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Wednesday 31 July 2013

Highview Parking at it again

The Parking Prankster hasn't received a parking charge notice from Highview for a time. He naively thought this was because they fixed their problems at Yate shopping centre. Now this seems not to be the case after all; their fix seems to be plastering a big notice on their monitor screens back at Highview Palace to say

DO NOT TICKET THE PRANKSTER AT ANY COST!!!

The Prankster received an email from a concerned motorist who visited Yate twice in one day to pick up some bits and bobs of shopping. The motorist was not best pleased to receive a charge notice in the post.

After emailing The Prankster, the motorist revealed they have made some excellent investigations of their own, including extracting information from the DVLA without having to pay their ridiculous £5 fee, and is all set to make sure Highview get charged their regular £27 at POPLA to find their ANPR systems are faulty. The Prankster and the motorist have told them that for free of course, but Highview love to get a second opinion and will no doubt be spurred into immediate action in due course.

The Prankster has this advice for anyone appealing to Highview.

Highview parking are refusing to give out POPLA codes. This is in breach of the British Parking Association Ltd code of practice and POPLA guidelines. The Lead Adjudication spelled this out in his covert May Newsletter:

POPLA does from time to time receive requests for a verification code when it has not been supplied by the operator, even though a rejection has been issued. It is always the operator’s responsibility to send this to the motorist.


Make sure your appeal to Highview has the following:

1) Notice that you are appealing or challenging the charge. 'I am appealing your parking charge notice'
2) At least one appeal reason. In the above case 'I was not parked between the times you state' is sufficient.
3) An indication that you will not be entering into further correspondence. 'I will not be providing further evidence or replying to correspondence.'
4) An indication you require a POPLA code if the appeal is rejected. 'Please uphold my appeal or send me a POPLA code within the required 35 days from receiving this appeal.

This ensures Highview parking have enough rope to hang themselves and removes any possible reasons they might use to wriggle out of BPA Ltd sanctions.

If you want to make them choke on their coffee, you could also mention that you read The Prankster's blog and you understand that they will be spurred into immediate action on receiving your letter. However, this is not strictly necessary for appeal success.

If Highview do not conclude the appeal process within 35 days, or reject your appeal without sending a POPLA code, or send reminder letters or debt collector letters before sending a POPLA code, then complain immediately to the BPA Ltd.


Many thanks to The Motorist for the information - you know who you are.

Happy Parking

Not Nick Lester

3 comments:

  1. I am not best pleased that the Prankster is highlighting the fact that you can actually get data from my department without stumping up the £5. Still so long as enough mugs fall for it we are happy to operate on a "65% return model" just like the members of our paymasters at the BPA Ltd.

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  2. You've got to borrow a car from someone. Imagine their faces when the registered keeper reveals who the driver was.

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  3. If I were to double dip Yate shopping centre and receive a Highview parking charge, can I nominate you (Prankster) as the driver?

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