Here's a good one for you..

Randy

Here's a good one for you..

On Jan 6th I was working in a nearby town, I left one place of work at 12:30pm.. Stopped off at halfords for some fuses.. But they didn't have the right ones and I left. I don't recall going back there.

Yesterday I got a letter forwarded on from my company car leasing company.. (too late to get discounted rate of £40) TCP claiming I was there for 3 hours and therefore exceeded the allowed time they have photos of my car apparently leaving at 3.40pm
This is impossible as I was working at the other end of town from 1.30pm.. And I have witnesses.

What do I do?

PS- I know the usual advice is to ignore it but the future threatening letters will go to my leasing company who will get miffed off..

The_Slithy_Tove

As long as getting miffed is as far as the leasing company will go, that's OK. You must make sure they don't pay and don't charge anything on to you. ANy decent sized lease company should be wise to this scam, but many aren't, and possibly play the game in order to stuff you, the punter, with admin fees.

Alternatively, contact TCP, in order to divert the junk mail to you. You don't have to appeal or even tell them you're not paying, though you might like to tell them if they allege a debt, then they should issue court proceedings within 10 days - any further communication will be deemed as harrassment.

muckybutt

In your case I would get in touch with them, just state you have recieved communication from them re an alleged parking matter and that you are reviewing the photos and details provided and that any further correspondance should come to your address.

Do not state you were the driver.

AltheHibby

Good advice there.

I am waiting for one to arrive from Halfords pet morons, sorry, PPC, as Mrs theHibby's car got it's MOT there and was in much longer than the time allowed. Halfords reckon she shouldn't be sent one, but we'll see!

Trebor16

Make sure you put in writing to the lease company that it is not a legally enforceable fine or penalty and you strongly dispute that you owe any money. Put them on notice that they shouod not pay it and if they do and try and bill you for it then you will not pay it. If the lease company pay this invoice then inform them you will challenge it with them.

Randy

Thanks, bit of conflicting advice there... but good.

I think i`m gonna go for telling TCP to send all mail directly to me.. and as I wasn`t even on that car park then I will need to investigate who took my car, copied it an drove it back to that car park and left it there for 3 hours.

taffy056

More likely that you went there at what time you said, then maybe went back there a few hours later , then their scameras conveniently only saw you going in early on, and only saw you leaving much later on. Now these god faring honest people would never try and cheat you by pretending you didn't leave , they are much to honest to do such a thing

Coupon-mad

Randy wrote: »

Thanks, bit of conflicting advice there... but good.

I think i`m gonna go for telling TCP to send all mail directly to me.. and as I wasn`t even on that car park then I will need to investigate who took my car, copied it an drove it back to that car park and left it there for 3 hours.

I think there's a real danger that the Lease company WILL just pay it unless you are very very clear with the right people at the lease company and at your own company that this is a scam invoice. I seem to recall we have seen threads where Lex have just paid these fake PCNs before so you must tell them now you won't reimburse them if they do - copy in your company Line Manager/Fleet Manager as well - and do not let any of them tell you it's a fine.

You must take action to clarify the legal position now, up front. It's by no means sure that TCP will write to your address even if you give it.

if you do write to TCP giving your postal address in the hope they will send you the future letters, as well as not saying who was driving, also do not give them your real signature and do not tell them that it's a lease car! Don't let them realise the easy money opportunity that awaits if they ignore your letter and carry on writing to the lease company. They would hope for an immediate payment, no questions asked, and would get it from many stupid Fleet Managers.

But this thread below explains why the lease company should not do this:

http://www.pepipoo.com/forums/lofive...hp/t65302.html

I am SchoolRunMum on pepipoo, look at my reply and links dated 4th October on that thread, the emails used on the linked 'sixt' car hire thread I mention there are the way forward for you to copy/amend, without delay.

Also look at this thread which shows what a lease company should do, i.e. forward any letters to the company or the driver's attention (as neither the lease co nor your employer is liable, and even under the new Freedoms Bill a Lease company would not be liable either):

http://forums.pepipoo.com/index.php?showtopic=66692

And you'll see on that thread there's a link to the BVRLA website which gives template letters for Lease companies to use. The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association is the trade body for companies engaged in the leasing and rental of cars and commercial vehicles, and they DO know the score.

Point out to the Lease company that to pay this or take it seriously would be to go against their own industry advice from their own trade body.

There is plenty of info to give the Lease co and your own Fleet Manager up front, including a printout or link to the Fleet News online article which I think is also on one of those pepipoo links.

Do this straight away, as well as writing a brief 'here's the address for any correspondence but your charge is completely denied as the car was not there' letter to TCP in the hope that they send the threatograms to you.

arcon5

muckybutt wrote: »

Do not state you were the driver.

Why not? It makes no difference in ops case -- op can prove he wasn't there at the stated time, which means the company cannot prove he was. Theres nothing to worry about if they know who was driving.

taffy056

arcon5 wrote: »

Why not? It makes no difference in ops case -- op can prove he wasn't there at the stated time, which means the company cannot prove he was. Theres nothing to worry about if they know who was driving.

No it makes no difference, but as the ppcs troll forums why give them any ammunition at all when you don't have too, we always advise to say my vehicle was parked in such a place, instead of I parked there. The RK of the vehicle is very often not the driver, only the driver in theory enters into a contract, if they don't know who that is there is no court case possible.

arcon5

taffy056 wrote: »

No it makes no difference, but as the ppcs troll forums why give them any ammunition at all when you don't have too, we always advise to say my vehicle was parked in such a place, instead of I parked there. The RK of the vehicle is very often not the driver, only the driver in theory enters into a contract, if they don't know who that is there is no court case possible.

I understand that, but if op tells them he was the driver it is likely they will store the email as their 'evidence' and update the address to ops. Rather than them sending letters to the leasing company which could cause problems for op.

It would be much simpler for op to receive their letters and throw them in the bin knowing 100% they have no case than the leasing company to receive them & potentially pay or contact op to discuss it each time.

And if they are stupid enough to file a court case with the evidence that op was driving, then more fool them! Let them waste their time and money.