Question & Answers

  • q:I tried to pay at the payment machine and my number plate was not recognised, how do I avoid a PCN?

    a:

    In the event that a Payment Machine does not recognise your Vehicle Registration Mark (VRM) when you go to pay on exit from a car park, it does not automatically mean that you won’t then get a PCN from PCPEA.

    It is the driver’s responsibility to make every effort to pay for parking on private land and if the machines are malfunctioning, seek advice from site staff or the machine itself to resolve any issues you are having whilst still on site.

    You should use alternative methods of payment if the main method (payment machines) are not available, you should use Ringgo if available on site, as Ringgo will provide us with a payment record for your parking session, and our cameras do record all Vehicle Registrations correctly so we will be able to match your payment to your parking session.

  • q:I overpaid at the Payment Machines at QAH Portsmouth, how do I get a refund?

    a:

    Please be advised, PCPEA do not operate or administrate the parking payment machines in the multi-storey car parks at QAH, if you have been overcharged you must contact Facilities Management at QAH who will be able to arrange a refund of your overpayment. You can call the hospital or speak to reception for further help.

  • q:How can I pay my PCN?

    a:

    The various methods for paying a PCN can be found on our https://www.parkingenforcementagency.org/online-payment/ page, where you can pay using a card online, or read about the other payment methods. The best method is always online payment, as this automatically gets allocated to your PCN and prevents further action, it also enables us to refund you easily if required.

  • q:How long after issue can I appeal a PCN?

    a:

    We accept appeals up to 28 days after the PCN was issued, by going to the Appeals page . Operators can consider appeals which are received outside of the normal period usually allowed for lodging an appeal where there are exceptional circumstances for the appeal not being lodged within the normal time frames. Exceptional circumstances may include where the registered keeper can evidence that they were not the driver and evidence they were not aware that a parking charge had been issued. This includes the recipient being away or abroad, hospitalised as an inpatient, or delivered to the wrong address through no fault of the motorist. If this has happened to you, please email appeals@parkingenforcementagency.org. Where the Registered Keeper has changed their address and has failed to inform the DVLA in accordance with Part IV (regulation 18) of the Road Vehicles Registration and Licensing Regulations 2002, this shall not be classed as exceptional on its own. If you need help with your appeal, you can find free advice regarding your parking charge, including advice on appealing, at www.247advice.co.uk

  • q:Can i Appeal in writing or by Email?

    a:

    We will accept appeals by email to appeals@parkingenforcementagency.org if you cannot appeal online, however, appeals received via email do not automatically put your appeal on hold, and your opportunity to pay the reduced amount may pass by without your appeal being processed, so you are advised to appeal using the form provided online. Your appeal must include your full name and a serviceable postal address, you must confirm you were the driver on the day, or that you are appealing on behalf of the driver who you must name, you must include a contact email for the driver if possible, include the vehicle registration mark and the correct Parking Charge Notice number.

    Any appeals by post must detail the reason for the appeal, including your full name, a serviceable address, your contact email, the vehicle registration mark and the Parking Charge Notice number. you must confirm you were the driver on the day, or that you are appealing on behalf of the driver who you must name, you must include a contact email for yourself or the driver. We endeavour to respond to all Postal Appeals within 28 days although this is not always possible during busy times. If you do not give an email address, or clear details of how we can contact you back, we may not respond as it is not always practical.

    We do not make outgoing phone calls and cannot accept incoming telephone appeals, you can only appeal in writing, and the best way to do that is via our appeals portal.

  • q:How do i register my Blue Badge at Queen Alexandra Hospital Portsmouth?

    a:

    To Register your Blue Badge with QAH Portsmouth prior to your visit, you must email a scan or photograph of your badge to corporatereception.team@porthosp.nhs.uk clearly showing in your email the Badge number and expiry date, and include any Vehicle Registration Mark (VRM) you want the badge linking to, you can register up to 2 VRMs per blue badge. If you are parking on the day and you have brought your badge to reception for registration, ensure you advise the receptionist what time and where you parked.

  • q:How do I contact you?

    a:

    You can email us regarding appeals at appeals@parkingenforcementagency.org or create a Ticket via helpdesk.parkshield.com/support.

    If you have a PCN payment enquiry, please email us at payments@parkingenforcementagency.org.

    If your enquiry relates to a Parking Voucher payment or you are having trouble paying on site, please contact the site security team on site, PCPEA do not run the payment machines on site.

    If your enquiry relates to something else, you can telephone us at 0333 313 7808, please note we cannot process appeals or payments over the phone.

