Parking in Cornwall & Lost ticket?

MKRW · Oct 23, 2012

Hi All,

I am interested in your thoughts. I bought a £3 parking ticket and placed it on the dashboard at Pra Sands -Cornwall the weekend before last. I locked the Cali and went canoeing along the coast for the day.

On my return I had a horrible shock, £85 fine from MBC parking solutions and not a single sign of the parking ticket. When I placed it I ensured it was in full view.

I am feeling really aggrieved at the charges and would like your thoughts on what happened to the ticket as now a week later it still has not appeared? I am aware of some things disappearing down the front dash, but there is absolutely no sign here?

Thoughts please?

Mark

Martin · Oct 23, 2012

What a pain and it is obviously a private parking company. Not surprisingly, when you type into Google 'mbc parking solutions' Google will try and complete it with the most popular search term that people use when looking them up, and it is 'mbc parking solutions complaints' Quite a few others have had problems by the looks of it.

Just a thought buy I have sometimes had the pressure of air when you close the door moves the ticket, even blown it back out the van sometimes, I now always check the ticket is in place once all the doors are closed.

CaliforniaDAN · Oct 23, 2012

Before you pay have a look at this website.

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel ... king-guide

It will tell you the difference between a fine issued by council or police, and what is basically an invoice issued by a private company . £85 to park seems very excessive.

Basic gist of the above article is that if it is an invoice very few companies pursue them as the cost to do so is prohibitive. If you have that ticket make sure it is in a safe place for any further contact you may have with them.

Californiaman · Oct 23, 2012

I had a similar thing happen a while back. The ticket was blown over onto its face as I closed the door. It was still visible on the dash but only the reverse.

I got back to the car as the parkie was writing out a ticket. I opened the car and showed him the ticket. He recognised it but still gave me a ticket. I wrote to the council and they let me off the charges.

Without the ticket, I doubt they would do the same.

I guess you paid cash for the ticket? So no debit/credit card receipt to use as evidence...

A reliable witness that you purchased a ticket perhaps may be worth a try?

I find quite often now that the tickets are not supplied with sticky backing which makes it very easy for them to blow away... perhaps a digital photo of the ticket would be worthwhile in future. Sounds overkill but when faced with extortionate fines like that?

It wasn't the type of machine that requires you to put your registration in was it? I wonder if they retain an audit log of entered registrations?

Either way, I think I would make a pretty big issue out of it. Everyone has to make a living BUT that is a ridiculous amount of money to be fined even if you hadn't bought a ticket.

Carrg · Oct 23, 2012

^^ But that was a Council charge.

Check out the link to private car park company charges. You'll find many ways out if it is from a private company

slowcoach65 · Oct 23, 2012

I agree with drmw1335, I heard Martin Lewis on Radio 4, giving advice on this subject. Bottom line was, if it's a private company don't pay. If you get a letter, reply stating you think the charge is excessive and you plan to appeal. Most of the time they will give up, the only way they can get your money is to go to court.

HOWEVER, if it's the council then either pay up or go through their appeals process - most of the time, you will still "win".

Keep you nerve,

Andy

m4rky · Oct 23, 2012

Re: Parking in Cornwall & Lost ticket?

If this is from a private company just throw it in the bin. You will have to ignore loads of threatagrams from them but just bin those too

I've had loads of these over the years and I have never paid any of them. The company has to prove breach of contract in court and they never do

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Carrg · Oct 23, 2012

Dont reply they will see it as admission and chase you even more. As said just ignore if not Council or Police :headwall

Stu · Oct 23, 2012

Not much help to you now but I'm surprised nobody else mentioned it yet - the top tray on the dashboard has a parking ticket holder in. Grips quite tightly and should stop them being lost. :thumb

Californiaman · Oct 23, 2012

I've started using the one in mine but wasn't sure that they all had them!

MKRW · Oct 23, 2012

Stu said:
Not much help to you now but I'm surprised nobody else mentioned it yet - the top tray on the dashboard has a parking ticket holder in. Grips quite tightly and should stop them being lost.

Thanks Stu, I already had my camping ticket in that dashboard holder.

Thanks all. great suggestions and good replies.... I wrote to them today and await a response.....I do not plan to pay.... Will update if I hear more.

Anonymous · Oct 23, 2012

I ignored one of these last year from when i was parked in Mcdonalds in Bradford to long, after the letters from the car parking firm then came the letters from the debt collecting agency which I still ignored they have now put CCJ's against my name so people saying to ignore this is not a good route

KernowLad · Oct 23, 2012

They are the WORST company I have ever known and Praa is notorious for those thieving gits - we got clamped despite going to get change, many have been clamped for very little reason.

Luckily they cannot clamp any more but it's still a complete pain. I feel for you - I was raging when they clamped us! Sadly MBC won't reply to anything. The loss of their clamping rights is a small kind of victory.

MrsShambly · Oct 26, 2012

We splashed out

and have one of these fixed to the drivers' side of the windscreen (came as standard on my Volvo).... means you don't have to clamber back in the Cali to display the ticket too!

http://www.clasohlson.com/uk/Ticket-Holder/Pr347848000

Eleanor

James · Oct 26, 2012

if it helps i can probably solve where your ticket went.

If you leave it on the dash - it will slide forward towards the windowscreen and down the gap between that and the dash.

I've almost had it happened to me. So, if you feel really strongly, get the dealer to have a look.

James