Parking Charge Notice - Help

Sage

Just wondering if anyone on here could help, so please bare with me...

I received a parking charge notice in the post late last week from Euro Car Parks. I had entered the Toby Carvery car park in Bexleyheath but when we were walking over to go in, there was a queue of people and a waitress was outside. When it was our turn, the waitress asked if we had booked in advance as they were unable to take any walk-ins. We hadn’t booked, so the waitress apologised and said they couldn’t help us. So we had to turn around and leave.

I entered the car park at 18:17pm and left at 18:28pm.

The parking charge notice has issued me an invoice (notice to keeper) of £85.00, or £50.00 if paid by a specific date.

Can anyone provide any advice of what to do?

I’ve previously had parking charge notices before and only successfully won one appeal as they couldn’t prove that I did not shop in the centre, when I had actually shopped there. The other time was entirely my fault as I had entered the wrong details (put a O instead of a D for my number plate, it was dark and they looked the same on the machine). However this time, there wasn’t anything else I could have done.

Any help and advice would be great. I’ve looked online but all of details are very old.

Thanks.

SuedeAdidas

Set fire to the pub

cafc999

I am pretty certain as its issued as an invoice you can simply just ignore it.

You may want to confirm that with others first though

Sage

SuedeAdidas said:

Set fire to the pub

Always an option but I’d prefer not to have arson on top of a parking charge too... 

Sage

This is the letter I received. It definitely is an invoice, right?

SuedeAdidas

I think there's been a few threads on here about this mob already ain't there?

cafcpolo

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=4816822

LenGlover

I'd involve the Toby Carvery management and get them to explain the situation and circumstances to their parking goons. 

It would be an absolute scandal for you to have to pay a Parking Charge when you didn't even benefit from the premises. 

In fact, digressing slightly, it's a bloody cheek for a pub or restaurant to have the temerity to charge parking at all when you are going in there to spend money!

I never frequent establishments that charge parking in those circumstances as a matter of principle.

johnnybev1987

Doesn't it give you grounds for appeal? Normally says on the back, can do it online and state your case there. Worth a shot, I have in the past, even when unsuccessful they will just put the notice on hold and once they have confirmed whether successful or not it wont go up if you pay it in time still.

I think I have been successful a couple of times but more so not, worth a shot. I've done several times because of an app where I accidentally paid for other vehicles, or a different road. I know stupid , but easier than you think sometimes first thing in the morning ir if in a hurry.

I would say you have valid grounds personally when you have confirmed you was only trying to get a booking, also confirmation you were there only 10 minutes, that should be reasonable enough to challenge in my opinion. Good luck

ads

Just tell them the place was full so had to leave, they'll cancel it

paulbaconsarnie

LenGlover said:

I'd involve the Toby Carvery management and get them to explain the situation and circumstances to their parking goons. 

It would be an absolute scandal for you to have to pay a Parking Charge when you didn't even benefit from the premises. 

In fact, digressing slightly, it's a bloody cheek for a pub or restaurant to have the temerity to charge parking at all when you are going in their to spend money!

I never frequent establishments that charge parking in those circumstances as a matter of principle.

Don’t think they charge Len.
think you just have to register your number plate when going in.
its to prevent non customers using the car park.

hoof_it_up_to_benty

I don't understand why you'd be charged to park in a pub car park? Contact the management of the restaurant...

TeslaGirl

delted by me

harveys_gardener

I'd fire back a hold note to the issuer and Toby, saying that as they were unable to accept my custom there was no need to buy a parking ticket and explain the circumstances.  Tell them your visit was a package, parking for a meal and their invoice is therefore unenforceable.  (suggest that Toby may no longer be your restaurant of choice)

Sage

paulbaconsarnie said:

LenGlover said:

I'd involve the Toby Carvery management and get them to explain the situation and circumstances to their parking goons. 

It would be an absolute scandal for you to have to pay a Parking Charge when you didn't even benefit from the premises. 

In fact, digressing slightly, it's a bloody cheek for a pub or restaurant to have the temerity to charge parking at all when you are going in their to spend money!

I never frequent establishments that charge parking in those circumstances as a matter of principle.

Don’t think they charge Len.
think you just have to register your number plate when going in.
its to prevent non customers using the car park.

That’s right, they have a little tablet thing indoors that you have to enter the number plate. But I didn’t even get that far to get inside and enter the number plate as they were turning us away outside.

25May98

Speak to Toby Carvery to see if they will contact Euro Carparks to explain what happened on that day. If they do nothing threaten Toby Carvery with poor reviews on Trip Advisor etc.....

If you end up paying, book a few tables under different names for a particular Sunday and then don’t turn up. Pop in for a pint and express your pleasure at how beautifully quiet it is today. 

Wheresmeticket

Just tell them what happened.

