Accepting the award Lester said: "I would like to accept it on behalf of everyone who has been rubbished by the local media or assaulted by the NoToMob or some of their friends simply for standing up for a good professional approach to managing parking."The Prankster is not aware of anybody who has been assaulted by the NoToMob, who are know chiefly for their efforts to improve driver awareness, accompanying camera cars to help prevent charges being issued.
The Prankster acknowledges Nick Lester's services to the industry; Mr Lester has been key to blocking information being published on POPLA's web site informing motorists that they can appeal on the grounds that the charge is not a true pre-estimate of loss.
This has saved the industry many millions of pounds. As almost all known appeals to POPLA are upheld where the grounds of pre-estimate of loss are raised, keeping this information from the motorist is a key achievement which Mr Lester will be happy to have on his CV. It is quite possible Mr Lester has single-handedly saved the industry from extinction.
Many parking companies have now given up on POPLA, and do not even bother to submit any evidence when a robust appeal is made. The Prankster therefore advises all motorists to appeal charges for breach of contract on these grounds. When successful, this should be follwed with a complaint to the BPA Ltd and the DVLA that the parking company is breaching the BPA Ltd code of conduct which states the charge must be a genuine pre-estimate of loss.
aos@britishparking.co.uk
david.dunsford@dvla.gsi.gov.uk
Happy Parking
The Parking Prankster
PS The latest news is that the Lead Assessor of POPLA is still resisting informing motorists on the POPLA web site that they can appeal on the grounds that the charge is not a genuine pre-estimate of loss.
I hope Mr Lester does not end up with egg on his face as a result of his comments about assaults by NoToMob members
ReplyDeleteBearing in mind that he's a public servant I think he's treading on very thin ice...
ReplyDeleteWhere is the NoToMob claimed statement listed? If not hearsay, I'd say there is a good case for slander there.
ReplyDeleteFollow the link at the start of the blog 'transportxtra are reporting...'
DeleteCoincidentally, I have just queried POPLA on what the effect of ticking the overcharged option on the appeal form is. I suggested that this should trigger an automatic check for GPEOL as it is unreasonable to expect the general public to understand the technicalities of contract law. After all it should be trivial for the parking companies to demonstrate their GPEOL for each car park... shouldn't it?
ReplyDeleteI have seen appeals where this has happened, so it would make sense for this to be a generic and understood process by all popla assessors
ReplyDeleteParkingEye - beware the ides of march!!! AKA 14th March in Cambridge!!!
ReplyDeleteCrikey Snail! That's the day after the day after tomorrow. Looks like the Nick Lester press statement is about to make contact with the rotating blades of the ventilation device.
DeleteEt tu Brute!!!
Delete