Apcoa

EmmaGo

Hi, i'm new to this forum but desperate for some advice. I parked my car at totnes train station, paid for a ticket which i put on my dashboard & caught a train.
When i came back at 7pm there was a parking ticket from APCOA saying no valid payment!
I opened the car door and went to grab the ticket from my dashboard - it was upturned (but the wind was so bad and there was no sticky on the ticket, so i can't be sure it was in the same place all day, although it was definately on the dashboard)
I wrote to APCOA including a photocopy of the ticket and asked for a reply - over a month later the owner of the car has recieved a letter from Roxbourghe debt collectors! I am furious, what should i do?

sarahg1969

Assuming this is an ordinary private parking ticket, and not one that has been issued under railway byelaws (please confirm), you should read the sticky on the front of this board, as you are advised to do before you start a thread. And that should put your mind at rest.

Your case is exactly the same (if the ticket is from a PPC, and I assume it is as you have a debt collector's letter) as hundreds of others on here.

trisontana

It does look as though this was a PPC. One clue is the dreaded name of Roxbourghe. If it was a "proper" railway parking ticket I don't think the railway company would be using a private debt collector. Instead the case would be pursued through the magistrates court. If the motorist loses the case they would be fined. If they failed to pay that fine then bailiffs would get involved.

Just take a look at APCOA's website. Does anybody else think that they are dressing up their "enforcement officers" to look like council traffic wardens?

EmmaGo

Yes I'm sure APCOA are private, i was parked in a legitimate parking space and the only issue was that the ticket may not have been displayed correctly, however this would be the wind and not deliberate on my part!
I'm just so annoyed, I paid £3.90 and now they're demanding £110.
They didn't reply to my letter and now have set some debt collectors onto the car owner (who is my partner but i'm not telling them that!)

I've read a lot of the posts and the general consensus seems to do nothing, but i really don't want a bad credit rating etc, i can't believe that on production of the ticket they are still able to demand money!

Sir_Roger_deLodger

Yes it is private. The fact that the registered keeper has received a letter from Roxburghe proves they are not acting under railway bylaws. It is safe to ignore. Expect one more letter from Roxburghe and two from Graham White, then they will give up.

trisontana

EmmaGo wrote: »

I've read a lot of the posts and the general consensus seems to do nothing, but i really don't want a bad credit rating etc, i can't believe that on production of the ticket they are still able to demand money!

You will not get a bad credit rating. The only way that would happen would be in the very, very unlikely event that they take you to the country court, you lose the case (again very unlikely) and then you refuse to pay whatever the judge orders you to pay. You have more chance of winning the lottery three times in a row than this thing ever getting to court.

Coblcris

If the ticket from APCOA mentions Railway Byelaws then I would be of the opinion that APCOA are probably acting criminally by claiming statutory powers and trying to convert that into money.

EmmaGo

Thank you ever so much for your replies, I wonder how many people just pay as I was tempted to, even though I'm so sure I'm right not to!
I'll let you know how I get on and hopefully I'll be a post in the success's
Em

Enfieldian

Just take a look at APCOA's website. Does anybody else think that they are dressing up their "enforcement officers" to look like council traffic wardens?

They are dressing them up to look like c**ts, that is for sure.