Hi, i'm new here...
I've just received in the post today (18th October 2014) a letter from Smart Parking... a Parking Charge Notice saying that on Wednesday 1st October, my vehicle entered the Asda Sheffield site at 08:52, and exited at 16:46... with a picture of my number plate on these occasions. It says I have 14 days from the date of the letter (16 October) to pay £40, then it goes upto £70.
Obviously, this is a load of rubbish, as for whatever reason they've not recorded that I left the Asda car park at approximately 09:00 (having purchased newspapers for my next door neighbour... after this I went (in the car) to work, and was at work until approximately 16:30 - on the way home, I popped into Asda again to pick up something else... I didn't keep any receipts (as I don't usually expect to have to return newspapers, and had no reason to expect to get this stupid PCN). I then left the car park again at 16:46.
Between 9:30 and 12:00, I (along with around 100 work colleagues) were at our company's Quarterly Employee Meeting at the local Holiday Inn for 2.5 hours - i've got a number of people who can confirm I was there if needed. I was then back in the office and I have work emails I sent out between 14:00 and 15:55 showing I was in the office... and there is absolutely no way on earth I would have parked at Asda all day and then walked down Sheffield Parkway, rather than parking in my own spot in the office car park!
So, I know that this is either an error or a con on their part, I just want some advice on how to proceed... having read someone else's response on another thread, it appears ignoring it is not the best option (though on some other sites some people do just say to ignore!).
I haven't had any involvement with this kind of thing before, so don't know what POPLA is (that was mentioned on other threads), or what I should and shouldn't say. I had been tempted to go back upto Asda and goto Customer Services, saying something along the lines of if they don't do something to get this cancelled ASAP, I won't be shopping there again, and that'll cost them a darn sight more than £40 a week! But as i've already been upto Asda this morning to do some shopping (before I got the letter), i'm wary of going in there a second time today... in case their camera is 'faulty' again.
Any advice greatly appreciated - and just a warning to others who may visit the Asda twice in the same day, keep your receipts!