Private Parking Tickets discussion

lucylucky

Jlp1 wrote: »

I got a private parking fine No you didn't, you got an unenforceable invoice from a company called central ticketing whilst visiting a shopping centre. The reason they gave the ticket was obstructive parking, in other words i had parked over the line!
I wrote to them to appeal as i felt the ticket was unfair. It is unfair as is their appeals process, writing to them was and is a waste of time [STRIKE]For 1 the car next to me was parked right on the line so i had to park further over so not to damage their or my car, second i had 2 children with me both under 2 so also had to move over to get them out, third when i was getting the children out a parking attendant walked right past me and never said a word (Silly me thats how they make all this money!!!!) and lastly there where signs around the car park however the nearest sign to me was covered by over grown trees and facing the other direction.[/STRIKE] All irrelevant
Anyway i wrote all these points in my appeal letter for all the good it has done as i recieved a letter back saying they had considered my appeal and 'on this occasion your appeal has been made unsuccessful' All appeals are unsuccessful
What a crock of ****! They are demanding i pay £65 by today other wise it will increase to £135!! How can they charge these amounts, the car park is free!!!! Do i pay it? No If i dont what will happen? They will write you some more letters will it effect my credit rating? No I really need some help, i cant afford the fine you have not received a fine as i not working and student finance not sorted(however that is a whole different topic!!)

Take the advice here and on the other thread you started.

Ignore these scum, they will do nothing but write you a series of intimidating letters, then they will lose interest. Do not in any way engage with them.

Coupon-mad

Central Ticketing use Roxburghe and 'Graham White Solicitors' (who are not solicitors but are another letter-heading scam used by Roxburghe). Just ignore all their letters, Jlp1, examples are scanned in for you to see here on this thread:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2214803

Please have a look at those letters now so you don't panic and actually read their threats when the letters arrive. They are not worth reading, just make the letters into paper aeroplanes as advised on Watchdog earlier this year. Watch it here and laugh:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAIcdi9niHA

Sometimes Roxburghe ring up pretending to be Graham White Solicitors, but not always. If they do just tell them you'll report them for harassment as the alleged debt is completely denied (they must return the file to the originating company, Central Ticketing). Or blow a whistle down the phone, play musak at them, or say 'I'll just get him her' and leave the phone dangling for half an hour. Or tell them you know they are Roxburghe not Graham White, so they may as well stop passing themselves off as 'GW' as you know all about them and won't be paying a non-existent 'debt'.

HTH

Brassy_Northerner

I just wanted to say a big thank you for all the advice on this site - it would seem the "debt collectors" have given up on me after I was issued with a parking ticket just over 12 months ago.

The original ticket was from G24 for overstaying the time limit in the car park at Focus DIY in Skipton, North Yorkshire.

The charge was £60, and they had photographic evidence. I made the mistake of writing a letter to appeal the charge, which was unsuccessful.

I then read the advice on this site - to ignore the treatening letters - and decided to follow it. It took some nerve at times, especially when CCS Collect Debt Collectors took over the case, threatening "court action, which could lead to deductions from your salary and seizure and sale of property".

In total, I was sent 7 demands for cash between September 2009 and January 2010, but haven't heard anything since, and now assume I won't hear from them again.

So thank you - I wouldn't have kept my nerve if I hadn't read other people's stories on here.

tomandgerry

I parked in a retail park in Mid Glam. As I had just changed the car some 3 days before, I parked in an area where there were no restrictions of any sort, but parked outside a normal parking bay, but caused no obstruction. I went into a shop near this area for about 15 minutes and when I came back I had a ticket on my screen.
I found the patrolling officers and explained that there were no restrictions where I had parked and the reason that I had parked there. He said that I could only appeal by e-mail, and yes that,s right they turned it down immediately. I then e-mailed them photographs of the area where I had parked to show there were no parking restrictions, they still would not budge. I paid the fine unfortunately, as I didn,t know if they would get the details from the DVLA. Some weeks later, surprise surprise they had painted yellow lines around this area.

