APCOA rejecting appeal

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

Got a letter from APCOA stating that my appeal has been rejected for the following reasons:

"Pay & display ticket not correctly displayed/ in an unreadable position:
At the time of the offence your p&d ticket was face sown on the dashboard."


Any suggestions as to what to do?


It's my first offence and they have given me until this Friday to pay for the ticket.

I had paid for my pay and display for the time I parked in my spot.

I am planning on making another appeal and I have sent Simon Harris a mail regarding this issue.

Anybody ever in the same situation before? What was the outcome?

Cookie_Monster

You have to both pay and display, clearly you failed to do this. Pay fine and move on. Be more careful in future.

stop

Pay & Display

You only did half of it. Pay the fine, you'll never make the same mistake again.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

You're right. I will never pay for another ticket again where possible

If it was a continuous offence I would agree with ye, but on a first offence, like they do in the UK, it should be dismissed. If they had decent tickets it wouldn't be a problem

They should use a bit of common sense really.

Cookie_Monster

Tiffany Slimy Percussion wrote: »

If it was a continuous offence I would agree with ye, but on a first offence, like they do in the UK, it should be dismissed. If they had decent tickets it wouldn't be a problem

why should you get away with it first time, it'll only encourage you to do it again. there is nothing wrong with the ticket, thousands of people use them every day without issue.

Tiffany Slimy Percussion wrote: »

They should use a bit of common sense really.

seems they used more than you anyway :pac:

Scraps

The same thing happened me before. I paid for parking in full and left the ticket faced down on the dash. Appeal was rejected on the basis that I did not display the ticket correctly.

Unfortunately they have a point, it's a mistake I won't be making again!

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

why should you get away with it first time, it'll only encourage you to do it again. there is nothing wrong with the ticket, thousands of people use them every day without issue.

Because I park in the town on a regular basis and I always pay for my parking, everywhere I go I pay for it and this time I made a simple mistake.

Again, first offense should be forgiven, I never said constantly forgiven.

The tickets are an issue, and this issue has been raised before. On a very windy day, something common in Ireland, it's not easy to place the ticket on the dashboard. Many places use a system that provides a sticker on the back, no problems with them.

I couldn't possibly be the only person to ever have a problem like this

seems they used more than you anyway :pac:

Seen that one comming a mile away

Ham'nd'egger

Tiffany Slimy Percussion wrote: »

The tickets are an issue, and this issue has been raised before. On a very windy day, something common in Ireland, it's not easy to place the ticket on the dashboard.

In which case you should check that the ticket is visible in the car before you leave it. It works for me

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

Hamndegger wrote: »

In which case you should check that the ticket is visible in the car before you leave it. It works for me

Again, for those who seem to be oblivious to mankinds flaws... it was a mistake, something us humans are subject to. Maybe you and your friends can teach us humans to be like ye perfect aliens

rubberdiddies

unfortunately you didnt display and thats what they have to go on, however I do sympathise with you if as you say it was an honest mistake. People make mistakes every single day.

Pay and Display tickets used to have a sticky bit attached so you could stick it to the window, however I can only guess that saving money was the reason behind them doing away with the sticky bit.

Of course I'd never cynically suggest that catching people out on a 'windy' day was the real motive to get rid of the stickyness!

whosedaddy?

and sometimes you have to accept that even an genuine mistake will be punished...

APCOA can't know it was a mistake - for them it was a first time offence - but it would have been a deliberate one...

And stop blaming the ticket, YOU made a mistake (not checking it was visible) - now take responsibility for it.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

Where did I blame the ticket? I said I made the error, I then said that these type of errors would be less likely if the ticket was up to standards. The tickets are terrible.

I am wondering if anybody was in a similar position and if they were excused? This is the last place I would come for a lecture

Cookie_Monster

how are they terrible? Time on one side, blank on the other...

whosedaddy?

Tiffany Slimy Percussion wrote: »

Where did I blame the ticket? I said I made the error, I then said that these type of errors would be less likely if the ticket was up to standards. The tickets are terrible.

I am wondering if anybody was in a similar position and if they were excused? This is the last place I would come for a lecture

You are blaming the tickets - claiming they are substandard.. if they weren't you wouldn't have made that mistake...
Sticky or not, high standard or not - its still quite easy to check with side is up before walking away...

Victor

Tiffany Slimy Percussion wrote: »

On a very windy day, something common in Ireland, it's not easy to place the ticket on the dashboard.

Invest in some Blu-tack.

rubberdiddies wrote: »

Pay and Display tickets used to have a sticky bit attached so you could stick it to the window, however I can only guess that saving money was the reason behind them doing away with the sticky bit.

No, it was because they used to have to be put on the window, but people were saying they were falling off because of condensation, etc. :rolleyes:

rubberdiddies

Victor wrote: »

Invest in some Blu-tack.

No, it was because they used to have to be put on the window, but people were saying they were falling off because of condensation, etc. :rolleyes:

ah i see. kinda!


i had a similar experience as the OP in that one day I returned to my car only to find the ticket upside down. it was a particularly windy day. i wasnt clamped or fined though thankfully.

if only theyd print the details on both sides then there would be no issues!

Stark

Did APCOA provide photos showing the ticket wasn't on display?

thebullkf

Stark wrote: »

Did APCOA provide photos showing the ticket wasn't on display?

are they supposed to??


jesus i used to just leave the ticket on the dash-upside down,whatever.
always assumed that if i was clamped i'd just show em the ticket-they'd realise their 'mistake' if you will, and happy days....

now it seems the 'display' bit is being enforced....

how much was/is the fine???

Victor

thebullkf wrote: »

are they supposed to??

They often do to cover themselves.

always assumed that if i was clamped i'd just show em the ticket-they'd realise their 'mistake' if you will, and happy days....

But you would be able to get a ticket fro, say your mate's car, him having paid for the appropriate time.

now it seems the 'display' bit is being enforced....

It was always enforced, it just seems you got away with it.

thebullkf

Victor wrote: »

They often do to cover themselves.

But you would be able to get a ticket fro, say your mate's car, him having paid for the appropriate time.

what're the odds ..

It was always enforced, it just seems you got away with it.

it seems i did....don't drive a car anymore anyway....still parking is still shocking in a lot of places considering the everpresent threat of clamping.

Stark

thebullkf wrote: »

are they supposed to??

Well you can't really have an appeals process without the photos as the company wouldn't be able to prove that the ticket wasn't on display. The council clampers all take photos.

Not that it matters to APCOA who are an unregulated private company who only have a lip service appeals process.

Our man in Havana

Where was this ticket issued? If on private land it can be safely ignored.

Carawaystick

At the very least demand a refund for the face value of the ticket....
Ask why the ticket wasn't printed on both sides to prevent such an error.

Victor

Carawaystick wrote: »

At the very least demand a refund for the face value of the ticket....

But that ticket could have been on another car.

Ask why the ticket wasn't printed on both sides to prevent such an error.

I imagine its impractical to print it on both sides.

Haddockman wrote: »

Where was this ticket issued? If on private land it can be safely ignored.

He means the parking disk, the receipt to show he paid.

Cookie_Monster

This is quickly turning into a typically Irish thread.

"I did something wrong, but it's not my fault. Who can I blame for it? The ticket is clearly under-designed and difficult to use, it won't even stick properly to the car, how can the council even prove it anyway, did they take a million pictures and copy them in triplicate and have a gps location of the car and warden at the time. blah blah blah."

Stark

Cookie_Monster wrote:

how can the council even prove it anyway, did they take a million pictures and copy them in triplicate and have a gps location of the car and warden at the time. blah blah blah."

How pathetic of people to want an option to appeal if the clampers make a mistake. In any case, the guy wasn't clamped by the council, he was clamped by a private operator who generally do as they like.

Cookie_Monster

Stark wrote: »

How pathetic of people to want an option to appeal if the clampers make a mistake. In any case, the guy wasn't clamped by the council, he was clamped by a private operator who generally do as they like.

parking ticket, nothing in OP about being clamped. And there was no mistake, ticket was not displayed, fine was given.

Stark

In that case, he should just not pay it given that APCOA are a private company.

Cookie_Monster

OT slightly...

If the council are the only legally allowed to ticket and clamp what position does this put the DL harbour company in?

They are a semi-state aren't they and clamping is done by Harbour police, not private contractor...

JHMEG

Would someone get the official line on this from the Dept?

Do APCOA fines have any basis in law? Or are they meaningless in the same way that a fine issued by Tesco would be meaningless?

Cookie_Monster

JHMEG wrote: »

Would someone get the official line on this from the Dept?
Do APCOA fines have any basis in law? Or are they meaningless in the same way that a fine issued by Tesco would be meaningless?

There has to be something, otherwise why would anybody pay for parking anywhere that's not owned by the council, knowing they would not have to pay fines or could just cut clamps without fear.
Many sites like IE car-parks or Luas P&R are privately monitored but are state / semi state property too so would be a different category to purely private?

Stark

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

There has to be something, otherwise why would anybody pay for parking anywhere that's not owned by the council, knowing they would not have to pay fines or could just cut clamps without fear.

Because a lot of people are easily intimidated. I know plenty of people who've ignored fines from shopping centres and nothing has come of it.

JHMEG

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

There has to be something, otherwise why would anybody pay for parking anywhere that's not owned by the council, knowing they would not have to pay fines or could just cut clamps without fear.
Many sites like IE car-parks or Luas P&R are privately monitored but are state / semi state property too so would be a different category to purely private?

It's a huge industry in the UK, and even the BBC were recommending that if clamped by one of these operators that you remove the clamp yourself. They view being clamped/fined as being similar to being mugged.

Cookie_Monster

Stark wrote: »

Because a lot of people are easily intimidated. I know plenty of people who've ignored fines from shopping centres and nothing has come of it.

JHMEG wrote: »

It's a huge industry in the UK, and even the BBC were recommending that if clamped by one of these operators that you remove the clamp yourself. They view being clamped/fined as being similar to being mugged.

Ok fair enough if its just peoples unwillingness to stand up about it.

But what about the Harbour Police scenario. I reckon you'd be ****ed if you cut one of theirs

Victor

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

But what about the Harbour Police scenario. I reckon you'd be ****ed if you cut one of theirs

They are probably relying on bye-laws to do it.

Our man in Havana

Harbour police have bye laws that cover their tickets.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

For the record I have not been clamped. I got a ticket. Read the op...

Also not placing the blame on anybody, I made that pretty clear too, but you will ignore that statement to better suit your own agenda... Typical.

I made recommendations as to make the tickets better, of which I put forward to my local councillor, who in turn brought it up at the town hall meeting. More than likely nothing will be done about it, but anyway.

KetchupKid

A few weeks back I was illegally clamped by APCOA and despite being in the right I had to pay 120 euros (money I don't have) and was told by the clamper even though I was right he couldn't release me without the fee and he said I had a good case and could appeal and I'd probably get my money back. Well I sent out a very detailed letter to APCOA explaining the situation and I just received a reply. It appears that the reply is a form letter and it appears they didn't even bother to read my letter. In the letter they say I can re-appeal to IPAS (independent parking appeals services), but I need to pay an additional 20 euros for the appeal. Now I assume that if IPAS says I am guilty I'll then be down 140 euros.

Is IPAS as dishonest as APCOA or are they truly independent?

It's sad that the County Council has outsourced parking control to thugs and gangsters like APCOA!