G24

fiftyish

First post ever on this forum, so apologies if I get anything wrong.
I got a parking fine through the post having overstayed by about 8 minutes in homebase car park.

I was fed up but couldn't face any hassle so posted cheque by first class post. (Their online payment system does not work as it just doesn't recognise the CPCN number)

Eight weeks later I get a letter saying I have chosen not to pay, and increasing the fine to £100.
I trailed to the bank, stopped the cheque, got signed paper from bank confirming this, sent a new cheque for £60 plus covering letter. this time registered post, which cost me £6.
I also emailed the company, no response.
Quick as a flash I have had a letter thanking me for my payment and telling me to pay the extra £40 within 2 weeks.

I have done everything wrong haven't I?
I have the feeling they ignore/fail to process first payments in order to increase the fines.

Do I have to pay the extra £40?

Dublindel

You did not need to pay the £60. Don't pay any more

da_rule

Having paid some of the charge you may struggle to get this back. If you want to try and fight it you could tell them that you want to appeal etc, but they are likely to decline that as you have missed the appeal deadline.

I'm tempted to say cut your losses and send them a letter saying that you sent payment earlier, which may have been lost, but that you will not pay any more than the discounted rate.

fiftyish

Thank you.
I am cross with myself. I just have so much else going on at the moment I just wanted this to go away.

Now it is just one more thing to worry about. Are they likely to escalate this?

AoD

For future reference all you would have needed is one email to G24 followed by one appeal to POPLA. That would have been the end of it.

I'm sure Hot Bring will be here soon to tell you all about G24. Suffice it to say you have nothing to worry about! They won't take this further.

Hot_Bring

Oh dear - G24 can be defeated with one single email. I'm assuming you didn't Google before paying !

I'm afraid there is next to no chance of getting the £60 back. You now have two choices :

1. Ignore - G24 have never done court and certainly don't appear to have the appetite to do so given they promised me court papers nearly 2 months ago and still haven't figured out how to fill them in.

2. Write back saying that you won't be paying the extra £40 unless G24 provide a POPLA code and that your POPLA appeal fails ( it won't if you follow advice from here and even if it did you don't have to pay but it costs G24 £32 ).

You WILL get stupid letters from G24 and then their equally pathetic debt collectors.

Please promise NEVER to pay a private parking invoice again ?

fiftyish

Ah well. I guess I did get it wrong.

I did google G24, but didn't find much recent advice and I knew the law had changed recently.

I did send my payment with a letter stating that it was in "full and final payment", and they have cashed my cheque, so I am thinking that they can't ask me for any more?

So I can just ignore further demands?

Redx

they can ask , you can ignore , its unlikely to go to court

bear in mind they may give it to debt collectors so expect to put up with being mithered, but dont pay, just ignore

Stroma

You could write to them , or ignore them

Without Prejudice

Dear G24 Scammers


In reference to the invoice xxxxx, you have been paid all you are going to get out of me. I now realise that you are a parasitic company who has no right to money.

After getting advice from MSE and the users there on this thread
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4951090 , I have been educated to the practices of your company.

Now I explain to you, unless you make a small claim and win you will not see a single further penny from me, I realise from this FOI request that you don't have the balls to go there:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/small_claims_from_bpa_aos_member_2#incoming-444525

Now either make a claim or go and crawl back under the stone your scumbag company crawled out of, I decline your scam you utter barrel scraping scum.

I hope you understand my contempt of you!

Yours Sincerely

The RK

Nodding_Donkey

Like it

Hot_Bring

I'd go for Storma's letter ! From experience they get a little upset at being called scammers :rotfl: