Parking your car in a NCP car park is quite convenient, due to their multiple locations. A daily commuter can save money taking advantage of the Early Bird parking system,
park all day for a reduced fee.An extra option that NCP offer, is a pay online later service. Great ! No standing in queues in the rain.
So far all good , yet if by chance, fall foul of their system, then get ready to be financially raped and harrassed.
When it all goes wrong! As a regular commuter I usually park in the Cascades car park.
On this occassion I parked in Cresswell Street carpark. Both are owned by NCP.
Arriving and exiting in the dark, not noticing any displayed signs.
My usual procedure is to arrive home put the kettle on ,log onto the NCP pay online service.
From that moment it all became a nightmare !
My attempt to pay online failed, with a response from NCP website, stating the was nothing to pay.
Obviously I owe them a payment, I repeated the process numerous times with same result 'Nothing to pay'.
Frustrated, I tracked down a contact telephone number for Cresswell St NCP. It's an automatic reply service,'Please pay online'.
I have to hold my hand up and admit at this point, I never realised that Cresswell St, did not allow online payments.
As I previously mentioned, I arrived in the dark, went home in the dark.
The Unresponsive Phonecall The next morning, pacing up and down, 45 minutes on the phone to their head office. Listening to the same music played over and over. I wonder if they do this to drive you insane!
Eventually receiving an automated reply offering to ring me back. Do I want them to phone me back? Of course I do! I waited for a return phonecall. Anything would be better rather than listening to the zombie music, sending me to sleep.
The return phonecall never transpired. A wasted forty five minutes of my life!
Arriving home that evening, I tried phoning again, my coffee had gone cold, but I was hot and bothered, steam coming out of my ears. Enough was enough, out came the keyboard warrior and I sent them an email, explaining the situation, that it was a genuine mistake and I wish to pay my dues.
I mean to say 'How difficult is this to do' ?
One more try on the phone, almost spilling my coffee when a human voice answered the phone, not very helpul if I am honest, but I was allocated a case number.
Perhaps I was getting some where after all!
Weeks went by and if I am honest,
I had beginning to believe it was all over and done with. Not the case, the wheels of greed had turned and a letter on my door mat with a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN), from National Car Parks.
Demandanding a payment of £60. A quick browse, it stated quite plainly, 14 days to pay! Lazy as I am, I decided to sort this out on the weekend when I had more time. A big mistake this was!
Saturday morning, sitting in front of my computer, tapping away at the keys, logging into NCP's online system.
Gulp! The game has changed.
The penalty charge has increased to £100. This was my mistake, on closer inspection, the letter stated 14 days from the day of creation. NCP seem to deliberately post the mail to ensuring that it arrives, with days left to pay.
Decision made, I opted to make an online appeal. Weeks went by and no reply. Eventually I received news, clearly stating that my appeal had failed, NCP still require £100.
Once again the keyboard is hot with keys being hammered, logging back into NCP's website, creating another appeal.
As the weeks slipped by, I had convinced myself, that it was over and done with.
The tranquility shattered when a letter on my door mat from a debt collection agency.
Which by the way, is just an offshoot of the parking federation, demanding £180.
I am beginning to wonder if this is going to escalate into a massive debt.
A quick scour of the net, I found this ....
Citizens Advice Bureau
website. (Click on it to go to their website)
It appears, while in the process of an appeal. It is concluded as harrasment to add further costs or any demands.
Armed with this info,I am now ready to take on the debt collection agency. Sipping a cup of tea, listening to him run through his scripted methods of payment.
The fella on the other side of the phonecall, I imagine, thought I was ready to pay up.
In reply, I said 'Take me to court'. Of course he is now plying more pressure stating that the costs will surely escalate.
At that very moment, I drop the bombshell,'NCP and yourself, have broken the law by contacting me and demanding extra fees while an appeal is in process'.
His demeanor changed as quick as british weather,
with in seconds, the penalty was dropped back to £100. I still insisted I am happy to see them in court.
Smiling I put the phone down.Days later I received a letter from NCP, stating they would not longer persue this case any further. No apologies !
Why the Japanese flag? What's this about Japan? Your curious?
NCP is actually owned by the bank of Japan. Further more, the owner of the bank of Japan is the Japanese government.
Disgraceful really but heyo. Now you know where your parking fees go.
It would be prudent if these two car parks actually supplied receipts, giving proof of purchase.
There is an option for this when a ticket is purchased, to obtain a receipt.
I do not think there is a day when I do not overhear someone complain that they cannot get a receipt.
I guess the attendant is lazy and cannot be bothered maintaining the machines, or is it a ploy by NCP.
Most mornings, I sit in my car sipping a coffee before I go to work. Glancing out of the window,
I often see the parking attendant emptying the money from each machine, into a bag.
Yet, never inserting a roll of receipts. Which leaves me wondering , is this legal ?
I mean, you are entitled to a proof of purchase or a vat receipt surely?