Author Topic: Proof that ANPR cameras in car parks don't work  (Read 281255 times)

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Offline Web Admin

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Re: Proof that ANPR cameras in car parks don't work
« Reply #180 on: 12 August, 2019, 08:38:36 AM »
#148
Family fined despite never parking at notorious Plymouth car park

Britannia Parking fined the Fell family £100 for queuing in a car park - the company has since decided to drop the matter altogether


Happy family - Hannah and Andrew Fell with their six-year-old daughter Olivia

A couple were left in disbelief after they were fined £100 by a private parking firm - for spending too long queuing for a space in a car park.

Hannah and Andrew Fell thought it would be a lovely idea to take their six-year-old daughter Olivia to the National Marine Aquarium during their summer break away in the South West.

They drove up from their holiday cottage in Padstow, Cornwall, and thought it'd be a good idea to drop their BMW 3 Series off in Plymouth's multi-storey Harbour Car Park.

But that's when their ordeal began.

"We started queuing as we went through the door - there weren't any signs to say it was full or that there weren't any spaces available," Hannah, 42, said.


The Fell family failed to find a space in the Britannia Parking operated car park - yet still received a fine

"We went all the way up to the top of the car park, and at that point I threw my husband and daughter out, saying head on over to the aquarium whilst I try to find a space.

"It was another 20 minutes that went by before I managed to get back down again because the queue was so big."


 
Flustered, Hannah managed to get out and find a space at Drake Circus' car park before walking all the way back up to the aquarium to meet her family.

Hannah says she was then left in total disbelief after a £100 fine courtesy of Britannia Parking dropped through the door back home in Cambridgeshire.


Olivia thankfully still managed to enjoy a trip to the aquarium - whilst her mum tried to park the car (Image: Hannah Fell)

The firm said its cameras had clocked them travelling in at 11.50am on July 30 and leaving at 12.23pm - having not paid for a ticket.

But Hannah says she never found a space so the fine seems ridiculous.

She said she was inspired to speak out after Catherine Lovell revealed she too had been fined by Britannia Parking after failing to find a parking space at the Harbour Car Park.

The company stood by its decision to fine Ms Lovell because she had spent 50 minutes in a queue.

"I never stepped foot out of my car to park," Hannah said. "I was impacted in that I couldn't actually leave.

"I was stuck in traffic, worming my way out after I had reached the top just like everybody else, we were all trying to get out."

Hannah said she and her husband have desperately tried to appeal the fine issued to them in the post on August 9.

She said the reference number wasn't recognised online and staff weren't taking her calls.

But now it's emerged the fine isn't actually valid anymore.

Britannia Parking told Plymouth Live it has decided to cancel the Fell family's penalty charge notice after carrying out an investigation into the circumstances. But the Fell family said they had not been told until contacted by Plymouth Live.

All of our signs and procedures meet the industry’s Approved Operators Code of Conduct, including those at the Harbour Car Park in Plymouth.

“We are a reputable car park operator and manager of more than 25 years’ standing, and a member of the British Parking Association.”

https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/plymouth-news/family-fined-despite-never-parking-3192659

Offline The Bald Eagle

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Re: Proof that ANPR cameras in car parks don't work
« Reply #181 on: 13 September, 2019, 12:04:28 PM »
#149

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Outraged mum slapped with £100 fine for visiting car park twice in one day

Paula Jeffery tried to prove to car park operators that the car visited on two separate occasions, but they refused to change the decision

Alahna Kindred
8 Jan 2019,

A FURIOUS mum was hit with a £100 parking fine after her car visited the same car park twice in one day.

Paula Jeffery left her car near a Pure Gym and left an hour later, which was within the maximum two-hour parking limit.


Paula Jeffery was slapped with a £100 fine after her car visited the same car park twice in the same day

Her husband drove the same car later that afternoon to go a Home Bargains with their children after a swimming lesson at the Carnegie Retail Park in Dunfermline, Scotland.

The family have been slapped with a £100 fine after car park operators say they exceeded the two-hour limit despite visiting on two separate occasions.

Paula, from Carnock, Fife said she gave Civil Enforcement Ltd photographic proof that their vehicle entered the car park at two different times.

She told Dunfermline Press that the company is refusing the reverse its decision.


Paula claims her vehicle left the car park and did not overstay the strict two-hour maximum limit

Paula said: “They cannot get away with this.

“They are getting money off people when they haven’t done anything wrong at all.

“I wouldn’t mind paying if I had overstayed but I didn’t.

“I could not have left my car there all afternoon as I had to be back in Carnock to get my kids from school.

"I can’t be in two places at once and they haven’t even bothered to check.”

The couple paid the fine over fears it would affect their credit rating, but Paula vows to never park there again.

The Sun Online contacted Civil Enforcement Ltd for comment.


https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/8150011/mum-fine-visiting-park-twice-day/
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Offline The Bald Eagle

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Re: Proof that ANPR cameras in car parks don't work
« Reply #182 on: 13 September, 2019, 12:36:07 PM »
#150 and 151

Asda-mad mum receives TWO parking charges in one week for visiting the store multiple times a day


Two people have come forward to complain about charges

A mum who received two parking fines in one week for her visits to Asda in Spondon has said the system is "barking mad".

