responding to a parking charge notice

yorkshirepudding123

Hi,
I got one for overstaying my time in a retail park. As soon as I got home I sent them (Exel) an email saying I want to challenge the notice. They have written back to my partner (registered keeper) stating that despite careful consideration they have not found sufficient grounds to cancel the charge. My partner has until 11th October to pay £60 or it will revert to £100. It is MY challenge not my partner's and I haven't even made a proper challenge as yet - just my rantings in the first and only email I sent.
My point, in 10 days time I leave the country for 6 months. I want to contest this for as long as it takes but do not want my partner to be bombarded with intimidating letters from them. I want to deal with it myself - I know that when I've gone he'll just pay up as soon as they send him stuff through the post.
People keep saying don't respond, just ignore everything they send. That's fine if you're in the country and the stuff is coming to you directly. I'm thinking that I email them to explain that their issue is with me and NOT to write to my partner. That any future correspondence has to be directed to me through email since I will be out of the country.
Part of me wants to just pay up but I think we need to start tackling the CEO's of these major retail stores who employ the parking charge companies and ask where their moral compass is set.
Any advice is appreciated. The last thing I want is to leave my partner with hassle over this.

esmerobbo

You are going to be advised to ignore them, however if you wish your partner not to receive their crap, its simple he just has to say he wasn't driving and tell them who was. If he simply says it wasn't him they will still pester him, the only way they will stop is if they have someone else to go after.

However both of you ignoring them is the best option!

Inflatable_Armadillo

You have got the first indication of how a PPC operates. Despite YOU writing to them, they have still sent the reply to the registered keeper. That is because this is an almost a fully automated system at their end and the monkey at the other end has just pressed the, send appeal rejection notice (they don't have a successful appeal notice of course, there is no appeal process in the first place) and it has used the RK's details.

The next point is that they will probably not stop sending your partner the letters, even if you do write to them again pointing this out.

So, you need to sit your partner down in front of the computer and show him the advice that everyone gets on this forum about PPC's... IGNORE!

They will not stop sending him letters, so you are better off educating him why he should not pay... print off the 'threat-o-grams' from Excel so he knows what to expect.

AlexisV

You seem to be under the impression you are dealing with a company that operates reasonably.

There is no 'appeals process'.
There is no way of controlling who sends letters to whom and when.

Even paying will likely result in them bombarding you with more letters as somebody who has fallen for it once and so could pay again.

You have little option but to accept your partner will be receiving threatening letters. The only thing you can do is realise that computer generated junkmail is exactly that.

yorkshirepudding123

Guys,
I feel almost naive reading your posts. I get the picture. I shall do as you say, ignore them and 'forbid' my partner from opening any mail from them.
Just for the record I have written to B&Q head office to ask if the CEO has any moral or ethical conscience since it is his company, amongst others, that employs these parking charge companies.
I have also written to Jeremy Vine and Watchdog to ask for discussion with the big bosses of these retail park giants on how they can justify employing these people when ultimately all they want from the public is for us to spend our money in their premises.
Thanks for your comments.

LittleJo

Hi,
Excel recently lost an action in the courts in Stockport.
It was a County court and does not create precedent.
I forget the details but in general it was held that the parking notices were unsatisfactory.
I will have a dig in the recycling bill and see if I can get more details.
Jo

LittleJo

Hi,
Did a swift google
http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/s/1458879_motorist-wins-18-month-ticket-battle-after-judge-agrees-stockport-parking-signs-were-too-small.
This was the link to a Manchester Evening News article.
Hope this is helpful.
Jo

robredz

You know the pack drill ignore them, any contact is seen by the ppc as an invitation to send further increasingly outrageous invoices demanding more and more cash.