Parking Fine

stuwho

My wife had parked in the local scotmid car park to go into the store. The cashpoint was not working, so she walked round to the bank (about 1 minute walk) she came back & went into the store.As she walked out of the store, she saw the attendant look over at her as he stuck a ticket on the car. She walked over to him & asked him why he gave her a ticket when he saw her walking out of the store. He said he didn't realise that she had gone into the store & apologized. As customers started leaving the store they were telling her she did not have to pay it & he actually agreed with them & actually told my wife he had recieved one himself from another supermarket & hadn't paid it. She thought no more about it & threw it in the bucket.

Now today she has recieved a letter from
Parking Collection Services
PO Box 271
Ashton Under Lyne

It read

Dear Mrs ......................
we are instructed by CP Plus Ltd who manage the above car park. We are advised by our client that their car parking attendant observed a vehicle parked at the above location on the specified date & that the vehicle which is registered in your name did not adhere to the terms & conditions as detailed on the notice boards. As a result, a charge notice was issued, affixed to the vehicle & currently remains unpaid.

We are now instructed to recover the full outstanding amount, as the period for paying the reduced sum has now passed. Accordingly, if a valid dispute or payment in the above sum is not recieved within 14 days from the date of this letter further recovery action will be taken. ( If it is your contention that you were not the driver of the vehicle at the time of the parking event, please provide us with details of the driver, whereapon we will transfer liability)

We have obtained your details as you were the registered owner/keeper at the time of the parking event.

Such action will undoubtedly include increased cost to include debt recovery charges & interest for late payment. Should you have any doubt about the meaning or effect of this letter, then we would suggest you seek legal advice as a matter of urgency.

Yours Sincerely
Claire Robinson
Collections Manager

It is now up to £80
Can anyone tell me
1 - Do I have to pay it
2 -Where would they have got my wifes details from.

Don't know if it makes any difference, but I am in Scotland.
If anyone has any advice I'd be very greatful. But please, don't just tell me not to pay it, a bit of evidence to support it if you can
Thanks.

HappyMJ

1. You don't have to pay it.
2. The DVLA.

grannybroon

As far as I am aware this canot be enforced in Scotland - my neighbour who is a police officer received similar and told me she ignored it.

HO87

stuwho wrote: »

But please, don't just tell me not to pay it, a bit of evidence to support it if you can
Thanks.

With respect there are umpteen threads (actually many thousands) on here justifying the recommendation that you simply ignore such invoices.

Make sure that you look through the "stickies" at the head of this forum which contain all of the evidence you need to understand your legal position. The BBC Watchdog videos are well worth watching and the solicitor there will almost certainly put your mind at rest.

CP Plus are well know as are Parking Collection Services - who are simply a debt collection agency. DCA's have no authority at law to enforce a debt beyond those that you and I share. That's it, all they can do is to ask - only they make such requests look very threatening. PCS are a trading name of DR Plus

The letter you have is entirely standard (look at the "Private Parking Companies' Letters & Threats" sticky where miraculously you'll find similar letters to that you have had signed by the same Claire Robinson but this time representing Debt Recovery Plus (which is actually the same company).

Ignore this and simply get on with your life.

vax2002

A complicated scam that impersonates authority, will change characters to more impersonations such as debt collectors, solicitors advising you what dastardly acts MAY be happening to you, deliberate mistakes to get you on your high horse.
You win by totally ignoring them, they have no authority whatsoever other than bluff.
With regards to legal advice they ask you to seek, here it is free:
A private company may not charge a penalty: Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Co. Ltd. v New Garage & Motor Co. Ltd. [1915] A.C. 79 at 86
End of story.

give_them_FA

Stu: Totally ignore it nothing at all can or will happen.

Lets hope they send you a lot of other letters. Then you can laugh at the idiots, because they have lost £2.50 getting your details from DVLA plus the postage on every letter.

I just love the thought that their pathetic attempt to scam you has ended up costing them money.

Just to be clear, unlike the Police, they cannot require the car owner to provide details of who was driving, so in any case it's a total dead end. Forget the whole thing. When they have given up and gone away, come back on here and tell us, to reassure other victims of these scammers that our advice is good.

vax2002

PS if they use franked mail, bob it all back in the post box each time you pass, they get charged every time it gets scanned.

give_them_FA

Nice tip, Vax!

stuwho

Just wondered, might sound a bit silly, but can I complain to the DVLA about giving my details to someone under the data protection act?

vax2002

stuwho wrote: »

Just wondered, might sound a bit silly, but can I complain to the DVLA about giving my details to someone under the data protection act?

You are taking this too seriously, it is a scam, drop it where it belongs and get on with life.

taffy056

stuwho wrote: »

Just wondered, might sound a bit silly, but can I complain to the DVLA about giving my details to someone under the data protection act?

They will ignore all complaints, and claim that the scammers have a just cause to have the info, basically it means that the DVLA is making money out of this scam as well, and will not forgo millions of pounds from a corrupt business model.

Best advice is just ignore everything unless court papers pop through the box, basically that will happen the next time hereford win the premier league title.