Forum Topic

Ealing council parking con?

Is it possible that  in its desperation to raise revenue Ealing Council may be attempting to mislead residents into ending up with a parking fine? Two neighbours that I know of - normally highly efficient in getting vouchers etc organised - have been recently issued with fines outside their house after being surprised with news their permits had elapsed. My own experience is that I am currently trying to re-register with the new parking provider which has a website that to me seems perfectly executed to confuse - (my application is currently ‘scheduled’ - whatever that means.) When I tried to phone someone all I got was an automated service with no option to talk to a real person. My question is - are you also affected? And if you are - why not register your experience publicly here? Is the experience of myself and my neighbours a non-representative one-off or are we being caught up in a cynical attempt to entrap people with fines?Let’s find out.

Richard Grange ● 2753d7 Comments

Like earlier postings I received an email several months ago which advised I needed to register on their new system to keep on receiving email on renewals and to have access to my account in seeing status. After a few weeks although my current permit still had a few months to run I registered (with the need to do all original steps of copy of the car log book details etc). After that initial hurdle was passed everything has worked perfectly - an email confirming registered, with new account reference and confirmation of car registration plus for recent renewal very easy  to log on and make payment plus then check the system had updated your records.The basic problem seems to be that the Ealing Council email to ask to re-register was only issued once so if you ignored or it went into your junk mail folder the problems start. Behind it all there seems to lurk a simple dilemma which is that Ealing is being cute and makes you do all the legwork simply because the IT transition did not (or could not) automatically transfer/export the historic data to their new IT system. Shades of the widely reported recent TSB fiasco one fears?

Joe Conneely ● 2713d

Its mainly because in the waist of money roadworks in the parking officers book it says lines but the council design is for no lines.So they won't fine anyone on churchfield rd anymore but still need to fill there fine quotas so they fine locals.

Tim English ● 2718d

I didn't get a reminder (unlike in previous years) and no notification of the new system coming into effect but knew renewal was due in August. The Council's website told me about the new system but would not accept my attempts to set up a new account. I went to Perceval House where it was suggested I try to register through a different email address. That worked. However, even after I had paid for a new permit I did not get an email confirming payment. The big joke is that the Council is selling the new system as making things easier for residents whereas it does the opposite. Nothing wrong with the old systems as I as I can see; another IT upgrade that has actually made things worse.

Vlod Barchuk ● 2751d

Hi Kate That's interesting.I remain 'scheduled' - and what exactly does that mean? Do I qualify for my parking badge or do I not? I also not that this issue is being reported on the Acton W3 website.I have three days until my parking voucher expires and apparently no way to find out how long I will remain scheduled for. There is no call line number of way of speaking to a human being to find out if there is a problem with my application or not. My guess is this is an attempt to buy a temporary pass.At one point - I was sent a message that my "my  VRM does not match my existing VRM". I then found myself googling to try and find out what VRM actually means. To say the instructions sent on how to apply are "clear as mud" is a massive understatement.In the meantime I am hearing informally that even people within Ealing parking services think this is a scam. The interesting thing is that Ealing will theoretically know whose permits have expired and which streets to send their wardens to the next day in the hope of delivering a fine.

Richard Grange ● 2752d

Hi Richard,I didn't get a reminder that our permit was elapsing either - I just happened to remember it was due sometime soon, tried without success to find out online when exactly it was expiring, renewed anyway to be on the safe side and got the 'scheduled' message - which some weeks later changed to 'confirmed' without any communication from Ealing Council. So I've managed to avoid getting any parking fines, but no thanks to Ealing's Parking Services.

Kate Samano ● 2752d

Same for me Lorna - received an email in August saying the system was changing, got a reminder in early September and renewed with no problems. Why it should be easy for some of us and difficult for others I have no ides.

Chris Hurley ● 2753d

Sorry to have to say, but I received an email weeks ago telling me my residents’ pass would expire in the first week in November, and that I would have to register with the new system. I finally did this last week, without any particular problems, and renewed my pass from its expiry date. I must admit I did then receive another email telling me that my pass was expiring and I should take immediate action – I checked with the new system and yes, my pass now expires in November 2019.But why they should be (over) efficient with me and disobliging with others, I can’t guess…

Lorna Dodd ● 2753d