Like many of UK citizens I have fallen foul of the private parking contractual scam. I parked on a local car park whilst shopping. Due to the arctic conditons, the car park had been cleared of snow yet mounds of snow where in the end spaces obstructing parking. As there was no where else to park I parked in the space with the obstructing mound of snow. The parking warden watched me leave my car and did not advise me to move my car. Instead pound notes signs appeared in his eyes!

I returned to my car to discover a parking ticket. Like any other motorist in rip off Britian I was fuming.

I immediately called the customer service number on the ticket to be told that I had to wait until I recieved a fine through the post. I think this is just a way of causing excess stress and worry to so called ‘offenders’. I took my own photos showing clearly the obstruction and my vehicle.

It took 7 days to recieve my fine. The photo they took was taken in such a way that it did not show the obstruction, just my car over the white line! Sneaky devils! I knew straight away that I was being conned!                                                                                         Images via Wikipedia

I appealed against the ticket although on appealing realised that there is no appeal process! It is simply a business thriving on motorists. They rejected my appeal and demanded £40 to be paid within 7 days. Bully boy tactics!

I decided to research the company UKPC, and was not suprised by my findings. UKPC are a private parking company who extorcion money out of thousands of innocent motorists each year by using their bully tactics. There are complaints on blogs all over the internet and many motorists have contacted the British Parking Association to complain.  I like many other motorists will not be paying this fine, I will wait for more threats such as debt collectors etc… and then I will see UKPC in court. People should not be bullied by these rogue firms. These private parking companies seem to be on the increase in local supermarket car parks charging for minor technilities such as over staying, leaving site, and parking slighly over the white line. I know that we need to be governed by rules but not extorcioned and harrassed for minor offences which do not deserve these hefty £40 fines.

My advice to other motorists in my situation, is stick to your guns, and do not let then bully you.