G24 Parking - Debt Collection Notice

Jaffa81

All,

This is my first time posting on this forum but I have read it quite a lot and thinkyour advice is valid and useful.

Can anyone help me with this one,

I have read the older advice on the forum regarding ignoring excessiveparking charges in free car parks. I gained a 'parking invoice' for want of abetter description in November 2013 in Toys r Us shortly after the birth of myfirst child.

I chose to ignore the ticket (I thought this was the advice), Today I now have adebt collection firm chasing me (the registered keeper).

What do I do now? It seems that I should have complained to Toys r Us fromthe start from reading the new guidance?

Sorry that this post seems to mimic so many others but it feels a bit morereal now with another firm threatening to charge me £135 for the privilege ofoverstaying by 20 minutes.

Keep up the good work

J:mad:

Redx

please read the NEWBIES thread at the top of this forum, has a specific section on debt collector letters

too late to appeal to G24 now btw

but you can still appeal to the retailer or landowner, which is what you should do asap

Coupon-mad

With a new baby you needed longer to shop so write a complaint letter/email to ToysRUs CEO, and/or go in with the letters and complain to the Store Manager about parents with children/babies being hounded by this parking scumbag.

And it's not too late to send G24 Hot Bring's 'special G24 appeal' (seen on EVERY other G24 thread recently). You may find they cancel, as they usually do. Ignore the debt collector letters but strike at G24 and the Store Manager to stop this harassment.

Jaffa81

Thank you for your very helpful comments.

If I reply to Toys R Us do I still need to keep the driver details anonymous?

I think I have good grounds for an appeal due to some circumstances on the day so I will write to Toys R Us today explaining my case and upset with the large charges and harassment.

Would you recommend contacting G24 at this stage or focus the letter writing to the store?

I have evidence in the form of statements that we were using the store on the day.

Thank you for your help

HO87

Why do you have to identify yourself as the driver? Simply describe how you visited the store and the car was parked in their car park. Just avoid identifying - even by implication - who the driver was.

Come on its Sunday! Get a bit creative - this isn't the end of the world - and getting anything from G24 is like being mauled by a dead sheep.

Debt collectors are simple bottom-feeders and have exactly (and I mean that) the same powers as you and I to collect debts. This amounts to asking the supposed debtor to pay up. Of course they don't want you or anyone else to know that and dress up their demands in deliberately alarming language threatening all manner of doom and gloom. If you feel the need tell them - by letter (don't phone them) - to sling their hook as the debt is denied. They don't get paid unless you pay them - might that have something to do with how eager they are rather than the seriousness of the debt or how they might ever enforce it?

Don't let yourself to be brow-beaten by a load of playground bullies. You are feeling threatening and beseiged because that is precisely what they want you to feel. Why should you feel threatened because a company has decided to impose a set of entirely arbitrary rules put in place to empty your pocket - and for no other reason? This is not about "car park management" or any other self-serving, spurious guff that a so-called parking company might spout. It is - plain and simple - about them laying their hands on your hard earned.

Fight back and stick it to them - metaphorically speaking of course.[/rant mode] And read the Newbies thread BEFORE you even think about writing an appeal. Including any reference to the circumstances on the day is one certain way to get a POPLA appeal rejected. Concentrate on the legalities - these will win every time.

No insult or slight intended by the way.

Hot_Bring

First of all respond to the debt collector ( DR+ ? ) saying the debt is denied and that they should return the debt to their client. Make sure you mention that any further correspondence will be treated as harassment.

Then send the following to G24 :

Dear G24,

This is an appeal against the charge issued to the vehicle with the registration XXXXXX, charge reference XXXX.

It is the registered keepers assertion that :

1. The charge is not a genuine pre-estimate of loss.
2. The signage does not conform to the BPA CoP to which G24 has committed.
3. G24 has no authority to issue charges over the land in question.

While this appeal is not within 28 days you should seriously consider it for the following reasons :

A. Your charge is unlawful and there have been many cases put in front of the courts by other private parking companies that have been thrown out because of this unlawfulness.

B. An FOI request shows that G24 have never taken anyone to court. If you continue to send correspondence then you will only be wasting your own money.

As such the charge is rejected. You should now either cancel said charge or provide a POPLA code for the registered keeper to appeal to the independent adjudicator.

Any further correspondence other than confirmation of cancellation or a POPLA code will be considered harassment and could result in legal action being taken against you.

Yours,

Print name ( don't sign ).

Jaffa81

Thnk you everybody for the assistance, The letters will be in the post today!

Custard_Pie

Jaffa81 wrote: »

Thnk you everybody for the assistance, The letters will be in the post today!

It's a shame Jaffa that you can't do a PoPLA appeal.

Don't worry. I had three invoices from G24 for similar. They rarely take people to court, if ever. The suggested response, including the magic words of " no genuine pre-estimate of loss" sends shivers down the spine of every private parking company in the country and will see the chain letters dry up soon.

Jaffa81

All,

Thanks for your help to date, I have received a letter today from DebtRecovery Plus stating the following;

'As per the BPA code of practice allows for 28 days of appeal from the dateof the PCN and this has now expired and therefore access to the independentAppeals Service is no longer available'.

Apparently they have not harassed me as their course of action has beenentirely reasonable and no way reaches the high threshold of harassment.

They also deem my response to be formulated from an internet template andadvise against this and suggest professional legal advice.

Their findings are that the site is subject to terms and conditions statedon the signs throughout and these terms were breached.

Now pay £135 or else. Or words to that effect.

No mention of the 'charge is not a genuine pre-estimate of loss'. Surelythis is an unfair contract and not willingly entered into?

Ideas on a reply anyone?

Thanks

Redx

they send that template out to everybody, its in the penno thread too, just ignore DR+ as mentioned in post #4 of the newbies sticky thread

an LBC or court papers are what you do not ignore, if they ever arrive in the next 6 years (unlikely)

just file the paperwork for 6 years, just in case

Hot_Bring

Dear DR+,

You already have the Registered Keepers final statement. Keep sending pointless letters if you like but it's your money you're wasting.

It is a bit rich that you accuse the previous letter of being a "template" when you and G24 use template letters all of the time.

This is the last response you will receive from the Registered Keeper as you have no legal authority to take this to court.

Regards,

The Registered Keeper ( neither sign nor print your name )