Private Parking Tickets discussion

Sheila_S

Re PPC charge

After several months of ignoring letters and threats and the charge rising to astronomical heights, Rossendales debt collectors are now instructed to collect. This type of behaviour should be illegal as it is scare tactics trying to get money for nothing and would do the heart of an elderly person no good.

trisontana

Somebody over on the Consumer Action Group forum has just posted this letter he wrote to Met Parking Services. I know the advice is not to contact these shysters, but if you are going to do it, then do it in style. And he had his ticket cancelled:-

Thank you very much for your letter, which has the legal status of an invoice, which you try to imply is a “legal notice” of fine. You sent it to me for allegedly staying for hours in a McDonald’s car park in Bristol. Oddly, most invoices I receive do not contain threats against me and my family, of warrants, county court rulings, and bailiffs.

I assume that you take rather a lot of photographs, so for starters I suggest that you look more carefully at photos taken shortly after my arrival there in the morning, and again shortly before my departure there at lunchtime. Maybe it is nutritionally unwise to pay McDonald’s two separate visits in one day, but it was quick and convenient and I was in a hurry to get back to my office.

Whatever, I shall not be paying your invoice disguised as a legal fine, and suggest that if you wish to make amends for your idiotic oversight, you apologise and repay me the cost of this letter immediately. I notice that on the back of your ticket, you insist that I enclose a stamped addressed envelope, in order that you can pursue your scandalous attempt to get money out of me, at no cost to yourself. How disgusting is that ?

If you wish to pursue this matter, I would be delighted to see you (and, yes, I WILL turn up) in a county court. I shall be demanding costs and compensation, and I shall also be bringing along irrefutable proof, with witnesses, that I spent the hours in question working in my office, a mile or so away from your litter-strewn, sordid little car park. And that my car was in my company’s private office car park, underneath our own CCTV camera. I do hope you can offer me this more public platform with which to publicize your incompetence.

I will be writing to McDonald’s, pointing out that their contractor is seeking to screw money out of people for visiting them twice in one day, and I shall also be making the point that your behaviour is not in keeping with their Social Responsibility policy. I understand that your arrangement with them is a framework contract administered through their HQ. As I’m sure you are aware, their procurement department does retain the right to disqualify contractors from bidding for contract renewal, and the company is also able to rescind contracts where a contractor fails to meet the company’s expected standards, or causes them reputational damage.

On a broader note, have you ever considered doing something with your life that’s a little more socially desirable? Your business is truly a pathetic and sleazy way to make money.

Meanwhile, please, please, oh PLEASE, catch some hideous disease. Preferably one involving the complete social ostracization which you undoubtedly deserve, hideous physical disfigurement, excruciating pain, and a lingering death.

Thankyou,

Coblcris

anewman, May I suggest that the following text is somewhat contradictory and may confuse some of our readers.
"You didn't commit a criminal offence. Merely a breach of contract. That contract is with the driver, and you're not the driver and have no legal obligation to tell them who it is.

perhaps

"You didn't commit a criminal offence. It is merely an allegation of a breach of contract. That alleged contract is with the driver, and you were not the driver so that allegeation is plainly unfounded and hence false. You have no legal obligation to tell them who the driver was, nor could you unless you were in the vehicle at the time as a 'guess' would be hearsay and rash."

Coupon-mad

Sheila_S wrote: »

Re PPC charge

After several months of ignoring letters and threats and the charge rising to astronomical heights, Rossendales debt collectors are now instructed to collect. This type of behaviour should be illegal as it is scare tactics trying to get money for nothing and would do the heart of an elderly person no good.

Yes but Rossendales letters are no different, they are just part of the usual letter-chain for some PPCs as shown on the sticky:

Private Parking Letters, what to expect

I guess you know that and are ignoring all the letters, hope so! :T

Sheila_S

Yes, completely being ignored and laughed at when they arrive and thank you for your reply.:)

hotdawg

Hi,
Just wanted to share my success with you all . . .

