Clamped! £125 release fee.. but..

Nitrojan

Nitrojan

Nitrojan

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Joined
12 Jan 2008
Posts
2,116
So I rushed to hospital this afternoon having heard news that my dad had been taken in.. Parked in a sports club that myself and a few mates had used a while back (we took 4 cars and never got any form of parking ticket). When I came back to my car several hours later, I found that I had been clamped and on the poorly written and mis-spelt letter stuck to my car I was required to call a mobile number and pay £125 cash before my car was removed.



I gave the number a call and within about 20 minutes a new Mercedes SLR turned up with what looked like a pair of gypsies sat in the driver/passenger seat. I tried to explain the situation and the fact that there was nowhere to get a ticket from anyway, and he told me that everyone else had one and that I shouldn't have parked there? After paying the £125, they promptly removed the clamp and chucked it in their boot. I spoke to one of the guys there and they told me that in all the time that they had been members of the club, they had never displayed any form of ticket on their car.

I noticed, before the clamper left that his SLR had bald tyres, what can I do about this? Since being clamped I have managed to find out the clampers address and have got their registration number.

Obviously I am fuming about this.. especially as I was visiting my dad in hospital, having to come out and find that the car had been clamped.

What can I do? Surely this is a bit of a mickytake if he's clamping me yet he has bald tyres himself?
 
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The mistake you made was ringing them, you should have rang your mates to come down with some tools, or bolt cutters instead.

Techincally you should have a reciept with the SIA number of the person who clamped you, for it to be anywhere near "legal", you can fire off complaint letters, but by the sounds of the description the chavs, it will fall on deaf ears.

Try going over to the peipoo forums, they're the people in the know.

But I think this sounds like a write off job.
 
this happend to me, (was my own fault though)
what you should have done before any money was exchanged you should have rang your local councill or police station and verified the clamers SIA (i think) liscence,

They are allowed to clamp (if displayed) and fines are capped at £150.
 
Signs were displayed yeah, but I didn't see them until I came back to the car as I was more interested in getting to the hospital. I was so tempted to cut the thing off but that's a criminal offence and that's the last thing I need.

Write off then?
 
Any pics of the SLR? :D

I would go back and check the car park for signs. My gym you have to give them your car registration details when you sign up, to stop it from being clamped.
 
Nitrojan said:
Signs were displayed yeah, but I didn't see them until I came back to the car as I was more interested in getting to the hospital. I was so tempted to cut the thing off but that's a criminal offence and that's the last thing I need.

Write off then?
Click to expand...

if signs were displayed then their is nothing you can do,
Write off im affraid
 
megakid said:
Clamp removal vans are now McLaren SLRs?? Just when you thought you'd seen it all...Whatever next!
Click to expand...

Exactly what I thought.. I would have much rather have handed my £125 to a guy in a van.. No wondering he has an SLR, clamper by day.. dodgy security/drug dealer by night.
 
I've often wondered what happens if you cut the clamp off, but take it with you.

Then claim that the car is a non runner and you just picked it up and the clamp is still attached to it, and that the clamper may collect it any time they wish, then as slowly as possible with as many letters back and fourth as possible, give them an address in Malaysia...

Theft is only theft if you intend to permanently deprive them of it, which you don't, and they can't call it criminal damage until they see it...
 
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