Rae Whitehouse, 41, said she visits Asda "at least four times a day", and claims that Parking Eye cameras did not differentiate between each visit, therefore sending Ms Whitehouse charges for staying over the three hour time limit.

The Asda-lover, who is a mum-of-four from Spondon, said: "I'm always at Asda, it is like my second home.

"I go multiple times a day on the school run, passing through to get to my mum's house and at the end of the day. But I'm being punished for it.

"I've had three fines in a week now and it is so annoying. They are going to send it to someone who is just going to pay it. But I'm not paying anything. It's barking mad."



Parking Eye said the charges had all been cancelled and it has have "updated the camera settings in this car park".

Rae, who is a stay-at-home parent and carer for her mum, said she spents at least £150 week in the store.

She said the Asda manager has now registered her as a member of staff in order to stop her from receiving the charges.

But Rae insisted that she does not blame Asda for the fines, and said they "bent over backwards" to help resolve the situation.

Another aggrieved customer has demanded compensation from Parking Eye after he claims they charged him for visiting Asda in Spondon twice in one day.

Ciaran Williams, 30, says he visited his local store for petrol in the morning and for a birthday cake later that day.

He told Derbyshire Live he was sent a charge which claimed he stayed in the car park for nine hours and seven minutes.

If paid within 14 days, the charge is £40 instead of £70.


Ciaran Williams said the charge had caused him a lot of stress

Mr Williams, a Rolls-Royce engineer from Chaddesden, said: "I'm being punished for visiting Asda twice in one day. They need to get it sorted out.

"It has really stressed me out so I have asked for compensation in a letter. I'm definitely not going to pay it and I'll take them to court if I have to.

"It seems to be a regular thing at the moment and it has put me off shopping there. I am conscious that I'm going to get another one of these fines."

The customers claim that the Parking Eye cameras had not clocked them leaving the car park, which is why it thought they had stayed for up to 10 hours.

It is understood that this can happen when another car blocks the registration plate so it cannot be viewed by the camera.

A Parking Eye spokesperson said: “We have always been a member of the British Parking Association (BPA) and follow its strict code of practice in all the car parks we manage on behalf of our clients. We encourage people who have received a parking charge to appeal if they think there are mitigating circumstances.”

A spokesperson for Asda confirmed that they were investigating the issue and were pleased that the charges had been cancelled.

https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/news/local-news/asda-mad-mum-receives-two-2120958


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Offline The Bald Eagle

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Re: Proof that ANPR cameras in car parks don't work
« Reply #183 on: 13 September, 2019, 12:44:20 PM »
#152

Shopper who called at Asda twice in two days is charged for staying 18 HOURS

Fury over £40 Parking Eye penalty

A Derby driver who visited Asda twice in two days was charged for parking for 18 HOURS.

John Burns, 43, from Chaddesden, said that while he was on holiday in Turkey, his step-dad Brian saw the penalty and paid it within 14 days, to make it £40 instead of £70.

But John, a train driver, said that his partner Hannah had only visited the Asda store in Spondon on August 12 for petrol and August 13 for milk and bread.

The couple believe a parking camera thought the car had stayed for the entire time between the two trips.



Parking Eye said there was a "severe failure" at the car park on August 12, and customers who were wrongly fined will have their charge cancelled.

John said: “My stepdad has just been made redundant and it made me very angry that he had to pay the fine.

“It makes me wonder how many other people have been fined wrongfully and paid it. I have no faith in the system, it is only there to make money. I will now be shopping elsewhere.”

He added that he has received a letter from Parking Eye saying that the charge had been cancelled, but he has not yet been refunded the money.

John said: “It has cost me phone calls from Turkey, and a day of my holiday stressed about the issue.”

Hannah said: “I’m gutted that my local shop would treat their loyal customers in this way.”

Parking Eye confirmed that Mr Burns' charge had been cancelled.

An Asda spokesperson said: “We would like to apologise to Mr Burns for any inconvenience caused and can reassure customers that while this type of incident is rare we are investigating the matter.”

https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/news/local-news/shopper-who-called-asda-twice-1933370
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Offline The Bald Eagle

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Re: Proof that ANPR cameras in car parks don't work
« Reply #184 on: 13 September, 2019, 01:56:08 PM »
#153

Paying the penalty for B&Q visits

A PLUMBER hit with a £110 parking fine claims he has been told he cannot visit his local B&Q twice in the same day.
John Taylor is one of a number of drivers to be sent penalty notices by Parking Eye after the firm said its cameras had caught him staying longer than the permitted three-and-a-half hours at the Hermiston Gait retail park.

But when the 59-year-old called the company to say he had made two separate visits to the store, he claims he was told that there was a "strict no returns rule" which stops motorists returning to the car park twice in the same day.

The self-employed tradesman, who makes a number of visits to the DIY retailer every week, said he had gone to the store early in the morning and returned in the afternoon to pick up supplies for the following day's work.

But Parking Eye said it had photographic evidence to show his car entering and leaving the car park only once in the day.