    If you need help with your PCN, you can find free advice regarding your parking charge, including advice on appealing, at www.247advice.co.uk

  • q:I was not the driver, I did not know my vehicle was ticketed, now I have received a PCN Reminder in the post, what do I do?

    a:

    You should write to us as soon as possible to transfer the liability. You must provide a signed declaration along with details of the driver at the time of the incident, which must include their name and address. We will then write to the person and request that they pay the amount owed. If we do not receive a response or payment or if the driver does not accept liability, liability will revert back to the registered keeper until such time as the charge is paid. It will then become then your own responsibility to seek reimbursement from the driver. You can do this via the Transfer of Liability page on this website.

  • q:I sold the car, prior to the ticket being issued, what should I do?

    a:

    The reason why you have been contacted about the ticket is because your are still registered at DVLA as the keeper for the vehicle that was ticketed. You should contact DVLA in order to check this. If you have proof that you sold your vehicle you should first inform DVLA and then write to us including the evidence of transfer. Transfer of liability to the new keeper will only be possible if DVLA confirm to us that you were not the registered keeper of the vehicle at the time of the incident.

  • q:I had broken down at the time the ticket was issued, what should i do?

    a:

    If your vehicle was broken down, you must seek permission to park the car from the land owner or facility operator. Contact the telephone number on the signs or the landowner of the property. You should buy a ticket if you intend on leaving it in a pay and display car park. If you had sought permission to park and can provide evidence to back up your statement, include this with your appeal.

  • q:I am a disabled badge holder can I park for free?

    a:

    The Disabled Badge holders/Blue badge parking scheme does not always apply to some off-street car parking. You are not entitled to free parking unless indicated on the signs displayed in the car park. You will need to ensure your Blue Badge is registered if you are parking in an ANPR car park, as those car parks use cameras to read registration plates, not look for permits or blue badges, that is done via a list usually managed by the car park owner. If you are concerned your badge is not registered, please contact the site management to register your badge, which must be registered against all vehicles you use regularly.

  • q:Missing tickets - What should you do if a Notice to Owner (NTO) arrives for a parking ticket that you didn't know had been issued?

    a:

    If you know that you had been parked in the location at the time of the event, and the NTO arrived within a couple of months then we would recommend that you:-

    i) respond by admitting you were there at the time in question
    ii) say that had you received the ticket you would immediately have paid it at the reduced rate and that, in fairness, the agency should allow you to pay it at the reduced rate.
    iii) we will reduce the amount for a further 14 days to allow you time to pay

  • q:What happens if one sticks a pay-and-display ticket on the windscreen and it falls, face down, on the dashboard before returning to the vehicle?

    a:

    You will more than likely get a parking ticket. You are under an obligation to both “pay” and “display” – it is safest to place the ticket, face up, on the dashboard and check it is in place before leaving your vehicle.

  • q:Do waiting restrictions (yellow lines) apply on Bank Holidays?

    a:

    There is a motoring myth that Bank Holidays are the same as Sundays and that waiting restrictions do not apply. If the sign says ‘Mondays – Saturdays’ then that includes Bank Holiday Mondays. For Bank Holidays to be exempt the sign would also have to include ‘Except Bank Holidays’.

  • q:Do single yellow lines apply after 6.30pm or on Sundays?

    a:

    Yes! Single yellow lines can apply for anything between one and 23 hours per day and also on Sundays. Double yellow lines always mean ‘at any time’ and the need to have an accompanying sign was dropped in April 2003. Single yellow lines now apply for any restriction that is less than ‘at any time’ and it is essential that you check the signs. If the sign does not mention days of operation it means that the restriction applies seven days a week.

  • q:Aren't wardens supposed to give 'a few minutes grace' before issuing a ticket?

    a:

    There is now a Grace Period applied to all public parking areas, the grace period is only relevant where the permission to park,
    whether free, subject to a tariff, or linked to the purchase of a ticket to an event, is time limited. Where there is NO PARKING permitted, there is no Grace period, where parking is permitted but you must buy a ticket for the duration of the parking session, a 10 Minute grace period applies, during which you must buy a ticket, or move away after deciding not to park.

  • q:If I return to my car whilst the ticket is being issued but drive off before it can be either handed to me or fixed to the vehicle am I still liable?

    a:

    If you return to find a warden in the process of issuing a ticket then, if you drive off, the ticket can be sent to you as a NOTICE TO OWNER which will served via the post.

  • q:What if my question is not answered by these FAQs?

    a:

    If you have a query that you cannot solve via our website, you can create a Ticket via our Support Portal: helpdesk.parkshield.com and we will do our best to help you.