Threatened with Debt Collectors - Please Help

14wrence

I dropped a friend off near a tube station in outer London.

Literally I was there for 2 minutes, while he got out of the car and took his bag from the boot.

Then I received a £100 fine in the post, with my photo, showing I was there for 2 minutes, and they said the sign said no Parking / Waiting or Stopping.

I genuinely did not see these signs - and again, did I mention, I was there for TWO MINUTES!!! £100!!!

So I wrote them a letter - following the guidelines on MSE.

They have wrote back to me saying my "appeal" has been rejected, and I have still got to pay the £100. Despite me never mentioning the word "appeal" at all.

They say if I don't pay the PCN, they will hand over to a debt recovery agency where I will be pursued under the Protection of Freedoms Act (2012).

I was more than happy, when I started this, for it to go all the way to small claims court. However, I don't want debt collectors knocking at my door and stealing my TV.

It doesn't say anything anywhere on the guides about debt collectors. Is this lawful?? Can they do this??

If anyone knows the law please Help me, how should I reply.... :mad:

Stroma

Okay who ticketed you? When did you get the rejection letter? And have they given you a popla verification code ?

And by the way debt collectors are powerless scum!

Thanks

Hot_Bring

Firstly debt collectors have no more powers than you or I so you can stop worrying about them.

Secondly, you imply that this is an invoice from a private parking company yet you say it was outside a tube station ? I would expect the local authority to control zones outside tube stations.

Anyway, please could you name the company that has sent you the demand and also read the Newbies thread - https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4816822

4consumerrights

I dropped a friend off near a tube station in outer London.

Literally I was there for 2 minutes, while he got out of the car and took his bag from the boot.

Then I received a £100 fine in the post, with my photo, showing I was there for 2 minutes, and they said the sign said no Parking / Waiting or Stopping.

As per the others above - this sounds like a penalty charge notice and not a parking charge notice - so clarification please - who issued the ticket.

14wrence

Stroma wrote: »

Okay who ticketed you? When did you get the rejection letter? And have they given you a popla verification code ?

And by the way debt collectors are powerless scum!

Thanks

Thanks for speedy responses guys. The company was ParkDirectUK.

They have sent me a POPLA verification number to appeal to them.

And although it was near a tube station. The high street turned into a no entry. I was lost, and did not know the area, so turned into what I though was a road. Tuns out it was private, and I didn't see the signs.

Stroma

Read the newbies thread linked above. Then make an appeal to popla using wording linked in that thread. Just ensure you place the wording here before you submit. You don't happen to have a picture of any signs do you?

14wrence

Other thing is, I never mentioned "Appeal". I was under the impression this was a no-no, as enters you into a legal contract. But they keep calling my first letter an appeal.

Let me know if it would help to send a copy of my first mail to them?

4consumerrights

14wrence wrote: »

Thanks for speedy responses guys. The company was ParkDirectUK.

They have sent me a POPLA verification number to appeal to them.

And although it was near a tube station. The high street turned into a no entry. I was lost, and did not know the area, so turned into what I though was a road. Tuns out it was private, and I didn't see the signs.

It is obviously then you appeal to POPLA - when did you get this code?

Have you checked it is still valid - read the NEWBIE thread - link to Parking Cowboys POPLA checker.

Parkdirect (and other PPCs) often state in their rejection letter scare tactics re debt collectors - part of their intimidation process to make people pay!

Check the code is valid and research and post up a POPLA appeal before submitting,

14wrence

Stroma wrote: »

Okay who ticketed you? When did you get the rejection letter? And have they given you a popla verification code ?

And by the way debt collectors are powerless scum!

Thanks

The rejection letter was not long ago..

Stroma

Makes no difference, just follow the advice

bod1467

Private Parking Tickets 101

1. You get a PCN (invoice)
2. You challenge the PCN (appeal)
3. They reject the appeal and give you a code to appeal to arbitration (POPLA in this case)
4. You appeal to POPLA (posting your appeal wording here first - redact any personal/identifiable info)
5. You win at POPLA and laugh at the PPC