TPS Parking Charge Notice, poor signage, ignore or dispute?

thepeachyone

I parked today in a car park which used to be MFI but the store is shut. It was clearly a car park, marked bays, but I didnt see any prohibitive signs by the entrance or exit which were both together on one side of the car park. I looked for a pay and display machine, but could only find one on the road outside the car park which was for on street parking. I went in the shop across from the car park for 15 mins, returned to find a ticket and was not the only one. I couldnt understand it because I didnt at the time see any signs telling me to pay or not to park. Another "victim" said she had queried it with Bensons for Beds (opposite end of car park to me, so far away I hadnt noticed them) as their name was on the charge notice ("was seen in Bensons Sheffield"). She showed me the sign she had been shown. It had a sellotaped label over MFI, handwritten, saying Bensons for Beds. It then said waiting was limited to 90 minutes. (I was 15 mins) but I left the site. The ticket states "walked off site", so they must have seen me. I wasnt in a position to see the sign as the part of the car park I from where I parked nor from the entrance / exit. I can go along and take photos to prove this (If I can park outside!!!).

Having read the site article on private parking tickets, I feel this isnt justified due to lack of contract i.e. inadequate signage.

Should I write disputing it, or wait and see if they write to me. Or is it better to just ignore it?

Also can they make a mess of my credit score if I dont pay, as Im applying for a mortgage.

McKneff

Just ignore anything they throw at you. Just chuck it in the bin and forget about it. It is not enforceable.

it will not affect your credit score in any way.

Coblcris

Don't write to then, don't call them. ignore them, it is a mail based scam. Just don't play along with the scam. The letters they send are often quite amusing to those that understand the scam and how bad PPCs are at it.

thepeachyone

Should I expect letters then?

McKneff

yes, expect lots of them, dont even open them, just bin them

peter_the_piper

Don't throw them away, file them and later you can show your friends just how "scary"and impotent they are.

Jez_Wolf

Sounds like a scam to me.

Expect a few, coloured letters and them some from a debt collection agency and the "Solicitors".

When (If?) they issue real court papers, come back here for advice on a defence.

taxiphil

They can never enforce this in a court of law, so there's nothing for you to "dispute". Any money they claim you owe to them is a figment of their imagination and nothing more. If I told you to pay me £50 because you've read this post, you wouldn't waste time writing to me appealing or disputing my decision, you'd just laugh and ignore my demand. Exactly the same principle applies to PPCs.

Expect anything between 3 to 12 letters, each containing a load of complete and utter nonsense which is designed to scare you into paying. Laugh at them and ignore them. They won't sue you.

Coblcris

Always keep their letters in a safe place. Occasionally a PPC has a rush of blood and issues court papers, for reasons best known to themselves. Your collection has other uses as PPC documents seem to be universally unlawful and many are clearly illegal.

sarahg1969

Coblcris wrote: »

Always keep their letters in a safe place.

Agreed - just in case.

And don't forget to tell all of your friends about this scam.

pogofish

Yup, file as evidence - They will almost certainly cross the line into full-on illegality at some point and that can only serve strengthen any potential case against them.