Apoca parking fine Luton Airport info needed please

Coupon-mad

You must follow up that phone call to GE in writing this week. All you have to do is give them the Fleet News link and the BVRLA link; the first one explains from a publication that they can trust, that it's just a scam and the second link tells them what their Lease hire Trade Body's advice is FOLLOWING THE CHANGE IN THE LAW.

Of course their default is to pay fines/penalties, that's nearly always the case with lease hire cars. But this is NOT a fine or penalty. Tell them that if they fall for this scam then ANYONE sending in a business letter quoting one of their car's reg numbers could extort money from them. Ask them to think about it...

And the new law from 1st October has been covered a few dozen times on here already...Protection of Freedoms Act. And no it does NOT make fake PCNs suddenly enforceable.

This is NONE OF THE COMPANY'S BUSINESS as long as the PPC has the driver's details.

Bluecray

We've recieved a letter from Apoca parking as well.

I was picking up a hire car, Mrs and me went to Luton airport, it was dark we were unfamiliar with the layout, didn't see any notices as we were looking at where we was going, she dropped me off for like 5 - 10 seconds no more and she drove off home.

Got a letter almost a month later, I've written a stiff reply asking the charge to be dropped as we felt we weren't in breach of their contract (as we never saw notices) sent the letter special delivery so means they'll have to sign it,:T

expect I will get another letter then I am going to ignore it, as other people have done so and from their experience its gets dropped.

Coupon-mad

When they reject it, please don't waste your first appeal by not sending a POPLA appeal - the only one that counts!

Read other threads on the forum (this one is pretty old!) for info about POPLA and why to appeal once to the PPC but then not bother with POPLA is not recommended. That's throwing away the only worthwhile stage of appeal - and it's the stage that the PPC has to fund as well, only to see their fake PCN cancelled!

Current forum below. Start your own thread please (all cases need a separate thread) if you need more help but read today's threads first at least...

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

Whatever you do, DON'T send the same soft appeal to POPLA when it comes to that stage. Start your own thread then for help and input to make yours win.

The_Slithy_Tove

Bluecray wrote: »

Got a letter almost a month later, I've written a stiff reply asking the charge to be dropped as we felt we weren't in breach of their contract (as we never saw notices)

Wrong-ish (I'm afraid). You cannot be in breach of a contract that never existed. I would wager that no-one who is not familiar with these airports would notice, let alone be able to read the signs which (supposedly) formulate a contract, as you whizz by. Therefore no contract was ever formed, so you cannot be bound by it in any way.

nigelbb

If Bluecray does ever start his/her own thread one obvious point is that the PPC are way out of time if they hope to use the POFA to establish that the registered keeper has liability as in the event of no Notice To Driver being left on the car a Notice To Keeper must be received within 14 days of the "offence" i.e. posted not more than 12 days after. A question to the DVLA regarding when the RK details were actually purchased is also in order.

Jamie_Carter

Sirdan wrote: »

Agreed but people often come here in a panic ..so if they start a new thread for a question that has already been answered they should be forgiven.
What matters is that as many people as possible get the message IGNORE..and then tell all their friends families etc .
Smaller companies will fold ..APCOA won't they already make enough from the actual car park tickets bought..they have contracts at several major UK airports .
I don't think APCOA at Luton Airport are even in it for the money ..they make enough as it is ..but either they told the airport they could solve the problem or the airport asked them to.

Luton Airport could solve the problem with a bit of investment in the road infrastructure and barring APCOA from charging a £1 for 10 mins drop off/pick up.
In fact if they really wanted it solved they could get the road reclassified as a public road ..as it used to be ..then the Police / Council could actually issue real tickets !!

I'm playing devils advocate here, before anyone jumps on this post.

Where did the OP stop? Was it in the bus lane on the approach to the airport, or was it in the bus stop area outside the airport?

If it was on the approach road, then is this definitely a private road, and not classified as a public road?

If it was in the bus stop area, then it is a security issue, so would it involve the police?

In either case are APCOA contracted to issue 'fines' on behalf of the council or the police.

People should be aware that things are often different when airports are concerned.

The_Slithy_Tove

Jamie_Carter wrote: »

People should be aware that things are often different when airports are concerned.

But not here. It's a straightforward PPC scam involving Parking Charge Notices.

Yes, there are issues with towing and even clamping that are still going on at Luton and Stansted. These are the subject of great debate on Pepipoo. But PPCs' PCNs - same as anywhere else: unenforceable nonsense.

Jamie_Carter

The_Slithy_Tove wrote: »

But not here. It's a straightforward PPC scam involving Parking Charge Notices.

Yes, there are issues with towing and even clamping that are still going on at Luton and Stansted. These are the subject of great debate on Pepipoo. But PPCs' PCNs - same as anywhere else: unenforceable nonsense.

And you are 100% sure that it isn't actually a PCN?

pogofish

Jamie_Carter wrote: »

And you are 100% sure that it isn't actually a PCN?

Yes - its a "PEN"

Which can very easily be confirmed by a quick look at the (howler-ridden) T&Cs for the Airport.

http://www.london-luton.co.uk/en/content/7/1154/terms-and-conditions.html

And this thread has been running for two years now - If wrong advice was being given, I think we'd have found out by now!

Sirdan

Jamie_Carter wrote: »

I'm playing devils advocate here, before anyone jumps on this post.

Where did the OP stop? Was it in the bus lane on the approach to the airport, or was it in the bus stop area outside the airport?

If it was on the approach road, then is this definitely a private road, and not classified as a public road?

If it was in the bus stop area, then it is a security issue, so would it involve the police?

In either case are APCOA contracted to issue 'fines' on behalf of the council or the police.

People should be aware that things are often different when airports are concerned.

As you exit the main roundabout towards the tunnel there are prominent signs declaring that the road is a private road , so yes the "approach road " is private . Private = PPC invoice not a genuine PCN, end of.
I've had six and have not parted with a single penny with no consequence whatsoever, APCOA KNOW exactly what they are doing but their van marked "CCTV Enforcement" with "conincidental" blue and yellow stripes (same as local Police) still fools enough people into paying.