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trubster
I was in Moto services at Purfleet (forgot the name) and there is a CP Plus sign saying parking is Free for travel lodge guests registering vehicles at reception, if you dont then you are charged £15 Admin Fees.

Are they looking for ways to make these charges enforcable by making them genuinely close to actual costs or is this something to do with travel lodge?

I have pics and can upload when I am on a computer.
The Slithy Tove
If the charge is all Admin Fee, and none of it is charge for parking, one wonders what administration is being done for this fee. If it's free, there is no paperwork, no need to note down registration numbers, no need for admin staff, no costs. There is no way they could use that as an excuse for enforcement.
trubster
QUOTE (The Slithy Tove @ Wed, 24 Apr 2013 - 07:27) *
If the charge is all Admin Fee, and none of it is charge for parking, one wonders what administration is being done for this fee. If it's free, there is no paperwork, no need to note down registration numbers, no need for admin staff, no costs. There is no way they could use that as an excuse for enforcement.

But if the person was not a guest then the normal parking tarriff applies so it would ping the anpr and cp plus would get dvla details and send letters etc.

Some admin there and then verifying the guest was a guest

Just a thought
dawmdt
Indeed that's probably what it's for - they probably got fed up issuing tickets to unknown cars, chasing keepers etc and then having to cancel them because the Travelodge told them they were actually guests. Making sure the guest registers to remove that PITA factor (and the time, effort and cost associated with doing so) doesn't seem unreasonable to me.

Is this the first PPC sign/cost that might actually be reasonable and likely to win in a court? tongue.gif
buttonpusher
Odds are that as its a ""reasonable""charge more people will pay than query.
dp7
Hard to put an exact figure on it, but I'd suspect that is somewhere towards a level where a judge wouldn't throw it out for being a penalty.
The Slithy Tove
QUOTE (trubster @ Wed, 24 Apr 2013 - 08:18) *
QUOTE (The Slithy Tove @ Wed, 24 Apr 2013 - 07:27) *
If the charge is all Admin Fee, and none of it is charge for parking, one wonders what administration is being done for this fee. If it's free, there is no paperwork, no need to note down registration numbers, no need for admin staff, no costs. There is no way they could use that as an excuse for enforcement.

But if the person was not a guest then the normal parking tarriff applies so it would ping the anpr and cp plus would get dvla details and send letters etc.

Some admin there and then verifying the guest was a guest

But with the information given, it makes no sense. Why do you need do admin to identify non-residents in order to write to them and charge them for the costs of being informed they are not residents. It's work for the sake of it, with no actual purpose. If they were to try to claim the losses due to to the trespass that has occurred (whatever they may be), that would be different.

Why not just call it a Parking Charge - £15, but free for residents. That would probably be fair, as long as non-residents could go into reception and pay :-)
buttonpusher
I would have thought psychology comes into play here, if you get a ""fine"" you immediately bristle and want to fight it. Receive an Administration charge and its less provocative and you are more likely to pay it. Am I giving the PPC's too much credit for intelligence?
trubster
Pics as promised, for Travel lodge parking



This one for normal car parking

nigelbb
If I were a Travelodge guest who mis-keyed my registration number I would object to paying a £15 charge whatever it was called.

What exactly are they trying to prevent here? Who on earth is going to leave their car in the parking on a motorway services for any longer than necessary? Once again it's just the PPC inventing an offence (like not parking in marked bays) to justify "fining" the errant motorist £90
The Slithy Tove
No mention of "admin fee" as per the first post. It's a charge of £12, and even a method of paying (though you're stuffed if you don't have a mobile).

The £90 is a clear penalty, and is thus unenforceable. There doesn't seem to be a method of paying if I choose option #3, i.e. parking incorrectly. If I want to park on the lines, how am I supposed to pay for the privilege of doing so?

In fact, the sign could easily be read as:
First 2 hours free (no matter what). Thereafter, there are 3 options
1. free for Travelodge guests
2. £12 if I park correctly
3. £90 if I park "incorrectly".

So, I can park on the lines, as long as I leave within 2 hours.
trubster
QUOTE (The Slithy Tove @ Wed, 24 Apr 2013 - 11:21) *
No mention of "admin fee" as per the first post. It's a charge of £12, and even a method of paying (though you're stuffed if you don't have a mobile).

