of this correspondence"
So they didn't read a word I said in my appeal? They mention nothing about the fact that their pay and display service was not in working order and the fact they should be apologising for MY inconvenience on the day, they mention nothing about complaints to their own customer service department (as i believe there is none) It seems to me they only care about the money not the actual circumstances. I am not very happy that they can get away with this, how many other people that day drove away not being able to pay with their change, didn't have a phone, had no battery on their phone to pay had no signal, was 82years old and didn't even own a phone and have also been charged for their 10 minute stay?
I'm not making excuses for this I just know I have a right to choose not to pay by phone and leave the car park if the only other suggested method of payment is out of order.
Especially when I was standing there as a paying customer in the first place.
I hope you can help me on this matter
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