Has anybody ever got a letter demanding money for overstaying the permitted time at a supermarket's carpark and refused to pay? The photo shows my car but not the driver. The parking company are saying I must pay as I own the car but consumer websites advise to not pay. Moreover, they claim to have spoken to my wife about it which isn't possible – she's in Ireland from where we've been unable to ring an 0845 number, so it seems they're either broken the right of privacy and disclosed the details to a 3rd party or are not telling the truth.
I am in Ireland now and will be here for a long while, I hope, they don't reply to emails, I'm not paying. Right or wrong. Legally, not morally.

Legally I *think* they're wrong – ISTR it's something along the lines that they have to demonstrate a material loss – I think the same issue's come up before about parking on reserved parking areas within a residential development.

Sainsburys

Ignore them, they are not legally enforceable. I've tried and tested this with UK parking control who do B&Q. Don't even waste your time contacting them, just toss their series of letters in the bin – trust me they will just stop

I had one in maplin, Leeds a few years ago. I still have all 20 letters they sent me in a box file somewhere. The letters stopped after a year or so.

agreed, I had a series of letters after an extended stay in a Morrisons car park. Hot air.

Ignore it. Or there are template letters out there that tell them to poke it in the best possible terms.

Cheers, good to know ignoring a **** is legally fine.

Whatever you do – don't respond to them

agree with uplink. Don't reply AT ALL. Just totally blank them. If they obtain your phone number claim its a wrong number.

Morrisons!! Have you seen the size of Ken Morrisons house? I have cos I live near it/him. Don't respond. Ever.

>Have you seen the size of Ken Morrisons house?

Nice bloke, stood in the dinner queue with him at Morrisons HQ a few yrs back.

It was Aldi in Hounslow. Not been back to any of their stores since.
In the meantime, I moved to Ireland (from UK) and changed the phone number, obviously. No chance of a reply to their correspondence either (I forgot to set up a mail redirect service before I left).

You will find that the fine has no clout
but can see many that will pay.

You can always go to a solicetr or legal Aide
for advice on a letter of reply.

Don't do it, my father had a run in with these people and he told them to take him to court. They stopped hassling him, no one has ever been taken to court over these fines.

Not really relevant to the opening question, but I was in a Tesco's car park yesterday, which allowed you 3 hours 'after which you agreed to pay £70'. Instead of being run by a third party company it was run by Tesco's, and the money went to their charity of the year (so the signs said). Seemed a reasonable middle ground to me.

>Have you seen the size of Ken Morrisons house?

Nice bloke, stood in the dinner queue with him at Morrisons HQ a few yrs back.

Nice bloke maybe, but I'll bet he's got a bigger house than you or me will ever have!

So Aldi or third party can find out my address if they so wish from my car registration ?

IF YOU OPEN THE LETTER, you HAVE to pay. That's the law!

So Aldi or third party can find out my address if they so wish from my car registration ?

Yes. At some point somebody should have a go at challenging the exemption to the data protection laws the DVLA thinks it has.

So Aldi or third party can find out my address if they so wish from my car registration ?

Yep, the DVLA will release driver/vehicle owner details to people who clear their security checks, and are seen to have a valid reason for obtaining the information – such as parking enforcement companies.

http://www.dft.gov.uk/dvla/data/relinfo.aspx

Don't pay, don't contact them. One of the biggest mail scams going. Ignore all their empty threats. Plenty of advice on pepipoo or CAG

I've got 200+ tickets from a private parking company and I've never paid them a penny!

Just bin it.

As you stated,they have sent the letter to the registered keeper(you)of the vehicle,whereas any 'offence'would be down to the driver,NOT the registered keeper.
They cannot make you identify the driver,no doubt they will send more letters,etc,so go out & buy a shredder!!

This thread on Pistonheads is informative.

Agree with the "Just ignore it" comments. Don't respond in anyway….just file the letters. They are very unlikely to let it go to court. They can never be sure of an individuals ability to pay so it may end up costing them a significant amount in court costs.