The company said it had "clear records" of Mr Taylor making multiple visits to the store on other days, but said it was adamant he had overstayed on the day in question, December 9.

Mr Taylor said: "I'm in that store every other day, but Parking Eye told me there's a 'strict no returns rule'. It was the biggest load of rubbish I've ever heard.

"I see their point about stopping people using the station parking at the shops. That's fair enough, but I'm definitely not paying for a ticket I got for visiting the place to go to B&Q."

Mr Taylor also claimed to have receipts showing he was elsewhere when Parking Eye said his car was parked at Hermiston Gait.

Last week there were calls for the state-of-the-art parking system to be scrapped after a number of drivers came forward claiming to have received tickets in error.

Among them was driver Bill Colborne, who was sent a penalty notice for dropping his daughter off to work at Tesco and collecting her six hours later.

Parking enforcers thought the 53-year-old had overstayed the maximum wait of three-and-a-half hours after his car was picked up by automatic number plate recognition cameras, when he had in fact made two separate visits to the store.

The car park is monitored by automatic number plate recognition cameras, which were brought in to deal with the problem of people parking in the retail park and then using Edinburgh Park train station or the adjacent business park.

https://www.scotsman.com/news-2-15012/paying-the-penalty-for-b-amp-q-visits-1-1190466
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Offline The Bald Eagle

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Re: Proof that ANPR cameras in car parks don't work
« Reply #185 on: 18 October, 2019, 06:34:41 AM »
#154

Here is an admission that charges are generated automatically and not reviewed by a person.
\
====================================================



Sheffield funeral director gets parking fine while picking up six-year-old girl’s body from hospital
A Sheffield funeral director received a parking fine after picking up a six-year-old girl’s body from outside the children’s hospital.

Michael Fogg parked his private ambulance outside Sheffield Children’s Hospital on Friday, October 4, to pick up a girl’s body following her death.

Ealier today, Mr Fogg received a letter in the post informing him that he had been fined £60 for parking unlawfully.

In the letter, Civil Enforcement Ltd said that this would rise to £100 if the fine was not paid within 14 days.



Mr Fogg took to Facebook to complain about the fine, saying the company knew ‘exactly what they were there for’.

He wrote: “Today we have received this parking fine from the company who is in charge of parking at the children's hospital in Sheffield“This is our private ambulance. We were attending the hospital to bring a child into our care.

“I will gladly pay the fine providing every penny is spent on the children and not a private company who “know exactly what we were there for.

“To charge a funeral director who is simply bringing a child into care is just totally disgusting.”



On its website, Sheffield Children’s Hopsital said it uses Civil Enforcement Ltd for the administration of all its Parking Charge notices and that motorists can appeal these fines.

However, after Mr Fogg’s post was brought to their attention, the hospital said they contacted the company to ‘immediately cancel’ the fine.

A hospital spokesperson said: “As soon as this was brought to our attention, we contacted the company that handles our car parking and the fine was immediately cancelled.

“The fines are automatically generated, but can be prevented by letting us know on the day in circumstances like this.

“Alternatively fines can be appealed, and in legitimate cases like this we will ensure no fine is paid. We will be reviewing our processes to avoid a similar situation in future.”

Mr Fogg, who does not charge families who have lost children under the age of 16 for funeral services, said that the fine should never have been issued in the first instance.

He said: “You can quite clearly see on the picture that the van says ‘private ambulance’. Someone will have seen that and still decided to print it out.

“We are not there to park and then go shopping. We are there to bring a six-year-old girl into our care who has just passed away.

“We don’t profit out of a child passing away so why should anyone else?

“It’s not a lot of money but if this is not highlighted then this could go on and on and on.

“If by me posting this and bringing it to people’s attention it makes the company think twice then it might save someone unnecessary stress at a difficult time.”

https://www.thestar.co.uk/health/sheffield-funeral-director-gets-parking-fine-while-picking-six-year-old-girls-body-hospital-814598
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Offline The Bald Eagle

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Re: Proof that ANPR cameras in car parks don't work
« Reply #186 on: 19 November, 2019, 01:27:04 PM »
#155(+?)

===========================================


Station car park fines cancelled after camera error


Rayleigh train station car park

PARKING tickets dished out over three months at a train station will all be cancelled following a major “technical issue”.

Huge numbers of tickets have been handed out at Rayleigh Train Station, with the Echo covering serious concerns over a camera fault earlier this week.

Now, car park managers, NCP, have issued a “sincere apology” to all customers – insisting no new tickets will be handed out.

All tickets handed out between July 1 and October 13 will be cancelled or refunded.

It is believed the issue relates to cameras not picking up when cars are arriving and leaving, with people subsequently fined for dropping people off at the station.

Rayleigh resident Gemma Holden, 57, received three tickets in the post at the start of the month dating back to August.

She said: “It is is fantastic they are backing down, but why has it taken so long?

“Everyone has had to deal with the stress already just to be told, ‘oh no, don’t worry it is fine’.

“It is not good enough, and I am sure they will still make some money out of this.”

A spokesman for NCP said: “Having received an unusual number of customer queries related to penalty charge notices (PCNs) being issued at Rayleigh Station car park we have thoroughly investigated the matter to understand the underlying reasons. We have established that the issues are related to technical difficulties with our cameras.

“This matter is limited to Rayleigh Station car park and the number of incidents were isolated and infrequent.

“NCP would like to assure customers that we are taking all necessary steps to rectify the situation and, in the interim, will be suspending the issue of PCNs at this particular site.

“We are making every effort to resolve this matter in a speedy fashion.

“Customers who have been affected by this matter need take no further action as our processing team will automatically refund or cancel notices as appropriate to the individual case.”

“Any customers who have not heard from NCP within the next two weeks should contact us directly at: GaAppeals@ncp.co.uk

“Finally, on behalf of NCP I would like to offer our sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused by this unfortunate matter.”

https://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/18042570.station-car-park-fines-cancelled-camera-error/
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Re: Proof that ANPR cameras in car parks don't work
« Reply #187 on: 28 December, 2019, 06:02:37 AM »
#156

Pensioner fined £145 and threatened with court over parking ticket after car broke down

He went over the designated free parking limit because he had to call out the RAC to fix his vehicle

23 December 2019


Beryl and Bernard Rowlands contested their fine and now face court

An 83-year-old man says he is facing court after his car broke down at a private car park in Cardiff , causing him to exceed the alloted free stay period.

Bernard Rowlands from Penarth , had visited the Capital Retail Park in Leckwith with his sister Elizabeth earlier this year and, after only an hour, the pair decided to leave.

However, upon discovering his Toyota Corolla wouldn't start, Bernard called his breakdown service who arrived to fix the problem. It meant that by the time the pensioner managed to drive away he'd exceeded the designated three hour 'no pay' window by 35 minutes.

As a result, he was later issued with a £50 fine from the site's operators which, despite appealing, has now risen to £145. And if it's not paid by the end of this month, it could result in him being taken to court.


Capital Retail Park in Leckwith, which has a three hour free park period

"Bernard's been going to the Leckwith Retail Park with Elizabeth every Friday for years," says his wife Beryl, 79.

"He parks up, she goes in and does her shopping, he waits for her in the car, they go home again - that's it. But because the car wouldn't start he had to get the RAC out and it took them several goes to get it working again.  We didn't think anything of it until we got a letter telling us he'd be fined for staying there too long."

Told to pay up within 14 days, the couple contested it - via Popla, an independent appeals service for parking charge notices issued on private land. But they still face having to pay or incur legal proceedings.

"We've showed them all the RAC paperwork as proof we weren't lying, but it doesn't seem to have made any difference," adds Beryl.

The same car park was in the news earlier his month when a number of people were incorrectly issued with fines after the free stay period was halved due to a big football match taking pace at the nearby Cardiff City Stadium. 

Shoppers successfully appealed against the charge, claiming there were no signs warning the match was being played.

Premier Park - which manages more than 850 car parks across the UK, including the Leckwith site, has been contacted for comment.

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/pensioner-fined-145-threatened-court-17461166

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Re: Proof that ANPR cameras in car parks don't work
« Reply #188 on: 28 December, 2019, 06:16:44 AM »
#157

Mum 'wrongly' fined £100 for parking in Iceland has to pay up on Christmas day

Susan Murray has proof that she paid the £1 parking charge

10 December 2019

A Hull mum has a Christmas message for a major supermarket after she was wrongly handed a parking fine due on December 25.

Susan Murray, 53, of Marfleet Avenue, was issued with the £100 fine after a visit to Iceland in Holderness Road despite paying the parking meter.

She said: “The deadline for the fine is December 25, Christmas day. Well happy Christmas to you Iceland, looks like they’ll be getting £100 off lots of people on Christmas day.

“I work full time on minimum wage and it obviously stresses me out having this at this time of year.”

Ms Murray, who lives in east Hull, went to Iceland to do her weekly shop on Tuesday, November 26, while on her day off from her factory job.


Susan Murray from east Hull was given a parking ticket at Iceland car park, Holderness Road, when she had already paid for a ticket.

Ten days later she was slapped with a charge notice stating that she had “parked without payment” from 9.37am to 9.55am.

But Ms Murray has proof that she paid the £1 parking tariff and was entitled to stay in the car park until 10.38am.

She said: “I always put a pound in the metre when I go to Iceland on Holderness Road but I came home the other day and I’d got a fine.

"I am disgusted, I know I always buy a ticket. I shop at Iceland every week. I was praying and hoping I’d paid for a ticket, but I had done."

Ms Murray found the receipt of her payment in her car but despite having evidence contradicting the charge she has not managed to resolve the problem.


The parking charge and Ms Murray's proof of payment

She said: “There is a phone number which I tried ringing but it costs and I was left on hold for ages and then I tried on my landline, but I still couldn’t get through.

“I have this fine for £100, it’s costing me money - but I’ve done nothing wrong.

“Thankfully I keep all of my tickets in my car but I’m worried that if they do it to old people they might not still have their ticket and just pay it."


The parking meter at Holderness Road Iceland

After being approached by Hull Live Iceland have since dropped the £100 charge.

A spokesman from Iceland said: "We can confirm that this ticket has been cancelled, and regret the inconvenience caused."

https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/hull-east-yorkshire-news/iceland-fine-mum-parking-charge-3624766

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Re: Proof that ANPR cameras in car parks don't work
« Reply #189 on: 28 December, 2019, 06:34:08 AM »
#158

40% of Northern Ireland parking fine appeals successful

12 December 2019



Forty per cent of Northern Ireland parking fines appealed to an ombudsman since last spring have been successful, figures released to BBC Newsline show.

The Parking on Private Land Appeals (POPLA) has been taking appeals from NI motorists since May.

It has received 190 appeals - 40% of which have been successful.

Fines issued by private parking companies are not enforceable by the police or local authorities.

The companies operate throughout Northern Ireland at sites including shopping centres and retail parks.

They can issue a ticket a called a parking charge notice - which is technically an invoice - for what they deem to be a breach of their parking contract.

Among those appealing fines are Londonderry man Alan - a clerical error left him with thousands of pounds worth of fines.


Alan was issued a £13,000 fine due to a clerical error

His company rents a parking space from a company called Smart Parking.

After getting a new car, his registration was initially incorrect on their systems.

His company rectified the mistake - and continued to pay for his parking space - but the fines kept coming.

"Whenever I contacted them, because my car was about to get clamped at the time, they informed me there was a fine outstanding of £13,000," he said.

"I can't even see how they would legitimately allow a bill to get to that level without any due diligence, without any comeback to go to the landlord, go to the companies that park there and say 'look somebody's accruing a large amount of money'."

The Consumer Council has since told BBC News NI that Alan's fines have been resolved.

Des Brown parked at a car park off Belfast's Ormeau Road last December.


Des Brown said he entered his car registration, but the machine printed just a single letter of it

He says he entered his car registration, but the machine printed just a single letter of it.

Smart Parking, which manages the site and monitors it using cameras, issued him with a £60 fine.

He is still trying to appeal the fine which has since gone up to £170.

Mr Brown is now receiving letters from a debt recovery company.

"Very surprised, I displayed my ticket on the dashboard of the car as you would normally do on any pay and display and I just assumed it was a clerical error," he said.

"The bit that I find hard to take is that I'm able to prove that I've more than sufficiently paid for the time I spent in the car park.


Mr Brown said he had been fined despite the fact he could prove he had paid to stay in the car park

"There's an issue over the ticket, but Smart Parking are refusing to marry the ticket that I purchased to my vehicle registration."

Craig Ineson of the Parking on Private Land Appeals (POPLA) service said: "A tremendous number of what we see does revolve around certain themes which is signage not being adequate or, indeed, motorists who have paid and maybe not entered the correct registration."

POPLA, which is run by Ombudsman Services, says that anyone who receives a fine should not ignore it.

Newsline made several attempts to contact Smart Parking but have so far received no response.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-50756938

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Re: Proof that ANPR cameras in car parks don't work
« Reply #190 on: 16 January, 2020, 09:15:02 AM »
#159

https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/news/cheltenham-news/man-willing-go-court-after-3732485

UPDATED: Why this man is willing to go to court after getting ‘scandalous’ parking fine

Levente Apagyi received a £100 parking charge notice from ParkingEye Limited after shopping at Lidl in Tewkesbury Road, Cheltenham

ByRobin JenkinsChief Cheltenham Reporter
08:58, 13 JAN 2020UPDATED11:12, 13 JAN 2020


A Cheltenham resident says he is prepared to go to court if necessary to get a “scandalous” parking fine quashed.

Levente Apagyi received a £100 parking charge notice from ParkingEye Limited after shopping at Lidl in Tewkesbury Road, Cheltenham, on December 30 2019.

The company said he had parked his Fiat car there for more than three hours, which is the maximum it allows at the car park at Cotswold Retail Park. The site has a Lidl supermarket and a Starbucks coffee shop.


Levente Apagyi with the parking charge notice he received after shopping at Lidl in Cheltenham

Mr Apagyi was sent the notice through the post, saying he had to pay £100 or £60 if he paid it by January 17.

The demand said he had parked the car for four hours and 41 minutes, arriving at 12.42pm and leaving at 5.23pm. It included two images from cameras in the car park that it said showed the vehicle arriving and leaving at those times.

But Mr Apagyi says this is not true and that the company must have made a mistake.

The 47-year-old, of Pates Avenue, said he spent a total of about 20 minutes at the site.



He said he did about 15 minutes of initial shopping at lunch time and then, when his girlfriend asked him to go back to pick up some flour at tea time, he was there for a further five minutes.

He said a Google maps timeline facility on his mobile phone, which shows location history, showed he was telling the truth.

He said: “I think this is scandalous. I feel extremely badly treated.”

Mr Apagyi, who is from Budapest in Hungary but has lived in England since 2007 and in Cheltenham since 2012, added: “I appealed because I don't intend to pay and I am willing to go to court to prove I’m right and also to expose this company.

“I am wary about going back to Lidl after what happened.”

The issue is the same one that other shoppers complained about publicly last year at the Gallagher Shopping Park, which is also in Tewkesbury Road, Cheltenham, although that involved a different parking enforcement company.

