New system in place that doesn't allow you to pay at the exit barriers (which have been removed). Have to pay by midnight the following day and of course I forgot! I just tried to pay a day late and it didn't flag up my visit, I paid for today's date but I dare say it won't save me! Anybody know if they are offering grace with the new system or am I £100 poorer? Yes that's £100 for forgetting to pay a £5 for five minutes drop off charge!!
Yes I will be setting up an account!
Not yet but it's not often I go as we are relatively local (taxi). We're due to travel in October so will have to remember to pay if my son drops us off as he will forget. I'm sure this is a massive money maker. There wasn't much wrong with the old system (other than daylight robbery).
I don't know the answer to the original question, but next time would recommend using the free park and ride bus. No chance of forgetting to pay and perfectly reliable all the times we've been dropped there.
From the airports point of view this is a genius move
1. Lose the cost of maintaining the barriers
2. Expect a certain % will forget and you can screw them with fines
Gone seemingly are the days of customer service?
1. Yes barriers are an expensive pain and cause massive issues when they break.
2. I doubt it, the PCN money will go to the company operating the cameras and issuing the PCNs.
Win win for the airport, they get drop off fees without the hassle of having to enforce them. The real scandal is charging to drop offl
Drop off for nothing at the Radison Blue, walk through the hotel onto the bridge between the terminals - winner winner.
I guess it was wishful thinking expecting a grace period and perhaps a warning letter for the first time offence! How naive of me!
The 'free' drop off area has descended into total chaos, I drive past most days on the way to work and there are now huge queues from both directions just trying to get into the drop off area. I was under the impression that the Rad Blu was operating the same camera system?
The same thing happened to me at Gatwick last year. I paid the day after the deadline like you. I got a fine so I emailed them saying £100 or whatever the random amount was, was disproportionate for the 'crime' and there was clearly no attempt to defraud them as I paid 12 hours later and well before the fine arrived. I asked them if they thought this was a reasonable response to someone paying 12 hours late and they dropped it as a 'gesture blaaa blah'
In my favour (which I mentioned) was the fact I'd paid it several times before (on time).
I was under the impression that the Rad Blu was operating the same camera system?
Ah, really? To be fair we used under the 'old' system, I've not been since the new one came in
The 'free' drop off area has descended into total chaos, I
The free drop off in Edinburgh is ace. Its impossible to find from the airport so its quite quiet.
The 'free' drop off area has descended into total chaos,
Oh, that's disappointing. Thanks for the tip. It's been a while since we flew from MCR
Another alternative is the free drop off area in the Jetparks car park.
You can stop there and wait almost as long as you like.
When daughter #3 moved to Dubai we left the car there and went with her to the terminal.
We came back on the free bus about an hour later.... That said the driver said he shouldn't really be taking us back but did anyway.
Is this fine enforcable? I have my doubts but get proper advice
The free drop off in Edinburgh is ace. Its impossible to find from the airport so its quite quiet.
What, where, how, who? Do you need to be in a special club to know about this?
The real scandal is charging to drop offl
You can blame o'Leery and Stelios for that little bonus. Who'd have thought screwing down the landing fees would cause airports to look for other revenue?
I'd be surprised if they just go "oh, OK then," but you might get away with an appeal.
I had it with the DART crossing a few years back. Someone had smashed my door mirror off overnight, the drive home from London to Lancashire was hell in a handcart between roadworks and accidents and I simply forgot. I paid when I remembered, a day or two late.
I got a letter months later wanting something like a £60 fine for a £2 crossing I'd already paid ages ago. I contested it, they dropped the case and sent me the single most condescending letter I've ever read basically saying that I was a very naughty boy and won't be so lucky next time.
It's bullshit, really. It's easy to rag on parking companies and I get the argument that a fine needs to act as a deterrent thanks to that Beavis vs Butthead test case, but that should be a deterrent against avoiding paying, not against late payment. And taking two months to tell me that my payment was two days late is far beyond a pisstake.
When you drive in you'll pass signs saying that by continuing you're accepting the parking conditions.... So yeah, pretty much definitely.
Out of interest, do you get an option? I don't know the area well enough off the top of my head. Ie, if you decide that actually no, I don't accept the terms, can you turn around or take a different route or are you funnelled into a one-way system and already committed?
Aside, because it's just popped into my head and it's glorious:
Chris Evans, years ago, either on Don't Forget Your Toothbrush or TFI Friday. He'd got two families on from South Manchester, one with a surname of Condition and the other named Term. "Ladies and gentlemen, the Terms and Conditions, of Sale."
Is this fine enforcable? I have my doubts but get proper advice
It's not a fine, it's an invoice, private parking. So yes they can sue you as a civil matter, well technically they can sue the driver but if certain conditions of the 2012 Protection of Freedoms Act are adhered to they can and will hold the registered keeper liable for the charge.
Bottom line is it's not different from any other private parking PCN, in England and Wales it can be enforced and if ignored could result in a CCJ.
but that should be a deterrent against avoiding paying, not against late payment.
How lates late though? you get 24 hours to pay it I think, it's probably different for the toll tunnels but private parking companies have to get the PCN out pretty sharpish to be compliant with POFA.
And no I think once you in you're in, it was the same when there were barriers, I got caught like that at East Midlands airport, took a wrong turning and it cost me £5, no option to appeal as it was pay or get stuck in the drop off zone. At least with this system you get the chance to argue the toss later.
Excel Parking have recently been caught with their pants down demanding people pay by app within 5 minutes of arriving. They've lost several high profile court cases and the industry joint code of conduct has been changed to prevent that being part of the T & Cs.
How lates late though?
It doesn't seem unreasonable to me to hold (for want of a better word) customers to the same timescales as themselves. If it takes them north of two months to send out a letter then the window to pay should be within that time.
It's blatantly designed to catch people out. What difference does it make if you pay within 24 hours or 14 days?
It doesn't.
Because a company writes down some T&Cs doesn't mean they are binding - see earlier post about the lass who was fined 11k for repeatedly not paying within 5 minutes due to shonky signal or just because basically why should she.
There has to be reasonable grounds for believing the customer isn't going to pay and therefore defraud the company. Paying 12 hours after some random cutoff is not that - and even more so if its an insane short amount of time like 5 minutes (which is why the judge threw the book at the parking company).
As well as the Gatwick one that was rescinded, I've also had the Dart crossing fine rescinded a couple of times because I paid a day or two late. Just sent the same email stating there was no intention to defraud and that was clear by my subsequent actions to pay. I did also get the patronising email but whatevs! However when I got fined for driving over the Dart Crossing in our new works van and forgetting that the account was set up in the reg of the old one we had changed a few months earlier, I didn't contest it as I hadn't paid - it was my stupid mistake, not theirs.
Company T&Cs have to be fair to all parties - most half competent ambulance chasers can knock a hole through loads of them and the judges are almost always on the side of the consumer but it can be a huge stress so most people just grumble and pay up.
What difference does it make if you pay within 24 hours or 14 days
Quite a bit, to be able to hold the registered keeper liable they have to have issued within 14 days or there abouts. So if they wait for 14 days for someone to pay, the PCN isn't POFA compliant and the keeper can tell them to jog on. Up to 48 or 72 hours on the other hand would be perfectly reasonable and still leave enough time to issue the PCN. In reality I people havent paid after 72 hours they are not likely to do so. If there's a good reason why they could pay, in hospital for example then frustration of contract kicks in and is reasonable grounds for a successful appeal.
Guys, do the sensible thing and create an account so that your card is automatically debited for the charge when you drive through. Saves the interminable whinging and discussion of Ts & Cs.
Yes it's a rip off and annoying but if it means more people travel by public transport then it's probs a good thing.
I'm too lazy to take the train to Gatwick so drive and pay up. Mrs Epic and I had a communication error and ended up w a fine a few years ago, and immediately signed up for the autopay. We maybe use the airport 4 times a year, but it's a sign up and forget.
The free drop off in Edinburgh is ace. Its impossible to find from the airport so its quite quiet.
What, where, how, who? Do you need to be in a special club to know about this?
Same at LBA.
Perfectly usable free drop off area if you follow the signs. Yet every day there are queues of cars fighting to turn round outside our office or at the emergency rendevous point, and people getting automated tickets from parking on the double reds.
We maybe use the airport 4 times a year, but it's a sign up and forget.
Until your card is no longer in date & you forget to update it - as happens with the Dart charge as they don't notify you.
Guys, do the sensible thing and create an account so that your card is automatically debited for the charge when you drive through. Saves the interminable whinging and discussion of Ts & Cs.
Till an UBER clones your plate 😉
I've set up an account for Manchester airport drop off. Easy enough and will save me the issue of forgetting to pay afterwards.
Till an UBER clones your plate 😉
Hadn't thought of that! And my car is a common white taxi 😵💫😭
