UKCPS Car Parking Charge

taffy056

Tishtash wrote: »

I have read that they bombard you with letters threatening court action thats not really the same as junk mail!
Just to put my Husbands mind at rest I will contact Trading Standards tomorrow.

Yes and that's all they do, threaten you with court action. If you started getting mail through Nigerian Parking Solutions (UK) Ltd would you take them so seriously? Really this is all you need to know, sit yourself down for an hour and view all the videos from the BBC Watchdog programme

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3164256

cajef

Tishtash wrote: »

I have read that they bombard you with letters threatening court action thats not really the same as junk mail!

How about this then, I will send you letters threating court action if you don't pay me £100, no different than UKCPS's letters as they have as much right to money from you as me.

trisontana

But that's all they are, just junk mail.They have no legal standing but are designed to frighten people into paying up. You are falling into the trap they have set for you.

BASFORDLAD

Tishtash wrote: »

I have read that they bombard you with letters threatening court action thats not really the same as junk mail!
Just to put my Husbands mind at rest I will contact Trading Standards tomorrow.

Yes it is as its an empty threat.!! Done thousands of time.

Don't waste your time with ts. They won't do anything and will just say company are part of the BPA blah blah blah

Tishtash_2

Maybe I did take your comments the wrong way but believe me I'm tough enough to take anyone on my Husband on the other hand isn't this is down to his brain condition life can be reaaly hard for him sometimes but that's for us to deal with anyway thanks for replying..I think ; )

Tishtash_2

Thanks everyone for your comments : )

Guys_Dad

Tishtash wrote: »

I have read that they bombard you with letters threatening court action thats not really the same as junk mail!
Just to put my Husbands mind at rest I will contact Trading Standards tomorrow.

This is not a Trading Standards' matter.

I know you are worried, but please read here and pepipoo.com

There is more experience there than Trading Standards have. The PPC is not breaking any law and there is nothing that Trading Standards can do.

The situation is very simple.
You can pay up and lose the money.

You can go through an appeal process and then go to the independent appeal organisation, POPLA, if the PPC refuses to waive the charge. That will cost them over £30 to process and POPLA's decision is binding on them, but not you.

Or you can ignore them. If you are the unluckiest people in Britain, the you could actually get a court summons. The chances of that are virtually nil.

As said, they will write letters that are threatening but you need to file these and ignore them, knowing that it's bluff.

Get some confidence by reading more threads on this forum and also on the specialists, pepipoo.com

But remember, your case is no different from all the others, so have a cup of tea and relax.

But all of this was encapsulated in my original reply, only shorter. :beer:

Tishtash_2

Once again thanks al andl I will take your advice and ignore them but not sure about the cup of tea suggestion it's a nice glass of red for me cheers Hic!!!

Coupon-mad

But in your shoes, why SHOULD you put up with the 'threatograms'?! :eek:

I would actually suggest you take action to nip this in the bud as the retail park and PPC will have broken the law if they carry on trying to pursue this if you show them that your passenger was actually disabled. All you have to do is point out the facts and warn them that they will be breaking the Equality Act if they follow this up.

Then if they don't call off UKCPS you can make a small claim for a few hundred pounds - damages for you and your husband!

So (in the absence of any eventual small claim by you - which should not in fact be needed) this is a two step approach at first and quite simple:

1. You need to go into the retail store and see the Store Manager. Point out that your husband is disabled and that you were legally allowed to park there. Even without a Blue Badge (never mind what the signs say, they are trying to circumvent the Equality Act by pretending they can insist on a Blue Badge). Tell the Manager that the Blue Badge scheme does not apply in private car parks - but the Equality Act 2010 does. The duty of retailers is to make reasonable adjustments for disabled customers (not just disabled customers in possession of an irrelevant Council badge).

But to make things simple for their Head Office to understand, say that you will let them take a photocopy of the irrelevant Blue Badge (not to be shared with the parking company who you will not deal with - except to complain and maybe take to Court in the end, along with the retail store/retail park). Tell them that you are showing them a copy of the fake PCN and Blue Badge to give them a chance to get the fake PCN cancelled, before you take them to Court over it.

Listen to the Store Manager's reply and take his/her name either way.

If he/she promises to get the thing cancelled then great!

If he/she says they can't help, or to 'appeal to UKCPS as it's nothing to do with me' then say ''that's a shame because this is a disability law breach. I thought you'd take it much more seriously as UKCPS are your agents on site.'' Ask for the email address of the CEO of the retailer store (if only one store on site) and also the landowner/managing agent for the Retail Park if it's lots of stores.

then:

2. Email a strong complaint headed up clearly as a 'Notice Before Action', almost exactly as in this thread, read this carefully and copy the approach:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4244645

That was also UKCPS and they were told to cancel the fake PCN once the landowner was emailed and saw that the OP was a genuine disabled customer.

Retailers and retail park owners cannot risk the potential of publicity over a Small Claim Court case from a customer, due to the behaviour of their parking agents.

Taffylink

Thanks all,

I have replied with the necessary and have been greeted with the usual generic reply that they will endeavour to respond within 14 days.

I will give a new update as soon as they reply. you're all a massive help

Thanks again