Far too many !

Guys_Dad

I went away for the weekend on Saturday morning and returned yesterday (Tuesday).

Checked in last night and found nearly 7 pages of current threads that I missed when I was away.

Now some were interesting and different, but there are just soooo many that are virtually copies of those that have gone before.

It's a real shame that MSE members are missing the Newbies thread, although some clearly have read the thread, and I suppose that it is a good sign that more and more people are turning to forums for advice rather than paying up.

Not actually 100% sure which point is stronger, so I will be optimistic and plump for the latter one for the time being, but still hope that Newbies do read the sticky before posting.

HO87

+1

I would urge Newbies to read the thread. Then read it again and, possibly, for a third time to ensure the main points have sunk in.

There is nothing to panic about that you cannot spare the time in understanding how the PPC system works and how it can be countered.

The_Slithy_Tove

While getting people to read and act on the Newbies thread is clearly the way to go, getting people to do so will always be a challenge.


For a start, most people arrive here from a Google (or other) search, which will normally land them in the middle of an existing thread. many will only look at that page before clicking "Post Reply", going through the registration process and then hijacking the existing thread. What's worse is that many such threads are old ones, and those same people don't check the dates to see if they are reading old advice.


Going a step further than a complete forum virgin, some may click several of their Google hits, taking them to a number of threads. They may even understand how forums work and find their way to the main forum page. But even then, the blue New Thread button is more tempting than a sticky thread, even if at the top.


And then there are the lazy*, those who just want to be spoon-fed every step, word by word, rather than read and learn how to work the system.


In all cases, all we can do is direct them to the Newbies thread, and hope.


*There are also those who are genuinely confused by the whole thing, or for whom their grasp of English may not be sufficient to fully get to grips with it all. I think in such cases, a referral to ParkingTicketAppeals may be the best option for them.

bargepole

The_Slithy_Tove wrote: »

And then there are the lazy*, those who just want to be spoon-fed every step, word by word, rather than read and learn how to work the system.

... and then there are the terminally stupid.


We had one OP who received a court claim. After writing a complete defence for him, and telling him how to complete the subsequent Directions Questionnaire, he received a copy letter from the court stating that the Claimant had to pay a £25 hearing fee by a certain date, in order for it to proceed to a hearing.


So he sent off a cheque for £25.

Umkomaas

bargepole wrote: »

... and then there are the terminally stupid.


We had one OP who received a court claim. After writing a complete defence for him, and telling him how to complete the subsequent Directions Questionnaire, he received a copy letter from the court stating that the Claimant had to pay a £25 hearing fee by a certain date, in order for it to proceed to a hearing.


So he sent off a cheque for £25.

Do you have his address? I'll see if he'll send another one off! :rotfl: