Author Topic: Proof that ANPR cameras in car parks don't work  (Read 281378 times)

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Re: Proof that ANPR cameras in car parks don't work
« Reply #240 on: 16 October, 2021, 09:14:15 AM »
#204

Hull shopper claims 'I won't shop there again' after stressful Tesco parking fine appeal

Customers have been caught out by ticket machines

ByKeith Phillips
05:00, 12 OCT 2021



The car park for Tesco at St Stephens Shopping Centre, Hull.

Tesco customers say they have been unfairly fined for parking in the supermarket car park at Hull's St Stephens Shopping Centre.

Shoppers say when they have used the car parking facilities ticket machines have displayed a notice saying there is "no need to validate parking today."

Many have then done their shopping, returned to their car and driven off, only to receive a parking fine notice later claiming the time they had spent parked on site required validation at a ticket machine or online.

For the latest stories on Tesco, click here.

The company that manages the site, Apcoa Parking, has demanded a £30 payment be made within 14 days, rising to £70 afterwards, from some customers.

On Hull Live's Traffic and Travel Facebook page one customer said: "I’ve received a parking notice from Tesco car park St Stephens at a time the machines said you don’t need to validate parking today? Has anyone else had this?"



Many customers replied that the same thing had occurred to them.

Another customer said: "I had this, I rang up and you have to appeal, I rang Tesco and they stated the machines were not working that day. I did keep my receipt and ticket and sent pictures with my appeal and they did cancel it, along with a snotty letter stating you can validate your parking on line, even though the machine screens stated you didn't have to validate your parking that day."


One Tesco customer in Hull received a parking notice from APCOA Parking which manages the site.

One shopper said: "We complained to Tesco and they found a fault on system and refunded those that had paid the fine. Make sure you keep your parking ticket for at least 2 weeks as that helped as well, you can also go on line to verify your parking for future reference."

Another woman said she went over the free parking time by two minutes, "they did cancel mine after having to send many info, now it's stopped me from parking and using Tesco's."

One man said: "Yes I had one, the same happened, it took 2 months to get our money back eventually."

In a statement APCOA Parking, which manages the site, said the parking policy at the store provides 30 minutes free stay, with no need to validate.

If customers stay over 30 minutes, up to a maximum stay of 2 hours, a £5 minimum spend is required followed by validation at one of the eight machines at the store or online.

“There are no indications of a general issue relating to parking at Tesco St Stephen’s, but APCOA Parking (who are members of the British Parking Association, Approved Operator Scheme) encourage anyone who believes they have been unfairly served with a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) to follow the appeals process detailed on the PCN so their specific circumstances can be investigated."

https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/hull-east-yorkshire-news/hull-shopper-claims-i-wont-6043069

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Re: Proof that ANPR cameras in car parks don't work
« Reply #241 on: 16 October, 2021, 09:21:38 AM »
#205

Apology to dad accused of staying at McDonald's for 5 hours

His £100 parking fine was wrongly issued

BY JOSHUA HARTLEY
17:02, 11 OCT 2021UPDATED17:03, 11 OCT 2021



McDonald's in Nuthall Road

A dad-of-two who made two quick trips to McDonald's in a day was mistakenly slapped with a £100 parking charge after he was wrongly adjudged to have stayed at the restaurant for more than five hours.

Matt Williams, 36, made two separate visits to the eatery in Nuthall Road, between Bobbers Mill and Aspley, at 10.37am and 3.55pm on September 26.

But the Bilborough resident was sent a parking notice on October 7 for £100 by mistake, mistakenly accused of staying in the restaurant's car park for 318 minutes, or more than five hours.

But after they were contacted by Nottinghamshire Live, McDonald's and its parking provider have apologised to Mr Williams and cancelled the charge, which was issued incorrectly.

A McDonald’s spokesperson said: "We have parking restrictions in place at a number of our restaurants, with a time limit to ensure there is adequate parking for all of our customers.

"We apologise that, on this occasion, the customer in question was fined incorrectly and we are in contact with our third party provider to help resolve this issue.”

Mr Williams was stunned when he received the charge.

"I couldn't believe it when it came through, according to them we were there for 318 minutes, from 10.37am to 3.55pm - no one spends that long at McDonald's," he said.

He added: "It's a lot of unnecessary hassle filling out forms for something I haven't done, it's very unfair.

"We usually go McDonald's for the kids or for something quick and it's incredibly off putting to think that this could happen. It makes me not want to go back.

"A lot of people pop in when they are out and about, so this could be happening to people all over the place due to a fault on the system.

"And a lot of the time you'll get pressured by letters saying that the charge will go up if you leave it, which means that your first reaction could be to pay it straightaway before it gets worse."

He and his wife had been on their way to an urgent care centre in because she had hurt her finger.

They popped into McDonald's for breakfast and parked up for a few minutes to eat and then continued to the walk-in centre.

"We were there for probably less than ten minutes," said Mr Williams.

"We were at the care centre for hours, my wife had some X-rays and had it confirmed she has broke her fingers and I was having Zoom meetings from my car.

"Then we left and thought that on the way home we would pick up some milkshakes for our kids who had been staying with our sister while we were at the hospital. So we went back to the same McDonald's and went through the drive-thru again."

https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/local-news/apology-dad-accused-staying-mcdonalds-6029824.amp#aoh=16340359756536&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&amp_tf=From%20%251%24s

Offline Overlord

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Re: Proof that ANPR cameras in car parks don't work
« Reply #242 on: 18 October, 2021, 02:27:25 AM »
Sent a parking charge notice by mistake?  Trying it on again more likely. :-ev-:

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Re: Proof that ANPR cameras in car parks don't work
« Reply #243 on: 20 October, 2021, 07:50:02 AM »
#206



Aimee Manston said she was given a parking ticket after her car was confused with a moped

Woman slapped with £100 after parking firm gets Rover car and a bike mixed up

Aimee Manston, from Doncaster, said that she found it "hilarious" how a parking enforcement company confused her Rover car with a learner moped after she was provided with the photographic "evidence"

ByLisa BaxterTim Hanlon
13:45, 19 Oct 2021


A woman has told of "hilarious" mistake by a parking enforcement company that sent her a fine with her silver Rover car mistaken for a learner moped.

Aimee Manston said that while she found the error comical she was also concerned that some vulnerable people may pay fines without examining the photographic evidence, reported HullLive.

She was provided with a photo from the company Smart Parking that showed a moped driver leaving Kingston Shopping Centre car park seven hours after her car drove in, for what she said was an hour's shopping trip.

Aimee, from Doncaster, said: "It is my vehicle going in, and a moped coming out seven hours later, with a completely different registration. I have appealed it, as there's no way I am paying something that I haven't done.

"I think it's actually hilarious that they got it so wrong, I just laughed when I saw the photograph.



She is concerned that some people may not look at the photos closely and could end up paying the fines ( Image: Hull Live)
"But actually there is a real concern that vulnerable people, maybe who don't see too well or might not examine the photographs clearly, could be falling victim to this.

"I am worried that people may be paying these charges wrongly and would urge everyone who gets one to carefully look at the evidence they give."

The penalty charge notice Aimee received required her to pay £60 within 20 days, or £100 if it is after that date.

She has formally appealed and is awaiting further communications from Smart Parking, which has a head office in Birmingham.

There have been a number of one-star reviews on review site Parkopedia for the car park, on Holderness Road, east Hull, since Smart Parking was hired to enforce parking on the site, reported HullLive.

Customers have 90 minutes free parking, but many claim they were unaware of any need to pay beyond that time slot and that signage isn't visible enough.

One reviewer posted in September: "Just received a fine, I have shopped here for years with no issue, no signs or payment meters so didn't know there is a parking charge now. Won't be shopping here again."

Another reviewer from September said: "Disgusting just received a £60 fine for parking here.

"Why has no-one ever been told there are now charges? Will definitely not be shopping here again.

"Good luck to the shops because I wont be the first or the last to stop shopping there."

A spokesman for Smart Parking said: "Smart Parking was brought in to manage the car park on Holderness Road to stop parking abuse and ensure motorists can always find somewhere to park.

"The car park is used by thousands of motorists every week, and the vast majority of them do so without any issues. Those who don't follow the terms and conditions of use may be liable for a charge.

"However in this particular case there was human error and the charge has now been cancelled.”

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/woman-fined-after-parking-enforcers-25246799

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Re: Proof that ANPR cameras in car parks don't work
« Reply #244 on: 27 October, 2021, 04:57:32 PM »
#207

Belvoir Castle: Visitors complain about parking fines on Tripadvisor

By Alex Regan & Liam Barnes
BBC News
6 August 2021



More than 60 people have complained about new car parking ticket machines and number plate cameras, after some visitors received £100 parking charge notices

A popular tourist attraction has received more than 60 complaints on Tripadvisor by visitors who claim they have been given unfair parking fines.

Leicestershire's Belvoir Castle put in new car parking ticket machines and number plate cameras last year.

But one visitor said the machines were misleading people to underpay, leading to a £100 parking charge notice (PCN).

Belvoir Castle said it was in "discussions with the operator to ensure the parking charges are clear".

Jane Handsley, from Grantham, said she regularly visits the grounds and Engine Yard retail village on the Belvoir estate.

She said she went to the castle with her husband and daughter on 26 July and tried to pay for parking as they left the grounds.

"We went to the parking machines when we were finished, we put in our number plate and it brings up a screen to say the date and time, and you accept the end time, and move on to payment.

"The date and time that comes on to that screen isn't actually calculating how much your parking charge will be.

"The machine is set up to default to one hour's parking, which is the cheapest payment," she said.

Ms Handsley said this meant she unwittingly underpaid for the parking and received a £100 PCN from third party operator Initial Parking four days later.


Visitor Jane Handsley says the machines are misleading, and led her to underpay for her visit

Visitors are expected to adjust the end time for their visit and pay the certain number of hours they expect to stay.

Ms Handsley said: "You could say it's me misunderstanding machines, but I'm not the only one.

"So many people are getting it, so many don't know what to press, obviously so many people are being tripped up by it.

"We are quite prepared to go to court and fight it, because it's really unclear what should be happening."

'Discussions with operator'

One Tripadvisor reviewer, who was also fined, wrote: "There are signs saying pay as you leave.

"Wish I had paid up front and limited my time instead."

The effect of the parking fines has led some visitors to say they will not return to the castle, the home of the Duke and Duchess of Rutland.

A spokesperson for the estate said: "We are aware of a number of people who have been issued with parking fines by the third party operator we have contracted to run our car parks at Belvoir Castle and the Engine Yard village.

"We are in discussions with the operator to ensure the car parking charges are clear and easy to understand for all visitors so that they do not overstay their booking.

"Since the operation of paid car parking was implemented, we have welcomed nearly 82,500 cars in 12 months.

"The number of PCN's issued has been 1% of all vehicles, 99% of patrons using that car park either stay free or comply with the payment system and do not receive a parking charge notice."

Initial Parking has been approached for comment.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-58104759.amp

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Re: Proof that ANPR cameras in car parks don't work
« Reply #245 on: 27 October, 2021, 05:06:47 PM »
#208

Councillor slates difficulty paying for parking at The Mall shopping centre in Maidstone run by YourParkingSpace

By Alan Smith
06:00, 29 June 2021 | Updated: 15:52, 30 June 2021


A councillor has slammed a town centre shopping centre's new parking system after becoming the latest motorist to grapple with the troublesome system.

Since February the 1,050-place car park has been run by a new operator, YourParkingSpace, which did away with the barriers on exit and introduced new digital methods of payment.


YourParkingSpace now runs The Mall car park in Maidstone

Motorists now have the choice of paying at the car park using a touch-screen kiosk or after they leave by paying online or using a mobile phone app, with the company using ANPR technology to determine the correct fee.

But by May it emerged that a number of people had received demands for a £100 fixed penalty charge, even though they had paid the fee.

John Jenner, 74, from Hedley Road, Maidstone, was among those who received a £100 demand, even though he had paid his £2 charge with his bank card.

One man had received seven penalty charges

Later Grant Robbins, the senior account manager at YourParkingSpace.co.uk, said the problem was caused by people entering the incorrect vehicle registration number.


John Jenner with £100 Penalty Charge Notice

He said: "This has affected just a small percentage of customers - under 1.5%, with over 98.5% of customers entering their correct vehicle registration when paying."

However he said the company would look to introduce improvements such as sending an SMS notification to customers who enter a vehicle registration when paying which didn’t match any vehicle registration picked up by the cameras.

Cllr Margaret Rose seems to have had a different problem paying her £2 fee.

She said: "I found the ticket machines in The Mall impossible to use as they kept saying: 'Sorry can’t be used, try our app.'

"I went home and tried to access the app. I was able to get onto the website, but found it mostly about booking car park spaces rather than help to pay the parking fee.

"Eventually I did get to parking payments. I input all my information and expected to be able to pay in the usual way by contact link with my bank. I then found that this method through the app was unavailable to me."


Cllr Margaret Rose: I couldn't pay

Cllr Rose was concerned that she too would get a £100 fine and set about contacting the company.

She said: "At first they denied there had been any problems, but when I pointed out they had already admitted to KentOnline that there had been, they agreed to waive my fee.

"But even now I'm half expecting a fine to land on my doorstep."

Cllr Rose said: "I found the whole situation a total fiasco and as a councillor, I am very concerned that residents and visitors to Maidstone are having to face these difficulties."

On Tuesday last week, the company held an online forum with customers, staff and stakeholders to "learn more about what is and isn’t working well with parking at The Mall."


Paying for parking at The Mall in Maidstone

Mr Robbins said: "Surveying our customers following each major site launch is a process we always follow.

"As a company focused on customer satisfaction, we are constantly looking for feedback to help us improve and streamline the parking experience.

"We were keen to discuss what members felt worked well, and areas they had difficulty with when parking at The Mall."

Mr Robbins said: "To combat the issues experienced by a small handful of drivers a few months ago, we’re updating the parking kiosks enabling them to auto-populate car registration numbers, alleviating the chance of a driver entering the wrong registration number."

"We’re also increasing the ways in which a driver can receive their receipt when paying for their parking session.


Parking notices at The Mall in Maidstone

"Parkers at The Mall can now receive a receipt by SMS as well as by email."

He said The Mall has seen an increase in shoppers.

"We’ll be looking at pushing AutoPay so that registered customers are billed automatically rather than needing to pay for each individual parking session and we’re exploring ways of working with local stores to drive footfall to them with discounted parking for their customers."

https://www.kentonline.co.uk/maidstone/news/councillor-blasts-parking-fiasco-249750/

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Re: Proof that ANPR cameras in car parks don't work
« Reply #246 on: 06 November, 2021, 08:02:26 AM »
#209

Confusing parking sign replaced after complaints from angry drivers
Visitors to Parallel Parking Ltd's Mansfield Street car park were fined - despite paying to park

ByDave Owen
05:00, 1 NOV 2021UPDATED07:39, 3 NOV 2021



Parking warning - A large new sign has gone up at the city centre's Mansfield Street car park after Parallel Parking Ltd came under fire from motorists

A company at the centre of a car parking row in Leicester has responded to criticism by installing a new sign offering clearer instructions to drivers.

Visitors to Parallel Parking ltd's Mansfield Street car park, behind Belgrave Gate, claimed confusion at a pay-and-display machine led them to be unfairly fined.

They include Kanti Lad, from Wigston, whose family contacted LeicestershireLive after he was sent a Parking Charge Notice ordering him to pay £100.

His son said his 65-year-old father had bought a ticket from the machine at the privately run car park, next to that at the rear entrance of the city's Argos store, on May 20, this year.

He was issued with a ticket by the machine but, to his surprise, he was sent a letter informing him he owed the firm £100 because he failed to input his car registration number correctly.

Mr Lad's son said that the lack of information on the pay-and-display ticket, and the fact that the £1.50 ticket was issued, meant his father would have had no idea he's made a costly mistake.

"How would they even know if they made mistake entering it if the number is not displayed?" he said.

Another driver, also from Wigston, fell foul of the same pay-and-display machine earlier this month.

The woman, who did not want to be named, said: "I was visiting the city centre for work on October 7. I parked in the car park behind Argos.

"When I put my money into the machine it issued me a ticket straight away.

"So I thought everything was fine - well why wouldn't I?

"I did think it was a bit odd it gave me the ticket without asking me to enter my registration number but I know that is how other car parks operate."

She added: "That's why I was shocked when I received a parking fine from Parallel Parking through the post telling me I owned them £100.

"I thought this is ridiculous but decided to pay the reduced amount of £60 and then appealed."

Her appeal was dismissed, however, with the ruling insisting it was her responsibility to tap in her car registration.

She said: "Surely, if I'd made a mistake then it shouldn't have issued me my ticket. Because it did, I had not idea.

"I think it's incredibly unfair. But when I tried to clear things up with Parallel Parking there was no way of getting in touch with them."


The offending pay-and-display machine behind Argos, in Mansfield Street, Leicester

She added: "This needs to be sorted out. This must have happened to so many other drivers too. It's put me off visiting the city centre, which is a shame."

When LeicestershireLive contacted Parallel Parking for a comment, they replied by stating that new signs had recently been erected at the Mansfield Street car park.

"The pay-and-display machine instructions are shown on the machine," said a spokesperson. "The driver is required to enter a full and accurate registration number.

"The entered details are shown on the display screen, and when the user is happy with the displayed details they then need to press green to validate before they are able to select the time required and insert their payment."

They added: "There is no 'glitch' with the pay and display machines, they are simply printers and they only print what the user has entered.

"We have, however, placed a sign next to the pay and display machine stating that if anyone types in an incorrect registration number to contact us immediately."

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/confusing-parking-sign-replaced-after-6123876
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Re: Proof that ANPR cameras in car parks don't work
« Reply #247 on: 03 December, 2021, 07:43:42 AM »
#210


One family got a £60 fine for spending too long in a car park, even though they never turned off the engine

EXCLUSIVE: Family fined £60 for spending 12 minutes driving around car park looking for space
The family were surprised to get a ticket despite never getting out of their car or turning off the engine - but the car park operator insists the fine is deserved

One family got a £60 fine for spending too long in a car park, even though they never turned off the engine (Image: Getty Images/Westend61)
BySam BarkerReporter
17:51, 30 Nov 2021


A family has been hit by a £60 parking fine for driving around a busy car park - despite never parking.

Julie Sutcliffe, 51, had been on a family holiday to Cornwall in August.

On August 12 they visited Newquay, which was very busy at the time, and the family struggled to find a parking space.

They had visited three or four car parks, all full.

Getting desperate, they drove slowly around one car park for just more than 10 minutes hoping someone would leave so they could stop.

No-one did, so they left, before successfully finding a spot in another car park.

But to their surprise, when they had returned home after their trip they got a £60 ticket from the operator of the car park they had driven around.

Sutcliffe said: "When we got back from our holidays I opened a letter saying we had a £60 fine for parking for 13 minutes without paying. This was the time we had spent driving round.

"I appealed, saying at no point had we stopped, never mind turned our engine off.

"Our appeal was refused. To say I’m disgusted is a huge understatement."

The family paid the fine because it seemed like the easier option than fighting the ticket.

"I thought I'd pay it as I didn't want the worry of taking it further," Sutcliffe said. "They are a big company and we are a family."

The Mirror asked Smart Parking if they would refund the £60 as the family had not parked.

But Smart Parking said the fine was deserved and there would be no refund.

A Smart Parking spokesperson said: "Smart Parking are proud members of the British Parking Association and strictly follow its guidelines.

"At Newquay car park we utilise a state-of-the-art ANPR parking management system to ensure genuine customers can always find a place to park.

"It is important to remember that the car park is private land, so when deciding to park motorists should always check the terms and conditions of use which are clearly outlined in numerous signs across the site.

"In the case of [Sutcliffe] she stayed in the car park for over 12 minutes without paying, so correctly received a charge, which she has now paid.”

Last week The Mirror reported a man was fined for time he spent finding a parking space and queuing to buy a ticket.

Paul Adams, 55, says he paid for an £8.50 ticket in St. Ives which would have allowed him to stay parked at the spot all day.

But some time later he received a £60 fine from Armtrac Security Services Ltd, who run the car park.

As Adams read the notice, he was shocked to find he was being charged for the 15 minutes he waited to find a spot and the 10 minutes he waited in a queue to buy a ticket at the machine.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/money/family-fined-60-spending-12-25582941

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Re: Proof that ANPR cameras in car parks don't work
« Reply #248 on: 03 December, 2021, 08:45:09 AM »
#211

BIG MAC AND FINES McDonald’s regular furious after he’s fined £400 over new 10-minute parking limit

Emilia Shovelin
19:25, 18 Nov 2021Updated: 20:17, 18 Nov 2021


MCDONALD'S customers have been left fuming after falling foul of a new parking system leaving them with multiple £100 fines.

A 10-minute parking limit was introduced to the restaurant in Littleton, Walsall, leaving Richard Moore with four £100 fines in the space of a few weeks.


A 10-minute parking limit in the Littleton, Walsall, McDonald's has left Richard Moore with four £100 fines

Richard has been using the McDonald's drive through regularly over the last two years and said that he didn't notice the change in rules until he received four separate fines in the post.

