TPS charge notice - I responded!

Mrs_Walsh

I'm not sure if anyone else has had circumstances similar to mine.
I received a charge notice for £50.00 in the post (dated March), that showed photographs and times that my vehicle entered and left a car park, which is evidence that the duration of my stay exceeded the allotted free period by a little over 1 hour, back in December.
Firstly, this letter stated that it was in fact a reminder, as I had ignored a letter sent 2 weeks earlier, which had given me 14 days to pay a reduced charge, or challenge the issue. I did not receive this supposed first letter.
Regarding the incident, be totally honest I was unaware that the free parking was only for a max time period, though I have since looked and the sign does show this. I was however hoping that as the reason I had used the car park was because I was Christmas shopping in the local shops (surely the reason why free car park facilities are available to encourage custom), and had not for example left my car over-night, that they would review and so I wrote to them to appeal on this basis, also mentioning that I had indeed not received the first letter they had referred to.
They have now responded to my appeal but are simply saying that I have a further 7 days to pay £50.00.
I was only made aware of your website help on this subject after I had responded, as I would have ignored. As I have already contacted them, I fear that it may be too late for me and that I will have to pay.
Any comments or suggestions that you feel could help would be appreciated.

Stephen_Leak

For all intents and purposes, the circumstances of each case we see are academic.

It is never too late not to pay.

OK, replying to them may not have been one of your better decisions, but it's not a fatal error. It's confirmed you as a target, and may have given them info' they would've had to pay for. It's little more than postal "phishing".

They always reject appeals. What's in it for them to let anyone off the hook?

For the record, all you owe the car park owner is what they lost as a result of your heinous crime of spending too long shopping with them and overstaying your welcome.

However, their agent, the PPC, has effectively waived their right to this, by demanding significantly more. It is now a legally unenforceable speculative invoice.

Only councils, police and Transport for London can impose legally enforceable fines or penalties. A private company can't, no more than you or I.

So, continue to ignore everything the PPC and their debt collector and solicitor aliases send you.

give_them_FA

Often people think they are dealing with reasonable and honourable companies if this is their first experience of them. You are not. The only reason they have an appeal system is so they can save the £2.50 they would otherwise have to pay DVLA for your name and address. They never actually allow appeals.

Having contacted them makes no real difference, the charge is still not legal and it cannot be enforced. Make up for your initial mistake by ignoring twice as hard now, until theyrealise that you weren't a mug despite having initially taken it seriously, and give up and go away.

Under no circumstances pay, unless you are so rich that you are looking for ways of getting rid of excess money.

Coupon-mad

Mrs_Walsh wrote: »

I'm not sure if anyone else has had circumstances similar to mine.

A quick search of the parking forum for the 2 words 'already appealed' gets these results:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/search.php?searchid=125070085

Tons of people in your shoes have ignored a fake PCN once they realised it's a scam.


HTH

Lone_Ranger_2

Mrs_Walsh wrote: »

As I have already contacted them, I fear that it may be too late for me and that I will have to pay. .

It's never to late. Don't pay ever, ever, ever.