The motorists involved at that time wondered whether there was something wrong with the cameras used to monitor vehicles’ registrations.

Full details are in the links to related stories above.

Update: ParkingEye Limited has this morning given us the following statement:-

“ParkingEye is a member of the British Parking Association (BPA) and operate a fully audited appeals process which all motorists are entitled to use. Anyone with mitigating circumstances is encouraged to appeal highlighting this.

“In this case the motorist used our appeals system, and after our team reviewed the case, the appeal has been accepted and the parking charge has been cancelled.”

https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/news/cheltenham-news/man-willing-go-court-after-3732485

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Re: Proof that ANPR cameras in car parks don't work
« Reply #191 on: 22 January, 2020, 07:49:27 AM »
#160

Warning over parking 'fines' wrongly issued by ANPR cameras as taxi driver fined for Aldi stay

British Parking Association says car park operators 'should now be checking all ANPR transactions' to ensure that motorists are not being wrongly sent Parking Charge Notices

ByKelly WilliamsMax ChannonLive and Trending Editor
16:21, 18 JAN 2020


Taxi driver Hugh Jones with a Parking Eye letter demanding payment of £70 for a Parking Charge Notice

Thousands of motorists - including a taxi driver who made several trips to an Aldi store to pick up customers - may have wrongly received Parking Charge Notices or 'fines' because of a flaw in Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) camera systems.

The British Parking Association (BPA), a body that represents the UK parking and traffic management profession, has acknowledged the issue and says car park operators "are becoming aware of this and should now be checking all ANPR transactions" to ensure that motorists are not being sent Parking Charge Notices when they haven't overstayed.

However, a taxi driver who made several trips to an Aldi to pick up and drop off customers was hit with a £70 parking ticket for a six-hour stay he says he never had.

The Parking Charge Notice (PCN) was issued automatically after Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras logged his taxi going into the car park - and leaving again five hours and 55 minutes later.

However, Hugh Jones went to Aldi store in Rhyll, North Wales, twice to pick up customers and once to pop in for something to eat on his break.

Hugh's booking log, which has been seen by North Wales Live, lists the 15 jobs he did during his shift that day.

The 64-year-old from Rhyl , who works for Busy Bee Taxis has sent the log off to ParkingEye as proof in his appeal against the fine and has raised concerns that the cameras could be faulty or not married up with another exit from the site.


Hugh Jones said he won't go to Marina Quay again (Image: Ian Cooper/North Wales Live))
He also fears that other customers, who may also be incorrectly given fines, won't be able to prove that they hadn't parked there for longer than the two-hour time limit.

However, the British Parking Association website says: "Repeat users of a car park inside a 24 hour period sometimes find that their first entry is paired with their last exit, resulting in an ‘overstay’.

"Operators are becoming aware of this and should now be checking all ANPR transactions to ensure that this does not occur."

Hugh, a taxi driver of 21 years, said: "I was working on January 4 and was called to a fare at Aldi in the morning and then again at 2.55pm.

"After picking up the 3pm fare, I went on to do nine other jobs before going back to the store to grab something to eat at around 9pm.

"I was shocked when I got a £70 fine from ParkingEye saying I'd been there for six hours.

"The final insult was when the letter stated I could only appeal in English."

He added: "I think it's disgusting.

"There is clearly an issue with their cameras if one of them hadn't picked my car up leaving shortly after 3pm.

"How many more people has this happened to and how can they prove it if they weren't parked there for longer than two hours?

"I'm lucky that I work for a company that keeps a log of my fares but it was a hassle for my boss to gather the information for me to appeal the fine.

"But it's not the first time he's had to do this for drivers who have gone to Marina Quay so I'm boycotting that retail park from now on.

"It's not worth the hassle."

A ParkingEye spokesperson said: “In this case the motorist used our BPA (British Parking Association) audited appeals process.

"This is available to anyone who believes they have mitigating circumstances.

"This process will be followed and once a decision has been made, the motorist will be notified of the outcome.”

Parking 'tickets' issued by private companies in private car parks are often referred to as fines, but they are not. They are actually an invoice requesting payment for charges the driver may be liable for under contract law.

In general, only councils have the power to issue parking fines – or Penalty Charge Notices. These powers are granted by legislation passed by Parliament and cover various parking misdemeanours, such as breaching the terms and conditions of parking in council-controlled car parks and parking spaces.

Private landowners and car parking firms have no such legal power. They cannot issue 'Penalty Charge Notices', and so they issue 'Parking Charge Notices', which often look and read like the legitimate fines issued by authorities – and both are abbreviated to 'PCN', which adds to the confusion.

Failing to pay a parking  fee is a a breach of contract and the car parking firms can use the small claims to court to recover their losses and excess 'parking charges' levied when there has been a breach of contract.

Regarding APNR Cameras, the BPA website admits: "As with all new technology, there are issues associated with its use:

"Repeat users of a car park inside a 24 hour period sometimes find that their first entry is paired with their last exit, resulting in an ‘overstay’. Operators are becoming aware of this and should now be checking all ANPR transactions to ensure that this does not occur.

"Some 'drive in/drive out' motorists that have activated the system receive a charge certificate even though they have not parked or taken a ticket. Reputable operators tend not to uphold charge certificates issued in this manner (unless advised differently by the Landowner/Landlord), but operators should also now be factoring in a small ‘grace period’ to allow a driver time either to find a parking space (and to leave if there is not one) or make a decision whether the tariff is appropriate for their use or not.

"This ‘grace period is however at the discretion of the Landlord/Landowner and will also vary in duration, dependant on the size/layout/circumstances of the car park."

https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/warning-over-parking-fines-wrongly-3753292

Offline The Bald Eagle

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Re: Proof that ANPR cameras in car parks don't work
« Reply #192 on: 22 January, 2020, 08:14:40 AM »
#161

Driver gets two fines within minutes – although spots were miles apart

 2019-07-09

Twice-suspended private parking firm strikes again by fining foster carer, 48, for £100 twice in seven minutes for same car they claim she had parked in spots five miles apart

EXCLUSIVE: Samantha Lowe, 48, fined by controversial firm UK Parking Control

One fine was in Streatham, south London, and the other in Elephant and Castle

UKPC claimed she was in both locations within seven minutes of each other

£11m-a-year firm has been suspended twice by DVLA for aggressive tactics

Have you been wrongly fined? Send evidence to rory.tingle@mailonline.co.uk




Samantha Lowe, 48, said she was furious at UK Parking Control Ltd and wanted the controversial Coventry-based company to immediately cancel both the tickets

A twice-suspended private parking firm has struck again by fining a foster carer for £100 twice in seven minutes for the same car they claim she had parked in spots five miles apart.

Samantha Lowe, 48, went to Tesco in Streatham, south London, on May 24 and parked at 10.53pm outside a nearby children’s centre, where she said parking was normally free and could not see any signs saying otherwise.

She was ‘annoyed’ to receive a fine in the post – but completely bemused when it was followed by another for supposedly parking at another spot 7 minutes earlier, even though it would have taken three times as long to drive from there.

‘At first I thought the first ticket had double printed but then I saw they were different – it’s so ridiculous,’ she told MailOnline. ‘There’s no way I could have been in two areas 21 minutes apart within seven minutes.’

Ms Lowe, from Crystal Palace, is appealing both fines from UK Parking Control Ltd.

UKPC is a private company employed by landlords to enforce parking restrictions, which has regularly caused controversy in the past by wrongly issuing fines that were later overturned on appeal.

At the first site where Ms Lowe was fined, UKPC was managing parking for 388 Streatham High Streatham Hub Children’s Centre, which offers childcare in a former church.

There, Ms Lowe used live dashcam footage to show how hard it was for drivers to see the ‘permit holders only’ sign, which she insists should have been lit up at night.

The second place where she got a ticket, 8 Walworth Road in Elephant and Castle, is 5.2 miles away by car and takes at least 21 minutes in light traffic, according to Google Maps, and 38 minutes at rush hour.



Ms Lowe’s first ticket (8 Walworth Road) was at 10:46 and the second one at 10:53. However, the distance between both locations means she could not have visited both of them in the time UKPC suggests, as this map illustrates

The two parking tickets she received both showed a close-up image of her car.

‘You can see it’s the same picture just taken from a different angle because of the angle of the lights,’ she said.

‘I’d been to that first spot lots of times and never had any trouble. I couldn’t see the sign at all because it was so dark, as you can see from my dash cam footage.

‘Then that next ticket was clearly fake. I just want UKPC to cancel both these tickets straight away, I’m fuming at them.’

Private parking firms have repeatedly been criticised for their aggressive and unfair tactics, with UKPC frequently at the centre of controversy.

The ten major private parking companies operating in Britain revoked at least 33 per cent of the 14.7million charges they issued in the last four years, a report by consumer group Which? given exclusively to This is Money last month showed.

The Government is currently drawing up a code of practice to regulate rogue companies following a boom in private parking sharks in recent years.

UKPC has regularly found itself under fire for its aggressive and sometimes legally questionable tactics – which netted the Coventry-based firm an £11million turnover last year.

It has been suspended twice by the DVLA, which provides the firm with drivers’ addresses so it can successfully enforce fines.

Have you been wrongly ticketed by UKPC or another private parking firm?
Contact rory.tingle@mailonline.co.uk

The first suspension came in 2015, when UKPC was caught faking time stamps on tickets.

Driver Neil Horton was given a ticket after parking his car in a UKPC site for just 15 minutes – despite the car park providing 90 minutes for free.

When he received photographic evidence over the fine, the pictures included timestamps suggesting he had left his vehicle at the site in Newcastle-under-Lyme for almost two hours.

But Mr Horton noticed the photos showed the same car behind his with its boot open in both pictures – suggesting they had been taken at the same time.

UKPC later admitted some of its employees had altered time stamps to make it look like drivers had overstayed when they actually had not.

The DVLA suspension meant UKPC was effectively banned from chasing drivers for fines, because using the government agency’s data is the only legal way to work out their addresses.

But the company was suspended again in 2018 after its wardens were caught telling drivers they would still be pursued for fines during the original suspension period.

In response, UKPC claimed its staff misunderstood an email regarding the suspension.





The tickets for 8 Walworth Road (left) and 388 Streatham High Road, which were issued by UKPC



At the first site, 388 Streatham High Road, she used live dashcam footage to show how hard it was for drivers to see the ‘permit holders only’ sign, which she insists should have been lit up



What the sign looks like during the day. 388 Streatham Hub is just opposite a Tesco Extra which is open until midnight on weekdays

Revealed: Controversial history that has seen £11m-a-year UKPC suspended TWICE by the DVLA for its aggressive tactics

UKPC has regularly found itself under fire for its aggressive and sometimes legally questionable tactics – which netted the Coventry-based firm an £11million turnover last year.

It has been suspended twice by the DVLA, which provides the firm with drivers’ addresses needed to successfully enforce fines.

The first suspension came in 2015, when UKPC was caught faking time stamps on tickets.

Driver Neil Horton was given a ticket after parking his car in a UKPC site for just 15 minutes – despite the car park providing 90 minutes for free.



UKPC, which had a turnover of £11m last year, has been suspended twice by the DVLA for its questionable practices. Pictured is its website

When he received photographic evidence over the fine, the pictures included timestamps suggesting he had left his vehicle at the site in Newcastle-under-Lyme for almost two hours.

But Mr Horton noticed the photos showed the same car behind his with its boot open in both pictures – suggesting they had been taken at the same time.

UKPC later admitted some of its employees had altered time stamps to make it look like drivers had overstayed when they actually had not.

The DVLA suspension meant UKPC was effectively banned from chasing drivers for fines, because using the government agency’s data is the only legal way to work out their addresses.

But the company was suspended again in 2018 after its wardens were caught telling drivers they would still be pursued for fines during the original suspension period.

In response, UKPC claimed its staff misunderstood an email regarding the suspension.

Although the second suspension has now expired, the firm has rarely found itself far from controversy.

This year, a couple successfully sued the company for illegally fining them £2,500 over trips to see his sick two-year-old daughter.





These photos of Neil Horton’s car in 2015 included timestamps claiming it had been in the same spot for nearly two hours. But Mr Horton noticed the same car had its boot open in both photos – suggesting they had been taken around the same time

Recruitment professional Myke Parrot and his wife Gemma, 34, were hit with several fines between February 2014 and July 2018 after leaving their car in West Middlesex University Hospital’s parking area.

However, when UKPC took them to court the case was thrown out as it emerged the company’s contract to run the NHS Hospital’s parking expired in November 2012.

And in June, the company was forced into an embarrassing U-turn over a controversial technique to snare shoppers at a retail centre in Stratford-upon-Avon.

A series of shoppers complained about receiving fines from the Maybrook Retail Park, saying notices warning people not to leave the site where small and unclear.

There were claims parking wardens were waiting for drivers to leave the site to visit stores on a nearby shopping street before swooping to slap tickets on their cars, reported The Stratford Herald.

After an outcry UKPC removed the signs and said leaving the site would no longer be punishable by a fine.

UKPC is based in Coventry and provides parking enforcement at around 2,000 commercial and residential sites across the country.

The Association of British Drivers told MailOnline: ‘These companies need to be brought to book when they get things wrong.

‘They are targeting motorists because they are seen as easy prey.’ 

MailOnline contacted UKPC for comment yesterday but has not heard back.


The second place where she got a ticket, 8 Walworth Road in Elephant and Castle, is 5.2 miles away by car and takes at least 21 minutes in light traffic. It is seen in a file photo

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7215177/Parking-firm-hands-driver-two-100-fines-minutes-locations-15-miles-apart.html

https://mystylenews.com/world-news/driver-gets-two-fines-within-minutes-although-spots-were-miles-apart/
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Offline Web Admin

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Re: Proof that ANPR cameras in car parks don't work
« Reply #193 on: 22 January, 2020, 02:48:56 PM »
#162

From twitter (click on attachment to see larger picture):


Jonny Salmon
@steerwithmyrear
 · 21/01/2020
Yes @ParkingEyeLTD I spent nearly 20 hours in my local @AldiUK because I noticed a bargain bucket deal on used Mitsubishi ASXs. It took me 19 hours to get it out of the store and 52 minutes to fit DIFFERENT PLATES. 🤦🏼‍♂️




Offline acer

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Re: Proof that ANPR cameras in car parks don't work
« Reply #194 on: 26 January, 2020, 10:34:44 PM »
#162

From twitter (click on attachment to see larger picture):

If someone with a Twitter account could DM this driver and ask him to complain to the ICO that would be excellent.


Jonny Salmon
@steerwithmyrear
 · 21/01/2020
Yes @ParkingEyeLTD I spent nearly 20 hours in my local @AldiUK because I noticed a bargain bucket deal on used Mitsubishi ASXs. It took me 19 hours to get it out of the store and 52 minutes to fit DIFFERENT PLATES. 🤦🏼‍♂️






« Last Edit: 26 January, 2020, 10:37:08 PM by acer »

 


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