Parking Charge from UKPC @ retail park in Kent

princess007

Hi

I received a PCN last week from UKPC whilst i popped into M&S.

When i pulled into the car park it was a Saturday afternoon and mega busy. The only space I could find had the adjacent car slightly over their line and in my bay. As the other side was just a chequered box and I wasnt causing any obstructions to anyone, I parked in the bay but my wheels on the drivers side were just outside the box.

I had my two young children with me who both desperately needed the toilet. I was in the shop for 15 minutes max and I returned to my car to find the ticket on the windscreen.

Reason for ticket - not parked correctly within the markings of the bay or space.


Ive been reading lots of threads on here this evening and the impression im getting is just to ignore it and when I get a Notice to Keeper letter through the post i need to reply stating that i wish to appeal this 'invoice' and ask for a POPLA code. Is this correct?

Im a mum of three toddlers and I really cannot afford for this to go wrong so any advice would be great please.

Thanks in advance

Coupon-mad

princess007 wrote: »

Hi

I received a PCN last week from UKPC whilst i popped into M&S.

When i pulled into the car park it was a Saturday afternoon and mega busy. The only space I could find had the adjacent car slightly over their line and in my bay. As the other side was just a chequered box and I wasnt causing any obstructions to anyone, I parked in the bay but my wheels on the drivers side were just outside the box.

I had my two young children with me who both desperately needed the toilet. I was in the shop for 15 minutes max and I returned to my car to find the ticket on the windscreen.

Reason for ticket - not parked correctly within the markings of the bay or space.


Ive been reading lots of threads on here this evening and the impression im getting is just to ignore it and when I get a Notice to Keeper letter through the post i need to reply stating that i wish to appeal this 'invoice' and ask for a POPLA code. Is this correct?

Im a mum of three toddlers and I really cannot afford for this to go wrong so any advice would be great please.

Thanks in advance

Yep, spot on! :T

The only thing you have missed is the power of complaining to the Store Management:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4766249

You could have this cancelled on the spot in store tomorrow if you are assertive enough and speak to the Store Manager (not a staff member who fobs you off).

zzzLazyDaisy

Hi, yes you are on the right track. This post from one of our regular posters should help you get a handle on what to do. Daisy

Umkomaas wrote: »

Here is a run-through of the process you need to follow. It is generic (one that I made earlier) largely to save me having to type the bulk of this n times a day (every day), so if little bits don't apply, skim over them - but most of it will apply, you can check back if uncertain.

A GUIDE TO THE PROCESS

Firstly, you don't have to pay the charge, it is not a fine, it is not a penalty, it is a speculative invoice from a Private Parking Company that has no statutory authority. However, you will need to go through a few hoops to get rid of it.

The first thing you MUST do is to start to understand what all this stuff is about. The only way to do this is to spend a day or so reading this forum - the most recent threads, say from the past month. If you see the advice 'IGNORE' you MUST ignore it. Ignoring a Parking Charge Notice will bring you months of fun and games that I can assure you, you don't want to be dealing with.

In a nutshell this is the process you will need to follow.

1. Read recent threads.

2. If the parking incident was at a retail park/shop go back to the store the Parking Charge Notice relates to and see THE manager, complain about a genuine customer being harassed and ask that they cancel the ticket. Show him/her any receipts for the day in question. If they are unable to do this ask for the name and address of the MD/CEO, as you will now write to them (and DO it!).

3. If it was a general car parking facility you need to find out who the landowner is (Google search) and send off a letter of complaint to them.

4. If you have receipts for the day (or bank/credit card statements) proving purchases, send (redacted) copies of them to PPC with covering letter stating you were a customer on the day, and shopping at their principal's establishment was the only cause of any overstay.

5. If 2, 3 or 4 above don't work, then you're into the more formal stuff.

6. If it was a windscreen ticket, do not contact the PPC at this point, you must wait for the 'Notice to Keeper' (NtK) to arrive. This should be no sooner than 28 days after the incident and no later than 56 days after it. Theses dates are very important, and you must retain all tickets and letters you receive.

