Car parking - phone payments, extra charges

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

No: that's just taking the p!ss. 

[HenryChurch]

i've still not had an acknowledgment or response from Apcoa

at Kemble the charge is ^3.20 if you pay at the meter but ^2.80 (according to the Ringgo voice message and the Apcoa website).   There is no mention of a convenience charge or the like

on that basis the cost is ^2.80 - they are not authorised to take ^2.90 but continue to do so.

My patience with this is wearing thin - it's only 10p but if it happens to everybody who pays to park at Kemble each time they pay then it adds up..................

[HenryChurch]

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

Chris - did you get a response from FGW?  THey arent the best communicators either

[ChrisB]

I got a holding response, stating the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) person with APCOA^▸ (Car parking company used at GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) - controlled stations in the area) is on leave until next week. So hope to hear Monday / Tuesday

[JayMac]

Why is that person dealing with a particular query always on leave? I've had that reply given too me twice in recent weeks by FGW^▸ (First Great Western) for seperate queries. Once by Customer Services and once direct from Swindon. Coincidence hopefully. Cynic in me says otherwise......

Have FGW not heard of delegation?

[ChrisB]

Where you are dealing with contractors, it's usually down to one person, rather than a team.

Also, it's been holiday season everywhere, with all the public holidays, so no surprise really.

[JayMac]

Delegate upwards then.

[grahame]

Where you are dealing with contractors, it's usually down to one person, rather than a team.

Also, it's been holiday season everywhere, with all the public holidays, so no surprise really.

Chris, I would tend to be so much more sympathetic if there wasn't a pattern of outside-promised or similarly disappointingly delayed responses (e.g "we hope to let you know in a week" that takes four) at present.  I think a number of people heard "will ask on Tuesday" which was the next working day, and got the impression that they could expect to hear quite quickly. 

And if it's down to just one person, the question should be "is that right?".  Clearly, that's not considered to be that case operationally as you never hear "the 07:02 to Swidnon won't be running this week or next as the driver's just got married and is on honeymoon in Corfu".  I'm not answering the question - it may be right to wait for someone to come back from holiday rather than duplicate management - I'm just asking it.

Oh - (sorry about the third comment on this) - I always get slightly puzzled when people blame the holiday season.  I can recall issuing an invoice, on completion of a training course on 15th December with payment due (and order confirming acceptance) within 28 days.  A chaser call for an unpaid bill on about 20th January go the answer "but it's been the holiday season" to which I answered "so you didn't know about Christmas when you placed the order and accepted the 28 day terms then?".

[bobm]

Don't start me on unpaid bills. Had someone claim last week that I was chasing too early as there hadn't been 28 working days since invoice because of all the recent bank holidays.

[ChrisB]

That's probably a fair comment depending on your Terms.....

[HenryChurch]

i've now sent a third complaint pointing out that i had made two prvious complaints and that i have had neither response nor acknowledgment

The bizarre thing is that a colleague parks in the same car park but is only charged ^2.80 - maybe I am being singled out?

Does anybody have a way of trying to contact Apcoa other than through their website?

[HenryChurch]

Apcoa have, at last, responded - i am not sure to which of my 3 messages as there rather direct/blunt email doesnt refer to the date of my message.

Thank you for contacting APCOA^▸ (Car parking company used at GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) - controlled stations in the area) Connect.
 
The additional 10p that has been charged is the text message reminder/confirmation fee.
If you do not wish to receive this then please log into your account and change your preferred settings.
 
Best regards
 
APCOA Parking Customer Service team
UK^▸ (United Kingdom) Head Office


As i have advised them i have never asked for or recieved a test message reminder/confirmation - as my account preferred settings continues to show.

it's still their move!!

[johoare]

I did notice today that after I'd entered 1 to say I want to park in my previous location that it asked me if I wanted a text or not... Option 1 is yes, option 4 is no (options 2 and 3 are something in between).. I noticed this one in the past but I'm sure it doesn't offer me those options every time.. Up till now I've just pressed 1 without really listening as 1 always used to be "pay with your stored payment card".. I do hope they're not getting extra money by doing this?? 

[ChrisB]

You'll pay 10p if you say '1'(yes) to a text.....

[johoare]

Indeed I know.. But having changed it (in my opinion) to add this extra step in, it might be catching people out maybe? I imagine I've been caught out by it.. I should check. I always used to just press 1 without listening in bid to keep the phone call as short as possible since I'm paying for it...