Appealing to a private clamping operator

McGrath5

Guys,

My girlfriend was recently clamped by NCPS. Unfortunately she paid up pretty much straight away, I would of been able to find other means to remove the clamp.

But we are where we are, I have a few pictures of the parking spot she was clamped at, there is no reserved sign anywhere nearby or any clearly marked sign that clamping was in operation in the carpark in question.
Eventually I found a sign around the corner from where she was clamped, this sign was behind a skip!

So NCPS have advised her that she can "appeal", but I get the feeling this so called process of theirs is simply just a load of rubbish to fob you of?

Any thoughts?

Henry Ford III

Show us the pics!

McGrath5

Here are some pictures.

https://imgur.com/mFRw0Uh
https://imgur.com/1JHkoHB
https://imgur.com/SHHMP9X

This is in Deansgrange BTW.

Chorus_suck

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Fred Swanson

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mloc123

McGrath5 wrote: »

Guys,

My girlfriend was recently clamped by NCPS. Unfortunately she paid up pretty much straight away, I would of been able to find other means to remove the clamp.

But we are where we are, I have a few pictures of the parking spot she was clamped at, there is no reserved sign anywhere nearby or any clearly marked sign that clamping was in operation in the carpark in question.
Eventually I found a sign around the corner from where she was clamped, this sign was behind a skip!

So NCPS have advised her that she can "appeal", but I get the feeling this so called process of theirs is simply just a load of rubbish to fob you of?

Any thoughts?

Don't waste your time. I tired, evidence to show I had paid by text etc.. it will only piss you off more.

DaveD

Follow the procedure and appeal to NCPS, it will more than likely be declined.

Then lodge a second stage appeal (no fee). Since 1st October, second stage appeals now go to the NTA - see here

Take plenty of photos of the entrance to the car park and where the signs are.

I'm awaiting a decision any day now from the NTA regarding an appeal against NCPS clamping. We'd paid our pay & display, but apparently had parked in a "permit only" spot. No signs to say such spaces were permit only.

cruizer101

Just to say I did appeal to ncps before and got my money back so it does happen. In my case the spot was in the corner and not marked as not being a spot, although was kinda tucked into corner and would often not be a spot

Fred Swanson

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wmpdd3

I appealed to NCPS got refused, appealed to the NTA at a cost of 20 euro extra, got refunded.

It was about 5 months after I was clamped, it was in an Irish rail car park and the park and text didn't work.

ED E

NCPS employees constantly text and drive, if you want your revenge keep an eye and get them a lovely 3pts and €80 fine.

mfceiling

ED E wrote: »

NCPS employees constantly text and drive, if you want your revenge keep an eye and get them a lovely 3pts and €80 fine.

How?

conor2469

mfceiling wrote: »

How?

Join The Gardai and get assigned to the Traffic Corps :pac:

StereoSound

I don't think you can just take a pic of someone on their phone and Email it to the Gardai or maybe you can?

Dravokivich

StereoSound wrote: »

I don't think you can just take a pic of someone on their phone and Email it to the Gardai or maybe you can?

I'd love it if this was a thing. I was surrounded by people on their phones this morning. One of whom almost drove over a median because they had no hands on the steering wheel while shifting up from a traffic light.

eyeball kid

I got clamped in the Waterways car park beside the train station in Sallins about 3 weeks ago. I paid it but then appealed as I had a ticket but it wasn't for the right carpark.

Apparently there are 2 different Waterways car parks there, one is called Waterways Front and the other is Waterways Middle I think. There was no signs saying that these are different car park, both are managed by NCPS and the machines don't say that they are for specific areas of the carpark. I took loads of photos and send them in with the appeal. Got a cheque for a full refund last Wednesday. Delighted as I didn't think I would but the guy who released the clamp said I should appeal it, there was a chance I may get something back.

So its worth appealing if you think you have a genuine case. Best of luck.

DaveD

eyeball kid wrote: »

I got clamped in the Waterways car park beside the train station in Sallins about 3 weeks ago. I paid it but then appealed as I had a ticket but it wasn't for the right carpark.

Apparently there are 2 different Waterways car parks there, one is called Waterways Front and the other is Waterways Middle I think. There was no signs saying that these are different car park, both are managed by NCPS and the machines don't say that they are for specific areas of the carpark. I took loads of photos and send them in with the appeal. Got a cheque for a full refund last Wednesday. Delighted as I didn't think I would but the guy who released the clamp said I should appeal it, there was a chance I may get something back.

So its worth appealing if you think you have a genuine case. Best of luck.

Did NCPS refund you or did you have to appeal through the NTA? Interestingly that's where I was clamped when i parked in a "permit only" spot. NCPS declined my appeal, currently awaiting the outcome from the NTA

StereoSound

NCPS are like a frogs arse, water tight. You'll get nothing back unless its an exceptional circumstance.

spyderski

NCPS are a bunch of ****ehawks. They clamped me once around 10 years ago, despite me having a valid ticket displayed. I appealed, got nowhere. Took them to court and they settled the day before. Cost them over €1k including costs. They rely on people not having the resources or the will to go down the legal route, I can imagine it's well worth their while to pay out on the few cases where people do take them to court.

eyeball kid

DaveD wrote: »

Did NCPS refund you or did you have to appeal through the NTA? Interestingly that's where I was clamped when i parked in a "permit only" spot. NCPS declined my appeal, currently awaiting the outcome from the NTA

NCPS refunded me directly, didn't have to appeal it. To be honest I wasn't expecting it. I just thought that the clamping guy was telling me I should appeal to keep me quiet while he was taking the clamp off.

