Hi
I received a parking fine from Parking Eye earlier in the summer. They claimed I had not paid for parking but I did via an app and have the email confirmation to prove it.
At the time of parking there were two signs on display in the car park, one advising to pay on exit, the other to pay on arrival. I chose to pay on arrival. Each sign had a different location code. I included close up photos of each sign and also one from a distance to show they were both in the same car park.
POPLA have rejected my appeal stating that the photo of the signs I took from a distance is too far to confirm that both signs had different codes on them. It was impossible to take a close up of them together. The rejection statement then states "Had the images been closer it would have proved the appellants point more clearly". They did also state that my images were not dated (they are dated on my phone) and that this would have proved my point more clearly.
There is more detail in the rejection letter stating that signs must be clear and unambiguous and also about the operators site map showing one large car park (the one I drove into) with a very small car park at the end (with a completely separate entrance) and that "it could be that the signs from that car park could be turned in the incorrect direction and facing the car park the appellant was parked in". I'm pretty sure this is what has happened having read this and the image I provided does show the signs facing into the car park I was parked in also back onto this smaller car park - but this image was rejected for being too far away!
I'm tempted to go back and take a video just in case I need it in the future.
I'm determined not to pay as I followed instructions on a sign that was in the car park I parked in. My car was pretty much parked next to said sign (I don't have a photo of my car next to it as I'd no reason take take one, I'd paid for my parking and had the email receipt). If this sign was for a different car park to the one I drove into and was possibly facing into the wrong car park, as the rejection letter suggests then surely further investigation is required before rejecting an appeal. It all seems pretty spurious to me.
I'm assuming I'll now receive payment demands and would like advice on what to do once I do.
Many thanks.