ForeverAddickted

I'd get in touch with the Toby Carvery as a business mate and just complain about it (Going so far as to say that if they refuse then you'll permanently take your custom else where), they'll soon get it rescinded for you

I did the same with Aldi and ParkingEye in Dartford - Sent them an email saying that they can either get the £50 from me or I'd never use Aldi for my shopping ever again, despite never actually shopping in there in the first place

The worst thing you can do regardless if they dont (I'd be very surprised) is pay it though as they'll win when they cant enforce it!!

You could easily just ignore it - Euro Car Parks are one of the weakest companies out there for this sort of thing and NEVER seriously I mean NEVER take people to court over these notices - I parked in one myself on a daily basis near my work for about six months, got about 10 notices through my post demanding money, offering a smaller payment each time saying that if I didnt pay up them the next time I'd be taken to court, only to receive a further letter reminding that I needed to pay up, after about six months the hassling did stop though and have never heard from them again

Either way recommend you read this...

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?s=57a81a6fdaf710a66109c5e0d2dd0fbc&t=4816822

Sage

cafcpolo said:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=4816822

I’ll scroll through this, lots to get through on that site. Thanks.

Sage

johnnybev1987 said:

Doesn't it give you grounds for appeal? Normally says on the back, can do it online and state your case there. Worth a shot, I have in the past, even when unsuccessful they will just put the notice on hold and once they have confirmed whether successful or not it wont go up if you pay it in time still.

I think I have been successful a couple of times but more so not, worth a shot. I've done several times because of an app where I accidentally paid for other vehicles, or a different road. I know stupid , but easier than you think sometimes first thing in the morning ir if in a hurry.

I would say you have valid grounds personally when you have confirmed you was only trying to get a booking, also confirmation you were there only 10 minutes, that should be reasonable enough to challenge in my opinion. Good luck

Yes on the back is a number to call, doesn’t say if it’s a fee number and there is no online option to appeal. 

Sage

Thanks all so far, seems best option is to go back to Toby Carvery and explain the situation to their management. See what they say and go from there. At the end of the day, they lost custom from me but also have caused me a problem due to the way they dealt with the situation. Surely they have a responsibility in this situation, even if their car park is not officially ‘theirs’.

guinnessaddick

25May98 said:

Speak to Toby Carvery to see if they will contact Euro Carparks to explain what happened on that day. If they do nothing threaten Toby Carvery with poor reviews on Trip Advisor etc.....

If you end up paying, book a few tables under different names for a particular Sunday and then don’t turn up. Pop in for a pint and express your pleasure at how beautifully quiet it is today. 

Remembering to put your car reg into the parking machine.

Addickted

@SuedeAdidas suggestion is the best option.

Indeed, all Toby Carveries should suffer the same fate.

AddickFC81

Appeal it telling them what happened and if they say no then say to them "See you in court!"

Chizz

Sage said:

Thanks all so far, seems best option is to go back to Toby Carvery and explain the situation to their management. See what they say and go from there. At the end of the day, they lost custom from me but also have caused me a problem due to the way they dealt with the situation. Surely they have a responsibility in this situation, even if their car park is not officially ‘theirs’.

Don't drive though.  Just to be on the safe side... 

seth plum

Send them a letter asking for the serial number of all pieces of electronic equipment they have used in the entire process.
With photographs as evidence. Give them seven days to reply.

cafc999

seth plum said:

Send them a letter asking for the serial number of all pieces of electronic equipment they have used in the entire process.
With photographs as evidence. Give them seven days to reply.

along with respective calibration certificates

Sage

cafc999 said:

seth plum said:

Send them a letter asking for the serial number of all pieces of electronic equipment they have used in the entire process.
With photographs as evidence. Give them seven days to reply.

along with respective calibration certificates

Might sound stupid, but what will this achieve, I don’t particularly understand? 

cafc999

Sage said:

cafc999 said:

seth plum said:

Send them a letter asking for the serial number of all pieces of electronic equipment they have used in the entire process.
With photographs as evidence. Give them seven days to reply.

along with respective calibration certificates

Might sound stupid, but what will this achieve, I don’t particularly understand? 

If you are measuring something with a piece of equipment then you have to keep it accurate (It gets calibrated)

The only proof of accuracy is the calibration certificate for the said piece of equipment.

If you cannot produce one of these for a piece of equipment, how do you know its accurate?

guinnessaddick

Sage said:

cafc999 said:

seth plum said:

Send them a letter asking for the serial number of all pieces of electronic equipment they have used in the entire process.
With photographs as evidence. Give them seven days to reply.

along with respective calibration certificates

Might sound stupid, but what will this achieve, I don’t particularly understand? 

Think that’s more of a case if you get caught speeding by a camera.

The pub does own the car park, it takes an income from the car park company, whilst the car park company makes profit from fining everyone it can.

SuedeAdidas

Sage said:

cafc999 said:

seth plum said:

Send them a letter asking for the serial number of all pieces of electronic equipment they have used in the entire process.
With photographs as evidence. Give them seven days to reply.

along with respective calibration certificates

Might sound stupid, but what will this achieve, I don’t particularly understand? 

It makes you feel like Petrocelli for a bit.