Private Parking Tickets discussion

janebrown_2

Here we go again.... just checking in again as my saga with these cowboys has been going on since Aug 2009.
Have done everything I have been told on this site and ignored all the threatening letters from UK Parking Control. I also ignored their solicitors letters and their last threat in January to take me to court.
Today I have received another letter, this time from Parking Collection Services Ltd informing me that they have purchased the debt from UK PC and will be pursuing me for the debt and intend to collect and pursue the debt to a legal conclusion if necessary.

Interestingly they tell me that the debt is now £141.75 but I can pay £89.99 to avoid legal action.

Do I still ignore this?

Hadeon

janebrown wrote: »

Do I still ignore this?

Absobloominglutely!!

Hold your nerve janeb, they will eventually give-up on you & move on.

Just be aware that the receipt of bona fide & properly sealed court papers should never be ignored, but the chances of you receiving those are negligible & worse than winning the lottery jackpot.

janebrown_2

Thank you for spurring me on. I really thought they would have given up by now. Is it usual to see them sell on the debt or am I falling into the trap that this is the same company just trying a different approach

Sir_Roger_deLodger

janebrown wrote: »

Thank you for spurring me on. I really thought they would have given up by now. Is it usual to see them sell on the debt or am I falling into the trap that this is the same company just trying a different approach

There is no "debt" to sell on. They are just trying it on. Carry on ignoring.

janebrown wrote: »

Interestingly they tell me that the debt is now £141.75 but I can pay £89.99 to avoid legal action.

Offering a discount is always a sign of utter desperation. Its like saying "Please please send us something, anything....."
If they thought they had a case you would have been to court by now!

Hadeon

janebrown wrote: »

Thank you for spurring me on. I really thought they would have given up by now. Is it usual to see them sell on the debt or am I falling into the trap that this is the same company just trying a different approach

There is no debt to 'sell on' - some PPCs do try it on with this approach either with partners in grime or morphing into DCAs as & when it suits their purpose.
It's just an additional scare tactic in a crude attempt to part you from your hard earned cash. All part of their scams-r-us service.

Think about it - if they felt they had a legitimate claim against you, would they be messing around like this?

Sir Rodger - wow! are we long lost twins?

worried_student_2

Hi all,
I have been reading through the forum and am finding some comforting posts but would just like clarification that I am doing the correct thing.

I received a "parking contravention enforcement letter" just before Christmas for parking in a shop car park from 7 - 10 pm, apparently the free parking is only for 2 hrs!! I had not realised that 2 hrs free was for the evenings as well and had not seen any sign-age on entrance to the park and as it was dark and I was a female on my own, I wasn't about to start a search for any! (there were hardly any cars and almost no shoppers)

I followed Martin Lewis's money tips recommendation and sent a template letter stating that I would not be paying blah blah due to lack of sign-age, unfair amount etc..

I have since been reading that the best thing to do is to ignore completely?!

I received a letter back saying that there was adequate sign-age (consequently they have put more and bigger signs around the park!!) and that i had to pay the £90...

I ignored this letter and two months later I have now received today another letter from a different firm saying in big letters "do not ignore this letter" and that they have been instructed by the original company "to recover the parking charge"...
The "debt" is now £178.13 and that I should pay immediately or "further action will be taken at considerable cost to " me!! (where did they get the 13p from??!!)

Now i'm a bit worried, am i going to be getting calls or visits from bailiffs ????
Do I just ignore this letter or do I ring or write telling them that I will not be paying anything????

Any tips would be gratefully received as I am now very worried about big fat bald ugly bailiffs turning up and forcing their way into my house???!!!!

santashelper_2

Beware i paid a parking ticket and they have taken the money out of my account twice i was 10 mins late back to my car and got charged but its alright for them to make a mistake they said they would call me back 3 hrs later and no phone call aaahhhhh this world is getting more and more !!!! by the minuite:mad:

Pimpslider

worried student...here is a post from trisontana (I won't take the credit), but it explains it quite well.


"Please don't confuse "bailiff" with "debt collector".

A BALIFF is an officer of the court but will only come into play in the very unlikely event the case goes to court, you lose, and refuse to pay whatever the judge orders.

A DEBT COLLECTOR is just a private individual who has no more power than you or I. Then cannot enter your premises, cannot seize good and they cannot blacken your credit-record. So these people that have been given the non-existential "debt" to are not bailiffs, just debt collectors.

Just ignore these hollow threats and they will eventually lose interest in you".


And just to add...I concur!!

Crabman

Welcome to MSE, worried student

Unless they've taken you to court, won and secured an order for recovery, they can not send 'bailiffs' to seize goods. If they send 'debt collectors' (see above post for difference), call the police as they would be acting illegally. Legally all they can do (if they do visit), is ask politely whether you'd like to pay to which you are entitled to say, "No thanks," whilst closing the door.

Unless you agree to their contractual terms or they win against you in court, there is no debt.

If they are sending heaps of letters designed to scare you into paying it should tell you that they know they have no chance in court and will instead try to intimidate you into paying up with only the 'threat' of court.

Take a look here for similar tactics by other PPCs:

PPC Letters/Threats: What to Expect (please add your own)

Crabman

santashelper wrote: »

Beware i paid a parking ticket and they have taken the money out of my account twice i was 10 mins late back to my car and got charged but its alright for them to make a mistake they said they would call me back 3 hrs later and no phone call aaahhhhh this world is getting more and more !!!! by the minuite:mad:

Hi - could you clarify how you paid for this (i.e. credit/debit card in person, giving card details on a form, etc.)?