POPLA appeal rejected, what to do now?

olie3146

WELL......RESULT ! (please see further below for original message)

Final Update :
Today I received an e-mail from Gemma Ridgwell saying the following :

"Dear Mr xxxxx
BPA – xxxxx.
I can confirm I have investigated your complaint with the operator and can advise as follows.

The operator instructed their programmers to look in to the matter regarding the POPLA verification codes and they have concluded why the error has occurred. There is now a system in place to ensure this does not happen again and I am satisfied corrective measures have been taken to resolve the problem.

In view of the issues you have experienced, the operator has confirmed the parking charges will be cancelled as a gesture of goodwill. A letter of confirmation will be sent out to you from New Generation Parking.

In view of this satisfactory outcome, I have closed the investigation.

Thank you for bringing this matter to my attention."


So that's a turn out for the books, POPLA still looking at my appeal so it'll be interesting to see what they say

And it was so very nice of New Generation Parking to cancel my "invoices" as a "GESTURE OF GOODWILL"

Once again thank you to everyone who helped through the process and gave me advice on this thread.




ORIGINAL MESSAGE
So I'll try and explain this as best I can without waffling on.

Received 2 PCN from New Generation Parking, for parking in a free carpark whilst visiting my mate at his flat.

I appealed both straight to New Generation Parking who obviously rejected them.

I received the rejection letters from NGP on the 21st of august (letters dated 19th August) as I was away I couldn't sort anything out for a couple of weeks but when I sat down and used the POPLA code checker the POPLA codes had be generated on the 3rd of August.

This meant that I effectively only had 10 days from me receiving the letter to send my appeal to POPLA.

I explained all of this in my APPEAL to POPLA and even sent copys of my rejection letters (dated the 19th August) but yet today I have received to rejection letters from POPLA on the ground that my appeal was received more than 28 days after my rejection from the parking operators, and that I should now pay in full.

I've spoke to POPLA on the phone who quite frankly were unhelpful and told me there was nothing they could do apart from advise me to go back to the parking operators....

I'm lost, any advice on what I should do next?

Thanks for all your help in advance


UPDATE :


I have just phoned and spoken to Richard Reeve, what a thoroughly helpful and nice bloke (I was actually taken aback about how helpful he was)

Explained the situation in full to him, and after roughly 20 minutes on the phone he basically has said he has instructed an assessor to look at my appeal and that I will receive a reply within a short time.

I have also received a reply from Gemma Ridgewell stating that she is now investigating NGP and has given me a complaint number.

So looks like I'm back on track, now just to keep fingers crossed that POPLA come through for me.

Once again thank you to all of the above for your advice.

bod1467

Appeal to the Lead Adjudicator.

Complain to the BPA about their member flouting the code of practice.

Read the NEWBIES thread (again).

hoohoo

+1
Lead adjudicator address is on POPLA page
BPA is aos@britishparking.co.uk
Send then a copy of the letter which will show the date on the letter is different to the code.

Also complain to Nick Randle on the POPLA board. This is unacceptable behaviour from POPLA. They must allow appeals in these circumstances.
nick.randle@isbpapl.org
Ask him to raise this in the next ISB meeting that the training of phone handlers is deficient as they should be advising that this appeal will be accepted and the operator reported

olie3146

hoohoo wrote: »

+1
Lead adjudicator address is on POPLA page
BPA is aos@britishparking.co.uk
Send then a copy of the letter which will show the date on the letter is different to the code.

Also complain to Nick Randle on the POPLA board. This is unacceptable behaviour from POPLA. They must allow appeals in these circumstances.
nick.randle@isbpapl.org
Ask him to raise this in the next ISB meeting that the training of phone handlers is deficient as they should be advising that this appeal will be accepted and the operator reported

Thank you both for the advice.

I'm not sure if im being blind but I cannot see the Lead Adjudicator address anywhere on the POPLA website, is it an e-mail address or an actual mailing address?

I have already been in touch with the BPA via e-mail regarding this issue and I have sent them all of the information including my rejection letters, the notices themselves and both my appeal letters to New Generation Parking and POPLA, I have still yet to hear back from them.

I will drop Nick Randle an e-mail explaining the situation

On another note I have been sent 2 final reminders (one for each charge) by NGP stating I have 14 days to pay £100 x 2 or they will take further action, do I ignore these for now, or should I contact them and explain the situation?

Dee140157

Oh ignore for now. NGPM don't do court, so it will be all hot air and bluster. You will get increasingly threatening debt letters, but all hot air. Just get on with complaints.

olie3146

Dee140157 wrote: »

Oh ignore for now. NGPM don't do court, so it will be all hot air and bluster. You will get increasingly threatening debt letters, but all hot air. Just get on with complaints.

Ok thanks, I have sent a long e-mail to Nick Randles, but I still cannot find an address for the Lead Adjudicator for POPLA if anyone could help.
thanks

Coupon-mad

I think you have to send it via Richard Reeve the Service Manager for POPLA, who is easily Googled. You should also complain to Gemma Ridgewell at the BPA who is the POPLA Liaison Officer and can deal with this if you are assertive with her...she likes to try a fob off reply at first...but I have seen her authorise a late POPLA appeal due to dodgy behaviour by a PPC.

olie3146

To further update :

I have just phoned and spoken to Richard Reeve, what a thoroughly helpful and nice bloke (I was actually taken aback about how helpful he was)

Explained the situation in full to him, and after roughly 20 minutes on the phone he basically has said he has instructed an assessor to look at my appeal and that I will receive a reply within a short time.

I have also received a reply from Gemma Ridgewell stating that she is now investigating NGP and has given me a complaint number.

So looks like I'm back on track, now just to keep fingers crossed that POPLA come through for me.

Once again thank you to all of the above for your advice.

hoohoo

There is no specific address for the lead adjudicator; but POPLAs snail mail address is there.

Coupon-mad

olie3146 wrote: »

To further update :

I have just phoned and spoken to Richard Reeve, what a thoroughly helpful and nice bloke (I was actually taken aback about how helpful he was)

Explained the situation in full to him, and after roughly 20 minutes on the phone he basically has said he has instructed an assessor to look at my appeal and that I will receive a reply within a short time.

I have also received a reply from Gemma Ridgewell stating that she is now investigating NGP and has given me a complaint number.

So looks like I'm back on track, now just to keep fingers crossed that POPLA come through for me.

Once again thank you to all of the above for your advice.

That's great that he was so helpful!

For others in a similar position, here is Gemma's contact summary:

Gemma Ridgewell
POPLA Liaison Officer
British Parking Association
Tel: [URL="tel:01444%20447%20300"]01444 447 300[/URL]
Email: [EMAIL="dave.s@britishparking.co.uk"]gemma.r@britishparking.co.uk[/EMAIL]

olie3146

Further update :

Have received 2 e-mails to say my appeals will be looked at and I will receive a response on or before the 30th oct.

Received in the post this morning a duplicate PCN (dated 30/09/2014) stating that if I pay now it's £60 rather than £100...blahblahblah, have sent Gemma Ridgewell an update regarding this as (in my opinion) it's borderline harassment.

NGP have 1 day to reply to her original questions last week, I look forward to hearing what they have say.