UK PArking control Ltd....Anyone had dealings with them?

Antarctic

I have read this discussion with interest as I am in ALMOST the same position, and have just received the Debt Recovery letter. I have been ignoring the last few letters but unfortunately fell for part of the scam right at the start before I had read up on it.

PLEASE WARN OTHERS ABOUT THIS..

On returning to the car park a Uk PC warden approached me and said he had given me a ticket which he could not rescind. He said that if I was to write to UKPC and tell them I had my children with me and was taking them to the toilets situated off site as there are no toilets on this site, they will probably drop the charge.

Stupidly I did this which I now presume is their way of getting me to admit that I left the site and broke the ‘contract’ I agreed when I parked there.
Of course I have since then received a letter stating that they had rejected this and were still going to charge me. I wrote again explaining that I WAS using the shops on the site but of course they ignored this and continued to send letters.
Is it too late to continue ignoring the letters?

ManxRed

No, not at all.

You also need to know that under civil contract law, the most you can pursue someone for, for breach of contract, is limited to the actual losses incurred. Which in this case was zero.

Their losses are zero, so pursuing you for £60, or whatever it happens to be is unenforceable and wouldn't last five minutes in a court. It would be deemed an unfair contract penalty and be kicked out (Google "contract penalty").

They may pester you slightly more than usual as they will now have you on a list of people who appear to take them seriously (as opposed to ignoring them from the off), but they will still go away once they realise you aren't going to cave in and pay.

Legal action from them would be extremely stupid and unfruitful. They won't risk it.

give_them_FA

I second that completely. What these companies try to do is to pretend that they have some official standing or power. They have neither. It is a classic "Impersonation of Authority" perpetrated by cleverly worded and misleading letters.

The whole operation is a swindle from start to finish. The parking attendant COULD have torn up the ticket there and then; but tried to impersonate a genuine (Council) enforcement officer who isn't allowed to do that.

He then advised you to appeal, knowing full well you would only get a standard rejection letter as a result. Why? So that by you providing your details the company would not have to pay DVLA to get them.

The appeal process is of course a total sham- NO-ONE ever wins, because allowing your appeal would mean they don't get your money, and that is the ONLY thing the operation is concerned with- making money.

But the good news from your point of view is, that despite the fact that you got off to a bad start because you are a trusting soul and thought you were dealing with honourable and honest people- you are not- there is nothing spoiled as from here on all you need to do to kiss the scammers goodbye is to totally ignore them.

Yes, as Manx says, they have you down as an easy touch because you took their fake ticket seriously, so they think if they pressure you, you are going to crack and pay them.

Prove them wrong; ignore everything, hold your nerve as the amount they claim from you goes up and up with each letter, and you get letters from other "official looking" but actually fake people- and you will be rewarded by keeping your money in your pocket when they give up and go away. They will, I can tell you that from the personal experience of having seen off over 80 scam tickets over the years.

The first is the most difficult, so stay in touch with us!

And I am just adding that Debt Recovery + is just another of the fake authority people, the only time they went to Court was to pay out damages to someone who sued them for harassment... another paper tiger.

helenshappyhens

I came on here today to seek out a template letter so that I could send something to UKPC Ltd. My car was parked in an area they patrol, in January and so far I have received two letters from them and three from Debt Recovery Plus. The most recent was dated 13 April saying I could pay a reduced amount of £120 rather than their previous letter of £150. I phoned Debt Recovery + last week and said that there was a letter in the post to ukpc saying that I am not going to pay but I've not yet done one.

I've been on here previously and read alot of messages about sitting it out but today I have been feeling that I'm loosing my nerve on this and wonder If I should send them a letter, what If I AM the first person they take to court?
I cant afford to pay as am not working at moment and dont have a large income, but If I send them a letter will they take it further than perhaps they would without one?
HELP

Stephen_Leak

We don't have template letters, because there's no point in writing to them. They won't let you off. Why should they? What's in it for them?

They will threaten you with all sorts of legal and financial unpleasantness, and advise you of all the possible consequences, to try and get you to pay up. But they can't actually do anything, for the same reason that a blackmailer can't sue you for non-payment.

They will soon run out of things to threaten you with, and stop throwing good money after bad.

ManxRed

Sending a letter is unlikely to stop them pestering you, to be honest.

Given the thousands of letters a month these companies send out, you'd be unbelievably unlucky to be a person they'd take to court.

The reason is because they understand full well that they wouldn't win. I've no idea why they'd suddenly want to try now, and with you.

Our experience shows that of the infinitesimally small number of people that other PPCs do chance their arm in court with, they tend to be people that have communicated with them, and either provided information to them that they feel they can use, or appear to take them seriously and therefore ripe for a punt in court.

If you were to ignore them completely, which is our advice, your infinitesimal chances of being taken to court become even smaller. Think about it, you could be a senior police officer, a lawyer, a judge, they have absolutely no idea just so long as you don't respond and don't give them the impression that you are taking them seriously.

give_them_FA

I realise that receiving unpleasant letters containing unpleasant threats is not easy, if you are not used to it. But you have seen nearly all of it through, do not quit now because you are on the home run. If you have had three letters from Debt Recovery + then the winning post is in sight, when they will decide you are not a mug and will go away. If you have not admitted to being the driver they cannot take you to Court anyway. Even if you inadvertently did, they will still do nothing because the "ticket" has no legal basis and cannot be enforced- they know that only too well as a result of bitter experience!

Just sit tight, no further communication, don't waste time/money writing, your silence will say it so much more eloquently....

and very soon these clowns will be out of your life forever. I personally guarantee it.

Coupon-mad

Asking for a template letter to stop a PPC from going through the usual template scamograms is like hoping to find a template email to stop phishing emailers contacting you to confirm your Bank details!

Stop panicking!

It is true that once in a blue moon, the odd (very odd!) PPC numpty has a rare punt at a small claim. Most never do, including UKPC. They only went to Court last year when they were taken there by Trading Standards after complaints:

http://forums.pepipoo.com/index.php?showtopic=63597

Just ignore it, it's only ONE fake PCN and most posters here have ignored several!

no_spring_chicken

hi i am on my 5th letter from ukpc including drp and zenith , i am not paying anything to them, so i am expecting another letter soon,

wattsy1

Hi, i have received a parking charge notice from UKPC for a McDonald's carpark that we were parked in, we bought food from the resturant, ate our food then went back and bought Mc flurry and coffee and still sat in the car a drank/ate them, then we had to change our grandson of 8 months as he was unwell, in total we spent 1hr and 49 mins in the carpark and did not leave the car during this time, even bought the food in the 'drive thru', we were photographed arriving and leaving the entrance to the carpark clearly showing the reg of our car. UKPC want £100 reduced to £50 if we pay within 14 days, however we only received the Notice today, 20 days after the event and giving us only 3 days in which to pay the charge at the reduced rate. Can they do this? is it legal? should i ignore the letters sent in the future even if they threaten bailiffs etc...? Can anyone please help as i don't ahve any intention of paying this for eating 'cheap fast food' on our first visit to a town. (CLEETHORPES). Cheers