popla.co.uk

POPLA IS NOT INDEPENDENT & IMPARTIAL

IF I COULD GIVE A MINUS 10, I WOULD!I received a parking notice charge, issue date 25th September 2025. I appealed via POPLA, which was a complete waste of time. How can they be independent and impartial when they are funded by the British Parking Association & its members, which UKPA is a member?Appeal details:- We didn’t park in the 18 minutes we were in the carpark. My husband sat in the car the full time as I went into the NEXT store to return a parcel they had given to me in error. They had inadvertently given me a package for someone called Forrester, and not my package. I was advised my package was in store for collection. So the irony is, I wouldn’t have been in the carpark had they not given me the wrong package. Furthermore, I didn’t know their parking procedures had changed. I had originally parked and paid for parking in the other carpark ( they allow a 20 minutes grace period) when I picked up the wrong item. I didn’t realise it was not my item until I got back home. The whole issue with NEXT was verified with the Duty Manager, Chad, who I spoke to on the 1st of October 2025. Also the member of staff who was on duty that had served me on 20th September 2025 and passed me someone else's item. The Manager, advised this doesn’t happen very often and apologised. I feel under the above circumstances, one because my husband didn’t leave the car and secondly to due to the NEXT store situation the parking ticket should be cancelled. I would appreciate a bit of common sense and decency from yourselves.The Next Store Manager, signed a statement confirming the situation was true & valid and they could contact her, if they required more information. Furthermore, UK Parking Administration - had uploaded its evidence regarding my appeal.One of the pieces of evidence stated “ As soon as the driver left their vehicle unattended, he or she accepted the Terms of Condition, including breach of contract” Hence they were agreeing to a contract with UKPA” I explained, the driver, my husband, at no point did he get out of the car in the 18 minutes we where in the carpark. They just quoted other screeds of law and ignored all the information I had provided. I was provided with a link to pay my fine. This is just extortion and should not be allowed. I now have to pay £100 instead of the original £60.00. They didn’t even put a moratorium in place, to freeze the £60.00 fine, until POPLA reviewed my appeal. The system is rigged totally against the vehicle owners/drivers. The government needs to introduce legislation to regulate these cowboys. I would like to know the statistics of the percentages of appeals upheld against the appeals they denied. That would provide a clear picture of the hypocrisy of this organisation.Most people, will pay up if they genuinely know they were in the wrong but this beggars belief. Absolutely morally repugnant. Update after Popla’s reply - Monday, 15th December2025They just churn out a scripted reply to all the drivers’ reviews on TrustPilot. It is a complete diabolical disgrace. The government needs to introduce new legislation to regulate these cowboys and have a completely independent organisation to assess drivers appeals. Shame on them, at this time of year and especially, under the current economic climate, where most people are struggling to heat and feed themselves and their families. As long as the Investment Companies, are extracting their pound of flesh, from normal hard working class people to pay the enormous bonuses to bankers/ investors who are already paid astronomical amounts of remuneration. Regulation is the only way to stop this ripoff.

Date of experience: Dec 11, 2025