BBC Watchdog: Clamping down on...clamping

Tony

What Consumer Founder
Apr 7, 2008
18,307
3
38
Bolton
The government may have promised to ban clamping companies from operating on private land in England and Wales. But it says that law won't come in till next year. So until then those companies are free to .... carry on clamping.



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LBS Enforcement has taken full advantage of that. They're based in the south east and have earned a reputation as one of the most aggressive operators around.

We went to Rayleigh in Essex to meet a group of people who all have something in common. They've paid big fees to be released from clamps fitted by LBS Enforcement Ltd - run by Matthew Boosey and fellow director Mark Stone.

Len Sales was travelling home to Kent when he parked up to pop and see a mate - in the time it took to find out he wasn't in LBS had clamped him. The LBS employee informed Mr Sales that the he would have to pay £150 for the clamp to be released and a further £300 for the tow truck. Even though a tow truck wasn't necessary, as Mr Sales was willing to pay the clamp release fee, LBS said that he would still have to pay for the tow truck because it had been called. Mr Sales was finally forced to pay £434.75 before he could drive away.

Paul White pulled up outside his sister's flat to help her move furniture and was blocked in by an LBS van whilst still by his car. Even though Mr White's sister had a valid parking permit and he had a legitimate reason to be in the car park LBS still demanded that he pay a tow truck fee £410.38.

Another victim of LBS, Jenny King, doesn't deny she parked in the wrong place but she's one of several people we've spoken to who made to feel frightened by the LBS clamper. She also paid £434.75 before she could drive away, money that was going to pay for a holiday.

We've spoken to lots of people with complaints about the massive charges they paid to LBS clampers. Many of them say they were in the car when the clamp was fitted. Would they have been happy to move? -You betcha! But an LBS van was blocking them in.

We decided to see for ourselves the way LBS Enforcement has been upsetting motorists all over the south-east with their aggressive tactics and huge release fees.
We sent our researcher Hannah, to a car park in Chadwell Heath, Essex to see what would happen. LBS have been known, on occasion, to ask people to leave. How would they treat Hannah?

When we arrived an LBS employee, called Ben Collins, was already parked in an unmarked red van at the back of the car park. Our researcher, Hannah was posing as a lost motorist using the car park to turn around and check her directions.

The Clamper waited 5 minutes and 23 seconds from the moment she entered the car park before he used his van to block her in. Hannah had neither switched of her engine nor left her car when she was blocked in and clamped.

Our researcher was initially informed that the cost of having her clamp released was £146. The clamper advised Hannah that he would give her five minutes to work out how she would pay the clamp release fee. But only three minutes and forty one seconds later the clamper returned to tell her that a tow truck had been called and the price of freedom was now £434.75.

We showed the footage to solicitor Tim Cary. Mr Cary believes that Hannah should have been allowed to go and was effectively imprisoned on land where she did not want to be.

He believes that by demanding this amount of money in this way the clamper was blackmailing our researcher. This isn't the first time a clamper has faced that accusation. In 2005 Darren Havell and Gordon Miller - from a different clamping company - were convicted of blackmail. Bristol Crown Court heard how they'd trapped motorists by blocking them in with a van and then demanding driver pay up to £300 to be released. Sound familiar?

We decided to that it was time to give Rogue Clampers LBS Enforcement Ltd the Rogue Traders treatment. We invited company director Matthew Boosey to a very nice boozer in the Essex countryside. He thought he was coming to talk about providing clamping in the car park.

When Matthew Boosey arrived he went into the pub to speak to our actor, posing as the landlord. With Boosey safely tucked away in the pub we arrive to clamp his car. Once Matthew Boosey had explained LBS's operating procedure he left the pub to discover us waiting for him.

Not wanting to wait around for a taxi Mr Boosey decided to walk home. We followed him to ask him some pertinent questions about blocking motorists into car parks and extorting money from them. He denied this. We're all about exposing Rogues - not extorting money from them so we gave Matthew Boosey a key to release the clamp and he drove off.

Clamping is still legal in England in Wales - so until the law changes, watch out.




Clamping down on...clamping
 

kettleman49

New Member
Sep 10, 2010
1
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CLAMPING! PARKING FINES WHAT A RIP OFF
"Tiredness can Kill" "Take a break"
Thats what the signs say on our motorways the next sign that you see advises the motorist of the services ahead,but beware if you follow this advise and pull off at the next services there is a maximum stay time.
We were not aware of this and have now just received a parking fine for £50-00 (if fine is paid within 7 days) otherwise the penalty is
£80-00,when we committed this offence we did not see any maximum stay signs or pay booth we did ask inside the services if we had to pay and were told NO.
Just another rip off for the general public
 

andrew2

New Member
Sep 11, 2010
1
0
0
To Kettleman 49
In 2008 a private parking firm took a motorist to court for not paying their charge for overstaying. They lost. The judge deemed that any charge must reflect an actual loss and this charge did not do so. It was a penalty and it was excessive. For details do a Google search of 'Daily Mail Excel Parking'

The tactic is to send ever-intimidating demands, first from the firm (1st 2nd final), then similarly from debt collectors (often Roxburghe) and then from a solicitor (often a Michael Sobell trading as 'Graham White Solicitors').

By the time they've finished you feel like criminal. You are not, but they may be, because if the parking notices in any way conceal information necessary to comply with their conditions (timing system is a popular one) their 'contract' is void and they may be acting illegally by demanding money from you. You should report them to the police, stating the concealed information.

If you still need reassurance Google: 'Private Parking charges' and read all the forum messages. The message is clear. Do not pay. do not contact them, and above all, ignore their intimidating demands. Good luck.