TCP Duplicate Charge

Seejay123

I have't seen the answer to this one yet, so please bear with me. Essentially, TCP are trying to charge me twice for the same 'offence.' We parked in a disabled bay in Asda, but forgot to show my wife's legally held Blue Badge. On returning we found a TCP PCN for £60, discounted to £30 within 14 days. I paid online within 3 hours and TCP emailed a receipt to us, and the debit was shown on our credit card. 24 days later we received a letter claiming that the charge hadn't been paid, and demanding £60. I noticed that the PCN serial numbers were different, the one on my windscreen was DB974xxx, the invoice showed DB975xxx, a variation of exactly 1000 in the numbers. Apart from that, every other detail matched; location, vehicle, date, time and offence were identical. I immediately wrote back pointing out the error, enclosing copies of all the documents. We went on holiday, but on return there was no letter from TCP, so I wrote again by Recorded Delivery, enclosing all the copies again. Royal Mail confirmed delivery the following day. Two days later I received a letter from Whyte & Co demanding £82. I wrote back saying I was in dispute with TCP over the charge, explaining why. This was over a week ago. I now know that I should have read this forum first, but even so, surely they can't charge me twice?

Sir_Roger_deLodger

Seejay123 wrote: »

I have't seen the answer to this one yet, so please bear with me. Essentially, TCP are trying to charge me twice for the same 'offence.' We parked in a disabled bay in Asda, but forgot to show my wife's legally held Blue Badge. On returning we found a TCP PCN for £60, discounted to £30 within 14 days. I paid online within 3 hours and TCP emailed a receipt to us, and the debit was shown on our credit card. 24 days later we received a letter claiming that the charge hadn't been paid, and demanding £60. I noticed that the PCN serial numbers were different, the one on my windscreen was DB974xxx, the invoice showed DB975xxx, a variation of exactly 1000 in the numbers. Apart from that, every other detail matched; location, vehicle, date, time and offence were identical. I immediately wrote back pointing out the error, enclosing copies of all the documents. We went on holiday, but on return there was no letter from TCP, so I wrote again by Recorded Delivery, enclosing all the copies again. Royal Mail confirmed delivery the following day. Two days later I received a letter from Whyte & Co demanding £82. I wrote back saying I was in dispute with TCP over the charge, explaining why. This was over a week ago. I now know that I should have read this forum first, but even so, surely they can't charge me twice?

Actually they can't even charge you once, as you say it is a shame you didnt come here first, it would have saved you 30 quid.
As you have paid once they see you as a potential mug who they can scare into paying again. Stop communicating with these cowboys and ignore them from now on.

Sirdan

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They can't charge you at all not even once !!!

IGNORE everything from now on...you have proof should they be stupid enough to try a claim in court ..so why engage with them ..the ball is in their court (no pun intended) ..IGNORE and get on with your life.

Put the £30 down to experience ,you won't make the mistake of paying these frauds again will you ??

Seejay123

Sir Roger deLodger & Sirdan, Thanks, after reading replies to other questions, I hoped that might be the case. I appreciate the peace of mind you've given me. I'll let you know if anything else happens.

HO87

I think this one of those rare occasions when I would recommend writing to Whyte & Co as, even by PPC standards, there is no debt - given that the OP paid very quickly.

As things stand you have written to Whyte & Co making it clear that you dispute the charge and, if they apply OFT guidelines, then they should refer the matter back to TCP. I therefore suggest that you write to TCP in the following manner:

Town & City Parking
5 South Inch Business Centre
Shore Road
Perth
PH2 8BW

Dear Sir

Re. PCN No. DB974xxx and PCN No. DB975xxx

I deny that any debt is owed to you in relation to the above matters.

I will not enter into any further correspondence whatsoever on this subject in the absence of your having issued immediate proceedings in the county court. Therefore, if I do not receive notice of proceedings within the next 14 days I will consider the matters closed.

Any further contact from you, your agents or assigns will be considered harassment. I reserve the right to seek redress for such harassment and will report matters both to the Office of Fair Trading and the police.

Yours faithfully

Seejay123

Please note: The right at common-law for your employees, agents or assigns to call at this address in pursuit of the purported debt or debts or any related or allied matter is withdrawn immediately and in perpetuity. Should any of your employees, agents or assigns enter onto this property they will do so as trespassers and will render themselves liable to being dealt with as such including, but not limited to, forcible removal, civil proceedings and being reported to the police for breach of the peace. As you have already instructed an agent or in the alternative have assigned the purported debt or debts to Whyte & Co then you should advise them immediately of the contents of this letter and the warnings it contains as a failure to do so may render you liable to proceedings as a principal in respect of their actions.

Seejay123

HO87: Thank you for that, well worth considering. Perhaps I'll give them a few more days as I only wrote to Whyte & Co last week. Incidentally, TCP are based in Perth. Would your letter work up there?
As I said, in one sense I'd like to see them explain themselves in Court, but, least said and all that.

Thanks again

vax2002

EVIDENCE
Exhibit 4

I have't seen the answer to this one yet, so please bear with me. Essentially, TCP are trying to charge me twice for the same 'offence.' We parked in a disabled bay in Asda, but forgot to show my wife's legally held Blue Badge. On returning we found a TCP PCN for £60, discounted to £30 within 14 days. I paid online within 3 hours and TCP emailed a receipt to us, and the debit was shown on our credit card. 24 days later we received a letter claiming that the charge hadn't been paid, and demanding £60. I noticed that the PCN serial numbers were different, the one on my windscreen was DB974xxx, the invoice showed DB975xxx, a variation of exactly 1000 in the numbers. Apart from that, every other detail matched; location, vehicle, date, time and offence were identical. I immediately wrote back pointing out the error, enclosing copies of all the documents. We went on holiday, but on return there was no letter from TCP, so I wrote again by Recorded Delivery, enclosing all the copies again. Royal Mail confirmed delivery the following day. Two days later I received a letter from Whyte & Co demanding £82. I wrote back saying I was in dispute with TCP over the charge, explaining why. This was over a week ago. I now know that I should have read this forum first, but even so, surely they can't charge me twice?

More Evidence That if you PAY theses scammers, like all scammers they come back for MORE + MORE MONEY
Paying a private parking charge will not make it go away, it will make them come after you for MORE MONEY.
BE WARNED

Seejay123

Thank you, Vax2002, lesson has been learned!

vax2002

My advice, you are WASTING your time writing and arguing, they care not, they are scammers who have had one easy hit from your wallet and now they seek another.
Totally Ignore anything they send now and let them whistle in court if they think they are owed anything else, which as they were not owed any money in the first place and they run the risk of you counter claiming the first charge back as an unlawful penalty they wont try it and if they do I would say there is a very good chance indeed that you will end not only with all your money back, but a generous allowence for your expenses as well>
advice: from now on, dont argue, ignore fake debt letters, nobody will come to your house as you can have them arrested for behaviour likely to cause a breech of the peace.
In the highly unlikely extreme event you get REAL stamped, sealed court papers come back.

Fergie76

As others have pointed out,the best course of action is to ignore these scammers, but as you have already paid, I would be inclined to do as HO87 says and have a little play with them.

PPC's don't usually do court, but I would be baiting them to try and take it court.

But that's just me.

fb1969

As if I needed (another) reason not to shop at Adsa, their involvement in condoning the actions of PPCs is shameful.

OP, whatever the outcome please think twice about giving your custom to Asda.