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Parking Eye PCN Welcome break - advice please

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BlueIsTheColour
BlueIsTheColour Posts: 659 Forumite
edited 26 May 2012 at 1:44PM in Parking tickets, fines & parking
Sorry I mistakenly posted this in another thread (rules from another forum I belong to too deeply engrained) so I am reposting in my own thread for advice please :)
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I've just received a PCN from ParkingEye for a Welcome Break service area, it looks like the updated version 1 letter from the sticky, it has my arrival and departure photos, just showing the bonnet of the car both times, no windscreen or driver can be seen on the version I have. I did do what their photos show, I was there over the 2hours and for the time they said, about 6ish hours in total and didn't pay the £8 charge, not willfully, the meeting just took longer than I realised it would, and I genuinely didn't think about any parking charges that would need paying...

So is ignoring their letters the way to go still? Happy to pay them the £8 charge which is proprotionate but definitely not the £60 or £90 or even £120 they say it will rise to, how is a £30 admin fee proportionate given most admin people will earn minimum wage, it won't take them 5 hours to send my letters.... This kind of thing really annoys me BUT I really can't afford to pay any increased charges, well any charges really... Knowing my luck I'll be the poor idiot they take to court...

Any help or advice much appreciated, given I don't really have a defence. Should I write the letter to them from Martin's guide using disproportionate charges as the reason or do naff all?

Surely something should be done about the DVLA giving my private information to these companies, can I complain to anyone about that?

I'm also used to getting crap letters from dodgy debt collector types so no skin off my nose... However, I have read somewhere it can impact on your ability to park in other parking eye managed places, how an earth could that possibly work? I def won't be going to those services again anyway haha!

Thanks in advance :)
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  • worried_jim
    worried_jim Posts: 11,631 Forumite
    Combo Breaker First Post
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    Just ignore the letters. simples.
  • BlueIsTheColour
    BlueIsTheColour Posts: 659 Forumite
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    Thanks I will, and just hope it isn't me they choose to try again in court with, sods law and all that ;)
  • worried_jim
    worried_jim Posts: 11,631 Forumite
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    More chance of being struck by lightning. Twice.
  • BlueIsTheColour
    BlueIsTheColour Posts: 659 Forumite
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    :D Thanks, that made me smile, feel more confident about ignoring them now... Cheeky !!!!ers....
  • give_them_FA
    give_them_FA Posts: 2,998 Forumite
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    Latest court news is that the parking companies cannot sue anyone anyway. A recent decision affirms that only the landowner, not the agent, has the right to sue.

    So apart from the fact they will not know who was driving, they cannot bring any case. Just forget it and totally ignore them. Parking should be free in service areas anyway, in the interests of safety.
  • BlueIsTheColour
    BlueIsTheColour Posts: 659 Forumite
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    Thanks :) If they want the £8 charge I'll pay that, fact is the car park was almost deserted that night, they definitely suffered no loss as a result of my breach of their alleged contract...

    What was the court case? I have access to Lexis so be interested to read that.
  • give_them_FA
    give_them_FA Posts: 2,998 Forumite
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    Vehicle Control Services v H.M. Revenue and Customs, heard by the Upper Tribunal. 2nd May 2012. 2012UKUT130 (TCC) Appeal Ref FTC/51/2011.

    Held that the agent has no right to form a contract in respect of principal's land and notices purporting to do so were void.

    Applied shortly afterwards in VCS v Ibbotson, Scu nthorpe County Court 16th May 2012; a claim by VCS struck out because they had no right to make any contract with the driver.

    However, if you feel the £8 should be paid, make it clear it is full and final settlement of the parking fee due the landowner, and the claim for a greater sum by P.E. is refused. Or send it direct to the landowner.

    Up to you of course.
  • BlueIsTheColour
    BlueIsTheColour Posts: 659 Forumite
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    Thanks for that, will look them up and have a read, purely for interest lol....

    Hmm might save my £8....
  • bondy_lad
    bondy_lad Posts: 1,001 Forumite
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker
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    parking spy dont do court since they would and have got spanked there, ignore these clowns and all the loo paper you may recieve on or on behalf of them, threatening execution etc,, all concerned are part of the same scam.relax, keep your dosh.
  • Kite2010
    Kite2010 Posts: 4,304 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post Home Insurance Hacker! Car Insurance Carver!
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    Where it can be argued the landowner has suffered a loss of £8, you could argue that the means to paying that £8 is rubbish (0845 number to a completely useless automatically payment line which only understands the accent of a posh Londoner.

    Get rid of motorway services car park charges, make them free to use.
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