AA Zone

Why aren't more folk writing to their MP asking that this extortion be outlawed??
Can't think of any quicker way to get this unregulated clamping banned, like it should be in england & wales.
is there something in english law preventing clamping on private land being outlawed ???

Check out BBC Watchdog 7.30pm Bank Holiday Monday as they are exposing some cowboy clampers. Clamp down on the clampers.

It was wednesday the eighth of April 09.
I was travelling along the bath road and decided to pull over in my car just opposite the Park View Hotel. My reasons for pulling over, was to take an inportant phone call from my partner. This road was marked with double yellow lines and there was other vehicles present. It was within five minutes of first stopping the car, i viewed too males walking towards my car from the rear.
They were wearing uniform of what i can only describe as a possible security guards attire.
They immediatly clamped my rear wheel with a chain clamp, they then walked to my drivers side window where i was sat ! and asked for the sum of £150
To my astonishment of what has just happened, i then asked for their reasons.
The reply i was given was, I should not have parked here and if i dont pay up soon they will tow the car away at a cost of £300
To my disbelief i asked where was my verbal or formal warning, and there was no reply from either of these clampers.
I have made enquiries with the SIA who regulate these bandits, and their information tells me, that i should have been asked to move on as i was sat in the vehicle with the engine running.
There was a independant witness that i spoke to at the scene, and in his opinion it was completley unfair and that he too had exactly the same experience on the same part of road that same month.
My plans are to contest this fine in a court of law, and hopefully bring to light the shear lack of concern and resposibility of the SIA .
I will keep those concerned updated of my actions within the near future.
Tom Jones

Blackmail - Theft Act 1968 s21. A person is guilty of blackmail if ..., he makes any unwarranted demand with menaces. Threats like "go to the cashpoint and pay us £390 now or we'll tow your car away" can constitute demands for money with menaces. if you are being threatened in any way, call the police immediately as it is not a civil matter.

I was recently clamped in the Car Park for my own flat, despite displaying a valid parking permit on the dashboard!

After a couple of conversations with a complete retard (who, among other things, suggested I had to pay the fine of £135 (£140 on a card) in order to have the right of appeal!), I sent a letter to the company saying that I felt I was being very reasonable in giving them 2 days to come and remove the clamp. Especially since this is a company which does not display a licence number on any of its paperwork or signs.

I called after the two days had expired and received no response to my letter.

Subsequently I spoke to my brother-in-law who is a lawyer to check the details of this apparent case they had cited on the penalty notice stating that it was illegal to damage the clamp. He did some research and there is a part of the law which states that if someone unlawfully restrains something which belongs to me and is in a position where I have permission to keep it, I can take it upon myself to carry out the minimum requirement to remove whatever is impeding my property which was lawfully stored with permission on private land. This is called 'distress damage faisant'.

Hence, I simply cut the thing off my wheel as it was impeding me, and furthermore, I can lawfully keep possession of the clamp until I have been rightfully compensated for what happened.

So at the moment, about a month on from the incident, I am still the proud guardian of a shiny yellow clamp.

You will be able to appeal against and get a full refund on this £425 as TPS do not have currently have a valid contract to clamp behind Woolworths in Windsor - they are seeking one with the new owners once Woolworths administration is over. Make sure you put an appeal in, as they don't have a leg to stand on, and they know that.

Which motorway service area was it?
Write to your MP.
Write to Alan Campbell MP, Home Office Minister, becasue they are looking at new regulations.
Clamping is excessive punishment. Trading Standards and police in Brum recently raided a dodgy clamp co. and they have been charged with "Blackmail" which is great.

I was clamped on Sunday evening, on an exit road from a free council car park in Hampton Hill, which was full. There were 4 bays painted on the public road, which were each marked "resident permit" - but it being a Sunday, and resident's parking not being in force in Hampton on Sundays, and there being no clear warning signs, I parked ( I must add that confusingly, this was a road that it has been previously alright to park on, so it's status has changed recently). Within minutes of me starting my dog walk, a friend who spotted the clampers rang to say they were about to tow my car away. I was told I had to pay £345 cash or they would tow the car. £150 to remove the clamp £150 to cancel the tow truck call out, + VAT.

Like everyone else on this thread, I am stunned that this type of extortion and bullying is actually legal. The interests of the enforcers were not to keep the bays free for residents, or they could have told me not to park there ( since they were so quick they were obviously lying in wait)...and could have a large visible sign saying NO PARKING AT ANY TIME. What they have is 2 small signs headed Private Property, with a lot of small print with notice of clamping risk included, half way up the wall of the building. It is not obviously private land, it being a public road... somebody is making a lot of money out of victimisation...large, intimidating men holding peoples car to ransom, how on earth can this be legal? How can there be no appeal system? Why is it legal in England and outlawed in Scotland as theft and extortion? I have written to my MP Vincent Cable, who is going to write to the local papers, and the clamping co. ( PARK DIRECT), but has pointed out that it is notoriously difficult to bring these people to account. He is also supporting a motion that is being brought in by the LIB DEM Transport minister to make it illegal. I would have probably paid up to £100, and felt cross.... but £345 has seriously impacted me as a recently unemployed single mum of 2 teenagers, and I was distraught. Having not afforded a holiday with my children this summer, we could have had one for that price. If anyone has had success with small claims courts, or knows of legal aid available to right this blatant wrong, do please let me know.

I agree with everyone's comments. These people are effectively demanding money with menaces. One firm clamped my daughter's car, and her boyfriend's car, in Reading. Both were parked in a little road they had used regularly for months and the only 'clamping' sign was around a corner in the car park to some nearby flats. They are both University students and the clamper originally demanded £300 each in cash (£600) to release them, or he would have to tow their cars away. When he realised they were students he reduced this to £150 each. I doubt if it was out of kindness - more that he realised students would not be able to get £600 in cash on a bank holiday weekend. We appealed and followed the appeal procedure in the company's literature but of course the appeal has been completely ignored. Everything seems to be weighted in favour of the clampers. The Government must do something to stop this extortion.

The sooner we get rid of this corrupt government the better.They are very anti car in this country and never ever done a thing to make life any easies for the people including the motorist. The Cowboy clampers,as named, just continue to carry on in the same old way and there is nothing to stop them doing so. The government have spent thousands of our hard earned tax money trying to make motoring less enjoyable but fail to stop these cowboys from doing an unjust service.