Clamping NCPS

Spr1ngsteen

My car was clamped today.

I had parked in a friends apartment complex, she gave me the parking code. I sent the text off as instructed. Received a text back saying XX-D-XXXX is authorised to park in such and such a place until 7am tomorrow. Lovely. Flew around the corner to the shop, picked up some milk and back around to her apartment to look after her child for the day.

Came out at 6.30 when she returned from work to find a clamp on my car. Thinking there was a mistake, I phoned the company to ask them to come to remove said clamp. He said "that's no problem, i'll just get your credit card details and we'll get you out of there". Proceeded to explain that I had received text authorisation to park there for the day (from their company), and he a got a bit flustered and said something like "parking is for residents only, you were seen leaving the premises". I again tried to argue my point that I had authorisation, but he again talked me down saying that unless I paid the fee I would not be getting my car back. I said I wouldn't be paying, and he just replies "okay, byyyyeeee" and hangs up the phone!

I was fuming, and not knowing what else to do I just paid the f***ers on their automated system and left.

They have an appeal system (which I've read is a bit of a joke). I might give it a go.

I'm so angry. How do these guys get away with this type of thing? Can they get away with it?? Am I wasting my time appealing?

A Law

Loads of threads with people having a similar story to you. Some have appealed and won, but the majority lose it seems. Just more money for the clamping company when you appeal.
Many have resorted to removing the clamp themselves which is only illegal if you damage it, or if the can prove you damaged it.

Greenmachine

Dissapointed after opening the thread. Title led me to believe someone had managed to clamp one of their vans.

ironclaw

Greenmachine wrote: »

Dissapointed after opening the thread. Title led me to believe someone had managed to clamp one of their vans.

If I was a millionaire with nothing better to be doing, I'd pay lads to clamp the clampers in the most imaginative way possible and have a YouTube channel to that effect. Bonus points for each additional clamp. Childish but I'd say it would make for good viewing :pac:

dr.fuzzenstein

Clamp the clampers? Too easy to get off for them!
What you want is to lift the van and place one or more wheels in large buckets or construct a bucket-like structure around the wheel, make sure suspension, brakes and springs are encompassed by this construct and fill with concrete.

Grolschevik

They knew you had left the car park. You must have been observed.

Technically, I suppose you should have texted them again when you returned. They got you on a technicality. Did you park in exactly the same spot when you came back from the shops?

Marcusm

Grolschevik wrote: »

They knew you had left the car park. You must have been observed.

Technically, I suppose you should have texted them again when you returned. They got you on a technicality. Did you park in exactly the same spot when you came back from the shops?

I don't think that's right; certainly it's not how NCPS uses the text system in my complex. The text covers 24 hours and that's that. It's quite normal for overnight or weekend visitors to use their car during the stay. It's limited to three days per week - some people had been using then 7 days a week for a second car and one enterprising resident ahd been renting out the visitors spaces.

I'm not sure about their appeals process but it is hard to see how they could justify clamping in these circumstances. Are they suggesting that you were never a visitor but just used it for parking? We've had that too.

tjdublin5

Don't have much faith in their appeals system, I believe its a scam.
When visiting a tenant in one of the building they patrol, I parked and I texted Tempo515 + car reg. I should have texted Temp0515+ Car Reg.
It all too simple to make that mistake, especially if you have not heard of the system or used it before, and if you are a pensioner that's in a rush. If they did not want people to fall into that trap their sign should read TempØ515. Using the slashed Zero is the universal way to avoid such mistakes.
When you appeal, they sympathise and maintain their charges. Then to add insult to injury, they say the cost of release the clamp is €90 and they charge you €95.
A costly mistake.

Daaryl

Nothing a bolt cutters or angle grinder can't fix :pac: