A Sheffield parking company has cancelled a £170 claim against a young mum from a car park with a notorious e-permit system.

Vehicle Control Services sent Sophie Culf a car parking bill after she visited the Carla Hackett’s hair salon.

Customers normally park for free on a site off Ecclesall Road, Banner Cross.

Nine businesses in the area pay £150 annually for the use of the car park and ‘e-permits’ for clients, it is understood.

But on the day of Sophie’s last visit, her hairdresser said there was a fault with the system, meaning a permit for Sophie’s vehicle could not be obtained at the time.

Sophie later received a £100 Parking Charge Notice letter for ‘not being a valid permit holder’.

She was then contacted by DBL Solicitors, acting for VCS, demanding £170. A letter also warned of debt collectors, legal action and a County Court Judgement.

Sophie went public with her experience and has now been contacted by VCS, with the firm saying they believe her visit to the site was ‘genuine’ and the claim against her has been cancelled.

VCS claimed hairdresser Carla had mis-typed Sophie’s registration number into the terminal which allows customers to park free at the site on the day in question.

VCS has dropped a demand for £170 from Sophie Culf from a car park off Ecclesall Road. | Sophie Culf

placeholder image — VCS has dropped a demand for £170 from Sophie Culf from a car park off Ecclesall Road. | Sophie Culf

But Carla insists the system wasn’t working for two days and has produced an email - seen by The Star - which shows the firm was working on new login details for her after the incident in June.

Sophie, of Lowedges, said she is delighted the threat of debt collectors and court action has been lifted.

But VCS’s claim Carla mis-typed was “utter rubbish,” she said.

She added: “We have the email that they were looking into the fault. They are trying to pass the blame on to the salon owner rather than taking accountability.”

Sophie was helped by Lynda Eagan, who campaigns against VCS and parent company Excel Parking.

She said the problem could never have been Sophie's fault because she wasn't the person using the terminal.

She added: “The hairdresser is the only person who can enter the VRM (registration number).

“The system locked her out, so she kept emailing VCS to get her back in again. Meanwhile, they are issuing PCNs to her customers.

Excel Parking boss, Simon Renshaw-Smith, and wife Karen Gillott, company secretary. | National World

placeholder image — Excel Parking boss, Simon Renshaw-Smith, and wife Karen Gillott, company secretary. | National World

“If the businesses here are paying for this service then they should be able to get their customers’ PCNs cancelled.

“The very last person responsible here is the customer.”

E-permit sites involve a tablet type terminal where you enter your registration number and then you should be exempt from a PCN, she added.

“But the big problem is that you have to take it on trust that the system is working and you only get a message on screen to say it has been recorded. There’s no paper ticket, no SMS message, no email,” she explained.

“We would always advise taking a photo of the confirmation screen.”

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Paul Hood, owner of neighbouring Fellas hairdressers, said the website was a “shambles” and he had paid PCNs worth more than £1,000 on behalf of customers to maintain good relations with them.

A spokesperson for VCS said the site behind 949 - 965 Ecclesall Road is for the “exclusive use of e-permit holders only” and the adjoining salon (Carla Hackett) has an online portal to create them for customers.

They added: “Despite claims the portal was not working on the day in question, we can confirm it was working.

“The salon e-permit portal was used to enter a vehicle registration that resembled Miss Wilson's vehicle, but did not match.

“We are however satisfied that Miss Wilson’s visit to the site was genuine and have withdrawn the charge.”

David Walsh

Excel Parking: Sheffield firm cancels Sheffield mum's £170 bill in row over dodgy computer