What if you don't get a ticket, just a debt collectors letter?

DawnW

Hi,
I received the other day a letter from Roxburghe debt collectors alleging I had been given a parking notice back in mid-December and demanding money. This is the first I heard of it.

I never received any notice - if I had I would have dealt with it straight away, as there is no way I wouldn't have paid - it is the station car park I use almost every day.

Unsurprisingly, I no longer have the machine tickets from December - and to be honest, I am not even sure if I used the car that day. I usually have a season ticket but it ran out prior to the disputed day. I didn't renew till after Christmas as I didn't want to 'waste' almost 2 weeks parking charges over the holiday period. During the time I didn't have a season ticket I either paid daily using the machine, or got a lift in. There is no way I would have forgotten.

I have recently paid an exorbitant amount for a new season ticket for the car park, and don't need this as well :mad:

I rang Apcoa and they were not very helpful, but did suggest I write to them and Roxburgh disputing the charge. I have done this, and am waiting to see what happens next.

Has anyone else had experience of this, ie not receiving a ticket or notice, just a debt collectors letter? I can't imagine anyone would have removed a parking notice from my car. It is not in a place where you get people / kids hanging around during the day.

peter_the_piper

Can you tell us if it is a council car park or one run by a private parking company. Apcoa run parking for some councils and also do it as a private company.

Sir_Roger_deLodger

peter_the_piper wrote: »

Can you tell us if it is a council car park or one run by a private parking company. Apcoa run parking for some councils and also do it as a private company.

If Roxburghe are involved it won't be council.
OP, do not contact Apcoa or Roxburghe again, and dont even think about paying. Expect a couple of letters from Graham White solicitors [Roxburghe under a different name], ignore these and they will give up.

notts_phil

You have wasted your time writing to them. Roxburghe will just see they have a live fish and send your more silly letters

Ignore them all, even if they phone you, tell them the debt is denied and put the phone down.

taffy056

Bloody hell what do you mean you would have paid the ticket straight away ? You have been coming here for 6 years, ain't you learned anything about private parking companies in all that time ? You most certainly do not pay their invoices, they are not enforceable at all, you have not had a penalty it's just a bit of junk asking you to pay ! Roxburghe and Graham White solicitors who will write to you next are the same people, they are being investigated for this deception they do.

So your next course of action is to ignore all their fake demands, and please read the sticky threads on this section to educate yourself.

HappyMJ

taffy056 wrote: »

Bloody hell what do you mean you would have paid the ticket straight away ? You have been coming here for 6 years, ain't you learned anything about private parking companies in all that time ? You most certainly do not pay their invoices, they are not enforceable at all, you have not had a penalty it's just a bit of junk asking you to pay ! Roxburghe and Graham White solicitors who will write to you next are the same people, they are being investigated for this deception they do.

So your next course of action is to ignore all their fake demands, and please read the sticky threads on this section to educate yourself.

I think they said they would have "dealt" with it straight away. Don't know how though...Probably copying the day ticket they had and sent a copy to the PPC. That wouldn't have got them anywhere though the PPC would have written back saying "not on display" you're at fault...pay up or else....

Trebor16

Dawn said there is no way she wouldn't have paid and I believe she meant that she wouldn't have parked without paying the correct charge. I don't think she meant she would have paid the "fine".

Kite2010

It must be their latest trick, forget about the first 2 letters, go straight into a letter from the toothless debt collectors to try and upset people more.

Ignore them

Coupon-mad

DawnW wrote: »

Hi,

I never received any notice - if I had I would have dealt with it straight away, as there is no way I wouldn't have paid - it is the station car park I use almost every day.

No, no, no, no, you are an MSE regular! Please don't say you would have paid a fake PCN from a private firm! That's how your sentence reads, please tell us you would not have paid the imaginary 'parking charge' on a fake ticket...

:eek:

I nearly fell off my chair with shock if that is what you meant!

See my signature, read what Martin said in several articles in 2009! See our sticky threads at the top, have you not seen the Watchdog clip yet? Seen the letter-chain pictures? Realised it's a scam even when in a railway car park (except in rare cases where the Train Operator issue their own real penalties, only Northern Rail spring to mind).

Such real ones never go to random scumbag debt collectors like Roxburghe so you can be sure this is a fake PCN from Meteor or NCP, probably.

All private parking charges are unfair. All private parking charge notices are fake PCNs and are just like a protection racket. A scam of the highest order, impersonating authority and then following up with questionable, pseudo-legal threatograms (as shown in pics in our stickies).

You nearly got bitten by a scam! Just because a piece of paper mimics a 'parking ticket' does not make it so. Except where issuing real penalty charges for a Council, no private company has the authority to fine ANYONE under any circumstances, these 'charges' are ALWAYS UNFAIR.

Parking Charge = SCAM :mad:

Penalty Charge = real (usually), look for Council (or rarely, Northern Rail) logo and appeal to the Council/TOC.

Guess what reply you will get to what you were led to believe was an 'appeal procedure'?! We can tell you now if it's not obvious, as there is NO 'appeal' to a scam, 'your appeal has been rejected...'..

robredz

Roxburghe are part of the scam, they should be ignored imho

kam199

I have just looked Debt Recovery Plus up on Companies House web site and they are registered as a Financial Intermediator ?? Now I have looked up the definition of Financial Intermediator and there is a list of what they do and a list of what they should not do and number 2 on the list of not to do is * Debt Collection Activities !!!!

So this just clarifies to me that ignoring my letter is justified and if it does go any further the mere fact that they are registered as a Financial Intermediator should be grounds for having the charges dropped, as they can not pursue them !!!