Parking Charge Notice

chockina

Hello everyone,
I’m a new member who needs some help urgently. Last evening – 09/11/12 - I went to a pub where I hadn’t been in a while, parked in their Car park and when I returned to my car – about an hour later – I found on my windshield a ‘PARKING CHARGE NOTICE’ for £60, which will reduced to £40 if I pay within the first 14 days, issued by TPS (Total Parking Solutions). The signage in the car park specified it was reserved for ‘PATRONS ONLY’ and, being one of them, I didn’t read the small wording about getting a £3.00 ticket at the machine, amount which would have consequently been taken off from your order at the bar. It was dark, raining and the presence of a ticket machine was new to me. At this point my friend went in and spoke to the manager of the pub who assured her he would contact them, but basically suggested to ignore them. I do have a credit card receipt stating that I purchased some drinks there, although the time stamped on it is about 40 minutes after the time stated on the Parking Charge Notice, as my friend bought the first round.
Can you please tell me whether I should contact them and point out what I’ve just explained to you or if it’s better to ignore them all together? Many thanks J

HardWorker2010_2

Your mitigating circumstances are of no interest to them, they just want your money.

They are parasites.

Ignore them.

Tell the pub landlord you will not be returning and will be warning all your family and friends about the scammers operating in his car park.

peter_the_piper

chockina wrote: »

Hello everyone,
I’m a new member who needs some help urgently. Last evening – 09/11/12 - I went to a pub where I hadn’t been in a while, parked in their Car park and when I returned to my car – about an hour later – I found on my windshield a ‘PARKING CHARGE NOTICE’ for £60, which will reduced to £40 if I pay within the first 14 days, issued by TPS (Total Parking Solutions). The signage in the car park specified it was reserved for ‘PATRONS ONLY’ and, being one of them, I didn’t read the small wording about getting a £3.00 ticket at the machine, amount which would have consequently been taken off from your order at the bar. It was dark, raining and the presence of a ticket machine was new to me. At this point my friend went in and spoke to the manager of the pub who assured her he would contact them, but basically suggested to ignore them. I do have a credit card receipt stating that I purchased some drinks there, although the time stamped on it is about 40 minutes after the time stated on the Parking Charge Notice, as my friend bought the first round.
Can you please tell me whether I should contact them and point out what I’ve just explained to you or if it’s better to ignore them all together? Many thanks J

You are taking them far too seriously. Think local scally sticking a piece of paper on your windscreen and asking for money cos you have/have not a red BMW. Would you pay up or appeal?
Follow above.

nilrem_2

peter_the_piper wrote: »

You are taking them far too seriously. Think local scally sticking a piece of paper on your windscreen and asking for money cos you have/have not a red BMW. Would you pay up or appeal?

You know that, I know that and most regulars here do too but a lot of people really do think they have to pay.

What you say is very true but I do entirely understand why the poster is/was taking it seriously.

chockina, as Hardworker says you must inform the pub landlord how disgusted you are with them for allowing these leeches to operate in their car park and tell them you will advise all your friends and acquaintances to stay away too!

Coupon-mad

As others have said, it really is easy to ignore this scam.

1. Read the sticky thread, 'PPC letter chains' and look at the preview pics of the rubbish debt collector letters you'd receive.

If unsure how to see the forum index (stickies at the top) see my signature. Just one click gets you back to the forum index of threads.

2. Check out which standard letter templates will come next.

3. Watch this Watchdog clip; the only thing that's changed since this youtube clip is that they no longer need to know who was driving and - if they have reasonable cause - they 'can' send the letters to the owner/keeper - who 'can' still ignore them!:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAIcdi9niHA

4. Ignore the scammers and tell your colleagues/friends/family about this con.

5. If you want to COMPLAIN to the pub about this harassment then WAIT until you have collected 2 or 3 threatogram letters; I expect the pub will have no idea what their customers get subjected to if ignoring a fake PCN. So wait a few months then go back and show the pub manager, copies of the worst threatograms so they can see what gets sent out to their customers. That's the position if you ignore the whole con.

6. But there is another option and it still does not involve paying the scammers! You do now have an appeal option but if you use it, go into it in a well-informed way knowing that you won't be paying - and in fact aiming to nip this in the bud right now.

We do sometimes encourage people to appeal/complain about the scam to PPCs now, because TPS have to offer a second stage which is POPLA. Look at threads about it on the forum index. Basically it's a new independent stage which costs the scammers £27 + VAT every single time and the decision is only binding upon the PPC. Not binding on you!

In your shoes I would use this option, particularly as you were not trespassing and the pub has the real clout - and they told you to ignore it. But mainly to stop the scammer from even getting your registered keeper data and if they choose to, to tell them that you will be taking it to POPLA and complaining to the DVLA.

Use a new, anonymous email address.

But none of your 'this is my appeal, sorry I never saw a sign'. More like this which I created from a letter suggested by RENEGADE on a thread yesterday:


Dear TPS
I have here your invoice number xxxxxx dated xx-xx-xx.

This is to inform you to cancel the PCN immediately because I was in the xxxxxx pub at the time and had parked in good faith as I was indeed a patron. When I noticed the PCN, one of my party asked the pub landlord what to do and he told us to ignore it and that he would contact you to cancel it. Any signs on site are obviously inadequate as the landlord said lots of people do not realise there's a ridiculous 'pay and then reclaim at the till' system set up there.

TAKE FORMAL NOTICE - this means that you DO NOT HAVE 'REASONABLE CAUSE' to obtain my registered keeper data.

For the avoidance of doubt, if you do obtain my data I will report you to the DVLA for a breach of your electronic access and I will report you to the BPA as I see you are, at the moment, an AOS member.

Take note that if you are unhappy with my position and proceed with your template rejection, I will require a verification code to take the case to adjudication, which you will be invoiced for of course, by POPLA via the BPA.

I also reserve the right to invoice you at £20 per hour for my wasted time if I have to do anything more than send you this single email.

And of course I will escalate the complaints with the DVLA/BPA. A complaint will also be made to the ICO if you do go ahead and get my data, as well as to the Office of Fair Trading.

Please also note that any letters/emails from collection agencies, solicitors or any other third party shall be discarded and ignored.

I hereby declare this matter closed and would appreciate your confirmation that the 'ticket' has indeed been cancelled.

Yours faithfully

**a name a bit like yours (misspelt or different initial)**