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Citizens Advice response to ban on cowboy clampers

17 August 2010

Gillian Guy Chief Executive of Citizens Advice said:

"We are extremely pleased that the government has decided to deal with the scourge of clamping and towing on private land, as a matter of urgency. These cowboy clampers have been treating their business as a licence to print money. A straightforward ban should provide those enforcing the law with the robust tool needed to put the illegality of these practices beyond doubt.

"Enquiries to bureaux across England and Wales about parking and congestion have risen 88% (from 8,514 -15,982) in the four years from April 2006-March 2010. Evidence from our clients clearly shows that the methods currently employed by private parking companies are hugely disproportionate compared to the nature of the problems they are trying to tackle. Often minor breaches of the poorly displayed parking rules or genuine mistakes in interpreting the parking conditions have resulted in charges of hundreds of pounds.

"The new proposals still allow private land owners, such as supermarkets and leisure centres, to reserve parking spaces for their own customers. But a much fairer approach is now called for. We hope that retailers will take a proportionate approach and accept that their customers occasionally make mistakes, such as overstaying by a few minutes when queues at the till are particularly long. "

A CAB in Gloucestershire reported an elderly lady who found her car being clamped before she had even left the car park. She was immediately charged £250 which she was told also covered towing away. She told the clamper she had to go and get the money out, but on her return a tow truck dropping off another car was preparing to load hers. There were no obvious signs, the clampers had no ID, no photograph was taken of the car to show the alleged breach of parking rules, her receipt didn’t contain details of the clampers and there was no separate charge for clamping without towing away. Her complaint was rejected by the clamping firm.

Notes to editors

  1. The Citizens Advice service comprises a network of local bureaux, all of which are independent charities, and national charity Citizens Advice. Together we help people resolve their money, legal and other problems by providing information and advice and by influencing policymakers. For more information in England and Wales see www.citizensadvice.org.uk
  2. The advice provided by the Citizens Advice service is free, independent, confidential, and impartial, and available to everyone regardless of race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion, age or nationality. For online advice and information see New windowwww.adviceguide.org.uk
  3. Citizens Advice Bureaux in England and Wales advised 2.1 million clients on 7.1 million problems from April 2010 to March 2011. For full 2010/2011 service statistics see: www.citizensadvice.org.uk/press_statistics
  4. Out of 22 national charities, the Citizens Advice service is ranked by the general public as being the most helpful, approachable, professional, informative, effective / cost effective, reputable and accountable. (nfpSynergy’s Brand Attributes survey, May 2010).
  5. Most Citizens Advice service staff are trained volunteers, working at around 3,300 service outlets across England and Wales.