He said: "Now the nature of a drive-through is as it says, I drive through, collect my food and eat parked up, as I have usually done for the past two years.

"I did not notice the changed parking notices.

"This is not your run-of-the-mill car park as the dynamics of the daily McDonald's drive-through customers have not been taken into consideration."

As soon as a vehicle enters the Littleton site in Wisemore, Walsall, they are clocked by ANPR cameras, meaning time is ticking as they queue for food.

Richard said: "It would have been very helpful for warning notices to have been posted at the drive-through and maybe verbal information of the changed free parking time to only 10 minutes.

"I have now stopped this as it is far too risky as a drive-through customer to complete my purchase within 10 minutes."

"None of this was done at the time the parking conditions changed and I continued to use McDonald's and the car park as I had done for the past two years."

Geeta Gupta, who received a £60 after getting breakfast at the restaurant, said: "It was impossible to get served, pay, eat in 10 minutes.

"The landowner needs to be realistic, they should be more transparent.

"£60 is ridiculous we only spent £3.49, we will never use this McDonald's again."

A petition to increase the waiting time at the site set up by Councillor Lee Jeavons has received more than 300 signatures with people hoping change will lead to fines being rescinded.

The car park is run by a private contractor but petitioners are hoping the fast food giant will use its commercial power to help with the situation.

Councillor Jeavons has described the changes as "disgraceful" and believes the waiting time must be longer.

He said: "According to planning permission, McDonald's customers are supposed to be able to park for free, the problem is none of the McDonald's bays are marked out."

The land is operated by Ocean Parking, which has been contacted for comment but is yet to respond.

A spokesman for McDonald's said: "We are aware of parking issues around our Littleton restaurant and we have contacted the managing agent to further understand and help resolve the issue."

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/16779271/mcdonalds-regular-fined-400-over-10-minute-parking-limit/

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Re: Proof that ANPR cameras in car parks don't work
« Reply #249 on: 08 December, 2021, 09:00:28 AM »
#212

8 December 2021

Drivers fined after cutting through Waitrose car park in Abingdon

By Rebecca Whittaker
Reporter



Waitrose car park, Abingdon.

Drivers are getting caught out for using a supermarket car park as a cut through.

Abingdon residents are surprised after being fined for driving through the Waitrose car park on Abbey Close, which is owned by Britannia Parking.

On the entrance to the supermarket car park there is a sign that states the car park is camera controlled. There is free customer parking for up to two hours, but some drivers have been fined for visiting the car park for even less time.

Charley Dixey said his 83-year-old grandad, lives near the car park and has recently been fined for 'overstaying' in the car park.

Mr Dixey said: "He got a ticket a few weeks back saying he had been parked there all day but in actual fact he had been at the golf club all day and had driven through the car park the same as he had done for about 10 years. He was obviously quite upset about it and wanted it paid straight away, I paid it for him and then appealed it."



Karen Pounds, explained she also uses the supermarket car park to drive through, but recently received a fine for over staying while doing her shopping.

She said: "I got a parking ticket this week and I'm convinced I didn't park there for more than two hours, but how do I prove it? I paid the £40 fine but am convinced I did not park there over my time as I'm always moving my car or I pay to park in the other car parks."

Jennah Gleed said she uses the Abingdon car park as a cut through and has recently been fined, but she believes the fines are due to a faulty camera.

She said: "The tickets I received stated that I had outstayed the maximum term not that I had passed through a restricted area. Similarly there are no signs around the carpark that say it is private land and passing through is not allowed."

She added: "The system correctly noted the first entrance but then failed, to record the first exit and second entrance that day then picking up on the second exit."

Read also: £35 million grant given to improve Oxford A40 for over 4,000 homes

Mrs Gleed said she appealed the fine and flagged the faulty camera with Britannia Parking. After struggling to speak to the Britannia Parking customer service, Mrs Gleed's fine was eventually cancelled.

She received a short statement from the parking company that said: "We can confirm that the Parking Charge Notices have been cancelled, therefore no further action is required."

Britannia Parking has been contacted for a comment about the parking fines and faulty camera, but the company has not responded.

https://www.heraldseries.co.uk/news/19767097.drivers-fined-cutting-waitrose-car-park-abingdon/

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Re: Proof that ANPR cameras in car parks don't work
« Reply #250 on: 08 December, 2021, 09:18:50 AM »
#213

BP makes U-turn after dad left in 'shock' over car wash parking fine at busy Northampton petrol station

"I'm genuinely worried bailiffs are going to knock on the door when my four-year-old daughter and partner are at home and I'm out at work."

By Logan MacLeod
Thursday, 2nd December 2021, 9:23 am


A Northampton dad has described his 'shock' and 'worry' after receiving a parking notice for 'overstaying' the time limit at a petrol station despite attending a busy car wash.

Daniel Heasman, of Kingsthorpe Grove, says bailiffs were chasing him for £170 after overstaying the allotted time at the BP Garage in Abington Avenue while washing his car on August 16.

However, the self-employed glazer paid £10 for a platinum car wash service at the BP Garage kiosk and says he was never made aware there was a time limit in place. There are multiple signs on site but Daniel said he did not see them.


Daniel Heasman at the BP Garage in Abington Avenue

Then, three months later on Thursday, November 18 Daniel received a letter from Debt Recovery Plus (DRP) demanding £170 and court action for ignoring the previous fine letters - but he says this was the first he had heard of the incident. BP has now began the process to cancel the fine.

Reacting to receiving the letter, the father-of-one said: "I didn't have any sleep and my partner is scared bailiffs are going to be coming round to the house.

"It was just a really deep down shock. Just for washing my car. It really has affected me - I can't stop thinking about it.

"It's depressing.

"I'm genuinely worried bailiffs are going to knock on the door when my four-year-old daughter and partner are at home and I'm out at work."

"Not once did BP say there is a time limit to wash my car."

Daniel went on to explain how he has tried to appeal the fine to DRP.

He said: "When I received the letter I thought it was a scam. It looks like a scam. It just looks bogus.

"I have tried to get hold of DRP but they didn't answer the phone. I was on hold for 45 minutes. I just had to hang up. I went online and the only option was to pay."

Chronicle and Echo found a Google review on the BP Garage also complaining of 'extra parking charges' while using the car wash facilities.

The review reads: "I had a bad experience at this station. I'm always filling up my car there and everything is fine. But on November 3, I washed my car and parked close to the hoovering place for six or seven minutes to get a code for the jet wash.

"Yesterday, I got a parking charge letter saying I parked for 45 minutes, but [during] that time I was on the jet wash and hoovering my car. It's a little bit strange. You go there to wash your car and get extra charge for parking. What is going on?"

However, after Chronicle & Echo contacted BP, the company has since made a request to cancel Daniel's ticket.

A BP spokesman said: "In this instance, I have spoken to our careline who have informed me that Daniel made contact with us a few days ago. They are already requesting it to be cancelled and will get back to Daniel directly.

"All parking contractors that we work with are approved by the British Parking Association (BPA) and are required to meet strict standards which address appropriate levels of charges and behaviours demanded from staff.

"We do kindly ask customers to please address their concerns to the Parking Enforcement Company they have received a letter from as they are equipped with all necessary tools to best investigate the case.

"If they believe the parking charge notice has been issued incorrectly they can make an appeal to Parking On Private Land Appeals (POPLA) which is mentioned on the letter they will have received.

"POPLA is an independent company who will assess the complaint, If the overstay is due to a genuine reason then POPLA will review the claim."

MET Parking - the car park management company responsible for the site - has not responded to this newspaper's request for comment.

https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/people/bp-makes-u-turn-after-dad-left-in-shock-over-car-wash-parking-fine-at-busy-northampton-petrol-station-3477987

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Re: Proof that ANPR cameras in car parks don't work
« Reply #251 on: 08 December, 2021, 09:30:08 AM »
#214

Lidl cancels Parking Eye charges after 90-year-old disabled Fareham pensioner goes into battle over 'stressful' Portchester fines

Disabled pensioner David Shepherd has finally won his battle to shop at his local Lidl Portchester store without being clobbered by repeated parking fines for overstaying.

By Richard Thomson
Tuesday, 16th November 2021, 1:39 pm


The 90-year-old Fareham blue badge holder and his wife Yvonne were at the end of their tether, locked a two-year battle with the national grocery chain over leaving David exposed to unfair parking charges.

Their stressful stand-off began two years ago when David found himself struggling to complete their weekly shopping in the maximum 90-minute timeframe permitted by the Lidl’s private parking contractors.


Disabled pensioner David Shepherd has won his battle to shop at his local Lidl Portchester store without being hit by repeated parking fines for overstaying.

‘I go to Lidl at Portchester and Hilsea because they sell pretty well nearly everything, so I don’t need to go shopping anywhere else, but I found an hour and a half a bit ridiculous’ said David.

‘Inevitably I’m unable to do all my shopping within that time because of my disability as it takes me some time to get around the shop, go through the checkout, get to my car with the shopping, return the trolley and exit the car park.

‘I’m constantly getting parking fines from Parking Eye who manage the car park because I’m sometimes as much as 20 minutes over time.’

David said it all started one Christmas when the previous car parking management company Athena started dishing out fines when he couldn’t get back to his car on time.



As his disability also inhibits him from writing, Yvonne challenged them to justify the situation in what ended up in a bulging file of letters exposing a callous disregard for their predicament.

When Parking Eye took over the management of the Portchester parking operations, they were devastated to discover they were about to become victims of more parking fines in the pipeline.

A furious David said that he’d complained to the Lidl’s Portchester store manager, one manager three times and two other managers after a request for a half-hour extension to Parking Eye was conspicuously ignored.

‘You would have thought Lidl managers would be anxious to protect their customers,’ he said. ‘Basically, they didn’t want to know, claiming it was nothing to do with them as they employ third-party contractors to monitor and control their car parks.



‘One said I had to write in and send a bill in to prove I’d spent the money. That may be alright if you can write but I can’t use a pen or even do emails at my age. It all wound up with my wife Yvonne who has got heath problems and it upsets her putting her under enormous stress when we couldn’t get a satisfactory reply.’

Determined to stand his ground for what amounted to being penalised for mobility disablement, David point-blank refused to succumb to what he regarded as an unconscionable bullying and harassment campaign by Parking Eye to get him to pay up.

‘That’s what I’m so annoyed about. I haven’t accepted any of their charges and what I’d really like is for them to take me to court, but they didn’t. It wouldn’t look very good if they did,’ he said.

What finally took the biscuit was when their son started receiving the Parking Eye charge notices despite the fact he hadn’t lived at their address for some time.

