View Full Version : Car parking at UK motorway service station.
daved407
03-06-11, 03:13 PM
Has anyone experiance of the cost of stopping at a UK service station longer than two hours.
If buying a ticket what details are taken?
Owenski
03-06-11, 03:19 PM
Its free pal
They just charge you a fortune for everything you buy within the service station.
daved407
03-06-11, 03:22 PM
Ive just recieved a fine through which is saying otherwise, 108.97 Euro which is pretty close to 100 quid. Im guessing there are charges added on here that have bumped it up a little.
MisterTommyH
03-06-11, 03:29 PM
It's a 2hr limit and then £8 per 24hr period after. Your registration is captured by ANPR. It's a pay by text system so you have to enter your reg for them to compare against the ANPR - usually pretty well signposted at the ones that charge.
tactcom7
03-06-11, 03:29 PM
my mate fell asleep in the car and was fined because he was there for longer than the alotted 2 hours, gutted.
Geodude
03-06-11, 03:40 PM
Now i never knew that, what if you have broken down and have to wait what then?
grh1904
03-06-11, 03:43 PM
It's a bit of a con really.......
The last m/way service station I parked up in was the Annandale Water on the A74(M) just north of Lockerbie. The signs that tell you it's only 2hrs free follwed by charges are not visible until you've exited the vehicle and entering the building, oh and it says that by parking you agree to pay the charges....................
Uhhhh????, you've already parked & walked over to & entering the building by the time you see the sign..........???
Its free pal
They just charge you a fortune for everything you buy within the service station.
Not after 2 hours it's not.
You can pay for 24hrs parking at every services though. I've done it a few of times.
It was £10 at Donington Park service on the M1... and £8 on the Service east of birmingham on the M5 South. So they do vary.
Owenski
03-06-11, 04:06 PM
Whaaaaatt?? How have I never heard of this ever... and I used to work at welcome break (hartshead moor if you care).
Wagon drivers paid for thier parking but that was it, (they also got a meal included in this charge). we never charged for cars though, that is a PROPER con.
SuzukiNess
03-06-11, 04:17 PM
Ive just recieved a fine through which is saying otherwise, 108.97 Euro which is pretty close to 100 quid. Im guessing there are charges added on here that have bumped it up a little.
read this:
http://forums.pepipoo.com/index.php?showtopic=46975
timwilky
03-06-11, 04:29 PM
I would ignore it. It isnt enforcable
The Idle Biker
03-06-11, 04:32 PM
Are you a Freeman?
Owenski
03-06-11, 04:33 PM
Riiiiiiiiight so its not the service station, its one of those contract companies - like those cheaky buggers who used to clamp.
daved407
03-06-11, 05:55 PM
As I said 108.97€ seems pretty steep for stopping whilst tired. And yes when I bought a coffee x hours later i felt robbed purely at shop prices but to get a letter almost 2 months later with a charge of about 100 quid seems a bit steep. Seems like stopping when tired on the grounds of safety has no bearing. Safety over profit!!!! (or profit over safety) And it was dark when i stopped. So signs were not visible. Oddly enough it was welcome break Owenski, that seems a contradiction in terms, "Welcome Break"
daved407
03-06-11, 06:01 PM
Im sceptical whether its enforcable. If they can get from my German VRN my German address there is an element of big brother going through my mind. I visit UK many times a year by road. Not so "Welcome break" will never see me again.Whether I pay or not.
I use to work at Ladbrokes at the motorway services in exeter and we had to give our registration to the people to give to the thieving (operating) company running the car park. Normally there's 1 entrance and 1 exit, when you go in (at Exeter) it reads your front number plate (non existent on bike) and when you go out it reads the rear and works out the time you have stayed. Obviously if more than 2 hours, Boom, fine! Printed and stamped before you've joined the motorway. Thing is I never gave my motorbike one in ( I forgot) but then when I realised I didn't give it and wandered how long it would take, if ever, I would get a fine. It turned out I never got one, if I did then I could get it cancelled. Long story short, if the camera on your way in is looking at you then it can't take your number plate and I'm pretty sure you're safe as it's all computerised and obviously has to have a plate going In to compare with plate going out to work out time spent. That's what I think anyway?
Ignore it. If your vehicle is registered in Germany they'll have a hell of a job extracting any money from you anyway. Fines from private parking firms operating car parks in UK are not enforceable and you should not correspond with them once you receive the demand. They can't take you to court for it, but they rely on you being scared of that happening to get their money.
madnlooney
03-06-11, 07:35 PM
as others have said its not enforceable. What they have sent you is a fancy invoice to get money out of you.
