Parking at Luss car park Loch Lomond - warning!

[weemalkie]

Hi all, just back from only our second trip away in our motorhome. Decided to stay nearly local and travel up through Argyll to Oban.
Had a great trip until we arrive home only to find that I had a nice £100 fixed penalty notice issued by Parkingeye who seemingly run the car park on behalf of Luss Estates.
Its a huge car park which was virtually empty - probably about a dozen cars and one other motorhome at most.
Plenty of signs saying parking for an hour etc and cameras were in operation.
Had a cup of coffee then attempted to leave. Then the fun began. First of all the payment meters aren't all that obvious but we parked near the exit where we could see one. Had to input vehicle reg and must pay by card - no cash. Had trouble inputing reg and card details but finally thought I had completed the job with the required payment deducted from my card. Should have been wary as no receipt was issued but as my hour was nearly up, thought no more about it and left.
Fixed penalty notice comes with nice views of motorhome entering and leaving - 59 minutes exactly. Turns out card hadn't been charged and I've a fine to pay -£60 if I'm a good boy and pay pronto.
A quick google search highlighted that this is an ongoing problem with possibly hundred of people being caught out by these scammers. Appears that the ticket machine charges £1 which one would assume was for the hour but if you are a little as 1 minute over the recorded camera time then you are fined.
So be aware and avoid this car park at all costs. Check out what Trip adviser has to say about it. Put a right damper on our trip.

 

[Lenny HB]

This appears to happen a lot with these private companies running car park.
In future could be worth recording making the payment with your phone.

 

[weemalkie]

This appears to happen a lot with these private companies running car park.
In future could be worth recording making the payment with your phone.

Aye but the other problem reported is that the phone signal in the area is pretty poor. So they have you all ways.
Ive also just checked my card and no payment was taken at the time I was there. Between a rock and a hard place.

 

[DangerMousy]

Check on PePiPo about this - I believe because its in Scotland you can safely not pay this so long as you don't identify the driver to Parking Eye...at least this thread says so. But do check with the experts on PePiPo.

 

[Andacami]

Hmmm, could it be that...

The £1 deduction should/could happen fairly instantly; it does sound however like it is ONLY a "test" transaction to confirm the card and associated account are real. Then a few mins later the card will be billed the actual amount.

I have seen this at petrol stations where I have gotten back home 10mins later to see a £1 charge on my account but no charge for the fuel I put in. 15mins later the £1 disappears and the actual cost of fuel is shown.

If the £1 was taken at 59 mins, the system thinks all good and on you go, however it was not until 65 or 70 mins that the actual fee was taken, hence over the hour.

It is a technical thing that these scammers seem to be aware of and might be using to their advantage. If this turns out to be the case then (up to you, your choice, this is just a theory from me) disputing the "fine" would be a proper course of action.

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[Chris]

Can you pay it then appeal?

I have avoided lots of parking charges in the past

 

[lorger]

In Scotland it's the driver thats responsible not the legal owner of the vehicle and you don't have to tell them who was driving, I know as on a couple of occasions we've had a ticket for overstaying by a few minutes. You will receive reminders for the next 3 years but just ignore them, you'll notice in small print it will say words to this effect "no court or legal action will be taken"

 

[weemalkie]

In Scotland it's the driver thats responsible not the legal owner of the vehicle and you don't have to tell them who was driving, I know as on a couple of occasions we've had a ticket for overstaying by a few minutes. You will receive reminders for the next 3 years but just ignore them, you'll notice in small print it will say words to this effect "no court or legal action will be taken"

states " seeking payment via use of collection agents and/or legal action (where required).

 

[Lenny HB]

Aye but the other problem reported is that the phone signal in the area is pretty poor. So they have you all ways.
Ive also just checked my card and no payment was taken at the time I was there. Between a rock and a hard place.

Meant record a video on your phone of you paying so you have evidence you paid. It's not your fault the machine didn't accept the payment.

 

[Silver-Fox]

Meant record a video on your phone of you paying so you have evidence you paid. It's not your fault the machine didn't accept the payment.

Correct if the machine is at fault you can’t pay.

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[weemalkie]

Meant record a video on your phone of you paying so you have evidence you paid. It's not your fault the machine didn't accept the payment.

You are right. On reflection that's what I should have done but after trying to fight with the machine for about 15 minutes I was ready to rip it out never mind take a video. But yes - if I'm ever in that situation again that's exactly what I'll be doing.

 

[bridgedino]

as Lorger said. They will hope you pay. Thats all. After umpteen reminders and various warnings of impending doom, they’ll give up. It may be different down south however north of the border is a different matter

 

[rnb100]

As mentioned, you'll get bombarded with official looking letters with the hope that you'll crumble, but just chuck them straight in the recycling and ignore. They'll eventually give up and go away.

I speak from experience.

 

[Googlebot]

Hate these scammers and the people who employ them to make it possible.

A mate years ago got done to the tune of £380 to get his car back after they clamped and removed it illegally when he parked where he had for years and unknown to him, the owner had changed his mind. Police not interested as it was a civil matter. Thankfully this is now illegal as it was legal robbery.

The sooner they outlaw this crock of poo the better regarding private parking charges.

 

[Kirsten]

I hate parking eye.... went to a shopping centre with a friend who was buying a computer - it took ages to set it up as their internet was down.On the way into the parking there was a notice at eye level warning you enforcement notices were in situ- and in the car park an eye eve sign in BIG letters saying no trading from vans etc . It was FREE parking - but only for an hour as we found out when I got the £6.00 fine increasing to £100 etc etc .
I went BACK to the car park and yes there were signs on the lights at ten/20 feet above the ground saying first hour free anything else was a fine . Looked on internet and this free parking is a way of charging you for breach of contract. If you have a £1 per hour charge and overstay the courts will only allow the site holders to charge you the requisite fund per hour fee for overstaying if they take you to court So they make it free and can charge Loadsamoney for breach of contract .
I went back to the store politely raised my concerns got the fine waived .
Look up if it is free parking !!!!

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[monzer]

I know they argue it's a deterrent but £100 or £60 is robbery.

 

[lorger]

states " seeking payment via use of collection agents and/or legal action (where required).

It will say it somewhere, usually hidden.

 

[weemalkie]

Check on PePiPo about this - I believe because its in Scotland you can safely not pay this so long as you don't identify the driver to Parking Eye...at least this thread says so. But do check with the experts on PePiPo.

Cheers. I've posted on the forum and waiting on replies but there is a lot of information regarding Luss. I'm interested in what advice they come up with. My main concern is that I couldn't get a ticket and can't prove that I tried.

 

[Kirsten]

I think they can only ask for the pound you did not pay for the hour … see Martins money tips re fines - the reason some of their parking is free is they can charge huge fines for breach of contract…don’t think they will take you to court unless Scotland legal rules different to uk…

 

[CrazzyCabbie]

The law on private parking tickets in Scotland and Northern Ireland mirrors the rest of the UK in most aspects but, as motoring disputes expert Scott Dixon explains, there is one key distinction – there is no keeper/driver liability.

This means it’s the driver of the vehicle who is liable for breaching the parking terms, not the registered keeper of the vehicle (if not the same person).
This gives the private parking operator a headache as the onus is on them to ascertain who is liable.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/ni-drivers-successfully-appeal-4000-parking-charges-from-private-car-parks-in-three-years-41290980.html&ved=2ahUKEwi6mYGL6ZX3AhVzolwKHbYKAdYQFnoECAYQAQ&usg=AOvVaw23wlGMlvqlBvzwRg1mbbEp

Unless things have changed in Scotland in the last year it should be the same.

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[3 cabbages]

As mentioned, you'll get bombarded with official looking letters with the hope that you'll crumble, but just chuck them straight in the recycling and ignore. They'll eventually give up and go away.