The £90 is a clear penalty, and is thus unenforceable. There doesn't seem to be a method of paying if I choose option #3, i.e. parking incorrectly. If I want to park on the lines, how am I supposed to pay for the privilege of doing so?

In fact, the sign could easily be read as:
First 2 hours free (no matter what). Thereafter, there are 3 options
1. free for Travelodge guests
2. £12 if I park correctly
3. £90 if I park "incorrectly".

So, I can park on the lines, as long as I leave within 2 hours.


Top picture under Travelodge Guests
The Slithy Tove
QUOTE (trubster @ Wed, 24 Apr 2013 - 11:28) *
Top picture under Travelodge Guests

Missed that. Doesn't help that the photo is posted sideways. Is it too much to ask to post photos the right way up?

Still ridiculous, though. More petty rules entirely made up by PPCs in order to boost thier coffers. You have to remember that "managing" car parks is NOT their raison d'etre.
trubster
QUOTE (The Slithy Tove @ Wed, 24 Apr 2013 - 13:59) *
QUOTE (trubster @ Wed, 24 Apr 2013 - 11:28) *
Top picture under Travelodge Guests

Missed that. Doesn't help that the photo is posted sideways. Is it too much to ask to post photos the right way up?

Still ridiculous, though. More petty rules entirely made up by PPCs in order to boost thier coffers. You have to remember that "managing" car parks is NOT their raison d'etre.


Not sure why pic is not correct way up, it was before tinypic got hold of it and there is no option to rotate
psimmons200
I infer that the Travelodge guest parks there for free provided they register their vehicle.

If they don't register, they will get shafted with a £90 charge, but this will be reduced to £15 once they make clear they were a Travelodge guest who didn't register.

The sign is silent but I would expect the £15 needs to be paid upfront at the Travel-dodge desk, who will tell CP to leave you alone. Otherwise, CP come at you for the full £90.
SchoolRunMum
Bottom line is, the onus should be on Travelodge to ensure their guests' car reg numbers are recorded. Not up to the guest to remember to do so, among all the other thought processes when checking in after a long drive, and then get 'charged'.
Salmosalaris
QUOTE (SchoolRunMum @ Wed, 24 Apr 2013 - 20:04) *
Bottom line is, the onus should be on Travelodge to ensure their guests' car reg numbers are recorded. Not up to the guest to remember to do so, among all the other thought processes when checking in after a long drive, and then get 'charged'.


and when booking Travelodge no doubt advertise free parking !
minotaur
QUOTE (Salmosalaris @ Wed, 24 Apr 2013 - 20:07) *
QUOTE (SchoolRunMum @ Wed, 24 Apr 2013 - 20:04) *
Bottom line is, the onus should be on Travelodge to ensure their guests' car reg numbers are recorded. Not up to the guest to remember to do so, among all the other thought processes when checking in after a long drive, and then get 'charged'.


and when booking Travelodge no doubt advertise free parking !


Does payment of £12 give you 26 hours parking?

trubster
QUOTE (minotaur @ Wed, 24 Apr 2013 - 20:29) *
QUOTE (Salmosalaris @ Wed, 24 Apr 2013 - 20:07) *
QUOTE (SchoolRunMum @ Wed, 24 Apr 2013 - 20:04) *
Bottom line is, the onus should be on Travelodge to ensure their guests' car reg numbers are recorded. Not up to the guest to remember to do so, among all the other thought processes when checking in after a long drive, and then get 'charged'.


and when booking Travelodge no doubt advertise free parking !


Does payment of £12 give you 26 hours parking?

Up to 24 according to the sign
dp7
QUOTE (SchoolRunMum @ Wed, 24 Apr 2013 - 20:04) *
Bottom line is, the onus should be on Travelodge to ensure their guests' car reg numbers are recorded. Not up to the guest to remember to do so, among all the other thought processes when checking in after a long drive, and then get 'charged'.


Quite - this was the essence of a PE one I got a few months back, despite writing down my car reg on check-in. I told PE to speak to the hotel to confirm my stay, to which they came back asking me for evidence of my stay. They eventually cancelled it (without actually conceding I was there) when I demanded my POPLA code. Obviously didn't fancy having to try a defence of "well we didn't bother doing the easy thing and speaking to our client to confirm what the appellant said".
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