Any correspondence with the CEO is not an appeal so I wouldn't describe it as such.
You still want to be polite but I'd be minded to strengthen up the language a bit. Your goal is to make fobbing you off more effort for them than cancelling the charge.
The problem you seemingly had with the store itself is that they washed their hands of the matter and claimed they had no control over Excel. We don't know how true that is (as we haven't seen their contract) but at any rate, Excel have been hired by Iceland and are acting as their agents, so I'd try and make clear in your email that you're aware of this, and that you're sure that Iceland would not want their agent charging their loyal customers £100 even when they have already paid for their parking.
Also make clear that you've tried appealing to Excel but they are refusing to cancel the charge.
Depending on your approach, you might also want to reference the Devon Live article and the fact that they may be keen to avoid similar adverse press over a £1 parking fee...
Ugh! I'll actually have a read bit later and get back to you. However, I've let ChatGPT describe to you how it feels about it's own creation:
A ChatGPT generated letter that is dripping with condescension and laden with unnecessary words. It's like wading through a swamp of verbosity, each word more superfluous than the last, while being patronisingly guided by a tone that suggests you couldn't possibly grasp the point without being spoon-fed every syllable. Your stomach churns, your brow furrows, and a sense of revulsion washes over you, as if you've stumbled into a conversation with an overbearing know-it-all who thinks they're enlightening you but is really just drowning you in linguistic quicksand. It's an assault on your intelligence and your patience, leaving you itching to escape the suffocating embrace of verbosity and condescension.
If you do use ChatGPT, you must also remove all the Amricani
Zed spellings which are another dead give away. Please go in and at least edit it to make it sound more human-like. Use whatever ChatGPT regurgitates as a guide and don't rely on it blindly.
Another dead give away is the supposed sentient nature of the message. Since when can a non-sentient message hope it can find someone well?
thanks for the tips. i just rang iceland HQ, they said they will get manager from the store to ring me to try resolve. ive also edited my email and sent to ceo. fingers one of them has the decency to step in and get it overturned.
Make sure you're prepared. Do not argue the toss about 'commercial justification', you'll be talking to someone from the store who's probably been given a very sketchy briefing.
So, normal pleasantries such as thanks for calling, sorry to bother you, I don't know how much you've been told etc...
And get your facts prepared and written down so you can succinctly put them across:
A few weeks ago I parked in your car park. I had my wife with me and as she doesn't trust me to do the shopping she went into your store while I stayed in the car. She spent about £***, for which I still have the receipt, and this took about 15-20 minutes.
When she returned she put the shopping in the boot while I went to pay the parking tariff which was £1. We then left.
A week later I received a notice from Excel parking that I owed them £100, apparently for not buying my ticket soon enough after parking, something they call 'exceeding the consideration period'.
We parked, we shopped and we paid for the time we were parked(in fact twice the length of time we were parked). I thought that I would make these points to Excel in response to their claim which I did, but it fell upon very deaf ears. It would seem that Excel are only concerned with their financial interests and not those of customers or Iceland and the reputational harm their actions could cause, given that ultimately they're threatening to take customers to court.
Speaking to you as someone who shops at Iceland regularly, I cannot think that you would want to be associated with this form of practice.
What help can you give me?
Would be my approach.
By the way, where is the sign - 'at the back we have a car park which is available for up to 1 hr', it's not visible in GSV. Was it an Excel sign e.g. with its logo etc?
Make sure you're prepared. Do not argue the toss about 'commercial justification', you'll be talking to someone from the store who's probably been given a very sketchy briefing.
So, normal pleasantries such as thanks for calling, sorry to bother you, I don't know how much you've been told etc...
And get your facts prepared and written down so you can succinctly put them across:
A few weeks ago I parked in your car park. I had my wife with me and as she doesn't trust me to do the shopping she went into your store while I stayed in the car. She spent about £***, for which I still have the receipt, and this took about 15-20 minutes.
When she returned she put the shopping in the boot while I went to pay the parking tariff which was £1. We then left.
A week later I received a notice from Excel parking that I owed them £100, apparently for not buying my ticket soon enough after parking, something they call 'exceeding the consideration period'.
We parked, we shopped and we paid for the time we were parked(in fact twice the length of time we were parked). I thought that I would make these points to Excel in response to their claim which I did, but it fell upon very deaf ears. It would seem that Excel are only concerned with their financial interests and not those of customers or Iceland and the reputational harm their actions could cause, given that ultimately they're threatening to take customers to court.
Speaking to you as someone who shops at Iceland regularly, I cannot think that you would want to be associated with this form of practice.
What help can you give me?
Would be my approach.
By the way, where is the sign - 'at the back we have a car park which is available for up to 1 hr', it's not visible in GSV. Was it an Excel sign e.g. with its logo etc?
hi
thanks for the thumbs up, i just spoke to someone from Customer Services as Iceland, they seemed very sympathetic and agreed the ticket should be cancelled. He also mentioned hes had many similar cases in which the customer always won
hopefully il get a response by fri if not monday latest. he himself made argument as you shopped here and paid there is no reason for you to be fined and if anything we owe you a £1.
thanks for all your help guys, its been very stressful il keep you updated with any updates. im still in shock this behaviour is happening around the uk.
PS as for the parking sign, i cant remember exactly where it is, all i remember was as i was driving towards to iceland i recall seeing a sign saying parking available behind store
i just spoke to someone from Customer Services as Iceland, they seemed very sympathetic and agreed the ticket should be cancelled.
You do realise that evidence of a phone call is about as much use as the paper it isn't written on.
Any promise by anyone at Iceland about getting the PCN cancelled should be backed up by written evidence. Can you follow top your phone call with an email to them asking for confirmation of what they have said?
Yh I got an email too. Iv attached it. Let's see what happens.
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Hi guys
Good news. Iceland just emailed to say they have had the PCN cancelled.
I want to thank each and everyone who helped and advice. Had the IAS refused my appeal I would have probably have paid to avoid prospect of courts and fines going up.
Thank once again u guys have saved me £100 plus alot of headache and stress.
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Thanks for the update and a good result - getting the retailer/landowner to intervene is nearly always the easiest way to get these things sorted.
Keep hold of that email just in case Excel don't get the memo.
Cheers
Will do. I emailed them to ask for a written letter and told them to terminate contract with Excel as they give Iceland bad publicity. They replied almost instantly with this.
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The email is "written" evidence. You don't need a "letter" also.
The email is "written" evidence. You don't need a "letter" also.
i meant as in a headed letter so excel or courts cant come back to me, or will this email suffice as sufficient proof? apologies if i sound petty but just want want any nasty surprises.
The email has embedded headers which can be used to evidence which domain it was sent from.
As a belt and brace it is perhaps worth checking on the operators site if it has been cancelled.
It may nit be entirely obvious but going through the motions to pretend to pay can be one way. With luck you get some sort of "not found" message.
Just write to Excel..
Dear Sir,
Parking Charge Notice *******
Customer Services at Iceland have just told me that they will be cancelling the parking charge. I thought I would let you know as a courtesy. Please see their email which is attached.
YF,
And OP, don't go beyond your brief...IMO you overstepped the mark demanding that Iceland cancel their contract, this was unnecessarily confrontational. You're not on a crusade, are you?
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