Aylesbury Shopping Park / UKPC

Seahorse07

Hi - have just got back from Aylesbury Shopping Park having received a Parking Charge of £90.00 from UKPC (reduced to £50 if paid within 14 days).

As it's a Sunday we were totally unaware that we'd have to obtain a Pay & Display ticket. I mean what's the point if parking is free on a Sunday and we were there for 12 minutes!

So here's the thing, I don't want to pay as I've read other threads and am totally aware that we'll receive letters threatening action but my husband who was driving is worried that they'll take action against him or tow his car away etc etc.

Therefore, I'd like to remain resolute and stand by my guns but my husband is wavering and thinks he should pay! So I'd really appreciate any reassurance from others for my worried husband that so long as he doesn't identify himself and we make no "appeals" then the parking charge will eventually fizzle out and die and that he won't end up doing time and his car crushed to a tiny ball.

trisontana

The only "action" they will take against him is to send him some silly letters that can be ignored. As they are not the police or the council then they cannot and won't tow away his car.

vax2002

It is a scam that impersonates authority, poor hubby ! He's fallen for it.
Has no more "authority" than any other flyer left on the windscreen, take it off him ! before he really starts flapping reading the rubbish written on it.
Lots of silly letters, changes of characters in the act of impersonation, fake parking authority, fake debt collectors, fake phone calls, fake solicitors, more fake debt letters from realistic looking fake debt collectors.
all one big act.
The final act is a disappearing act when they finally move on to look for another mug.

taffy056

Seahorse07 wrote: »

As it's a Sunday we were totally unaware that we'd have to obtain a Pay & Display ticket. I mean what's the point if parking is free on a Sunday and we were there for 12 minutes!

And that is why it will never ever go to court, its a free car park, it says so on signs I guess, so by not displaying a ticket and then putting an invoice on the car it amounts to a punishment for doing doing so, that punishment is a penalty, it is illegal for a private company to issue them, they will fall flat on their faces if they took it further.

The advice is : IGNORE everything sent to you by the parking company and their agents, if signed and stamped court papers arrive, come back here for further advice. The chances of that happening is about the same as lotto jackpot win.

societys_child

husband is wavering

Seahorse, tell him he will lose more than his car if he doesn't man up :rotfl:

AltheHibby

Societys child, that's the post I wish I had written!!!

Coupon-mad

Oh for Goodness' sake it's NOT A FINE and is only like ignoring some phishing emails. A scam like this is easy to ignore, I have done it and I am just an ordinary Mum (who also had a wavering husband, funnily enough - he never did get that it was a scam until it all ended just as predicted!).

Just show him the top thread 'PPC letters & threats' and together play 'PPC snap' with each letter that arrives that matches the preview pics on that thread. Make sure he and you also watch the Watchdog clip on that thread.

UKPC have never 'done Court' except the time they got taken there last year by Trading Standards who saw through their scam:

http://forums.pepipoo.com/index.php?showtopic=63597

That's the sort of people your husband is thinking of handing over some of his hard-earned to, just because they have printed off a fake PCN and use debt collector letter-headings as part of their con. As vax2002 said above, it is a scam that impersonates authority - so just don't fall for it!

This is not a fine nor a 'debt' and will have no effect at all on his credit rating; won't go to Court; will not result in bailiffs nor the towing/clamping of the car. Please show him these replies and the top thread/Watchdog clip.

give_them_FA

Seahorse, I am not going to be so hard on your hubby as this scam catches out a lot of people every year, since the fraudsters are fairly convincing in their threats. But that's all it is- a scam, pure and simple, which unfortunately has not yet been outlawed. Don't communicate in any way, shape or form. Don't ring, don't appeal, don't try and reason with the scammers.

Just ignore each and every letter they send you no matter what it says. And chuckle as you realise they are going to lose money by having tried to con you. Eventually, they WILL go away.

I know- they have tried this with myself and friends over 80 (yes eighty) times. I have never paid one penny, and number of attempts to take it further than writing letters- equals big fat zero.

Kite2010

I hope that is one shopping park which has lost at least one customer for employing a protection racket to "manage" their free car-park.

vax2002

can what you bought be taken back for a refund ?
If so I would and explain thats what happens when you have scammers robbing customers

Kite2010

Say "sorry, since I got this invoice from parking in your store, I need to return these items so I can pay the parking company for the alleged breach of contract".