Thetownend.com

Not sure if this has been posted before but please beware of the following:

I parked in Wickes car park on Saturday and I know that Wickes/Charlie Brown etc have now closed down. I parked in front of the parking signs and read it clearly before parking my car.

The sign says that the car park is for the use of customers of Wickes/Charlie Browns and says you have two hours, after which you run the risk of being clamped/vehicle towed away. I parked at about 2.45pm.

The sign is misleading because it does not say 'No parking' as such and I thought (stupidly) that I'd have two hours parking.

Returned to Car Park after game and of course, the car has been towed away. Rang a mobile number on the sign and was told that it would cost £334.00 (£285 plus VAT) to get my car back. Thankfully the guy was still in Swindon but I had gone to Tesco's to ring a taxi home and another chap saw what had happened and said the same thing happended to him the week before and he had to go to Weston to pick his car up as that was where it was being stored.

Of course, I am fully aware of my responsibility and it is my fault but I just thought I'd vent my frustration and also offer a word of warning to any other car drivers.

If they didn't want people to park there, they should put a barrier up - this is an absolute con. I would guess that these people wait at prime times (Saturday home matches being one of them), KNOWING that there'd be a few cars parked there (which there were - probably about five or six as well as mine) and then start towing them away.

Very nice business at £334.00 a throw - just needs a few cars every weekend to rake in a fortune.

Sorry about the long post - just wanted to save anyone else from having to fork out this sort of charge to a money grabbing bunch of cunts.

Sorry to hear you got done.

They have been doing this for quite some time now in the Charlie Browns carpark. I remember a load of City fans got done last year :)

Since it is 'dead space' you'd have though they would charge £2 a car on match days. Presumably not as profitable as towing though.

this has been going on a while now,and also at burger king

I recall them doing this a few years ago at the home leg of the play-offs, massive crowd, lots of cars, few spaces and they clamped/towed everything in their car parks - despite letting people off for most of the season.

It's completely cuntish, especially now it's deserted.

I have taken it on the chin and fully understand it is my fault - have no issue with that. The point is, the signs were obviously in place when the industrial units were trading and they have not been changed and (to me anyway), are misleading.

Like you say, you'd need a lot of cars at £2.00 a day to rake in £334.00 but I just think that either a barrier needs to be installed or the signs need changing to say 'No Parking'.

No doubt this is lawful, but there's something about this that stinks and is immoral.

Presumably you were at the match for longer then the allotted 2 hours anyway? So even if they stores had been open you would probably have been done!

My Dad always used to park in Charlie Browns until they put the signs up and now I usually just park on the other side of the road up next to the railway. Always space up there cos pretty much nobody knows about it!

Until now! Although with the state some people on here get into on matchday I hope very few of you guys drive to games anyway!  :D

Left at 2.45pm, got back say about 5.00pm so Yes BUT the funny thing was, a mate of mine said he saw my car on the tow truck at about 3.30pm (he was driving past Tesco's) so the car had only been there for 45 mins!!

Anyway when I rang the bloke - I was obviously peed off - but didn't rant and rave and said "You have got my car - how do I get it back". He then got all high and mighty and said "If you'd care to speak to me civilly, I will tell you how you can get your car back!!".

Like your gonna give these people a call and be perfectly civil with them aren't you?

 :wanker: :wanker: :wanker: :wanker: :wanker: :wanker:

Fair play worcester you have taken this well.

Car parking at the county ground is very bad, unless of course you rent out a house without the 4 spaces at the back of county road.... :D

Your best bets pay the fire station people

I'm more wound up about it today but I generally go through life thinking that if there's nothing that you can do to change a situation, then you may as well just get on with it.

Mind you, said to the girlfriend on our way to pick the car up that I really wish I was one of these people that just wouldn't stand for this and had pictures of a 6ft skinhead built like a brick shithouse taking a baseball bat with him to pick up his car.....

 :evil:  :evil:  :evil:  :evil:  :evil:  :evil:  :evil:  :evil:

Park in Tesco?

sometimes its best to just accept teh cost and not lose sleep over it.  Lucky we won!

To be honest, I usually park in the multi storey over by B&Q ... although the downside to that place is it doesn't open for evening games. Almost got done at the Tranmere game a couple of seasons back when it was open at 7 but closed by 10 ... We only got our cars back because about 60 of us made the same mistake and barracked the poor bloke who had to come out and open it up.

To be honest, the council should think about opening it for evening games now considering the school is now closed.

It's a nightmare to get out after a game lately, I always park there. Left my car there for over 8 hours on Saturday without a problem, probably won't be long before they start charging/clamping/towing/slashing tires.

They used to check at one point? But how can you tell who's going to football or not apart from the obvious?

I've parked in Tesco's car park for the past two seasons and I've never had a problem.

I live in town so i walk  8)

Whenever we go, we go to the pub up from the Merlin (The Grove?) and have a couple of beers there and then get the car after the game. Never any problems although it is a 15 minute walk and is usually raining!!

 You must walk very slowly.

I enjoy the stroll down the hill from old town. Fuck knows how I made it back up again on Saturday. That part of my memory is strangely blank.

Ok then 10 is probably more reasonable.

I am sure you would have a valid argument WR - if the signs state the parking is for customers of Wickes and Charlie Browns, and neither exist any more, then surely it is just the clamping/towing company being cunts? You are limited to 2 hours whilst using the stores, and someone from the store is supposed to check the parking and make sure you've not gone over the 2 hours and have actually bought something....no store = no valid parking policy!

For evening kick offs park on the streets around York Road, no residents parking in a lot of spaces after 6 ish.

You can park anywhere around the residential streets at night after 6.

Is it just me, or is the signage no longer valid, and as such unclear signage makes clamping and towing illegal?

ok, so maybe i should have put this comment in here rather than posting a new topic :oops:

spoke to a mate of mine (not big bob joylove) who stated the following : -

'They are entitled to make a charge as he's parked unauthorised on private land.
But, if they haven't put a notice stating the actual release fee, it has to be a
reasonable fee. a £334 is highly likely to be regarded by the Court as
excessive.

Tell him to ring Consumer Direct on 08454 040506 who will advise him on what he
needs to do - which is write a letter of complaint and ultimately take small
claims court action (which is easy and he shouldnt be put off).'

hope this helps you worcester and keep us informed on the outcome.

The fees state that you COULD be liable for an £85.00 clamping fee AND/OR a £200.00 release fee so technically the charges are quoted.

As the charges are stated, do you think that I still have a chance?


...but the sign also says that you have two hours IF using the industrial units. Technically I wasn't but I really feel that the signs are misleading - at the end of the day, if you're not allowed to park there at all, state it clearly or put a barrier up....

Sods law - spoke to Consumer Direct and they advise that this is not an area of law that they deal with!!!

Many thanks for your advice though....

Shouldn't stop you tackling this through the small claims court. Its times like these when you need a mate who is a solicitor/lawyer.

whats SSP doing at wickes?