At the end of her tether, Yvonne emailed Streetwise for help and advice.

We took the view that no responsible company should have left the couple struggling month after month with a situation that penalised them and led them up a blind alley.

We got onto Lidl and indicated in no uncertain terms that customer service experience started in their car parks - not just confined to their stores. There could be no pretence of customer service if the loyalty and concerns of disabled customers were viewed and summarily dismissed as irrelevant.

Unlike parking charge demands from local councils or the police, private parking operators cannot impose fines or penalties, but merely issue what amounts to an invoice for infringing their ‘small print’ terms and conditions to park on private land.

We reminded Parking Eye the Equality Act 2010 outlawed any small print terms in their parking contracts that discriminated against the disabled. They were legally unenforceable

We asked Lidl to investigate the issue and hopefully apply a Lidl lateral thinking to come up with a solution. To their credit the company moved swiftly to finally defuse the situation in an about-turn.

Provisions had been put in place to ensure any car parking charges David had received were cancelled and prevent any further parking charges arising again.

A spokesperson said: ‘We were extremely sorry to hear of this matter as it is never our intention for a customer to be dissatisfied in any way. Our car park management systems are in place to help ensure availability of parking spaces for all our customers, and it’s therefore disappointing when we learn that a customer has wrongfully received a fine. We can confirm that all charges for this customer have been cancelled, and in the extremely unfortunate event that a Blue Badge holder receives a parking charge, we would encourage them to get in touch with Parking Eye directly and explain they hold a Blue Badge so that the charge can be cancelled as swiftly as possible.’

The couple were greatly relieved at the good news, but also grateful that Lidl’s policy concerning the treatment of shoppers with disabilities had been clarified so other disabled people wouldn’t have to go through their prolonged victimisation.

‘We can’t thank you enough,’ said David. ‘I’m just grateful that it took the intervention of Streetwise and the threat of publicity to bring this matter to an end.’

Parking Eye did not respond to our invitation to comment.

https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/business/consumer/lidl-cancels-parking-eye-charges-after-90-year-old-disabled-fareham-pensioner-goes-into-battle-over-stressful-portchester-fines-3459731

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Re: Proof that ANPR cameras in car parks don't work
« Reply #252 on: 08 December, 2021, 09:38:55 AM »
#215

Dad hit with £60 parking ticket for making 'silly mistake' on family day out

A FATHER has been hit with a driving fine after accidentally paying for the wrong vehicle on a family day trip to the Plymouth Playhouse.

By LUKE CHILLINGSWORTH
12:02, Tue, Nov 23, 2021 | UPDATED: 17:45, Tue, Nov 23, 2021


Scott Corben said he was hit with a £60 parking fine after he accidentally entered the incorrect registration details. He said he did not even realise the error until he found the penalty notice pinned to his windscreen.

He said: “​​I've found that it's really easy to forget to change the registration of your car when paying for parking.

"So this means that you can actually pay for parking for the right length of time and in the right place, but for the wrong car.

"This is what I did recently when I took my daughters to the Plymouth Playhouse to see a play on the day after my daughter was allowed out of isolation following Covid.

"I parked nearby, inputted all the right details but I selected the wrong car on the RingGo app.


Scott received a £60 fine after a family day out

“When I got back I found a fine of £60 attached to the windscreen.

“That's twice what we paid for tickets. It's also twenty times what I paid to park - albeit in the wrong car."

He added: "You would think that an operator of parking controls would accept that as just a silly mistake, right?

“I am asking them to be sensible and reasonable."

Scott has contacted the Independent Appeals Service (IAS) for assessment.

He believes his penalty has gone against the Secretary of State for Transport’s guidance on penalty charges.

Although he used RingGo to pay for his parking charge, the company is not responsible for the penalty notice.

Instead, Parking Premier Solutions are responsible for the car park located directly outside the Playhouse.

They have addressed the concerns but confirmed the motorist had made a “mistake”

They said: “The error appears solely to be with the motorist who has authorised the incorrect vehicle to park.

"It is not at all controversial to ask that the correct vehicle is authorised properly to park and by making the mistake the motorist has caused us to incur losses accordingly."

Earlier this summer, JustPark claimed around three percent of complaints are linked to incorrect number plates.

Last year, the British Parking Association (BPA) published a revised Code of Practice for private firms.

They issued guidance on ‘keying errors’ for those who entered incorrect registration details.

The BPA says a minor keying issue - one letter or number incorrect - should see fines cancelled.

A major keying issue for completely incorrect details should see drivers issued only a £20 fine.

Express.co.uk have contacted Parking Premier Solutions for further comment.

https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/cars/1525658/parking-fine-ticket-penalty-charge-notice-registration-number

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Re: Proof that ANPR cameras in car parks don't work
« Reply #253 on: 08 December, 2021, 09:49:44 AM »
#216

'Never had this': Disabled driver fined for parking at Tesco despite having blue badge

A DISABLED driver said she was told to pay a parking fine at Tesco despite using her blue badge.

By FELIX REEVES
13:33, Fri, Nov 12, 2021 | UPDATED: 14:31, Sat, Nov 13, 2021


Claire Lewis received a letter telling her she needed to pay a fine for parking for longer than she was allowed at a Tesco at the end of October. The supermarket’s car park is operated by parking management company Horizon, with shoppers being allowed to park for a maximum of two hours.

Blue badge holders are usually allowed to stay for an extra hour to accommodate for their needs in public car parks.

