Car parking - phone payments, extra charges

[whole diary]

[HenryChurch]

I have split this topic off a discussion about Ringgo and the switch to Apcoa - this is a discussion that's worthy of carrying on in its own right , and (it turns out) deserves its own thread.   Original thread at http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=8524.0 - Graham


i have just read much of this thread

i have had problems with Apcoa Connect becuase, when asking it to remember my card details, the call fails - although they have taken my money and, because they know the car I drove last time I was there (fortunately the same as this time) they won't ticket it

But the concern expressed here did lead me to look up their website and register my car details.  I reviewed my parking history - an interesting experience.  Although the locations page suggests that a ticket for Kemble car park is ^2.80 for a day they have taken ^2.90 for today and the last 2 times i have paid (but ^2.80 before that).  the voice recording says the cost is ^2.80

The question is - have the charges gone up by 10p but nobody has either the Apcoa voice or website or have they nicked 10p each time?  I have asked the question.

Edit by Grahame to explain splitting of thread

[grahame]

The question is - have the charges gone up by 10p but nobody has either the Apcoa voice or website or have they nicked 10p each time?  I have asked the question.

Hi, Henry, and welcome to the forum.

For the specific extra charge of 10p on the last three occasions to you ... you really need to take it up with Apcoa. Where you say "I have asked the question", did you mean of them?

I've not seen any previous postings relating to a higher fee being charged than that which is advertised (though plenty of people thing that the advertised charges are often far too high  ) so I would make an educated guess if I had to and suggest that it might be just a single-station glitch.   ... unless other members know otherwise.

If this topic "takes off", I'll split it into a separate thread - if it's more that an isolated incident, it's rather naughty!

[Chris2]

Regarding the additional 10p charge, according to their website, if you have an SMS reminder of the parking session 10p is added to the cost of the parking. Is this possibly the reason for the charges being 10p higher than expected?

[HenryChurch]

there have been 4 incidents - i asked for the SMS confirmation on just one

i have reported the problem through the Apcoa connect website on 2 occasions (Tuesday and yesterday) but received neither acknowledgement or reply.  Apcoa/FGW^▸ (First Great Western) customer service is, in my view, so poor that communicating with them is a waste of time and effort.

My thought was trading standards on the basis of overcharge/theft of my money

Thoughts?

[ChrisB]

Hand fire for a while - I'm trying to get an answer from FGW^▸ (First Great Western).

[adc82140]

Don't waste your time trying to communicate with APCOA^▸ (Car parking company used at GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) - controlled stations in the area)- they seemingly have one standard response letter "your appeal has been unsuccessful" even if your correspondence has nothing to do with any sort of "appeal"

[LiskeardRich]

Henry, is there not a convenience charge with apcoa, as there was with ringgo, or have you factored this into it,

Ringo charged an additional 20p for the convenience of paying by debit card, on top of advertised charges for those paying by coins

[Chris2]

Ringgo did not have a convenience charge in fgw car parks. The convenience charge of 20p was dropped about three years ago. Other car parks that use Ringgo such as Cornwall council have a convenience charge it is down to the operator of the car park.

[Ollie]

Ringgo did not have a convenience charge in fgw car parks. The convenience charge of 20p was dropped about three years ago. Other car parks that use Ringgo such as Cornwall council have a convenience charge it is down to the operator of the car park.

Well whenever I parked at Hayes and Harlington I was charged a convenience fee of 20p..so it certainly wasn't dropped 3 years ago, either that or RingGo charged it anyway.

[Chris2]

Ringgo did not have a convenience charge in fgw car parks. The convenience charge of 20p was dropped about three years ago. Other car parks that use Ringgo such as Cornwall council have a convenience charge it is down to the operator of the car park.

Well whenever I parked at Hayes and Harlington I was charged a convenience fee of 20p..so it certainly wasn't dropped 3 years ago, either that or RingGo charged it anyway.

http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/NewsItem.aspx?id=482

The link above is the news article on the first great western website which states the convenience charge is dropped.

[LiskeardRich]

chris they were still charging it up to the end, regardless of what that article says

[Chris2]

Before the phone system was changed I was using the Ringgo system three or four times a week in Cornish fgw car parks and was not charged a convenience charge. I am going to have to agree to disagree with your statement. On the Ringgo website there is a case study about first great western car parks and they state that there was no convenience charge.

I would be interested to hear from other users of the Ringgo system before it was changed and whether there was a convenience charge.

[Phil]

I used Ring-Go at least weekly at two different stations and irregularly at a third and fourth in W.Wiltshire over the past two or three years and was never once charged an extra 20p or anything resembling a convenience charge.

However, I invariably used a credit card and not a debit card (which richwarwicker specifically stated was the cause of the additional charge, up there somewhere)

[johoare]

Same here at Maidenhead.. I used a credit card and wasn't charged a convenience charge at all.. And I used to most days... 

[JayMac]

Just exactly who did this debated charge actually convenience? 

To me, the 30p I have to pay to use the toilets at most London Terminals would be the best description of a 'convenience' charge.