Posted 5 September 2021
Apcoa parking charge any success with appeals?
Hi has anyone appealed there parking charge with apcoa and been successful? I received one yesterday for parking at the local train station but we were in a disabled bay with my dads blue badge I went back yesterday and took photos of the sign which clearly states in 3 places free for blue badge any advice before I appeal please??
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sorted byPlease ignore this advice!! The law changed a few years ago. Never ever ignore.
i cant see that small sign above the big one, but i would certainly have out my reg in the machine specially where anpr cameras are concerened.
If this requirement is not stated on the car park signage then it is unreasonable for the car parking company to enforce this invoice.
Said agreed with me the signage wasn’t clear on this occasion x
Blue badges are issued to individuals not vehicles. (edited)
I have never ever heard of having to register to use a disabled parking spot before. As far as I'm aware, if there are disabled parking spots, and the badge holders and badge are present, you can use them without charge or limit.
Find out who actually owns the car park, as this company are probably just a management agent. They are well known for sending out huge parking fine notices for over stay and no ticket fines. They are trying to catch people out and make them pay with all these stupid regulations.
Check money-saving expert forums on parking fines and companies.
Someone above mentioned a change in the law. I'm not aware of that. Can you enlighten us or post a link about it?
You used to only have to pay these fines if it's from a council, traffic warden or the actual owner of a parking site like ncp. If it's just a management company you used be able to ignore them. Never contact them or pay if they are simply a management agent.
A lot of older people don't have mobile phones and of those that do, it's probably not a smartphone. Even if it is a smartphone they may not be Internet savvy enough to do it on the spot like that.
It seems to me that this could be a type of disabled discrimination by forcing a disabled person to do something a normal user don't have to do.
Was there a parking attendant on duty? They are supposed to check disabled parking bays to make sure you have a blue badge.
although you had a disabled badge present on display a valid ticket should be on display as well.
If the board doesn't say that then how is the OP meant to know? It needs to explicitly state that Disabled badges require a ticket if one is needed. The invoice (not fine) would be rejected on appeal due to incorrect/missing signage.
OP make sure you keep going down the appeals path. DO NOT ignore any letters, but in any correspondence do not give them any evidence that could incriminate you (basically do not give them any information they do not already know).
1. The first stage: the Parking cowboys themselves 95% of the time will uphold the invoice (reject the appeal) so ignore their "decision" - remember they are a business that wants to make as much money as they can out of you. The company must provide a verification code to appeal to an independent service (next stage)
2. The second stage: POPLA or Independent appeals service. Now this part is where the appeal finally gets taken seriously and fairly. If the body decides to reject the PCN in your favour, you do not have to pay the invoice and there is nothing the parking cowboys can do about it. But if they uphold the PCN in their favour, it is not the end of the story, you still do not have to pay the fine at least until the third stage is exhausted. Most claims don't get past the second stage though unless you were definitely in the wrong.
3. The third (final) stage: Small Claims court. In the unlikely event that the Parking cowboys decide to pursue the PCN through the small claims court (it is unlikely - my family must have a combined 8 PCNs over the last 10 years and we haven't paid a single one of them, the cowboys just gave up in our case instead of going to court because it wouldn't be financially viable for them to do so).
You will need to be prepared to give as much evidence to the court and in the event you lose, you will have to pay the charges the court issue (this isn't automatically the same amount the cowboys are demanding). If you dont, the cowboys can apply to have a CCJ against you. There are no further avenues you can go down unless you approach the main courts to appeal (which is expensive and costs rapidly spiral)
OP, can you please give us a clearer photo of the terms on the sign as in the opening post?
We need to see specifically what they expect from disabled badge holders.
It states you need to register the car of parking in a disabled bay which I’m guessing you didn’t. Unless that board clearly states you can rock up and go then you have a case.
apcoa.co.uk/gtr-blue-badge/ (edited)
Yes was with me as we went on a bus trip for the day so also have the invoice with both our names on
Ahhhh I thought they were registered to a car
As you parked in a train station car park and then went on a bus are you sure that "anyone" can park there? Or is it for rail passengers only?
The blue badge facts are here.
Interesting that it says when you get someone else to drive the blue-badge holder they must park close to where you need to go. I guess you would need to argue that it was close to where the bus trip started from. Good Luck.
Yeah it’s a bit like using parking area disabled bays for one set of shops and crossing the road to go to another. If you do that then the charge is valid as the terms will say for example parking for x time for the customers of x.
Yes this is what we also had to do, you have to register the car on their website and then indicate that you have parked in a disabled bay for the day
If worse case they did take you to court which they won’t you have the evidence to prove them Wrong .
All They sent you is a invoice .
Lots of rubbish I can’t believe anyone pays something like this . (edited)
Might be what people are referring to:
express.co.uk/lif…ive
It would be stated on the sign at the car park that you need to register the car on their blue badge portal and then you can park for free, at least it was when I used one of their car parks
apcoa.co.uk/gtr…ge/
as stated - they probably have an ANPR system which looks at cars coming in and going out - and if they have registered on the terminal and paid the "correct amount"
therefore they might not have photo of your car parked on the blue bay.
as you will see in your photo - in the "Terms and Conditions of Parking" section (bottom left) it states that blue badge holders park for free if badge is shown. I cant read what it says under it (in the P section) - if it has nowhere stated that you need to register the blue badge, then they can put whatever they want on their website... unless its displayed at the location where service is provided, you have every right to appeal.
No no parking attendant
Yes nothing stating that on the sign as shown
Would rather try and sort it out
It’s just the city centre interchange which covers trains and buses
Only have pictures of me driving in and out
Perfectly normal these days. Most pay and display car parks are ANPR in and you go and go pay by cash/card on the way out at a machine. Since disabled people aren’t charged at all then it’s perfectly reasonable to ask to pre register a car and badge with them to use the site over multiple times.
Send them a picture of your dad's disabled badges as proof.
Hi. No I never. No where on that board or terms and conditions it says a ticket to be obtained
Yes did that and a copy of the sign thanks
Theres the issue! Thats why you have a ticket. How are the company meant to know that you have a disabled badge? You put the reg in the machine and print out the free ticket. It stated that a valid ticket needs to be present even if its free.
Think you will lose this one op. But good luck. (edited)
Thank you for taking the time x
It states no where on that sign that a ticket is required with a blue badge
apcoa.co.uk/sou…rn/
Thanks for the update. What was the reason for the cancellation?