OT (and it's a long shot) : To the two people who got invoices in Portslade Aldi ..

[BensGrandad]

Parking companies only exist because the DVLA sell the personal data of the registered keeper making around 8.5 million a year from it, you get nowhere if you try challenging the DVLA about what right they have to sell your info without your permission, if they stopped supplying the info to these parking companies then they are dead in the water, but why would they when they are making that sort of dosh each year.

Could you not argue that it is in breech of the Data Protection Act 1998 to divulge personal information to a third party whether they have paid for it or not. Also they only provide the name of the owner of the vehicle not who was driving it. This is the person responsible even if it is a legitimate PCN.

 

[pseudonym]

Could you not argue that it is in breech of the Data Protection Act 1998 to divulge personal information to a third party whether they have paid for it or not. Also they only provide the name of the owner of the vehicle not who was driving it. This is the person responsible even if it is a legitimate PCN.

I know a couple of people that have tried to get some sort of reasonable response but the closest answer that have came back to being most likely is that the info does not come under the data protection act because the info that they are giving is already in the public domain,ie the electoral register,they only give name and address nothing more,no dob or such like info.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

Understand that, but why are you bothered about it?

Want to bother about mine? I have a marked traders van and was stopped on double yellows to load, and got a ticket stating you were "observed from 12.19 - 12.20, 1 minute !

But hey ho, it £35, so what, bit bitter for 1 minute but still paid up, more important thing to be concerned about, certainly not others peoples parking tickets.

On double yellow lines you do get 5 minutes, unless there are kerb marks. If you look on the ticket, it should say code 02, which will say something relating to a loading ban. There it is an instant ticket, and authorisation for removal in most cases.

 

[Garage_Doors]

On double yellow lines you do get 5 minutes, unless there are kerb marks. If you look on the ticket, it should say code 02, which will say something relating to a loading ban. There it is an instant ticket, and authorisation for removal in most cases.

Thanks for that.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

Thanks for that.

It's not without it's appeal potential though, it has to be said. A lot of the kerb markings are awful in Brighton and Hove, and that's why the line painters are out in force again at the moment. I would appeal. You don't lose anything for trying, afterall.

 

[BensGrandad]

I know a couple of people that have tried to get some sort of reasonable response but the closest answer that have came back to being most likely is that the info does not come under the data protection act because the info that they are giving is already in the public domain,ie the electoral register,they only give name and address nothing more,no dob or such like info.

Their names and addresses are but it is the link to the vehicle registration number that is the infringement of the Data Protection Act. They could use that answer for anything as all address etc are on the electoral roll.

 

[pseudonym]

Their names and addresses are but it is the link to the vehicle registration number that is the infringement of the Data Protection Act. They could use that answer for anything as all address etc are on the electoral roll.

Not so sure about that,have a go at writing to them to see what response you get, only thing is do you believe a government department would so openly break data protection laws? i don't think so, in that case what they are doing must be lawful.

 

[LadySeagull]

Glad to see that SodG24 on MSE also posted here, thought you would, Westdene Seagull!

The more people that realise this is a scam, the better.

Only ever take seriously a real Penalty, and (outside of the sporting connotation) they are only issued by the Police, TFL, Councils or Train Operators. And Council ones can be appealed, usually with success if you take it to adjudication.

But just ignore Parking Eye, Athena, Euro Car Parks, G24, Highview, Britannia and all the other parasitical 'parking companies' we have infesting our car parks round the area.

 

[DanielT]

Well done WestdeneSeagull

I am happily ignoring the worthless letters they send me. Think i am on number 5 now.

I was wrongly ticketed at asda and the annoyance i have is close to yours!

 

[chimneys]

Agree with you all on the short term, petty clock watching, aggressive tactics by these parking companies, but.........

What would you suggest Aldi does in order to protect the car park for their customers and customers of other local businesses from abuse by Portslade Station train commuters filling the entire car park at 8 am, and not returning until 8pm (the store opening hours)?

If it were known that there were no enforeceable parking restrictions on that car park you can be pretty sure it will fill with all day parkers who dont give a toss very quickly!

Awaits flaming!!

 

[BensGrandad]

It has been on many TV programs so I would assume that there are more people that know they are unenforceable than there are spaces at Aldis Car Park. Where they win is that people given in to the bullying tactics and threats of court action plus the reduced fee for early payment. With my brother in law he was going to just pay it but my sister ion law said no let me fight it for them. although I had told them it was unenforceable. He is now agreeing with me and has learnt his lesson and finds them quite amusing.

 

[chimneys]

It has been on many TV programs so I would assume that there are more people that know they are unenforceable than there are spaces at Aldis Car Park. Where they win is that people given in to the bullying tactics and threats of court action plus the reduced fee for early payment. With my brother in law he was going to just pay it but my sister ion law said no let me fight it for them. although I had told them it was unenforceable. He is now agreeing with me and has learnt his lesson and finds them quite amusing.

So can you answer the main part of my question, being how should Aldi protect its car park for its and other local businesses' customers from habitual long stay commuter parkers?

 

[ArcticBlue]

Good on you Westy.

 

[beorhthelm]

i agree with the sentiment, however its for a court to decide the enforceablity of such "contracts". obviously if the resrtiction is 3 hrs and they slap the ticket on your car after one or two hours they are chancers and its not going to hold. but go over that 3hrs? i reckon that would stand, that the terms of using the car park.

really, you should be making the point to the companies that employ them. the problem is, as point out above, some people take the piss with parking and if you had no form of enforcement you wouldnt be able to park to shop in many locations.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Agree with you all on the short term, petty clock watching, aggressive tactics by these parking companies, but.........

What would you suggest Aldi does in order to protect the car park for their customers and customers of other local businesses from abuse by Portslade Station train commuters filling the entire car park at 8 am, and not returning until 8pm (the store opening hours)?

If it were known that there were no enforeceable parking restrictions on that car park you can be pretty sure it will fill with all day parkers who dont give a toss very quickly!

Awaits flaming!!

I'm not going to flame you. SOMETIMES it is an issue but many place PPCs operate it isn't. All Aldi have to do is the same that Waitrose have done for years. Install a barrier and people who buy something get free parking with a stamped ticket or, as per the case of a Waitrose in Cornwall I went to last year, a plastic token to enable you to open the barrier.

i agree with the sentiment, however its for a court to decide the enforceablity of such "contracts". obviously if the resrtiction is 3 hrs and they slap the ticket on your car after one or two hours they are chancers and its not going to hold. but go over that 3hrs? i reckon that would stand, that the terms of using the car park.

really, you should be making the point to the companies that employ them. the problem is, as point out above, some people take the piss with parking and if you had no form of enforcement you wouldnt be able to park to shop in many locations.

It comes under contract law. It is unlawful for a company to charge a penalty to an individual. In a car park that is free for the first hours and then say a £1 an hour all the PPC can claim is their loss. Stay an hour more and all they can claim is £1. £75 or so have been proven to be a penalty and most the PPC cases that have gone to court have been thrown out on this point. Aldi have in the past, and I suspect continue to do so, broken their planning permission. Planning permission was granted just as long as there was 3 hours free parking AND people could park there to use other local businesses. When they open they only allowed 2 hours free and I suspect the Corsa got it's invoice yesterday because the driver left the car park and didn't enter Aldi.

 

[brighton bluenose]

i'm with you on this one westdene, good on you,
pure scum scamming!
(sorry, it is one of my major hates)

This 100% - fantastic that Westdenes looking out for his fellow citizens against these robbing bastards!!

 

[chimneys]

I'm not going to flame you. SOMETIMES it is an issue but many place PPCs operate it isn't. All Aldi have to do is the same that Waitrose have done for years. Install a barrier and people who buy something get free parking with a stamped ticket or, as per the case of a Waitrose in Cornwall I went to last year, a plastic token to enable you to open the barrier.

Good suggestion! Presume they will argue cost etc, as presume these parking companies are costing them nothing (might even get a rake in!). Have you put it to Aldi? Might save you a lot of time/effort in your quest!

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Good suggestion! Presume they will argue cost etc, as presume these parking companies are costing them nothing (might even get a rake in!). Have you put it to Aldi? Might save you a lot of time/effort in your quest!

Aldi don't listen. It costs less than £2k to put in a barrier system so it's small money for a supermarket.

I did have an email discussion with Terry Duddy - CEO of Home Retail Group who own Homebase - when my car got an invoice from G24 over at Homlbush. You won't believe the lies PPCs tell these businesses to get the contract. He was adamant he was right though so I kindly informed him I would no longer be using his stores. Given in the last ten years or so I've spent literally thousands in Homebase and I'm probably not the only one withdrawing my custom I'd have thought it would pay them to put in barriers.

 

[moggy]

Great thread this, well done you! Westdene seagull.
Just out of interest, are these civil tickets still unenforceable even if they're given for a breach of peaking, i.e. parking for longer than permitted?

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Great thread this, well done you! Westdene seagull.
Just out of interest, are these civil tickets still unenforceable even if they're given for a breach of peaking, i.e. parking for longer than permitted?

If the amount they are asking could be seen as a penalty then yes, they would be unenforceable. Exactly what determines a penalty would be down the the judge on the day. What shoots most PPCs in the foot is that what they should be asking for is a reasonable estimate of their losses - the loss if you didn't pay £2.50 is, well, £2.50. The fact that the charge escalates if you don't pay it within x number of days shows it to be a penalty.