Excel PCN - Advice!

benish

Hi, 2 weeks ago I received a PCN from Excel while parking at a retail park in Shrewsbury whilst visiting the football ground over the road, and I was asked to pay £60 within 2 weeks.
Before I entered the car park, I did think it may be wrong to park in there but other fans were going in. I saw no signs as I entered the car park and to be honest was in a rush so didn't look around for one once parked.
After the match I returned to the car to find a PCN, I looked around and the nearest sign to me was some 30m away on a small sign high up a lamp post, and the writing on it was so small I couldn't read it! As I exited the car park I did notice a sign nearer the entrance, again the writing was very small, and I believe I did not see this on the way in because of the amount of fans heading towards the stadium blocking my view.

Now I know I have probably broken the "contract" of the car park, but reading the site everybody seems to suggest to ignore this firm.
Today I received the follow up letter asking for £100 or solicitors will get involved.

So basically, should I ignore them? Or because I know I broke the 90min time limit, evidence stacks against me of visiting for football (I had the club logo in my windows!) should I pay?!
If it went to court I don't think I have a valid excuse? Other than not seeing the signs?!

Thanks in advance for the advice!

benham3160

Just ignore.

Nobody has ever gone to court with this, and frankly I doubt they have a "real" solicitor anyway.

Regards,
Andy

oldone_2

Safe to ignore. In the unlikely event of it going to court Excel would have to show they have lost £100, a little difficult in a free car park.

bromsgrovebarry

Excel tried to go to court, got their butts kicked and are unlikely to try it on again. Ignore the threatening letters.

Coupon-mad

As others have said, it's completely safe to ignore their mickey-mouse 'fake PCN'. It's not a real fine.

In fact I'm a footie fan too and am about to visit Universities with my son in September and I have deliberately started to plan my parking this season using the nearest Supermarkets and will just collect and ignore any tickets I get! And yes, the Supermarket may get a bit of business from me as I will be 'passing trade' - surely that's the point of them providing easy parking, to tempt people in to spend even if that person is also calling in elsewhere.

Anyhoo, these mickey mouse tickets are such a common scam that almost everyone on this board has had at least one private parking ticket and ignored it (mine was over a year ago). There is no risk in ignoring everything in the absence of sealed, genuine Court papers (which won't come, Excel have had their fingers burnt when they tried).

Just ignore them and the debt collector letters. You can see a preview of the letters to ignore, in the first post of the first thread on this board:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/...play.php?f=163

Plus you'll see by the number of current threads (of which there are pages and pages!) on that link, just how common this scam is. Your question has been asked before lots of times, this thread is one of hundreds! Read some threads on the link above, then look back pages and pages and pages - except for the odd Police or Council ticket and clamping case - all of those threads are from people like you.

All the same, all ignored, doesn't matter who the PPC is. Nothing will happen.

You will just get some free paper aeroplanes (see this Watchdog link to see why that's funny!):

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

NEVER pay a private parking ticket. Think no more of it apart from to spread the word that only proper tickets from the Council or Police should be taken seriously.

HTH

benish

Hi guys, just after some reassurance again!

I received another letter from these cowboys today. It was much like the notice to owner letter shown in the 'what to expect' thread, but it was titled "Final Demand Notice prior to court action".

I'm getting annoyed/worried of these letters now, and don't want to expect some big fella stood on my doorstep at some point!
I'm 20 living with my parents, and I am training to be a pilot. I've read that any legal action could result in bad credit, which is no good when I need a huge loan to become a pilot!
What If I were to go on the excel website and pay them say £25 to shut them up (they actually want £100!)

Like I've said before, if any legal action was take I know I was in the wrong! I didn't even look for a sign and I was there for the football! Car stickers/flags/scarves of my team are in the car!

Thanks!

trisontana

Just keep ignoring. You are falling into the trap of these bully-boys if you start getting worried.

steve1500

My wife has got a stack of them, car registered in her name, - I must stop driving her car and collecting them. Maybe I will be able to get my car back!!!

Soon be winter time and I can use them all to get the fire going.

AlexisV

I'm 20 living with my parents, and I am training to be a pilot. I've read that any legal action could result in bad credit, which is no good when I need a huge loan to become a pilot!
What If I were to go on the excel website and pay them say £25 to shut them up (they actually want £100!)

Legal action could result in bad credit *if* they took you to court *and* they won *and* you didn't pay within 28 days after that.

Thing is, they won't take you to court and the charge is unenforceable anyway so they wouldn't actually win. But they're not going to mention that in their threatening letters.

If you pay the £25 they will simply send you more letters than they would have done if you'd ignored them.

It's a scam. All the worries you have are precisely what they want to achieve with their threatening junkmail. It's just an unenforceable invoice.

Sir_Roger_deLodger

benish wrote: »

What If I were to go on the excel website and pay them say £25 to shut them up (they actually want £100!)

NO!!! [take heed of the above post by Alexis!].

robredz

benish wrote: »

What If I were to go on the excel website and pay them say £25 to shut them up (they actually want £100!)

Like I've said before, if any legal action was take I know I was in the wrong! I didn't even look for a sign and I was there for the football! Car stickers/flags/scarves of my team are in the car!

Thanks!

As if they were right to put signs up that cannot be seen clearly.
No see sign, no can make contract, in any case if parking is free there is no consequential loss to anyone, so they cannot sue you in court for a loss of £0. The court would rule the penalty excessive, and void so as advised by others ignore ignore ignore.