As we queued up at the checkout it dawned on me that I hadn't checked the time, and as we left the store I was shocked, but not surprised, to see my car on the back of a towtruck. I picked up Catherine and ran to challenge the driver, a Mr Marcin Jaroszewicz, who told me, of course, that he couldn't take my car off. (Translation: not allowed to by his boss.) After a few minutes I had to give up, and phone the number on the sign.
The number is wrong, but I got the correct number (0121 333 6007) and the nice lady told me to pop along to Midland Street with £350 if I wanted to see my car again. I took Catherine home on the bus, took my two debit cards to a cashpoint, and got a bus back into town. Midland Street is in the twilight zone about a mile from the centre.
You ring the bell and a guy comes to the gate with a piece of paper and you sign the paper and hand over your £350 before you're allowed in. The pound is behind a second gate, so that you can't actually see whether your car is there or not.
My car was there and seemingly none the worse for wear, but I'm determined to make as many waves as I can about this diabolical ripoff. There were about 40 other cars in the pound, each about to earn the proprietor, Mathew Nathan Wilkins, of 352 Stonehouse Lane, Quinton, an additional £40 for a night in his care.
(It's just occurred to me that the A&S on the ticket and A/S on the receipt refer to the landowner, which means it's probably A&S Textiles. The grid reference of the carpark is SP076868.)
Links:
Car clamping woman sent to jail
Rid this city of car clampers
Dodgy clampers won't pay up
Market trader takes on clampers and wins
Ban wheel clamping!
Too mean to pay to park?
I took on the car clampers and won
Crackdown on cowboy clampers
MCOL
The SIA
Midway's VOSA application
1 comment:
I was having a read at that Yellow Notice .
It says that "unauthorised or incorrectly parked vehicles will be immobilised -blocked in or towed away. The release fee is £150.
It then says "if the vehicle remains on site thereafter it will be towed away incurring an additional fee os £200 .
Firstly I take it that as you exceeded the time you had paid for you are classed as "incorrectly parked2 so they didnt immobilise you .They didnt block you in .They simply towed your car away so you didnt get the chance to pay the £150 only .
What does "remain on site anytime thereafter" mean ? After paying the release fee .? Is it paid at the car park or at the pound .If you pay it at the pound your car obviously will still be at the car park so according to the wording they can ,if they wish ,then tow it away while you are making your way back to collect it . It all seems a bit unclear .
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