Ms Lewis acknowledged that she stayed at the car park for two and a half hours.

She said she was asked to pay a fine because the car park is only monitored by cameras which time how long shoppers have been parked.

The 58-year-old said the cameras do not take into account whether the vehicle has a blue badge.


Claire Lewis was fined despite having her blue badge.


Blue Badges `were introduced in 1971.

Claire, who has a rare congenital condition called X linked Hypophosphataemia, said she felt disabled people were being treated unfairly.

She explained: "I have a blue badge which entitles me to park in a disabled bay for three hours.

“I went to Tesco and we were over two hours but not over three hours.

“A company called Horizon has taken over Tesco car park and they have cameras recording your car going into Tesco and coming out of Tesco.

“It means they know how long you've been there, but they don't know whether you're a disabled driver or not.

"I parked away from Tesco and by the time I got into Tesco, I was in terrible pain.

“At customer services I was told Tesco couldn't do anything for me and said I would have to write to Horizon, send in my blue badge and they would be able to void it.

"I spoke to a manager and he said the policy in Tesco is that when you come to Tesco, you have to come to customer services, show them your blue badge and your registration, then walk back out to your car to put your blue badge up and then you can have your three hours,” she told Wales Online.

Claire felt that this policy was unfair because it meant disabled people would have to walk further every time they needed to when going shopping.

The blue badge was introduced in 1971 and was introduced to make parking easier and more accessible for those with disabilities.

While at the store, Claire claimed that other people said they had received a letter, with some drivers even paying the fine despite using their badges correctly.

She continued, saying: "A crowd of people had gathered while this was going on and as I walked out they said they had one of those (letters) as well.


Blue badges allow drivers to park for longer.

“So I think this is a bigger problem than Tesco knows and people don't know what to do. Not all people are as vocal as me.

“A lot of disabled people become disabled. When you're born with it like me, that's all you know and you have to fight for everything.

“I've been disabled my whole life and have had a car since I was 21 and never-ever have I had this."

A Tesco spokesperson told Express.co.uk: “Our Merthyr Tydfil Extra store has a busy car park, and so we operate a two-hour limit for customer parking which is monitored using number plate recognition cameras.

"If a customer needs longer than two hours, they can log their car registration with our customer service desk on arrival to make sure they do not receive a ticket.”
Express.co.uk have contacted Horizon Parking for a comment.

https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/cars/1520465/parking-dispute-blue-badge-tesco

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Re: Proof that ANPR cameras in car parks don't work
« Reply #254 on: 08 December, 2021, 09:58:54 AM »
#217

'Blatant scam': Driver slams parking company over £100 fine he says he couldn't pay

A DRIVER has accused a village car park of "scamming" people out of their money after he was fined £100 despite being unable to pay for his ticket.

By FELIX REEVES
16:00, Sun, Nov 21, 2021


Mark Perrett visited Mousehole in Cornwall on October 31 to have lunch with his girlfriend on the harbour front by the Rock Pool. He said he tried to call the company that runs the car park as he didn’t have any change and little mobile signal in order to arrange to pay for a cashless parking session over the phone.

The driver said there was a number of the machine which motorists could call if they didn’t have change or data connection and still needed to pay for a ticket.

He claimed: "The sign said I need to call the number, type in the code and they take a payment of £5, which is the price displayed.

"So, I called the number and I was recognised by the automated voice, who addressed me as Mr Perrett and asked if I could enter the number of the car park.

“But when I did, a message came through saying that the car park is currently full and the call ended, so I could do no more.


The driver received a £100 parking charge notice.


Mr Perrett claimed he couldn't pay for the parking ticket.

"It was my only day off from work that week and I wanted to have lunch with my girlfriend down there because it was a lovely day.

“I saw that there were only 10 other cars there, so there was clearly some fault in the system and I didn't see the point in leaving an empty car park.

"So, we decided to stay to have our crab sandwiches and then left 45 minutes later.

“A few days later, I got a parking charge notice of £100, from Initial Parking, which is absolutely ridiculous," he told Cornwall Live.

Mr Perrett said the car park was not full, so assumed there must have been a fault with the electronics as there were no lights on in the machine.

Aside from the phone call to the company, there were no other options for him to pay, so he stayed for 45 minutes and had lunch.

He received a parking charge notice dated November 4, which read: "The signage displayed at the entrance to and throughout the car park, states that the car park is private land operated by Initial Parking (the creditor).

“Parking conditions apply or a Parking Charge will be incurred, along with other terms and conditions of the car park by which those who park in the car park agree to be bound.

"By contravening the terms and conditions set out on the signage, the Parking Charge is now payable."

Mr Perrett, from Helston, tried to appeal his parking charge notice, but it was rejected by Initial Parking.

He now feels that his only option is to pay the fine.

The experience has left a “bad taste in his mouth” and has accused the parking company of “running a scam” to try and get money out of unsuspecting drivers.


The fine was given in Mousehole.

He added: "It's made me more angry that my appeal was rejected. I feel this a blatant scam because not only could no one pay the £5 charge over the phone, then we are being subjected to having to pay £100.

“I see this as a great way to get money from visitors to Cornwall and locals too, who may not contest this and let it go.

"The system in the car park must be faulty because it should be quite obvious from the camera that the car park was empty.”

Express.co.uk has contacted Initial Parking for a comment on the situation.

https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/cars/1524481/car-park-issue-driver-fine-parking-company-cornwall

 


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