Received a phone call from Control Account

ringmaker

Hi,
I'm a newbie so please forgive any mistakes!

I have been reading these boards and the guides ever since I received a Private Parking ticket in Feb.

I stuck it out and have ignored all the threats and recognising the last letter I received to be the final in the series from Euro Car Parks (the last fw being from Control account plc) I assumed that would be it.

(bit of background.... I am not registered keeper of car, but I was driving. . The registered keeper (RK) has been receiving all the correspondence and was in agreement to follow the advice to ignore all requests, having seen the threads on here)

Today we have received phone call from control account for RK to ring back quoting ref no.

I'm panicking now (sorry......wimpish I Know) how did they get our number? we have entered into no correspondence at all, they do not know RK was not driving, and I made sure not to ask what the call was about, when they asked for RK I just said he was at work. They then asked for a call back.

Is this a new development in the process?

Should we ignore this too?

A bit of reassurance would help, as I now have to tell RK about this call.

Hope someone can help please.

Driver8

They will have got your number from DVLA. Sit tight don't panic and if they ring again just use some very choice words and tell them where to get off.

They have no powers to do anything but harass you. It is a private person sat in a pokey office ringing round just trying to frighten people. If one rang me they would never ring again. They'd be in tears, the men too. The pure utter scum that they are.

PRIVATE PARKING TICKETS - DON'T PAY!
IT IS NOT A FINE! YOU HAVE DONE NOTHING ILLEGAL!

This is an information page for the thousands of people who receive "tickets" from private companies in the UK ever day at supermarkets, retail parks, and in any other privately-owned carpark.

We are NOT encouraging anybody to openly flout parking restrictions on private land, or to refuse to pay reasonable charges for parking. Landowners have a right to make reasonable charges for the use of their land.

For advice specific to your case, you should visit the forums at http://forums.pepipoo.com or http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/parking-traffic-offences.

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

1. What you should know about these companies

It is important to remember that private parking companies (or PPCs as they are often called) have NO OFFICIAL POWERS - that's right, none at all! They give out their "tickets" on the basis that you have seen the signs in their car park and that you have therefore agreed to a contract obliging you to pay a certain sum of money.


2. What happens to people who don't pay?

In 99.9% of cases, absolutely NOTHING! The company pays the DVLA £2.50 to get your address, and then sends lots of threatening letters. In the main, these letters can be safely IGNORED. The only way the company can actually force you to pay is by taking you to the small claims court, which costs them even more money. And they are by no means guaranteed to win! And they practically never do.

The two main reasons for this (among others) are the following:

- Only the person DRIVING the car could ever have agreed to any such parking contract. The company can only get the Registered Keeper's address from the DVLA: you don't have to tell them who was driving.

-Many of these charges are so extortionately high that they constitute a penalty, which is unenforceable in a consumer contract.


3. Can they affect my credit rating?

NO! The only way your credit rating could be affected by ignoring private parking companies is if you were taken to court, lost, and then still refused to pay. But they will not take you to court.


IN SHORT

The vast majority of the time, you can safely IGNORE tickets from private parking companies, they are not official fines.

The vast majority of the time, you can safely IGNORE the threatening letters, including those from debt collection agencies.

You DO NOT have to pay a penny of your hard-earned money to these companies. Remember that the chances of being taken to court are very slim indeed.

DO NOT IGNORE COURT PAPERS!
If you receive real court papers from a private parking company (very rare) then you should go to http://forums.pepipoo.com or http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/parking-traffic-offences for help defending the claim. Do not be afraid to sign up and ask questions regarding any paperwork you are not sure about.



Don’t believe the above? Watch a solicitor on Watchdog advising you what to do with the scam invoices.

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

THEY ARE NOT FINES

Only the Police, Courts or Council’s can fine you. NOT a private company, please remember that.

Coupon-mad

If you read the sticky threads at the top you would have seen the 'PPC letters, what to expect' thread. It has a link showing how to have fun with them if a debt collector is desperate enough to try phoning a registered keeper over a fake PCN.

It's not a new development but some fun can be had.

Or just tell them that their written and phone contact is harassment and they must desist as they are breaking the law (Protection from Harassment Act). Insist they return the file to the original company forthwith as any debt is denied and would purely be a matter for the PPC and the driver on the day. Do not discuss who was driving, just tell them to do one.

ringmaker

Thanks for that Driver 8.

So, I'll just let RK know about the call and we do nothing.

I'm not great with confrontation so if they ring again and I see the number I'll ignore it.

If they hide the number and I answer it, If they ask if RK is there I'll just say "no" and hang up.

ringmaker

Coupon-mad wrote: »

If you read the sticky threads at the top you would have seen the 'PPC letters, what to expect' thread. It has a link showing how to have fun with them if a debt collector is desperate enough to try phoning a registered keeper over a fake PCN.

It's not a new development but some fun can be had.

Or just tell them that their written and phone contact is harassment and they must desist as they are breaking the law (Protection from Harassment Act). Insist they return the file to the original company forthwith as any debt is denied and would purely be a matter for the PPC and the driver on the day. Do not discuss who was driving, just tell them to do one.

Thanks coupon mad, I spent a couple of hours trying to find any other posts about phonecalls from Control Account before I posted my thread. Obviously not a very successful search!! could I ask if you would be kind enough to sent a link to me? Sorry to be a doofus,

HO87

ringmaker wrote: »

Thanks coupon mad, I spent a couple of hours trying to find any other posts about phonecalls from Control Account before I posted my thread. Obviously not a very successful search!! could I ask if you would be kind enough to sent a link to me? Sorry to be a doofus,

As set out in C-M's post you need to look at the "stickies" at the start of this board. Where it says "Private Parking Companies' Letters: What To Expect".

If you scroll down the page to Euro Car Parks and click on the "All Letters" links you will see the letters Control Account use.

CA are just a debt collector. They have no legal powers - despite what they'll have you believe - and can make as many threats as they like. Nobody can "send the boys round". Don't worry about these jokers. Ignore them or - if you'd prefer - play with them a bit like the guy on this very, very long thread (well worth the read though) about another debt collector, did.

Remember: a debt collector can only win if you give in to his bluff, bluster and bullsh*t.

peter_the_piper

In the mean time have a read of https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/741653 and see if any of these are of use when/if they ring again.

HO87

peter_the_piper wrote: »

In the mean time have a read of https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/741653 and see if any of these are of use when/if they ring again.

That'll be the same Debitas thread then!!

peter_the_piper

Yes, never fails to amuse. Brilliant thread.

ringmaker

Its absolutely hilarious....if anyone's having a grey day....it will give you a good giggle!

Thanks for locating it for me!!

peter_the_piper

I've bookmarked it, memory not what it was.