B&Q Car Park Scam

[lalaland]

I'm currently in a battle of correspondance with VCS over a parking ticket they claim they gave me after they claimed I parked on property controlled by them (and owned by PA Autos who'll be hearing from me after the bank holiday).

 

I never parked where this company claims (never have, don't have a reason to and never will) and I never received a ticket on my car either. VCS have continued to threaten me with debt collection and legal action without providing a shred of evidence as per my requests and are continually chasing me for money.

 

The point you raised about being ticketed through the post is interesting, I'll be looking in to that.

 

I'm happy to pay parking fines IF I park where they say, however I am not the kind of person that pays for things they've not done and I won't give in to bully tactics or threats.

 

Would you mind keeping me informed on how you get on? Although our situations are slightly different circumstances I believe we are both victims of a similar thing and I'd be interested to see how you get on (it may also help other Sheffielders to deal with similar situations).

[saxon51]

I have this vision that all the motorists who have been the victims of 'attempted theft' by these thieving car parking numpties shall rise up, and as one, chain the rears of the aforementioned companies' vehicles to the nearest tree using the strongest chain and padlock available. Or, when they aren't looking, let down two of their tyres.

 

Photo evidence of this, posted on here, will be rewarded with a hero's welcome.

[lalaland]

Or maybe we should open the Sheffield Forum Parking Co.

 

We can just register with the DVLA to get personal details (they give them to anyone these days if you pay) and just send out random letters to people's addresses threatening to take them to court unless they send us £180 for their mysterious parking that they are unaware of.

 

I'm sure the odd person would question it, however we'd make a fortune!

[gelyk]

Or maybe we should open the Sheffield Forum Parking Co.

 

We can just register with the DVLA to get personal details (they give them to anyone these days if you pay) and just send out random letters to people's addresses threatening to take them to court unless they send us £180 for their mysterious parking that they are unaware of.

 

I'm sure the odd person would question it, however we'd make a fortune!

 

Two steps ahead of you on that one. If you receiveone of these letters from TCL (Theiving Conmen Ltd) then it's from me.

[Ade65]

Well done to you. :thumbsup:

 

Makes you wonder whether these car parking cowboys are just miffed because they are too thick to be coppers and too bent to be bouncers, so they've found an easier and more profitable way to bully the populace.

 

Hi,

 

Shouldn't it be 'too thick to be bouncers and too bent to be coppers'

 

Glad to see someone has picked up on the recent ruling (was it from a London case?) about the parking ticket having to be stuck to the vehicle.

 

I'm also sure that Sheffield Trading Standards have said before that people should challenge parking fines like this, because the person owning the car park has to show they have had a financial loss due to you parking there to be able to claim recompense in the guise of a fine.

 

Cyclist, way to go man!!!!!

 

Ade

[saxon51]

It would help if the signs notifying the public that they are about to be mugged, er, I mean ticketed, were of a regulation lettering, colouring, style, size, and height above ground ..... and were readable from anywhere on that piece of land.

[upinwath]

I have this vision that all the motorists who have been the victims of 'attempted theft' by these thieving car parking numpties shall rise up, and as one, chain the rears of the aforementioned companies' vehicles to the nearest tree using the strongest chain and padlock available. Or, when they aren't looking, let down two of their tyres.

 

Photo evidence of this, posted on here, will be rewarded with a hero's welcome.

 

Sounds like fun. Now where did I put my camera ?

[Strix]

Or maybe we should open the Sheffield Forum Parking Co.

 

We can just register with the DVLA to get personal details (they give them to anyone these days if you pay) and just send out random letters to people's addresses threatening to take them to court unless they send us £180 for their mysterious parking that they are unaware of.

 

I'm sure the odd person would question it, however we'd make a fortune!

Why go to the expense? Just traipse down any road full of driveways and send out 'fines' to all the houses you noted a numberplate on the driveway of

 

You could of course note the plates of any of the company vehicles for this camera/parking company - or better still - any of the personal vehicles parked in their yard

[Pedroverde]

We posted recently about a "fine" we had received from G24 a company that runs the car parks for B&Q in Sheffield. They claimed our company had parked a van in their Hillsborough car park for 10 hours one day. They had a photo of the van being driven in to the car park abd were demanding £95 as a "fine".

We wrote to them and pointed out that it was not parked in the car park but had made to separate visits in the same day. They persisited and also said they would seek legal means to enforce payment.

 

This got my back up so we proceeded as follows. We gathered all the written and printed documentary evidence showing that the van was in several places in Sheffield on that day and also the driver had a B&Q receipt stating that he was in B&Q 6 seconds after they say the van left the car park. We also had eye witness evidence from the vicar who,s house we were working at that day. I then did a bit of research in to G24. It is not the first time that they have tried these tactics in fact it is quite common on their part. Most people pay up rather than risk the debt collectors. Fortunately we are a limited company and that tends to scare debt collectors. Our solicitors also advised of a forthcoming case made by a private citizen against a council who had sent a parking fine to him. The judgement was passes that a fine can only be levied if the paperwork is attached to the vehicle concerned. In other words they cannot fine you by proxy through the post.

Armed with this little lot we contacted G24 and appraised them of the facts and also stated that we were looking forward to seeing them in court and if they wished to use a debt collector we would also sue them. we also informed them that we had contacted trading standards and SY police with regards to fraudulent claims and attmpting to seek money by deception. They backed off immediately.

Now here is the interesting bit. B&Q say that its nothing to do with them. On the boards in the car park it says G24 are operating the car park "on Behalf of B&Q". Also under the law B&Q are responsible for the actions of any agents they appoint to look operate on their behalf. We are now waiting to see what the trading standards and SY Police will do before issuing against B&Q for damages. SO DONT PAY B&Q FINES THEY ARE ILLEGAL.

All in all a lovely day.

Now where are the bank statements with all the bank charges on them.

 

Thanks for the heads up on this.I use B&Q pretty frequently and wasn`t aware of this issue, as i`m sure many on here wern`t.At least we now have some ammunition to fire back at these pirates.A fine example of the Forum in action!

[Stormy]

The only way these incidents will end if people write to companys, preferably en masse, and state that until they stop using the services of these scum companies then we won't be shopping at their stores no more. They will soon learn.

Good for you thecyclist, and lalaland.