I speak from experience.

I too have been bombarded with official looking letters alleging illegal parking,,binned them and eventually they stopped!

 

[mark49]

It’s not easy to organise court proceedings between England and Scotland and vice Versa.

 

[RustyRuss]

You must contest this! I took a parking ticket I received in a street in Manchester all the way to the parking ombudsman and won. I’d parked in the street every Sunday for free for 3 weeks previously while we visited the ex-wife’s aunt. Manchester City Council changed the parking regs to charging 24/7. I checked the payment meter and it still had a sticker on it saying Sundays were free, the street signage said parking on Sunday was free, I retrospectively took pictures of these with the day’s newspaper in the shot to prove time and importantly the date, and posted them to the council appealing the ticket. They sent me increasingly snotty and threatening letters, basically saying “cough up or we’ll prosecute you”. I replied to all of them insisting that I was appealing the PCN. One guy even wrote to me and told me that the changes had been advertised in the local press! I replied that as an adopted scouser living in Liverpool, it would be extremely unlikely that I would have used the Manchester Evening News to wipe my backside, never mind to find out about the changes to parking charges in a city I very rarely visited. I stated that I didn’t even read “The Echo”, a Liverpool newspaper institution for scousers!! Anyway after they’d written to me 8 times and I’d pushed my appeal to the Ombudsman the Ombudsman wrote back saying that my appeal had been upheld and that Manchester City Council should offer me a full apology in writing for their threatening and abusive behaviour, I’m still waiting….
The moral of the story is if you think you are right and can prove it then you should appeal. Do not be bullied by threatening and abusive tactics, if you appeal before the two weeks pay early grace period the parking company cannot make you liable for any further charges beyond this period, EVEN IF YOU LOOSE.

Hope this helps,

Cheers!

Russ

 

[Little pixie]

Hi all, just back from only our second trip away in our motorhome. Decided to stay nearly local and travel up through Argyll to Oban.
Had a great trip until we arrive home only to find that I had a nice £100 fixed penalty notice issued by Parkingeye who seemingly run the car park on behalf of Luss Estates.
Its a huge car park which was virtually empty - probably about a dozen cars and one other motorhome at most.
Plenty of signs saying parking for an hour etc and cameras were in operation.
Had a cup of coffee then attempted to leave. Then the fun began. First of all the payment meters aren't all that obvious but we parked near the exit where we could see one. Had to input vehicle reg and must pay by card - no cash. Had trouble inputing reg and card details but finally thought I had completed the job with the required payment deducted from my card. Should have been wary as no receipt was issued but as my hour was nearly up, thought no more about it and left.
Fixed penalty notice comes with nice views of motorhome entering and leaving - 59 minutes exactly. Turns out card hadn't been charged and I've a fine to pay -£60 if I'm a good boy and pay pronto.
A quick google search highlighted that this is an ongoing problem with possibly hundred of people being caught out by these scammers. Appears that the ticket machine charges £1 which one would assume was for the hour but if you are a little as 1 minute over the recorded camera time then you are fined.
So be aware and avoid this car park at all costs. Check out what Trip adviser has to say about it. Put a right damper on our trip.

These parking fines for private carparks are illegal in Scotland, they are not enforceable

 

[Catpirate]

I had a ticket in a local Tesco, the car I was driving with my daughter as a passenger was a motability car The legal keeper was my 11 year old daughter who is paraplegic and cannot talk, her disabilty badge had fallen on the floor,. The parking guys wrote to her demanding payment. I told them on her behalf to take her to court. They declined.

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[kca]

Will never park in any Parking Eye car parks. Was fined for parking at a motorway sevices in England. Parking was free for 2 hours, we set an alarm on our phones. Left on time and was fined for supposedly being 3 mins over.
Don't believe we were, Parking Eye are modern day highway robbers.

 

[irnbru]

I got bombarded for 4 years, offering a reduced rate then doubling it, then reducing it and on it went, they finally gave up.