Meteor PCN under unusual circumstances

rufiotgl

Hi All

Last week i got a PCN from Meteor Parking for not displaying a valid ticket.

What had happened, was that i was running late & didnt want to miss the train, so i parked and got on the train knowing that when i get to work, i could simply pay for my car parking ticket online (something which i had done numerous times before). However by the time i got into work & got myself infront of a computer i had already been issued a ticket. Bearing in mind i ALWAYS park in this carpark and ALWAYS buy a ticket but i expect no special dispensation.

Now im not disputing the fact that i should of really got a ticket straight away. And i accept the fact that i didnt (at the time) have a valid ticket but i was going to purchase one. What i do however have an issue with is, the 45 quid charge.

I would much rather pay the £4.50 but they OBVIOUSLY wont let me run with that!! So what i want to know, is has anyone on here, never paid a Meteor PCN.

My conscience says i committed an offence so should really cough up, but then my principals say i was going to buy a ticket so should just be allowed to pay the 4.50.

Do i contest? PAY? Or do nothing??

Advice appreciated guys & gals

AlexisV

Legally, they have lost out on £4.50 from you not paying. You haven't committed an offence - you have breached a contract at most.

On the other hand, they know full well they're owed £4.50, but are attempting to relieve you of £45+ by means of aggression and threats.

So you can ignore (the best option), write and ask for an invoice with the correct amount on (knowing full well they won't send one, although you might feel a bit better. You will have wasted your own time though) or pay them £4.50 (which will still result in threatening letters).

pogofish

As this is a private ticket, you have not comitted any offence and it is highly unlikely Metor will pursue you for the actual cost.

Best way to proceed is to ignore them altogether and keep ignoring the letters from fake debt collectors and solicitors that will probably follow.

Search this forum and have a look at the sticky to see what to expect - TBH, Meteor are amongst the more pathetic of these parasites.

rufiotgl

yeah i did a bit or research on google which brought me here hence the question. I just wanted to make sure that there arent any mitigating circumstances.

Part of me thinks just cough the 45 quid and get it out the way and done with so you are less the hassle. But then the other half of me thinks 45 quid is quite allot of money & maybe i should try stick it to them!!

AlexisV

Part of me thinks just cough the 45 quid and get it out the way and done with so you are less the hassle

Exactly what their business model of speculative invoicing relies on. All you'll be doing is ignoring some junkmail from debt collectors. After 4 or 5 letters, they'll go away. All they do is send out computer generated waffle and hope that 40 or 50% of people fall for it.

It's a nice way of making money for minimal effort.

Relax and ignore them.

Coupon-mad

rufiotgl wrote: »

yeah i did a bit or research on google which brought me here hence the question. I just wanted to make sure that there arent any mitigating circumstances.

Part of me thinks just cough the 45 quid and get it out the way and done with so you are less the hassle. But then the other half of me thinks 45 quid is quite allot of money & maybe i should try stick it to them!!

Private parking companies do not know the meaning of the words 'mitigating circumstances'.

Do not bother to appeal, you would just be giving them information to hassle you with - which they will do anyway. See the top thread 'PPC letters' for preview pics of the letter-chains and go to the thread called 'welcome, please read before posting' for the must-see Watchdog paper aeroplane youtube link:


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


Most of us here have ignored these fake PCNs, whether from a station or a supermarket or McDonalds car parks. Basically any 'ticket' that calls itself a 'parking charge notice' is a fake; real PCNs are called 'penalty charge notices'. It's simple to tell the difference even though some of the fakes look legit and they may have a photo of your car on (big wow!) and are followed by scary letters, it doesn't make them any more enforceable than, say, a made-up £50 'charge' from me, for anyone reading this reply.

I ignored a fake PCN 3 years ago and would happily collect more just to cost the scammer PPCs some more money in postage with their pathetic threatogram letter-chain. I always use supermarket car parks and the driver of my car sometimes overstays (oh dear) but sadly the PPCs have never yet graced my windscreen with any more of their pointless bogroll 'tickets'.

Thinking 'I might just just pay the £45' is the same sort of logic as paying a phishing emailer. Do not go there.

Stigy

AlexisV wrote: »

Legally, they have lost out on £4.50 from you not paying. You haven't committed an offence - you have breached a contract at most.

pogofish wrote:

As this is a private ticket, you have not comitted any offence and it is highly unlikely Metor will pursue you for the actual cost.

Lets not forget that this happened at a Railway Station, therefore an offence probably was committed under Railway Byelaw 14. However, I would imagine this is a PPC acting on behalf of the Train Operating Company, and will probably only ever use the contract as a threat, and not go to the Magistrates' Court using the Byelaw. To say an offence hasn't been committed is incorrect (assuming the car park forms part of the railway, which in most cases they do).

peter_the_piper

Question for Stigy.
Is a ppc able to sue under Byelaw 14 (being a contracted agent) or would they have to pass it back to BTP?

RENEGADE_2

Stigy produced my exact point. I was running down the list reading the posts and knowing from the OP that the word "train" seemed to be the most important factor.

The chances are, this is a PPC/"civil" scam with nothing to fear.

But we must have as much information as possible, what does it say on the ticket? Breach of terms and conditions? Or offence according to Byelaw 14? What is the appeal procedure and where does it go?

Of course, there is every chance the wording "Byelaw 14" is being falsely used, it wouldn't be the first time. It's not impossible for METEOR to be carrying the torch for the TOC. Can the OP fill us in on these details, thanks.

RENEGADE_2

rufiotgl wrote: »

yeah i did a bit or research on google which brought me here hence the question. I just wanted to make sure that there arent any mitigating circumstances.

Part of me thinks just cough the 45 quid and get it out the way and done with so you are less the hassle. But then the other half of me thinks 45 quid is quite allot of money & maybe i should try stick it to them!!

Sorry, the point I was trying to make was this: if, as is 99% the chance, this METEOR ticket be another civil notice with threats to pass the matter to debt collection agencies and eventually the County Court, then mitigating circumstances will not play the slightest role as you will freely be able to ignore everything. That whole game is a major scam and the public are mostly unaware. You need to check the documentation and particularly the signage the next time you visit the station. If Byelaw 14 is mentioned somewhere, we'll take a closer look at this, if not, you're laughing.

notts_phil

Why would you pay people trying to scam you?