Attached is the letter they sent.
Maybe I should get it framed if refunds are that rare. Could be worth a bit a money in a few years :pac:

endacl

'Gesture of goodwill'? 'You shouldn't have been clamped and we're sorry we clamped you' is what it should read.

http://www.diy.com/departments/mac-allister-750w-220-240v-115mm-angle-grinder-msag750/1273273_BQ.prd

Not a briliant tool, but perfect for 'occasional use'.

http://www.diy.com/departments/torq-power-inverter-240v-80w/227839_BQ.prd

You needn't bother making sure the battery is charged with an inverter.

Slightly under €45 all in. 'Gesture of goodwill', me hole.

eyeball kid

endacl wrote: »

'Gesture of goodwill'? 'You shouldn't have been clamped and we're sorry we clamped you' is what it should read.

http://www.diy.com/departments/mac-allister-750w-220-240v-115mm-angle-grinder-msag750/1273273_BQ.prd

Not a briliant tool, but perfect for 'occasional use'.

http://www.diy.com/departments/torq-power-inverter-240v-80w/227839_BQ.prd

You needn't bother making sure the battery is charged with an inverter.

Slightly under €45 all in. 'Gesture of goodwill', me hole.

Yeah, I was very close to doing that but I still need to park there everyday. I'd imagine they'd plague you if you did that and were still parking there everyday.

They still haven't put up signs saying that there are two different car parks there. I wonder how many others have been caught out by that scam and didn't appeal.

mgbgt1978

endacl wrote: »

'Gesture of goodwill'? 'You shouldn't have been clamped and we're sorry we clamped you' is what it should read.

http://www.diy.com/departments/mac-allister-750w-220-240v-115mm-angle-grinder-msag750/1273273_BQ.prd

Not a briliant tool, but perfect for 'occasional use'.

http://www.diy.com/departments/torq-power-inverter-240v-80w/227839_BQ.prd

You needn't bother making sure the battery is charged with an inverter.

Slightly under €45 all in. 'Gesture of goodwill', me hole.

Unfortunately an 80W inverter is not going to power a 750W Grinder. Having said that, you will get a 1000w inverter for €25 upwards from China (or around €60ish locally). Handy to have one anyway for Power cuts etc. More than enough to keep your TV and Sky Box running .

DaveD

DaveD wrote: »

Follow the procedure and appeal to NCPS, it will more than likely be declined.

Then lodge a second stage appeal (no fee). Since 1st October, second stage appeals now go to the NTA - see here

Take plenty of photos of the entrance to the car park and where the signs are.

I'm awaiting a decision any day now from the NTA regarding an appeal against NCPS clamping. We'd paid our pay & display, but apparently had parked in a "permit only" spot. No signs to say such spaces were permit only.

Quick update on this, NTA upheld our appeal Cheque on its way from NCPS.

McGrath5

So I lodged an appeal to NCPS, unsurprisingly it was rejected.

Does anyone have a link / email address to appeal to the NTA?

DaveD

McGrath5 wrote: »

So I lodged an appeal to NCPS, unsurprisingly it was rejected.

Does anyone have a link / email address to appeal to the NTA?

You'll get the form here

Jes280

I got clamped at a train station car park on the 2nd November. I use the park by text app and I take a screenshot of my phone screen when I get the success screen on the phone. I have a screenshot of said day but for some reason out of my control it didn’t register. I also topped up my account by €40 at 8:17 and my screenshot was within the same minute why would I put €40 on account if I planned to not pay. Safe to say NCPS refused my appeal 14th Nov on the grounds it is up to the driver to make sure they have paid I don’t see why I should have thought I didn’t pay even though I got the confirmation screen?!?! Anyway sent an appeal to NTA they sent me a letter back on the 14 Dec so they probably received my 2nd appeal on the 12th and they said they are not empowered to consider my appeal because I received my determination on 2 Nov but that is when I was clamped. I am guessing it is human error trying to call them but it says there are no operators due to an emergency . Does anyone think I should go the legal route if NTA don’t uphold my appeal? And any advice on it?

Fred Swanson

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dogmatix

Despite what some posters are saying here, I don’t think they will automatically refuse an appeal. A while back I parked in a luas park and ride spot and paid for the parking. Came back and found a clamp on my car – I had accidentally paid for the wrong bay number. Paid the fine but appealed and was refunded in full, no quibbles. Just be polite in the appeal letter, give a simple but accurate account of what happened and send in any corresponding tickets/documentation and of course pictures. If they do refund you, you will get a “we are not accepting liability, but as a gesture of goodwill… etc, etc” letter which I suspect is a legal thing to cover them. As long as I got my money back I was not miffed at the tone.

fieldofsheep

It's also worth bearing in mind who the clamping company are working on behalf of - I was clamped one time in an Irish Rail car park, as I had accidentally transposed 2 digits of my car registration on the park by text app.  I paid to have the car released, and the clamper advised me to contact Irish Rail directly.  I did this, and was able to prove that I was a regular user of the car park in question - the girl I was talking to couldn't have been nicer and directed NCPS to process the refund, which they duly did.

Jes280

fieldofsheep wrote: »

It's also worth bearing in mind who the clamping company are working on behalf of - I was clamped one time in an Irish Rail car park, as I had accidentally transposed 2 digits of my car registration on the park by text app.  I paid to have the car released, and the clamper advised me to contact Irish Rail directly.  I did this, and was able to prove that I was a regular user of the car park in question - the girl I was talking to couldn't have been nicer and directed NCPS to process the refund, which they duly did.

Just wondering was it just customer service that you got onto in Irish Rail?I have been through 2 appeals now both rejected. Basically I use the Park by text app and I take screenshots of the confirmation screen which I have one for the day I got clamped and for whatever reason it did not actually go through the system even though I got the confirmation screen!! They are saying the onus is on me to make sure it is paid, I don't know why I should have thought it was not paid after seeing the "Success" screen. Any help much appreciated!!!!