More news from the Rayleigh Chamber of Trade website:
“New law to clamp down on the Cowboy Clampers from April 2009.
Clampers milking the situation will be rationed from full cream to the skimmed variety.
In a crackdown the Home Office releases new rules on extortionate charges. Maximum fees are limited to ?150 on parking and ?250 on removal with discounts for early payment.
The Chamber & hopefully Town Council will assist with ensuring that breaches of these new laws are reported & acted upon. We welcome these new laws which will help put an end to unfair charges.”
I work in the city and on 07/04/09 I parked my car at 7.35am at the end of a road called The Approach, behind Rayleigh Station. There were no double yellow lines or signs to say that it was private. When I returned at 7.30pm that night I found that my car had gone!.
I thought that it had been stolen. I looked around and found that there was a sign facing in toward the residential car park, which is separate to where my car was parked. saying that there was clamping in operation 24-7 and the three mobile numbers to ring to get the car returned. When I tried two of them they when straignt to voice mail as they only worked 9am-6pm and to leave a message. I left a message asking them to call my mobile number about my car.
I just could not believe my luck. Luckily, I noticed another lady on her mobile, Wendy Mitchell, and I went over to her and she confirmed that her car had also been clamped and towed away and that it was going to cost GBP 540.00 to get it back but that she was told that they only work 9-6. and that we would have to wait until the morning to sort it matter out. The person she was talking to was Mr Matthew Boosey. He advised that he was not working that day as he had been on holiday and that she’d have to wait until the morning!.
Her partner had been there while she was on the phone and he too was disgusted at what had happened and got quite annoyed at what was being said on the phone. Mr Boosey advised that because Wendy’s partner had sworn out loud it was going to cost an extra GBP 50.00 for every swear word used and that the line was taped!.
Eventually, Boosey agreed, as a goodwill jesture, that he would meet Wendy where she left her car (the same place I left mine) at 7.00am the next morning and that he would not hang around any longer than 15 minutes and, if she missed him then she would be charged a further GBP 50.00 for 1 days storage, and he would then escort her to the pound where her car was, once he had received the required payment in full. He would not confirm where this was for “Security reasons” and that she had to follow him in a different vehicle as he was not to give lifts. I was horrified as I do not have another car as I live on my own and am a one car family.
Wendy and I met at the dessignated point on 08/04/09 and waited for Mr Boosey. We waited in her partners car and she very kindly offered to give me a lift to the pound when necessary. Boosey turned up in a white two seater Citroen Berlingo unmaked van. Once he had stopped, Wendy and I approached his vehicle. He was already on the phone to his contacts advising them that two more cars were parked there and to arrange for them to be dealt with!. He was wearing a stab proof vest which says it all really. He took Wendy’s payment of part cash and credit card – with an additional charge of GBP 5.00 for credit card payments!.
He advised that they had photographic evidence of our vehicles so I instructed him to write this on the payment receipt. When he had finished I waited for him to acknowledge me and to take my payment. He said that he was only expecting one pick – up but when I advised that I had left my mobile number for them to call me he denied all knowledge of this and that he wasn’t given any message to call me.
He took the payment anyway and he tried to smooth it over by saying “Don’t shoot the messenger as he wasn’t working the day before”. I asked him how I was supposed to get to the pound if I didn’t have a lift had he replied that if I didn’t have transport then tough. He wasn’t going to give me a lift in case of implications made against him. He should be so lucky.
Copy of the receipt for my payment has been attached
Wendy’s partner drove Wendy and I to the pound at Kings Salvage, Morlands Industrial Estate, Rettendon – near the Rettendon Turnpike where our cars were stored in a muddy area surrounded by fencing and carbbed wire and a padlock. Boosey unlocked the padlock and we went in to retrieve our vehicles.
I am totally disgusted and appalled at the way Wendy and I were treated. The cost was calculated for each and every stage in the process which is astronomical. Today, I have requested copies of the photographs from Mr Boosey and expect to receive them by the end of this week – maybe. Wendy advised me that she requested copies of the photographs taken by Boosey sometime ago but to-date has not received them and has been given the run around ever since. I have taken photographs of the place where the incidents happened for my records.
Wendy advised me that Matthew Boosey is licensed to remove vehicles as per SIA LICENCE NO. 0230 0115 9724 8683 but that LBS Enforcement Ltd is not.
Any help you can provide to resolve this matter would be greatly appreciated as I am sure I am not the only innocent party this has happened to.
Many thanks in advance and I look forward to hearing from you.