PCN Received - genuinely not my car!

Ziggy99

I've had a look at the sticky thread as requested and all the advice relates to fines that are based on correct data, however the PCN I received today is for a car park in Derby when I live in kent and haven't been to Derby in my life! :mad:

The registration number quoted seems to be correct however the make and model of the car are both wrong and the box for 'photographic evidence' is ticked so in theory I should be easy to prove the mistake is theirs. (I'm aware there are other implications here such as my number plate being cloned but my current issue is the ticket only).

There is a great sample letter for a soft appeal however my question is, as my car wasn't where they said it was do I still need to request the POPLA code? I'm new to all this and haven't had to appeal against a ticket before so your patience is appreciated

Thank you for any advice you give....the fine was issued by vehicle control services ltd and in a timely manner.

The_Deep

You do not really have to do anything, it's their mistake, let them sort it out, However, you may wish to engage with them in case someone is using your number plate.



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bazster

You shouldn't need to request a PoPLA code, you should get it automatically when they reject your appeal (yes, reject: don't assume that a money-grubbing scumbag private parking company is going to let you off with the feeble excuse that it wasn't your car!)

But I'm with The Deep on this, I would just ignore them and let them dig themselves an ever-deeper hole. But I'm a bolshie !!!!!! (as is TD).

Redx

Ziggy99 wrote: »

I've had a look at the sticky thread as requested and all the advice relates to fines that are based on correct data, however the PCN I received today is for a car park in Derby when I live in kent and haven't been to Derby in my life! :mad:

The registration number quoted seems to be correct however the make and model of the car are both wrong and the box for 'photographic evidence' is ticked so in theory I should be easy to prove the mistake is theirs. (I'm aware there are other implications here such as my number plate being cloned but my current issue is the ticket only).

There is a great sample letter for a soft appeal however my question is, as my car wasn't where they said it was do I still need to request the POPLA code? I'm new to all this and haven't had to appeal against a ticket before so your patience is appreciated

Thank you for any advice you give....the fine was issued by vehicle control services ltd and in a timely manner.

when you said fines and fine , you really mean speculative invoice (VCS cannot issue fines , only a court or a judge can do this)

here is a similar recent thread about a cloned reg plate

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4989962

Nodding_Donkey

I think it's more likely to be a mistake as even a particularly dim cloner wouldn't clone a number plate from a completely different car.

Cloners are brighter than the average PPC employee you know

bazster

Yes I agree, it's c0ck-up not cloning, hence let them dig themselves further into the poo.

Ziggy99

Thanks for the replies, much appreciated!

My first instinct was to ignore it and hope it goes away, but in reality I'm not sure I'm brave enough to do this as i can't face the aggro of dealing with threatening letters, so I will most likely send them a....you are wrong so leave me alone note for my own peace of mind.

I'm heartened to hear you all think they are in the wrong :-)

fisherjim

Yes and once again a bunch of no good chancers make someone's life a misery, force a shed load load of unnecessary work, time wasting, letter writing, research, advice seeking, and other general nonsensical rubbish, just so they can attempt to extort money out of you.

And you have just been minding your own business harming no one hundreds of miles away, no where near their crummy scam park, it makes my blood pressure rise!:mad:

bazster

Ziggy99 wrote: »

Thanks for the replies, much appreciated!

My first instinct was to ignore it and hope it goes away, but in reality I'm not sure I'm brave enough to do this as i can't face the aggro of dealing with threatening letters, so I will most likely send them a....you are wrong so leave me alone note for my own peace of mind.

I'm heartened to hear you all think they are in the wrong :-)

THINK they are in the wrong?!?!? How could you possibly think they might be in the right???

Lose the victim mentality. You have two choices: (i) ignore them, and wait to see what they do next, secure in the knowledge that whatever they come up with it's easy-peasy to blow them into the weeds by proving it's not your car or (ii) "appeal" to them, wait to see what they respond with, and blow them away at PoPLA.

I warn you, though, that you will need help from here to win at PoPLA, don't think that merely asserting it's not your car will do the trick. PoPLA doesn't deal in facts, it deals purely in legal technicalities.

On the other hand, how much bravery does it take to file a few letters unanswered? If you do that and win against the bullies then you need never feel bullied again for the rest of your life - but you do need to be prepared to stand up to them if they take it further. You can't lose, it's not your car and you can prove it, but you do need to be prepared to prove it if push comes to shove.

But the worst possible thing you can do is to write to them asking them to leave you alone. This will absolutely guarantee the complete opposite. You are not dealing with rational human beings here, you are dealing with monsters who will say and do anything to part you from your money.

atilla

Nodding_Donkey wrote: »

I think it's more likely to be a mistake as even a particularly dim cloner wouldn't clone a number plate from a completely different car.

Cloners are brighter than the average PPC employee you know

Don't be so sure.
In one week alone a certain supermarket had 4 drive off incidents from their petrol station.
Same VRN on 4 different make and colour vehicles. All caught on camera..

Nodding_Donkey

bazster wrote: »

I warn you, though, that you will need help from here to win at PoPLA, don't think that merely asserting it's not your car will do the trick. PoPLA doesn't deal in facts, it deals purely in legal technicalities.

Personally I think I would appeal to POPLA on just that point. The fact that it wasn't my car is hardly mitigation.