FAQ
New customers
Q: Why does it say in my account (waiting for site approval)?
A: This means that you have not uploaded a site plan in PDF FORMAT of your parking area. We need to see the plan of the car park layout and location of the signs marked with a cross and, or YOU HAVE NOT UPLOADED PHOTOS OF YOUR PARKING AREA (we need both) an example how to do it is the step 4 of the Set up and support guide. Please refer to our setup guide
Q: What size are the warning signs and what are they made of?
A: Signs are 45.7cm x 47.5cm aluminium Dibond with a 5mm hole drilled in each corner.
Q: Can we use Flashpark on a private road.
A: Flashpark can be used on ANY private property in the UK
Q: How much does it cost?
A: £42 +VAT annual rental for each sign. That’s it. There’s no charge for uploading photos and reporting unauthorised vehicles.
Q: How many signs do I need?
A: This is a general guideline and is recommended as good practice.
MINIMUM TWO SIGNS REQUIRED FOR APPROVING A SMALL PARKING AREA. If you have only one parking space we have a different solution - please Click on the Link: FLASHPEEL
The number of signs you need depends on the size of your parking area, we use the term parking spaces as guidance only.
Up to 5 spaces - 2 signs inside and 1 sign by the entrance
Up to 15 spaces - 4 signs inside and 1 sign by the entrance
Up to 30 spaces - 6 signs inside and 1 sign by the entrance
Up to 50 spaces - 8 signs inside and 1 sign by the entrance
Up to and over 100 spaces - 10 signs inside and 1 sign by the entrance
Q: How soon will I get my signs?
A: Please allow 5 working days.
Q: What do the warning signs say?
Q: Can we have a custom-made sign?
A: Yes. We have several options, for example 'permit holders only', 'customers and visitors only', 'no parking at any time' and so on. Click here to see the full range. We can also make custom stickers to suit your specific parking rules. We can also provide signs in Welsh.
Q: Is Flashpark legal?
A: Yes, we are audited by the DVLA and are a member of the accredited trade group British Parking Association. The recent Court Of Appeals case Beavis vs Parking Eye fully backs our business and the issuing of parking charge notices for parking offenders. See links below.
Driver ignored private firm parking fines
Barry Beavis loses Supreme Court parking battle
Q: Who deals with disputes and appeals from offenders?
A: Our appeals department will deal with all enquiries and representations about parking charge notices. We will only cancel a ticket on your instructions; this can only be done through the customer control panel. We may contact you from time to time for specific disputes that have arisen from a motorist's appeal.
Q: Can I cancel a ticket?
A: Yes, you can do this from your control panel. If we have already requested keeper details from the DVLA there will be a cancellation fee of £15.00. You can pay this online by debit or credit card
Q: Does my name appear on any documents or signs?
A: No, we handle all communications with an offender from the moment the service is set up. The only information we give the offender is the site address where the offence took place. This is in line with industry regulations.
Q: What is the collection success rate?
A: This can vary from one car park to another. FlashPark's in house-enforcement, combined with the appointed debt-recovery agent services, has a high success rate of collecting parking charges. We have also found that in the few cases where we are not able to collect the parking charge,the driver does not reoffend.
Q: Does Flashpark pay commission?
A. No. It is now an industry standard that we are not allowed to pay commission on tickets. This came into effect on 1st October 2015. See the BPA Code of Practice.
Q: Are there any vehicles not covered by the parking restrictions on my private property?
A: Yes, all emergency services vehicles (marked or unmarked) are exempt, and other vehicles may be exempt too. Please see our Appeals section.
Q: Can you clamp or tow cars away?
A: No. Clamping and towing on private land has been illegal since 2012.
Q: Can the motorist appeal to a third party?
A: Yes. A third-party independent appeals service (POPLA) deals with appeals that have been rejected by parking enforcement companies.
Q: Who has to pay the parking charge?
A: The driver, at all times. However, under the Protections of Freedom Act the registered keeper of the vehicle has to say who the driver was at the time of the offence. If they don't do this, the registered keeper may have to pay the parking charge.
Q. How effective is this service?
A:Having the signs prominently displayed in your car park is usually enough to deter most parking offenders. Most parking violations can be traced back to lack of signage or confusing signage. Our signs are crystal clear and approved by the Plain English Association The Word Centre.
Q. What do I get out of this?
A. You get peace of mind and a significant decrease in parking violators.
Q: Can I add an extra car park?
A: Yes, go onto your control panel and click ‘Add New Site’.
Q: How do we close our account?
A: If you would like to stop using the service you can do so at any time by emailing us giving one month notice.
Q: How can I deal with a repeat offender?
A: Stick one of our difficult to remove self adhesive warning stickers on their windscreen. They take 30 minutes, hot soapy water and a lot of effort to remove so are very effective at deterring repeat offenders. They are available from our shop
Q: How can I generate the revenue from car parks?
A: You can use our new service. ScanPark was developed to provide private landlords and businesses with an alternative to pay and display machine. ScanPark™ is the latest motorist friendly payment platform that allows landlords to generate the revenue from car parks, without having to incur the expenses of a pay display machine, or to employ parking attendants. ScanPark signs are available from our shop.
Existing Customers
Q: I have uploaded photos of my parking area. Why hasn’t my account been approved?
A: Please allow up to 2 working days for your account to be activated. This is to give time for drivers to notice your new parking restrictions. You need to upload several photos of your parking area, so that we can see where all the signs are. We must be able to see where the signs are at the entrance to your car park, and around the parking area. The main reason we have for rejecting photos is they just show a close-up of a sign, which means we can't tell where they are on the site. Therefore we can't tell whether your signs give drivers enough warning about your parking restrictions.
Q: Why is my ticket cancelled?
A: This may be for one of several reasons:
- No registered keeper
- Incorrect vehicle registration. Most mix ups are between the letter O and the number 0, also the letter I and the number 1
- Foreign vehicle. We only have access to the UK database
- We can’t read the registration number (most common)
- We can't see where the picture was taken
Q: Why can't I log in?
A: Make sure your username and password are correct. If you’ve forgotten your login details click here to enter the email address we have for you and get your login details sent to you.
Q: Why haven't I received my "welcome email"?
A: Please check your spam or junk folder. If you still can't receive our emails please send us a message via the Contact Us page
Q: We have taken over an account with your signs installed. Can we still use your service?
A: Yes, just create an account online and follow the steps in our Set up guide.
Q: We are selling our property. Can the new owners use your service?
A: Yes, give the new owners your login details and they can start using our service.
Q: Can we add an extra car park?
A: Yes, go to your control panel and click on add site
Q: What happens if a motorist doesn’t pay?
A: We use a debt recovery company to pursue outstanding parking charges, we also work with solicitors to recover outstanding parking charges.
Q: How often can I issue a ticket to the same vehicle?
A: Every 3 days
Q: Can I report foreign vehicles?
A: No. We only have access to the DVLA database that covers the UK including Northern Ireland.
Q: What happens if we make a mistake in reporting a vehicle?
A: You can cancel any ticket. There is a cancellation fee of £15
Q: Can a motorist appeal?
A: Yes. We have an appeals procedure published on our website.