parking services ltd

Private Parking Breach Notices in NZ (They are “Not A Fine”)

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If you’ve received a Private Parking Breach Notice from the likes of…

  • Smart Compliance Management (Smart Parking Technology Ltd
  • Parking Service Limited (PS Ltd)
  • Parking Enforcement Services New Zealand (PESNZ)
  • And several others

…then suggest having a read of notafine.nz for guidance which another Netizen has kindly set up.

While I haven’t received a PBN myself and while I understand businesses must grapple with ensuring adequate parking is available for their customers, I personally find the idea of strict parking compliance monitoring by 3rd parties, some with a vested interest in issuing as may PBNs as possible via CCTV as their primary profit strategy, very irksome and hostile as a consumer and am now personally going out of my way to avoid shopping at any locations and centres that are overseen by either Parking Services Limited and Smart Compliance Management.

Special exceptions may be made if a given business in a multi-tenant situation (who has either of those two companies monitoring the shared car parking facility where they are situated in) has indicated they have made representations to the land owner / property manager / body corporate against this sort of parking management arrangement. Never the less, the existence of either of these two organizations provides a significant personal psychological barrier to my visitation unless the business is otherwise easily accessible by either Public Transport or has Public (council or on street) parking nearby.

 

Private Parking Breach Notices in NZ (They are “Not A Fine”)

Businesses using “Parking Services Ltd” = Instant loss of my custom

Default User, , ,

Personal opinion as an individual consumer and concerned member of the public. If you’ve received a Private Parking Breach notice from either Parking Services Limited or another such company, suggest visiting notafine.nz to learn what your options are.

If you choose to employ “Parking Services Limited” (PSL) to manage your customer car park, you WILL lose me as a customer.

There have been repeated reports and allegations concerning this Tauranga-based company, including claims of inflated breach notices, aggressive debt-collection practices, and notices allegedly being issued incorrectly to genuine customers of businesses.

While fortunately I haven’t had to deal with Parking Services Ltd as a motorist nor been a recipient of such a notice myself, my reasons for refusing to deal with any retailer who chooses to contract Parking Services Limited are laid out below.

Why I choose to take my business elsewhere

  • I am not convinced that incorrectly issued notices are always as easy to resolve as claimed. PSL and others may describe incorrectly issued notices as straightforward to reverse, but accounts from motorists who say they were genuine customers suggest that challenging some notices can involve considerable back-and-forth.
  • It creates uncertainty and hostility that I simply don’t want as a customer. Knowing that a retailer has outsourced parking enforcement to a private operator — including the use of CCTV, remote monitoring and automated enforcement at some sites — changes how I feel about visiting that business. I don’t want to be wondering whether an ordinary visit to a shop could unexpectedly turn into a dispute over a parking notice.
  • I object to what I regard as disproportionate charges and escalation. Reports of breach notices in the vicinity of $95, followed by substantial additional charges when notices remain unpaid, are something I find difficult to accept as a consumer. Whatever the legal position may be in a particular case, I don’t consider this an approach I want to support with my custom.
  • There have been reports of notices being issued in circumstances that seem particularly questionable. Media reports and accounts from motorists have included allegations of breach notices being issued after vehicles were present for only a very short period, including situations where a driver pulled into a shared car park and then immediately left.
  • I am particularly concerned by reports of disputed notices progressing to debt collection. I have seen accounts alleging that disputed PSL notices have ultimately been referred to Guardian Credit Services, including situations where recipients say they had already notified the relevant parties that the matter was disputed. I regard the handling of genuinely disputed debts as an important consumer-protection issue and would want considerably more confidence in the process before supporting a business that uses such a system.
  • I don’t want to be part of a system where people feel pressured into paying simply to make a dispute disappear. Even where a person believes a notice is unjustified, the time, effort and uncertainty involved in challenging it can itself become a deterrent. Some people may ultimately decide that paying is easier than continuing to fight.

Frankly, it is in my view as a consumer that there are other parking management approaches and parking management companies that businesses could evaluate and choose to use instead of “Parking Services Limited”.

If I see the “Parking Services Ltd” (PS Ltd) logo at your site, I will simply take my business elsewhere. A line I feel has to be drawn regarding these sorts of practices.

I would also strongly encourage retailers and other organisations to think carefully about whether they want their business or organisation associated with the practices and reputation of their chosen parking-management provider.

Note: This is an entirely separate organization to the Wilson parking’s owned Parking Enforcement Services / PESNZ. Also note the name difference of “Elite Parking Services Ltd”. (which I understand the IRD are trying to liquidate). The company in question here is named simply as “Parking Services Limited”.

Continue reading “Businesses using “Parking Services Ltd” = Instant loss of my custom” →

Businesses using “Parking Services Ltd” = Instant loss of my custom

ASX:SPZ Smart Parking Technology (Smart Compliance Management)

Default User, , , ,

Disclaimer: This post is my personal opinion as a concerned member of the public and is for informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice nor to be construed as advise to buy or sell any security. If you are the recipient of such a breach notice from a private parking firm, suggest consider speaking to a legal advisor or the Citizens Advice Bureau.

First learned of this company, Smart Parking Ltd while trawling through the ASX company listings.

Have you received a breach notice by such a company? Have a look at notafine.nz for guidance on how to deal with these (Not my site, was set up by another Netizen)

Smart Parking Ltd appears to be a company that predominantly generates the majority of it’s revenue off of identifying contractual breaches of parking conditions at various business’ private car parking (retailers, shopping centres, etc) remotely via video / CCTV and then issuing the registered owner or keeper of the infringing vehicle a “Parking Breach Notice” (PBNs) with the view of hoping the recipient will pay up without challenging it nor understanding their consumer rights under these circumstances.

Disclosure / Personal analysis:

As emotional arbitrage, in confession, I have purchased shares in this company as mental analgesic to take the edge off of my burning indignation I have towards this company. (Similar admittedly with what I had to do with Facebook, now Meta Platforms Inc.)

This action is based off knowing how toothless the Consumer Watchdog Agencies can be on both sides of the Tasman and globally along with the public never seemingly bothering to kick up enough fuss (nor bothering to understand the rights available to them under relevant consumer / trading laws), as such, I don’t hold much hope of meaningful action being taken to curtail this company’s activities.

While I’ve never received a PBN from this company or others like them (e.g Parking Services Ltd.), I have gone and reported this company (in vain admittedly) to the Commerce Commission with a screenshot of the investor presentation where they seem to promote how many PBN’s they are able to issue as their key revenue strategy, but I only expect to hear crickets frankly (I reported this company prior to buying shares).

Update: Commerce Commission came back saying they won’t investigate. So there you have it folks. Toothless and useless (IMO) and may as well not exist because frankly their existence I feel embodies a false impression by the public that they are protected by exploitive anti consumer practices

 

Known trading names:
Smart Parking Ltd., Smart Parking Technology, Smart Compliance Management, Smart Comply.

ASX:SPZ Smart Parking Technology (Smart Compliance Management)