I think youve heard this before

merkat22

I also have an £80 fine imposed by Vehicle Control Services when parking at an entertainment complex in Sheffield. Parked there before, and when its busy and at night have parked round the back of a restauarnt in delivery area but not blocking any entrances.
I too appealed and got the same letter back as I see in the forum, considered my appeal but have contravened rules so get on and pay up or pay £120 if not received by 20 Feb.
Also admitted to going back there in daylight and looking for Notices which I again admitted I found, but contested the amount rather than argued that there should be no fine.
So with the deadline looming should I tough it out or send the £35 which would be a normal fine in the City??
Your advice or previous experience would be great!

give_them_FA

Tough it out, you sound capable.

You have made the initial mistake of contacting them, but that isn't a problem.

Appealing to them is about as effective as appealing to someone who's about to mug you, and that's what they are trying to do.

You will receive a series of letters from them, followed by a toothless debt collection agency, with perhaps one from a phony solicitor at the end.

These will keep changing the amount demanded (usually upwards, to scare you) and will threaten you with court proceedings (it never happens as there is no legal basis for their charge and the few that have tried it have lost) bailiffs (which cannot happen without the aforementioned Court proceedings) and hanging, drawing and quartering followed by beheading.

Simple instructions: IGNORE everything. DO NOT make any further contact NO MATTER WHAT THEY SAY. They are liars, that is how they co-erce people into paying.

Keep IGNORING until they go away. When they see you are not falling for it they DO cut their losses and abandon it.

This has happened for me over 80 times. Money paid- ZERO. Court cases- ZERO. Trust me, it ALWAYS works.

Bottom line a private company CANNOT fine you. Only the Council or Police have that power. But they rely upon peoples' ignorance of that.

pogofish

Just ignore them and go check the sticky to see what they wil try-on next.

HO87

You are crediting VCS with a level of authority they simply do not have. They have no right whatsoever in law to levy a fine on anyone - only a statutory body (and they are a private company) such as the police or councils can levy a fine. What you have received is an invoice - or in strict legal terms - an "invitation to settle" a breach of contract VCS allege you committed by parking when and where you did. However, as this was undoubtedly a free car park their loss - if indeed there was any - can only have been £0. You owe them nothing.

Have a good read through the "stickies" at the head of the forum - especially the BBC Watchdog videos. You will then more clearly understand the issue of these invoices and their standing in law.

Boiling it down to gravy the advice here is to ignore any further correspondence. You can also see the VCS letterchain in the "stickies" and know what you'll be receiving next.

FatAndy

merkat22 wrote: »

I also have an £80 fine imposed by Vehicle Control Services when parking at an entertainment complex in Sheffield.

The most important bit of advice is this -

YOU HAVE NOT RECEIVED A FINE!!!!

Only the police and local authorities can issue parking fines and Vehicle Control Services is neither of these. The law allows private companies to reclaim a reasonable pre-estimate of any losses suffered but any claims must not be disproportionately excessive. If you choose not to hand over your money then in order to get you to pay Vehicle Control Services would need to take you to court and convince a judge that £80 is a reasonable pre-estimate of losses suffered. While they're at it they could also try to convince the judge that they just saw a pig fly past the window.

fil_cad

IGNORE i have had bunk of them they push you to the limit with court threats BUT THEY WILL BACK OFF and go away save your dosh and chill out:money::D

Kite2010

But in future please try and park in a marked bay and not in a delivery bay, even if it means having to walk an extra minute to get to the place you were heading to.

Ignore the PPC anyhow