The amount they can legally charge you is the amount they have lost out on from your overstay So if it was £10, sending them a letter with a cheque for the amount is all that should be needed
They also break rules by sending it to the registered keeper. The first letter should be asking who was driving and then they persue them.... although you dont need to tell them who was driving as it wasnt you and you dont keep a log of who drives your car and when ;)
SuzukiNess
03-06-11, 07:47 PM
The amount they can legally charge you is the amount they have lost out on from your overstay So if it was £10, sending them a letter with a cheque for the amount is all that should be needed
They also break rules by sending it to the registered keeper. The first letter should be asking who was driving and then they persue them.... although you dont need to tell them who was driving as it wasnt you and you dont keep a log of who drives your car and when ;)
dont send them anything.. read the link i posted - iirc they really on contract law and their way of dealing with it is flawed... ignore it, throw it away and worry no more about it. i had a similar situation and even got stupid solicitors letters, and on the advice i received and read on the website (link previously posted) they eventually just went away cos they relying on u being scared of the consequences - of which there are none - and pay up. anyway, its just advise.. use it, dont use it :)
and do visit us again - it would be a pity that something thats not enforceable would make ya stay away.
madnlooney
03-06-11, 08:15 PM
dont send them anything.. read the link i posted - iirc they really on contract law and their way of dealing with it is flawed... ignore it, throw it away and worry no more about it. i had a similar situation and even got stupid solicitors letters, and on the advice i received and read on the website (link previously posted) they eventually just went away cos they relying on u being scared of the consequences - of which there are none - and pay up. anyway, its just advise.. use it, dont use it :)
and do visit us again - it would be a pity that something thats not enforceable would make ya stay away.
yeah i didnt mean it to say send them money, i ment that is what the letter should have in it not for £100 / a number picked out the air.
ive also had letters from them. just ignore and they will stop
Come drive on the continent. You pay to go to the toilet in most service stations!:smt063
SuzukiNess
03-06-11, 08:18 PM
aah sorry Dan, i read it as send £10 :)
madnlooney
03-06-11, 08:22 PM
Come drive on the continent. You pay to go to the toilet in most service stations!:smt063
nothing like bursting for a pee and fumbling around looking for some loose change :mad:
nothing like bursting for a pee and fumbling around looking for some loose change :mad:
Here sit I, broken hearted. Paid a Euro and only farted. :notworthy:
Here sit I, broken hearted. Paid a Euro and only farted. :notworthy:
I hope at least someone heard it for that much :D
tigersaw
03-06-11, 09:14 PM
Here sit I, broken hearted. Paid a Euro and only farted. :notworthy:
I remember laughing at that in about 1968, except it said a penny. And back then you did have to pay a penny (1D) for a sit down. And Izal paper.
daved407
03-06-11, 09:18 PM
Yes I read it too on a wall somewhere. But not in 68 as I couldnt read then, ooops my age is slipping out too.
Nowadays its more but you do get it back if you buy something in the shop.
Cheers for all the advice, naturally it plays on your mind as the must have used the ANPR then linked it to the German DVLA to get my home addres.
Yeah it's an old one, but a classic. I just re-jigged it. 8-[
daved407 were you on a bike? It appears you were in the car and we dont know if the car had German plates and registered in Germany. Its odd if it is because normally they dont bother sending overseas.
One loophole in our ANPR system is being exploited locally here and in London is to have some foreign plates put on your car. Yep, its true. I know of somebody with Polish plates on his VW Golf who works in London. pays no congestion charge, no road tax and has been doing so with various cars for about two years now. He has saved a small fortune. Sorry to go off topic there. So all take note.....DONT CRASH INTO A FOREIGN REGISTERED CAR....ITS PROBABLY A DODGY SKANKY ENGLISH DUDE DODGING THE RULES!!! But it does work which is rather frustrating eh.
Anyway, as posted they cant enforce that. I had a parking ticket and ignored it from a company in Manchester and after a few letters I never called them or wrote to them they just gave up and I never heard back again.
daved407 were you on a bike? It appears you were in the car and we dont know if the car had German plates and registered in Germany. Its odd if it is because normally they dont bother sending overseas.
One loophole in our ANPR system is being exploited locally here and in London is to have some foreign plates put on your car. Yep, its true. I know of somebody with Polish plates on his VW Golf who works in London. pays no congestion charge, no road tax and has been doing so with various cars for about two years now. He has saved a small fortune.
I am currently trying to get all my road vehicles registered at my Maltese address. I already hold a Maltese licence.
daved407
04-06-11, 04:31 AM
I was in my van on my way to Manchester for time with family. Bike was in the boot. Long story but in short I had driven 350 km to Rotterdam, (had I done Rotterdam Hull this would not have happened) to find there was an issue with my ticket. Consequently a further 350 km to Calais. I then drove from Dover upwards. As I felt tired about 01.30 I pulled into a service station. Had a snooze and drove on to Manchester.
There is a website www.epcplc.com (http://www.epcplc.com) which says that a collection agency has been set up to catch vehicle owners of non UK plated vehicles. Fair enough I guess, but 8 quid becomes 108.97 € That is extortionate.
Lozzo I thought of doing similer here as my Harris is UK legal not German legal however it would mean bringing it to the UK every year for MOT and most companies that deal with "specials" dont give out permanent green cards.
ok from what i know, motorway 'services' are there for the convenience of drivers. don't be fooled by the signs that they put up, they are not allowed to stop you from 'resting'.
http://www.motorwayservices.info/site/faq
markmoto
04-06-11, 03:46 PM
Ive just recieved a fine through which is saying otherwise, 108.97 Euro which is pretty close to 100 quid. Im guessing there are charges added on here that have bumped it up a little.
I would right on it (no contract return to sender) **** em leaches!
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