trisontana

Just two points. it's not a "fine", and any road markings on private land are meaningless.

taffy056

tomandgerry wrote: »

I parked in a retail park in Mid Glam. As I had just changed the car some 3 days before, I parked in an area where there were no restrictions of any sort, but parked outside a normal parking bay, but caused no obstruction. I went into a shop near this area for about 15 minutes and when I came back I had a ticket on my screen.
I found the patrolling officers and explained that there were no restrictions where I had parked and the reason that I had parked there. He said that I could only appeal by e-mail, and yes that,s right they turned it down immediately. I then e-mailed them photographs of the area where I had parked to show there were no parking restrictions, they still would not budge. I paid the fine unfortunately, as I didn,t know if they would get the details from the DVLA. Some weeks later, surprise surprise they had painted yellow lines around this area.

Well by the sounds of it you've been scammed, the tickets are completely unenforceable, and even if they went to the dvla to get your details you ignore the letters utterly .

Simple guide for you, if tickets say the following

Penalty charge notice = from a council, you need to deal with this as its enforceable, come here for advice.

Parking charge notice = a scam ignore completely, don't even appeal as it will be turned down.

shortchanged_2

tomandgerry wrote: »

I paid the fine unfortunately, as I didn,t know if they would get the details from the DVLA. Some weeks later, surprise surprise they had painted yellow lines around this area.

It wouldn't of made any difference if they contacted the DVLA anyway.

They would have sent you loads of scary, threatening letters from debt collectors and so forth. Except it would have been a load of meaningless guff. You could have and should have safely ignored them and not contacted them at all.

Sir_Roger_deLodger

tomandgerry wrote: »

I parked in a retail park in Mid Glam. As I had just changed the car some 3 days before, I parked in an area where there were no restrictions of any sort, but parked outside a normal parking bay, but caused no obstruction. I went into a shop near this area for about 15 minutes and when I came back I had a ticket on my screen.
I found the patrolling officers and explained that there were no restrictions where I had parked and the reason that I had parked there. He said that I could only appeal by e-mail, and yes that,s right they turned it down immediately. I then e-mailed them photographs of the area where I had parked to show there were no parking restrictions, they still would not budge. I paid the fine unfortunately, as I didn,t know if they would get the details from the DVLA. Some weeks later, surprise surprise they had painted yellow lines around this area.

As you have found out, there is no such thing as an appeal with these clowns. Shame you didnt find this forum before you paid.

A few things to remember if it happens again:
The bloke you spoke to isnt an "officer", just a minimum wage goon.
It's not a fine, just an invoice.
Yellow lines mean nothing on a private car park.
The DVLA can only tell them who the registered keeper is, not who was driving.

You know what to do next time!

landmark

tomandgerry wrote: »

I paid the fine unfortunately, as I didn,t know if they would get the details from the DVLA. Some weeks later, surprise surprise they had painted yellow lines around this area.

With the evidence of being scammed, you may want to sue them:think:

kad1

kad1 wrote: »

Hey guys just want to get your advice on this one. i work for a organisation where there is parking on site for all staff. one day i parked perfectly safely on site but not in a marked bay. have done so before with no problem, however on latest occasion i got a private parking fine. as per advice on here i've ignored the ticket completely. 4 months later they've (Roxburghe debt collectors) written to me asking for me to pay £75 or 'we may commnce court proceedings against you'.

apparently they got my details from the dvla. do i need to do anything? just over a year ago when i was new to my organisation and i parked w/out a ticket, i got a ticket and paid it (i wasn't part of this forum then else i no way would have paid!). is there anyway they can trace me or something?

ta! xx

Hi all. Just to follow up my above query - thanks to those of you who replied and said ignore them - i have done! However my dad called me last night saying someone called James Rosburghe (sic) called for me and asked me to return his call on 01932332048. they called my parents place, i've long moved, hence why my dad rang me.

Assuming this guy's from Roxburghe debt collectors, is it usual practice for them to call?