Is there a way out of this private ticket?

help123456789

Hi,

I was issued a private parking ticket 12 days ago. It frustrates me greatly as it was in a parking bay outside my brother's house, that was designated to his housemate (who was out of town at the time, and would have no problems with me borrowing his space anyway). I have been charged £100 (or £60 if i pay by tomorrow). Unfortunately they have pictures, the signs whilst being blocks of text that no one would ever read do have all the terms and conditions in them.

I can't think of a way out of it. The car park i parked in is NEVER even close to full, so it's not like i bothered anyone (indeed no one could park in that space other than my brother's housemate anyway, and he's cool with it)

What can i do? Is it worth paying the £60 to avoid £100 later?

Stroma

help123456789 wrote: »

I can't think of a way out of it.

Fortunately I can, ignore them completely, they will send some junk mail to you, then its the end of the scam for you.

marleyboy

Stroma

marleyboy wrote: »

Keep Britain scam free :rotfl::rotfl:

Coupon-mad

help123456789 wrote: »

Hi,

I was issued a private parking ticket 12 days ago. It frustrates me greatly as it was in a parking bay outside my brother's house, that was designated to his housemate (who was out of town at the time, and would have no problems with me borrowing his space anyway). I have been charged £100 (or £60 if i pay by tomorrow). Unfortunately they have pictures, the signs whilst being blocks of text that no one would ever read do have all the terms and conditions in them.

I can't think of a way out of it. The car park i parked in is NEVER even close to full, so it's not like i bothered anyone (indeed no one could park in that space other than my brother's housemate anyway, and he's cool with it)

What can i do? Is it worth paying the £60 to avoid £100 later?

What are you talking about (sorry)?! Do you also believe phishing emails when you read them too? :eek:

Your choices are to ignore it or (if this was in England or Wales only) to appeal, then insist on a POPLA appeal, where you can then ignore it if you don't win the appeal. Explained here by pepipoo forum:

http://forums.pepipoo.com/index.php?showtopic=46975

and here's a thread about POPLA:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/....php?t=4263959

and a thread discussing a successful appeal to POPLA:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/....php?t=4447137

If this was a designated space to the leaseholder then the lease trumps any rubbishy permit scheme the scammer is relying upon. Look, where the space is owned/allocated to the flat-owner, he could even sue for harassment:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4445855

But basically, like all the other posters on this board, you have a fake PCN, a misleading invoice. Almost every thread is about this scam if you care to read some.

The whole scam of fake PCNs relies firstly on people's ignorance of the fact that a random private company can't fine anyone, and secondly on their natural fear of parking tickets and the escalating costs/bailiff scenario. So PPCs copy the look of a real parking ticket and - hey presto! - the cash rolls in from victims who know no better.

But this is not a penalty at all. It's rubbish, there are no bailiffs letters, just debt collector standard template threatograms (all hot air, we can tell you this for certain).

Tick off the threatening letters as you get them, here.

Watchdog clip with expert Solicitor's opinion here.

Barrister's opinion on a legal Q&A website here.

Thread about the Protection of Freedoms Act - and parking tickets still being as unenforceable as ever - here.

The letters are actually quite funny when they arrive at the address of someone who knows it's all hogwash and not a real parking ticket at all.

My 18 year old niece has EIGHT fake PCNs so far - and laughs & texts me every time she gets one. She is just a new driver, a teenager, and she knows this is all a con like a series of phishing emails. Boy does she get a lot of junk mail!

I would happily collect more fake PCNs than the 2 that I already have for overstays (more than an hour overstays, both times when shopping at Supermarkets at busy times). Plus I have a nice collection of amusing/alarmist debt collector letters from the first one which I carry in my handbag to show friends & colleagues if the subject crops up.

Amazed you took this scam so seriously. Does the flat-owner think they have a legit parking scheme too - if so they are deluded! Hope they don't pay for 'permits' to park in their own bay?! :rotfl:

Half_way

dont bin it, file it in a drawer

esmerobbo

If you "appeal" just state you were parked in a space allocated to the property you were in. That you expect the invoice to be cancelled, if not appeal to POPLA cost them £32.

Then ignore them.

Or ignore them from the outset!

BASFORDLAD

Ignore is ur way out

bondy_lad

is this post genuine? hopefully its not who we think it is.