I‘D like to add my name to previous readers voicing annoyance with the parking situation in and around St Helens.
Last week I got a Parking Charge Notice from ParkingEye for £100 stating my car had been parked at Euro Garages, Starbucks St Helens for more than 22 hours.
Their timed /dated photographic evidence proved this. My daughter – the main driver of the car frequents there to buy a coffee.
I doubted the notice due to the 22hrs parking duration. Other than at home the car has never been parked for this long. A check of home CCTV showed the car on our drive throughout almost the entire relevant time.
I had to lodge an appeal (against what exactly? – we hadn’t actually done anything other than going about our daily lives).
It is impossible to appeal by phone, you have to e-mail or write a letter. Not very handy if you don’t have access to a computer, or your letter goes missing in the system.
However, I sent an e-mail and a week later got a response – the charge had been cancelled, no apology or explanation.
I eventually managed to contact ParkingEye customer services to express my annoyance and seek an explanation. The operator displayed a complete lack of interest and customer service.
I was told there had been a glitch in the system and the charge had been cancelled.
Wonder how many other drivers have fallen foul to a glitch in ParkingEye systems? Luckily I easily proved my innocence.
It makes me wonder though how I would have done so if I hadn’t had CCTV evidence and if the alleged parking duration hadn’t been so ridiculous.
Overall it took me more than two hours to sort out this fiasco – my time is valuable and I don’t like wasting it proving my innocence because of a glitch in a system
Don’t get me going on mobile parking wardens seen peering round corners and through hedges before slapping on tickets and scarpering.
Parking tyranny or am I just suffering from parking paranoia?
Name and address submitted
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel