Graham White Soliciters Over Apcoa Parking Fines

Jumbo_Fixer

Please can you put my daughters mind at rest with regards a " Parking ticket " she received from APCOA whilst her car was parked at Twyford station in September this year, she had a valid ticket on her car but was issued a fine " for not parking in a parking area, she assures me it was a lined area.....I told her not to pay the £80 outrageous charge, this week she received through the post a letter from Roxburghe Debt collectors signed by a Steve Dargonne , Parking Services Manager asking her to pay £127.00.

She is obviously very worried to have got such a letter from a Debt collector and only being a student is concerned that this may have a knock on effect with regards bad credit rating ? I have told her not too worry, and to ignore any further letters, but i know that deep down she is very worried. Any help would be very much appreciated, and what further correspondence can she expect in the post from these people ?

Thanks

AlexisV

Debt collectors are just ordinary private companies. They have no powers whatsoever. They just send out computer generated letters and make phonecalls.

Do not confuse them with bailiffs - this is precisely what the letters are designed to make you do.

Your credit rating can only be affected if they take you to court and you lose and you refuse to pay after that.

APCOA have never ever done court and never will do.

Roxburghe chain is well known. Afterwards you will get 3 letters from Graham White "Solicitors". They are really Roxburghe again in disguise.

If you get a phone call, hang up or just tell them to go forth and multiply. They are utterly powerless.

esmerobbo

"Steve Dargonne" was he in Deputy Dawg??

Tell your Daughter to ignore it, its just part of the letter chain.

Coupon-mad

esmerobbo wrote: »

"Steve Dargonne" was he in Deputy Dawg??

Tell your Daughter to ignore it, its just part of the letter chain.

A certain Steve Dargonne used to be a Midland Bank Assistant Manager in Worthing in the 1980's. Shame he's running the parking arm of this debt collection agency now (the name can't be that common and debt collection isn't far away from Banking). :mad:

Coupon-mad

Jumbo_Fixer wrote: »

Please can you put my daughters mind at rest with regards a " Parking ticket " she received from APCOA whilst her car was parked at Twyford station in September this year, she had a valid ticket on her car but was issued a fine " for not parking in a parking area, she assures me it was a lined area.....I told her not to pay the £80 outrageous charge, this week she received through the post a letter from Roxburghe Debt collectors signed by a Steve Dargonne , Parking Services Manager asking her to pay £127.00.

She is obviously very worried to have got such a letter from a Debt collector and only being a student is concerned that this may have a knock on effect with regards bad credit rating ? I have told her not too worry, and to ignore any further letters, but i know that deep down she is very worried. Any help would be very much appreciated, and what further correspondence can she expect in the post from these people ?

Thanks

No effect on credit rating whatsoever from this scam, honestly, that's all it is.

As for the letters, show her these which illustrate the letters sent by Roxburghe and their alter-ego Graham White (the next desk in the same office, not a real Solicitor):

http://www.violetmount.com/ncpscam.jpg

Read the wording now to get used to the scary letter-headings and look out for the next one to play 'snap' with until the scam ends. It doesn't matter that these examples in the link were issued on behalf of NCP, since the Roxburghe/Graham White letters are standard (and always come from who I believe is the same Steve Dargonne who as I said above, was an ex-Midland Bank Assistant Manager from Worthing, West Sussex).

Might be worth sending him a Christmas card from MSE members so he knows we know who he is (and that we know Roxburghe and Graham White are one and the same). Seasons greetings and all that, as per the Christmas card thread:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2111771

Oh, and have you both seen the Watchdog clip on our sticky here? REad the info about the legality of PPC tickets and then click on the 'View BBC Watchdog Report' link to have a laugh about what their legal expert thinks of PPC tickets:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/1363571

HTH

Can-Do-Can

I can understand why this lady is in a panic - I was too until I found MSE.
I have had all the 'paperwork' and am currently experiencing the phone calls ,but following advice and hanging up.
Today I received another letter from Graham White entitled 'Final Notice' (as opposed to 'Final Warning',which I've also had)
It states 'We will pass the account to a field investigator with instructions to attend your property'.
Is this a new one as I can't see it on this site? If so,I can scan it and add.

trisontana

Can-Do-Can wrote: »

I can understand why this lady is in a panic - I was too until I found MSE.
I have had all the 'paperwork' and am currently experiencing the phone calls ,but following advice and hanging up.
Today I received another letter from Graham White entitled 'Final Notice' (as opposed to 'Final Warning',which I've also had)
It states 'We will pass the account to a field investigator with instructions to attend your property'.
Is this a new one as I can't see it on this site? If so,I can scan it and add.

"Field investigator" = a debt collector who is just a private citizen with no special powers. In the unlikely event that he does turn up, tell him to "go away" (you can use your own words) or you will call the police.


Alternatively "field investigator" = somebody employed to count the cow-pats in a meadow!

esmerobbo

Tell him you don't live in a field so it does not need investigating! Just more intimidation, if someone does arrive which I doubt tell them to go take a long walk along a short pier.

Coupon-mad

Can-Do-Can wrote: »

I can understand why this lady is in a panic - I was too until I found MSE.
I have had all the 'paperwork' and am currently experiencing the phone calls ,but following advice and hanging up.
Today I received another letter from Graham White entitled 'Final Notice' (as opposed to 'Final Warning',which I've also had)
It states 'We will pass the account to a field investigator with instructions to attend your property'.
Is this a new one as I can't see it on this site? If so,I can scan it and add.

Yes, it's a new one but still ignore it of course.

Someone else mentioned it on pepipoo forums this week as well but we have not seen a scan of it yet. If you could blank out all identifying info and scan it in as a reply on the 'PPC letters & scams, what to expect' sticky thread at the top of the forum then that would be very helpful for others who are behind you in the letter-chain.

Thanks in advance. If you find you can't post a link yet then just remove the http:// from the front of the link to break it and Crabman can add it back in when he links it to the first post on that thread.

Isn't it good to think that Steve is having to change his letters - it can only be because the usual old chestnuts headed up 'Final Notice' are being ignored too often!

esmerobbo

I am still waiting for the Final, Final, Final, Final oh please pay notice.;)