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Thanks to NCP for cancelling my parking charge when I picked up the receipt instead of the ticket.
On a recent day out to London with a friend, as he parked his car at Hillingdon Tube Station, I paid the daily £5 charge at the appropriate machine. On our return later in the day, we found a parking ticket on the screen intimating a £75 fine. It turned out that I had not collected the appropriate ticket from the machine, but had collected the credit card receipt of the previous user, which we then put inside the windscreen. A combination of stupidity and myopia. The resident attendant could not alter the situation - but was most helpful by pointing out that there is a small camera within the machine, so my friend sent a letter of appeal to NCP head office Northampton, as well as a passport type photo of myself. NCP have since responded to him cancelling the fine 'on this occasion'. Perhaps it was the amusement factor that persuaded them - but many thanks to NCP, whatever the reason.
Asked on 21 January 2012 by IW, Beaconsfield.
Answered by
Honest John
That's because at the time the British Parking Association was trying to get a clause of the Protection of Freedoms bill through Parliament that will afford its members draconian powers to pursue 'keepers' of vehicles for penalties for any private parking offence. It succeeded. Happily, there will be some control. The British Parking Association is in the process of setting up an independent appeals system that will be in place by the time the Act becomes Law. You can find the BPA Code of Practice at: www.britishparking.co.uk/Approved-Operator-Scheme-...e . The BPA has asked that if I receive further complaints that I feel are justified, I should ask them to register their concern at www.britishparking.co.uk/AOS-Enquiries
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