I parked in a shopping retail complex at a Pizza Hut (part of the complex) where I met a friend and we had lunch. Didn't think anything of it until a week letter I received a PCN from MET parking services stating I'd overstayed and now owed a whopping £100!!! They sent photographic 'evidence' of my number plates?!! I knew something was up at the sheer pricetag of the alleged privelege.

I wanted everyone to know that MET Services use very authentic looking logos on letters and have quite a good setup for their 'scamming'. I have just finished a session of ignoring MET Services requests for payments (took around 3 months but cost nothing just a strong resolve)! Below is what happened . . .

Their scam starts with the pay in two weeks £50.00 which then rose to £100.00 plus £25.00 costs. Initial Solicitors letter almost doubled this with a number of extra charges for supposed costs. Third and fourth letters came from Debt Collectors who added a further £25.00 to bring it to £150.00. Final letter was to state that action needs to be taken as the matter will not away!

It took 4 letters from MET themselves followed by 1 from their debt collectors Roxburgh and a further 2 from Graham White their Solicitors aka M Sorbell (Note: all letters looked VERY authentic to add to the threat)

All eminated from the same place and are in reality MET in various disguises (MET themselves use only a PO Box number and no telephone number - punch in the postcodes of the debt collectors and solicitors and surprise surprise they're in the same place)!

My advice is :

1. Ignore all letters from MET Parking and co (Roxburghe, Graham White).

2. Maintain absolutely no communication whatsoever with them. If they call hang up - do not be drawn into threatening conversations. The only time you need take action would be for properly served and authentic court documents complete with court seal and full claim details(which MET don't do).

3. Scary as the letters maybe they cannot take you to court for the huge amount they threaten to. They can only take you to court for the amount the parking ticket cost you which isn't worth their while e.g. if it is free to park for a maximum for 2 hours and you stay 3 hrs how can they justify charging £150 for one hour?? They can't!

4. Be patient and keep calm - it can take 3-6 mths for all the letters to fizzle out.

Goodluck!

HD

Orford

Hi Hotdawg,

Could you scan all the letters ( minus personal details)from MET and either post them on the thread linked below or PM to Crabman so they can be posted in post #1 on that thread along with the letter chains from other PPC's

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=2214803

zebedee70

I find myself in a curious situation - I got a parking ticket from a ppc at the weekend...my indiscretion was that the vehicle was not entirely in the marked bay (in fact, 95% of the car was in the bay, but the front passenger wheel was on the line, with no more than a couple of inches overhanging the adjacent bay). The reality was that I'd lined my car up with the two cars already parked either side, which had left me at this slight angle...). However, I wasn't in any way obstructing the flow of traffic around the carpark, or indeed, causing any sort of issue to other drivers, since there was an abundance of free spaces.
I'm happy that the ticket (for £100) was down to an overzealous enforcer.
I'd be happy to take the advice here, and ignore any follow-up I receive from the ppc - however, I was in a hire car, which will be returned to National Rental this week.
If indeed the ppc does follow up with a letter, I'm unsure as to whether National will pass on my details, or if they'll quote the legal situation that they aren't liable, and refuse to pass on my details. Either way, they might well end up charging me for the privilege of their having to respond to the ppc.
Does anyone have similar experience, and if so, how did you handle it/what was the result?

peter_the_piper

Check the hire terms and conditions first and then put it in writing to the hirer that they must only pay official council/police tickets. Anything else must be refuted or passed onto you without cost to be dealt with by you. They make good money paying everything in sight and adding a £30-£50 fee to do so.

mrbrightside842

Coupon-mad wrote: »

They don't persist for very long, please, you are not weak and we will give you strength!! :T

Why not post on here for reassurance each time?

My letters were one a month for about 4 months, then nothing. It's not a big deal if you know what to expect, suddenly you'll be thinking 'oh, I haven't had any more letters after that 'Final Notice' 8 weeks ago...' :rotfl:

If you pay these scumbags then as I see it, you are helping to finance this scam! Are you happy to do that, help fund them to carry on picking on families and other poor people who cannot afford their fake fines but don't know any better?

Please don't be a victim nor a sponsor of these scammers!

Thanks, I hadn't thought of that! It all sounds so scary, with the threats they make. I don't know how they can legally do it if they can't follow them through.