Train station parking

Gezmonder

Hello,

I have been parking at a Train Station on and off for some time as I often work in London. It is controlled by Apcoa and I normally pay them using their crappy app on my phone but on one day I was having trouble with it and gave up to have a look later but didn't. It didn’t occur to me until I saw the ticket on the window that evening. I have not paid it and have now received the PCN from Apcoa. They have met their timescales on the correspondence

I’m not sure on what basis I can appeal this now as I just forgot plain and simple. I claim back the parking through my employer so avoiding payment has no benefit to me at all. I paid to park there previously and have paid to park there several times since.

Have I a leg to stand on? If so what would be the best course of action?

Thanks in advance.

tykesi

Have I a leg to stand on? If so what would be the best course of action?

Start by reading this thread;

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4816822

This has details of everything you need to challenge this and get it quashed. Bear in mind 'forgetting to pay' is a mitigation and your appeal will not be based on this so get your head around this first before you start anything.

Gezmonder

Hello,

I used the template appeals letter on the parking cowboys website and modified it a fair bit as it seemed relevant to my claim.

I have not heard a dickie bird from APCOA since their initial letter though , just a few from their debt collection agency. I have since sent a follow up letter to APCOA reminding them that I wish to contest and enclosing a copy of the original letter but still have had no response.

The latest from the debt collection company was offering me some level of discount if I were to pay up now(ish).

Is it worth complaining to someone? Do they normally fall silent? Trouble is they may claim to have not received my letters to their PO BOX address, but then again, so could I.

Redx

complain to s clark at the BPA by email that apcoa are denying your rights to popla by issuing this to debt collectors instead of dealing with your first appeal , give him the reference etc

its something they commonly do , judging by other threads on here

this should get you a popla code, then you carry on and beat them at popla

this has all the info you need https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4816822

this thread https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4822858 shows you why persistence pays off

Coupon-mad

You can also read the 'Successful Complaints about PPCs' sticky thread and see how to complain effectively when it's a train station car park. Two words - 'Passenger Focus'. Read the complaints sticky.

Gezmonder

So I had an interesting exchange with the AOS investigaitons team who explained that as my letter (based upon the parking cowboys template) said:

"‘Before I decide how to deal with your parking charge notice – Notice to Keeper, I should be grateful if you would first answer all the questions and deal with all the issues I have set out below"

<various questions followed....>

that APCOA are not obliged to respond as it is not a formal appeal.

Now I think this is pretty rude and I suggested that nothing will progress with only one-way communication. I asked for them to contact them on my behalf asking for it to be resolved by POPLA seeings as they were not prepared to engage with me directly.

Today the AOS team (who are very polite and responsive by the way) replied with the following:

"The parking operator has confirmed today that your parking charge notice was cancelled on the 14 January and that a letter of confirmation has been sent to you.

In view of this POPLA is not longer applicable"

Although I have received no such letter I suppose that's the end of that!

Coupon-mad

Well done!

But that was a very old template you used - the BPA have said the same thing before about it 'not being an appeal' so our example appeals on this forum's sticky threads don't suggest such a vague intro.

Gezmonder

The template appeal letter is was updated October 2013.

parkingcowboys.co.uk/appeal-letter

I have received the letter this morning. All it says is:

"Thank you for your letter regarding the above Parking Charge Notice

Please be aware we have cancelled the Parking charge notice on this occasion"