[Closed] Parking ticket- I was out of the country

Could be that the ANPR or whatever method of getting your car details misread a similar number plate. Or have they sent you a pic of your car too?

If it definitely was your car, then regardless of the parking ticket, I'd be getting in touch with the Police about someone at the meet & greet place using your car; TWOC, surely....and can't imagine the car would be insured unless it was being driven from & to the meet & greet location?

EDIT - just to add, in future it's probably worth taking a snap of your odometer/fuel gauge when you leave the car. I'd be questioning any extra mileage above ~20 miles or so.

Since you'll be logged as leaving/entering the country (and entering/leaving your destination country) I'd send the parking ticket to the M&G head office asking them to pay it. Say that if it isn't paid by the date shown on the ticket you'll involve the police and also one of the consumer programmes on TV.

I'd also get in touch with NCP stating the facts and that you've forwarded the ticket to the M&G with instructions for them to pay.

I'd be asking for a photo of the car.  If it is yours I would be informing the police.  someone needs to be done for it if they have been using your car.

Could be that the ANPR or whatever method of getting your car details misread a similar number plate. Or have they sent you a pic of your car too?

It's obviously theoretically possible, but as Gatwick airport is basically in Crawley I'd bet my house that that is not what's happened here.

I'd follow Whitestone's advice.

It’s obviously theoretically possible, but as Gatwick airport is basically in Crawley I’d bet my house that that is not what’s happened here.

True, the likelihood is that someone has used the car. But would you not confirm that a mistake hasn't been made in the first instance, so you don't look like a prize Belmont when going in all guns blazing to plod & the meet & greet place, only to have the NCP turn round and say 'awfully sorry, the number plate was dirty & it wasn't your car....'?

I'd say it's for M&G to prove that stumpy01

Had a case of a miss read number plate on anpr.  my wife Had a ticket for overstaying in Glasgow

G and C got mixed up in our case other car had a black screw cover to confuse the anpr was easy to see in a photo

Could also be that someone has cloned your plate. Happen to my step dad a few years ago. Found out when he got a speeding ticket at the other end of the country

True, the likelihood is that someone has used the car. But would you not confirm that a mistake hasn’t been made in the first instance, so you don’t look like a prize Belmont when going in all guns blazing to plod & the meet & greet place, only to have the NCP turn round and say ‘awfully sorry, the number plate was dirty & it wasn’t your car….’?

Agree with cynical....

You currently have a very good reason to believe your car has been used illegally....

You were out of the country... I'd be reporting it to plod ASAP... who knows what other offences may have been committed.  Even if this is it then inform the parking you were out of the country, your car with M&G and you are asking the police to persue.

you’ll involve the police and also one of the consumer programmes on TV.

Yeah, that Angela Rippon will sort em out. Or, worse comes to the worst... sic Dom Littlewood on em!

You can't be forced to pay a fine when you have receipts to show you had your car in the M&G parking.

On the basis Crawley is 10 mins drive from Gatwick be very strange coincidence if this is a case of a mis-read number.

Be interesting to see the outcome .

If it is not a case of a misread numberplate, then you should contact Gatwick Airport.

Although it sounds like the M&G Company that you used was a 3rd party and not the official airport one, the Airport will still be very interested and may investigate on your behalf.

The 3rd party will likely either be operating with authorisation on the airport, or be an unauthorised on-airport operator. Ultimately the airport is private property and this 3rd party has the potential to cause reputational damage to the airport by association, so the airport can either withdraw their permission for them  to operate, or prevent them operating on their property.

There have been quite a few examples over the past few years of similar incidents.

There was a BBC article recently about one of the these parking companies routinely leaving customers cars in multi-stories, or just on residential streets.

here you go

Shysters.

You might be suspicious if you picked up your Range Rover and it was...

If it definitely was your car, then regardless of the parking ticket, I’d be getting in touch with the Police about someone at the meet & greet place using your car; TWOC, surely….and can’t imagine the car would be insured unless it was being driven from & to the meet & greet location?

You currently have a very good reason to believe your car has been used illegally….

Etc. - have any of you lot actually read the T&C's if you use companies like this? They have every right to move your car and may have had good reason to do so - but even if not, they'll be insured and you'll have given your consent to it.

(I mean, by all means just pass the ticket on to the company with a bill for admin of it, and perhaps a comment about suspicions the car has been moved excessively, but moving your car is not illegal)

Moving your car is one thing (obviously they'll have permission for that, because otherwise they can't actually park it), however using it to nip into down days after you left it, and days before you return, is totally out of order and not within the T&Cs.

Are you saying you'd be alright with one of them using your car to commute, for example?

@philjunior - True, but there's an expectation that any such movement is "reasonable", i.e. from the drop-off/pick-up point to the actual parking. The insurance will also be for this and this only. You do not give permission for general usage and it certainly doesn't cover racking up parking fines or speeding tickets, etc.

If there was a legitimate business reason to use the NCP car park some distance away then I'd expect to have been told about it when picking the car up.

Why not actually speak to a journalist and let them investigate it for you?

I will never ever use meet and greet services. I always use short stay which tends to be right next to the terminal at any airport, and cost similar money, but you get to keep your car keys!

http://www.****/news/article-5811683/Gatwick-airport-1million-parking-scam-tricked-customers-picture-Scotland-hospital-car-park.html

there was a case at Bristol airport recently where a meet and greet company were just leaving the cars in random back lanes etc. They then folded, and no one could find their cars.

Etc – have an of you lot actually read the T&C’s if you use companies like this? They have every right to move your car and may have had good reason to do so – but even if not, they’ll be insured and you’ll have given your consent to it.

Well you hope so.... but even if you signed the small print saying they can park the car illegally and you are responsible it doesn't make it a legally enforceable contract.

Shuffling it between parking is one thing but who knows what else?  (you don't for example want to be pulled over and a sniffer dog go mad)

Of course it may be this one ticket is all... but I'd still be making it someone else's problem and establishing the car was being used or moved by someone other than yourself...

Getting your passport checked is one thing... actually being able to get proof you left the country another.

It's fairly easy I'd imagine for plod to confirm rather than yourself...and have an unpleasant time trying to prove it.

Speaking to the plod is a good shout actually, I had thought about the possibility of receiving a speeding ticket and what would I do. I will also inform the airport because it is a third party company but as pointed out the airport should be informed.

I expect on airport / official M+G is a very legit and tightly run organisation. Manchester goes to the hassle of scanning your car in the first instance so they have recourse if you lob a damage claim at them. Assuming this mob were off-airport is it possible they were using the NCP as their car park via some deal they may have for storage and as such just cocked up their ticketing / booking mechanism? If so it's less that they were TWOCing and more they cocked up their own admin? Unlikely as an off airport operator is more likely using waste ground or a field somewhere.

I expect on airport / official M+G is a very legit and tightly run organisation. Manchester goes to the hassle of scanning your car in the first instance so they have recourse if you lob a damage claim at them. Assuming this mob were off-airport is it possible they were using the NCP as their car park via some deal they may have for storage and as such just cocked up their ticketing / booking mechanism? If so it’s less that they were TWOCing and more they cocked up their own admin? Unlikely as an off airport operator is more likely using waste ground or a field somewhere.

Based on credible(ish) stories (OK ones I thought were credible when I read them) there seems a reasonable chance they are going to give someone a run around,  denials and just plain delay. I seem to remember one with hundreds of miles and I think speeding tickets...

I'd report suspicions to plod and let them deny or not to them... or at least have a go.

If they have literally just used a NCP and cocked up... then no harm done.  If however speeding tickets etc. come in then at least it's been properly established.

Similar case at Manchester Airport but this was a speeding ticket.

There are regular news reports on the southeast BBC and other news outlets of the less reputable Gatwick M&G companies abusing their customers cars.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2012/9/schedule/4

In particular s4 "Right to claim unpaid parking charges from keeper..."