APCOA . . I wasn't there!!

wiseoldbird78

Can anyone help me please.

I recently received a 'Final reminder' for an alleged unpaid parking contravention which supposedly took place on the 19th Jan 2011. The correspondence came from a company called 'Parking Collection Services' who said they had taken over the business of collecting this charge. According to the documentation I was supposedly given a PCN for not displaying a valid parking ticket when parking on the APCOA car park at Manchester Victoria Station. They said that as I hadn't paid the 'fine' that was issued, ( I don't know how much it was) and the reduced rate offer had expired I now owed them £120 !!!

The thing is I have NEVER parked at this car park . . in fact I have never even driven through Manchester City centre at any time.
I was in fact rostered to do a 12.5 hour night shift that very evening so I know I would have been in bed for most of the day sleeping prior to my shift.

The reminder stated they had got my details (address) from the DVLA and I had 14 days to either appeal (via email) or pay up.

I obviously have not paid it and have sent them an email disputing that I was even there let alone had received a ticket.

They have replied and TBH are still expecting me to pay. They have said they will put my account on 'hold' for the next 14 days and are awaiting some evidence from me to support my denial. I have replied and told them I cannot produce any evidence and have instead asked them to produce the evidence that I was ever issued with the PCN.

I am not very well up with these things and was wondering firstly . . are APCOA a totally private company or are they acting on behalf of the council as I am aware there are differences between the 2 when it comes to parking 'fines'?
Secondly . . are the collection company (Parking Collection Services) within their rights in obtaining my details from the DVLA ?

I have no intention whatsoever of paying this charge and have told the company as much but I could use a little reassurance from you guys that I am doing the right thing.
I would be grateful for any comments or advice you may have.
Thanks
Jx

Kite2010

Ignore APCOA, most likely the min wage parking attendant (whatever they want to call themselves these days) wrote the wrong registration number down.

Think, January was 8 months ago, if APCOA thought they had a winnable case they would have taken you to court by now.

wiseoldbird78

Cheers Kite2010
I know the original 'offence' is a while ago but I only got the 'final reminder' (which was the first I knew about this) around the 26th August.

I am not overly worried about it. . . especially having read some of the threads regarding other so called 'fines' . . . it's just so annoying!!! especially as I know I was never there and never had a ticket issued to me.

I read somewhere they take photos of the ticket when it's on the car as proof. . . does anyone know if this is true?

Jx

vax2002

Listen this is a scam that works by getting your back up, they need you to open a dialogue with them by trying to point score, then they scam you.
They way to beat these, the 1 and only way is to do nothing.
Ignore them, do not contact them, do not bite back.
You get a shed load of fake threats and fake solicitors letters and fake debt collectors letters then they move on and look for another mug.
Be-warned this company are renowned for coming back for more money if you pay up.

wiseoldbird78

Thank you vax2002
I certainly am not going to pay up . . if they want money from me then they will have to take me to court.

I suppose I should just sit back and let them get on with it then.

Thanks for the reassurances
Jx

vax2002

wiseoldbird78 wrote: »

Thank you vax2002
I certainly am not going to pay up . . if they want money from me then they will have to take me to court.

I suppose I should just sit back and let them get on with it then.

Thanks for the reassurances
Jx

Good on you and do so in the knowledge that you can bob back here at any time for support and even help constructing a defence in the very unlikely event they do try court, which trust me they will not.
Look up the letter chain on the stickies at the top and enjoy playing Snap...

wiseoldbird78

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: Might just do that
Jx

esmerobbo

In this case I would ignore Apcoa and Parking Collection services, but I would contact DVLA telling them that Apcoa have obtained your details fraudulently as you were never in the area they claim you were.

Apcoa do seem to get a lot of VRN's incorrect, wonder how many pay up?

robredz

It is annoying when these clowns pursue the wrong person for their Mickey Mouse Invoice, but it's their money they are wasting. and we can ignore them. Even the big boys who can send various nefarious people like Phillips bailiffs get it wrong with cameras.

This one was a mess up by TFL in 2003 where they sent a Congestion Charge penalty to a farmer for a combine that had been off road for the previous 2 years:

http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/content_objectid=13083125_method=full_siteid=50003_headline=-Combine-fine-for-stunned-farmer-name_page.html

sometimes there is a funny side...

wiseoldbird78

Hi esmerobbo and robredz
I did actually reply to Parking collection services yesterday before I posted and told them that neither me or my car were there and that if they say I was then they would have to show me the evidence (they obviously wont be able to cos I wasn't there . . neither was my car!

I also told them that the fact they stated 'they have it on record the ticket was issued' was not sufficient grounds for me to part with £120!

PCS have asked for info regarding make and model of my car on 2 occasions in their correspondence and I have ignored both requests.

I also contacted APCOA and asked them for the photographic evidence as the car park in question has CCTV. They said they would get back to me.
I have contacted Manchester City Council this morning just to make sure the so called 'ticket' that I never received wasn't issued on their behalf and they assured me that particular car park at Victoria Station was privately owned and nothing to do with them. I am now waiting in anticipation for their response and cannot wait to hit them with the 'Do not contact me again' email.

If all goes to plan I shall be reporting them to the police as I they have threatened me with a debt recovery agency and as you rightly suggest esmerobbo, the DVLA will be informed in due course.

Thank you all for your comments, thanks to this forum I am now able to laugh at these clowns instead of worrying about the situation as I was initially. The story re the combine harvester was hilarious!! :rotfl::rotfl:

Jx

esmerobbo

These companies make me howl when they ask you to prove you wasn't there! It is sort of asking you to look in the mirror and confirm that it is you!:p