Smart Parking Facebook group Options

[RD400E]

I'm not sure if I can post links here so for the moment I won't

There is a Facebook group formed yesterday at around 19:30 that has already got over 770 members!
The title is "Smart Parking Problems Westgate Park Basildon"
It's an open group so can be easily found.

So far it appears almost everyone attempting to park here or even pick up a passenger is being invoiced to the tune of £49.50
Machines not working, Registration numbers not being recorded, even straight forward breaches of the BPA's T&C's with regards
to ANPR.

Local councillors, MP's and even the evening Echo are involved.

People are being 'Invoiced' for no reason, even valid tickets are being ignored.
It would seem the P&D machines aren't linked to the ANPR system and this is where the problems are most evident.

Many cases are showing the NTK to have been sent outside of the 14 day period, in some case more than a month late.

I'm sure the fight will continue but I just wanted to bring it to your attention, this is a scam of the highest order and the sooner they are got rid of the better!!

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[Jlc]

Many cases are showing the NTK to have been sent outside of the 14 day period, in some case more than a month late.

Every single ticket issued by Smart is unenforceable if you know the magic trick...

They do not use keeper liability. Being outside 14 days in itself is not an issue. (They can only pursue the driver but have written to the keeper...)

So simply tell everyone to appeal on the basis of no such liability and they will cancel or POPLA will if they don't see sense...

[cabbyman]

That pinned post on the group needs amending to include a very, very prominent warning not to reveal the identity of the driver. Unlike this forum, the great majority of people on Facebook use their real names. Smart will love that they have ready made admissions from drivers.

[Jlc]

Hmmm, interesting read.

Surprising amount of people have simply paid them. (Even the ones that did pay for parking)

Quite a lot of 'ignorers'.

But I will note that I spotted a ticket without the correct vrm on it, changes to disabled parking and some people simply admitting to overstaying. The truth is out there somewhere...

This post has been edited by Jlc: Thu, 13 Sep 2018 - 18:39

[GAZ237]

I parked there today and all the machines were down.

Had to ring up and pay, but just checked the message and they have got my no-plate wrong by one letter.

Think I,;;join the Facebook group to have a look.

[Jlc]

I parked there today and all the machines were down.

Had to ring up and pay, but just checked the message and they have got my no-plate wrong by one letter.

...You now know how to beat them.

[cabbyman]

Maybe another amendment to the pinned post referring them here? Also, that councillor needs directing here for some background information to give him a better knowledge of the true situation.

[GAZ237]

I parked there today and all the machines were down. Had to ring up and pay, but just checked the message and they have got my no-plate wrong by one letter.

...You now know how to beat them.

Was tempted to ring them to correct the Reg No. We was in my partners car.

After seeing all of this not so sure now.

[Jlc]

Was tempted to ring them to correct the Reg No. We was in my partners car.
After seeing all of this not so sure now.

Stick to the tried and tested. (Somehow people think private parking companies are reasonable - they're rarely are!)

Start a thread in the active cases forum should you need.

This post has been edited by Jlc: Thu, 13 Sep 2018 - 19:05

[GAZ237]

Was tempted to ring them to correct the Reg No. We was in my partners car. After seeing all of this not so sure now.

Stick to the tried and tested. (Somehow people think private parking companies are reasonable - they're rarely are!) Start a thread in the active cases forum should you need.

Will do, cheers.

[RD400E]

I parked there today and all the machines were down. Had to ring up and pay, but just checked the message and they have got my no-plate wrong by one letter.

...You now know how to beat them.

Was tempted to ring them to correct the Reg No. We was in my partners car.

After seeing all of this not so sure now.

They don't answer their phones so no point in trying, so many printed tickets have the full reg missing, the cameras are doing the dirty work, the P&D payments are being ignored

[cabbyman]

Ha ha! It looks like the deluge of appeals has broken Smart's website!!!!

[RD400E]

Ha ha! It looks like the deluge of appeals has broken Smart's website!!!!

Yep it's crashed

I have to come clean, I created this group and I had no idea of the scale of complaints.

We are working to get the operator removed

[cabbyman]

I think you need to go heavy on the advice available here. The letter written by the councillor appears, at a skimmed read, to be putting a lot of onus on the shopping centre and Smart to say whether or not the PCNs were justified/legitimate. I think we all know the response he will get to that! Most of his points were very woolly. He needs to be educated!

The only way to bring a stop to this will, unfortunately, be a laborious appealing of every ticket in the time-honoured manner that we have developed on here over the years, IMHO.

[RD400E]

I think you need to go heavy on the advice available here. The letter written by the councillor appears, at a skimmed read, to be putting a lot of onus on the shopping centre and Smart to say whether or not the PCNs were justified/legitimate. I think we all know the response he will get to that! Most of his points were very woolly. He needs to be educated!

The only way to bring a stop to this will, unfortunately, be a laborious appealing of every ticket in the time-honoured manner that we have developed on here over the years, IMHO.

I did message the councillor to cut to the chase but he ignored me! Instead we are focusing on the BPA and Trading Standards to get to the bottom of this. As a last resort we will be making a complaint to the police for Fraud and Deception charges to be considered. It's not finished yet but I think it's gone beyond template letters considering the amount of people affected.

[The Rookie]

For each case it shouldn’t go beyond a template letter, a simple bogoff and POPLA for no PoFA liability, it’s easy, it’s easy to follow and it’s simple, in terms of the bigger fight that is different of course.

[Jlc]

...are focusing on the BPA

Chocolate teapot comes to mind.

[The Rookie]

If the DVLA properly held the organisations to their promises made when they were granted ATA status then the PPCs would be far more likely to actually 'follow the rules', however I think the DVLA have been sorely remiss in allowing both organisations (but the IPC in particular) far too much scope to 'brush under the carpet' too many issues rather than taking proper enforcement activity against their members and holding them to proper standards. The fact that the DVLA accept they have 'reasonable cause' for keepers data without being provided and with PPC's running rough shod over any meaningful standard would be a good test for the ICO in my opinion.

[GAZ237]

We have not had a ticket yet, but momentum is growing against the parking company.

Made the papers.

http://www.yellowad.co.uk/article.cfm?id=135702