7. If it was an ANPR camera incident and the first correspondence you've received is the NtK, this needs to be received within 14 days of the incident, as above, dates very important, retain all paperwork.

8. Once you receive the NtK the process below will need to be followed.

9. Soft appeal to the PPC (you'll understand this when you start reading the threads).

10. Likely rejection, so in your soft appeal you ask that a POPLA code be given to you if your soft appeal is rejected.

11. Lots more reading about POPLA Appeals (read the 'sticky' at the top of the forum index 'POPLA Decision', especially the last couple of months' reports of victories - it will give you a good idea of which points win at POPLA).

12. Draft POPLA Appeal and let us see it for further advice before submission.

13. Send to POPLA.

14. Await POPLA (positive) result with PCN cancelled - we're running at 100% success rate on the forum. A POPLA decision is binding on the PPC, but (in the event of an unlikely loss, not binding on you).

---

Please confirm a couple of things (if they are not already contained in your opening post)

a. Was the incident, and do you live, in England or Wales?
b. Is the car a lease/hire or company vehicle (important as the process will be slightly different and you will need to act quickly)?
c. Are you under 18?

---

Now - final, but IMPORTANT points.

* Never say who might or might not have been the driver on the day - there is no obligation on you to do so (some PPCs will ask you to name the driver/motorist before they can deal with your appeal - DO NOT comply with their wishes. In any correspondence with the PPC, always refer to the driver in the third person, never say 'I didn't see the signs' or 'my wife didn't see the signs', you say 'the driver didn't see the signs'.

* Always be aware of any deadlines, PPCs impose them (but most of these are challengeable), but if they are reasonable do keep to them. The important one is the POPLA deadline - strictly 28 days from the date the rejection letter containing the POPLA verification code is sent to you by the PPC.

Sorry this is a bit long, but it does more or less cover most bases.

princess007

Thats great thank you.

I dont live near the retail park its about an hours drive away so rather than go into the store do you think i should write directly to their CEO at head office? Or perhaps write to the store manager?

Coupon-mad

princess007 wrote: »

Thats great thank you.

I dont live near the retail park its about an hours drive away so rather than go into the store do you think i should write directly to their CEO at head office? Or perhaps write to the store manager?

Yep all of those ideas would work.

Maybe start by phoning the number on the receipt, asking to speak to the Manager tomorrow and being INSISTENT that this is harassment, and as a paying customer you require this rubbish to be cancelled. You never know, maybe the Store Manager will cancel it for you - and if not, then ask him/her for the email address of the CEO nationally because you are soooo angry you want to escalate the complaint to the top. See how that goes down!!

princess007

Thank you I shall do that tomorrow and let you know how i get on!

princess007

Ive been meaning to come on here...I sent them a letter but just a stamp so no proof of receipt. I didnt hear anything. Weeks and weeks went by and then I received a letter from them reminding me to pay. I ignored it (probably stupid of me!!?) and now ive received a letter from Debt Recovery Plus asking for £160. What now???

Redx

I would complain to the BPA (s clark) telling him that you made a soft appeal to the ppc, sending him a copy of it etc including its date, mentioning you have had no reply from UKPC and now you have DR+ on your tail

complain that you never received a popla code despite asking for one and your rights have been infringed and ask him to look into it

ignore DR+ for now

ps:- do not mention the proof of posting issue, just do as I said because you acted in good faith

Coupon-mad

Search the forum for the word 'Recovery' and see that this is mentioned every day...you'd be reading until 2015 or longer if you tried to read all the results of your forum search! Also when you read the 'Newbies please read this first' sticky thread you must have missed the whole section on debt collectors including links to DRP letters & threads showing your options...

And do complain to Steve Clark (email addy in the NEWBIES sticky thread) but don't imply who was driving and don't actually use 'forum jargon' by calling it a 'soft appeal'!

bod1467

Coupon-mad wrote: »

and don't actually use 'forum jargon' by calling it a 'soft appeal'!

Beat me to it.

People need to be prepared to rewrite things (in their own style) and not just copy/paste from the forum. Yes, PPCs are template-happy, but that doesn't mean we should stoop to their level.