G24 Parking Notice

dibby5

I'm just about to send my first response to a G24 Parking Notice issued in relation to parking at Wickes in Harlow. I would just appreciate any feedback on this initial draft. Please let me know your thoughts, btw I shamelessly plagerised this from other examples I found online.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to you regarding the above parking charge issued to vehicle Kxxx xxL on 6th October 2013.

The driver and passenger were browsing Wickes with a view to making a purchase of a new kitchen. However your fake PCN has made them re-think unless you cancel the ticket immediately. I will also complain to the Wickes' Head of Customer Services and tell him why he has lost the driver's business, and mine, and that of all our family in future. Clearly neither you nor Wickes has made any loss when customers are looking to make a purchase, so your ticket is unenforceable. If you disagree, send me a POPLA code by return. Also as the registered keeper I can tell you that you have failed to serve this Notice to Keeper to me within 14 days as it arrived yesterday, 21st October 2013.

I trust that you will cancel this invoice forthwith or provide me with a POPLA code so that i can refer the matter to them and appeal under the POPLA process. You have until 26th November 2013 to either cancel this invoice or provide a POPLA code. Failure to do so by this date you agree that you will automatically be deemed to have cancelled this invoice.

Regards

dibby5

Also, should I immediately send this on to Wickes or wait for their reply?

Thanks for all your help

dibby5

The_Slithy_Tove

Don't threaten G24 that you won't go to Wickes ever again. Why should they care? No, send a toned-down, less indignant, yet forceful and well reasoned letter to Wickes if you want. Or better still, revisit the store, and talk to the manager and get him to do something.

As for G24 themselves, simply appeal on the usual points (poor signage, no genuine pre-estimate of loss), have it rejected, take it to POPLA. Hopefully it will be cancelled by Wickes before you get that far.

dibby5

Okay, so I toned down my email somewhat and sent them a response saying that I rejected any liability on POPLA Ground 2 "The parking charge exceeded the appropriate amount"

I also told them I wanted my POPLA code and that they had taken more than 14 days to get the NtK to me. The alleged offence was on the 6th October, I received NtK on 21st.

I received a standard response with plenty of legal cases to try and persuade me that the charges were not punitive or unenforceable. Also got the usual request for receipts (I have yet to mention that we were just browsing)

More interestingly (to me at least) is their insistence that "The issue date on your Parking Charge Notice is 15th October and the contravention date is 6th October, this is 9 days, you state you received this on the 21st October, so between issue and you receiving the Parking Charge Notice it is 6 days."

I may be being stupid but I don't follow this logic at all.

Oh and the usual "As your appeal is on-going, we have not supplied you with details on how to appeal with POPLA. If your appeal is rejected by G24, you will be provided with the opportunity to appeal to the Independent Appeals Service, POPLA."

Should my next step be to reply and ask once again for my POPLA code and advise them that I will be reporting them to the BPA for not issuing one when originally asked to do so?

They also mention Schedule 4 (1) of the Protection of Freedoms Act and how it does not apply, although I did not mention this at all in my email.

TIA

dibby5

nigelbb

They are claiming that the NTK was issued & presumably posted on Tuesday 15th October. Normally an item posted by first class post is deemed to be received two working days later i.e. Thursday 17th October UNLESS it can be proved otherwise (do you have witness?). Possibly they didn't post it on 15th. Is there a postmark on the envelope?

Guys_Dad

You will be wasting time pursuing the late NtK unless you can prove it via the post mark.

Get the POPLA code with the satisfaction that it will cost them £27 to go to POPLA.

Tell them that you are appealing about their signage, proof of right to charge you anything unless they send you copy of contract with landowner, etc.

Separately, how long were you there and how long was the limit? Also have you asked Wickes to get it cancelled? Best time to do that is just after you have received a quote for a new kitchen from Wickes!!!!!!!!

dibby5

nigelbb wrote: »

They are claiming that the NTK was issued & presumably posted on Tuesday 15th October. Normally an item posted by first class post is deemed to be received two working days later i.e. Thursday 17th October UNLESS it can be proved otherwise (do you have witness?). Possibly they didn't post it on 15th. Is there a postmark on the envelope?

Thanks. I'll give up on the NtK issue then. Especially since there was no postmark on the envelope and I didn't have a witness.

dibby5

Guys_Dad wrote: »

You will be wasting time pursuing the late NtK unless you can prove it via the post mark.

Get the POPLA code with the satisfaction that it will cost them £27 to go to POPLA.

Tell them that you are appealing about their signage, proof of right to charge you anything unless they send you copy of contract with landowner, etc.

Separately, how long were you there and how long was the limit? Also have you asked Wickes to get it cancelled? Best time to do that is just after you have received a quote for a new kitchen from Wickes!!!!!!!!

I have sent an email to Wickes mentioning that we were looking for a kitchen, although we didn't get a quote that day (and still haven't) I also asked Wickes for a copy of the conrtract although I have yet to do so with G24, I will do so when I respond to them asking for th POPLA code again. I didn't mention the signage in my original response to them so won't bring it up now, although it may well get mentioned when we get to the POPLA stage.

I was in the car park 24 minutes over their 2 hour limit.

dibby5

Just had an email from Wickes confirming that the charge has been waived. Thank you everyone here for the advice and assistance.

I have asked Wickes if it is possible to get confirmation from G24 of the charge being waived.

dibby5

The_Slithy_Tove

dibby5 wrote: »

More interestingly (to me at least) is their insistence that "The issue date on your Parking Charge Notice is 15th October and the contravention date is 6th October, this is 9 days, you state you received this on the 21st October, so between issue and you receiving the Parking Charge Notice it is 6 days."

It's typical sharp practice used by many PPCs, i.e. post notices several days after they are issued. Just shows what complete low-life scammers they all are. But you know that already.

Coupon-mad

dibby5 wrote: »

Just had an email from Wickes confirming that the charge has been waived. Thank you everyone here for the advice and assistance.

I have asked Wickes if it is possible to get confirmation from G24 of the charge being waived.

dibby5

:T

Well done! That was quick!

I will add your thread to the sticky 'Successful complaints about PPCs' later on today, for posterity and to help newbies. Did you contact Wickes at Head Office, and who waived it please (or was it a local Manager)?

dibby5

Coupon-mad wrote: »

:T

Well done! That was quick!

I will add your thread to the sticky 'Successful complaints about PPCs' later on today, for posterity and to help newbies. Did you contact Wickes at Head Office, and who waived it please (or was it a local Manager)?

I contacted Wickes via an email address for Alan Howe, Head of Customer Services (available on the Wickes website). However, I immediately got an automated reply saying that my message had been forwarded to a member of the Customer Services Team.

The first contact from the Customer Services Team Member was to let me know that the charge had been waived.

They have since been back in contact to say that they have asked G24 to contact me with confirmation and if I have not heard back within 48 hours let them know so they can pursue it for me.

Thanks again to everyone here.