Britannia parking - final reminder.

tumbledowngirl

My car was issued with a ticket for overstaying the time limit in a free supermarket car park.
5 weeks later, I had a letter, as registered keeper, saying the fine was now £70 and giving me 35 days to pay.
Less than 35 days after this letter, I've had a final reminder, requiring me to pay within 14 days - but it now states that POPLA service is no longer available for this charge.

Should I still use the soft appeal letter, or is it too late?

Umkomaas

You could try, but I wouldn't be too hopeful of getting a POPLA code at this late stage. Try it and see what their next move is, but I suspect you're in for months of hassle from them and their debt collectors.

If you get DC letters, no need to post a 'Help I've got a DC letter', read up post #4 of the NEWBIES FAQ sticky thread on page 1 of this forum. Use the Forum Jump button to get back to page 1.

Have you complained to the supermarket - they will often get these charges cancelled, but you do need to talk to the manager, not the customer services desk.

tumbledowngirl

Umkomaas wrote: »

You could try, but I wouldn't be too hopeful of getting a POPLA code at this late stage. Try it and see what their next move is, but I suspect you're in for months of hassle from them and their debt collectors.

If you get DC letters, no need to post a 'Help I've got a DC letter', read up post #4 of the NEWBIES FAQ sticky thread on page 1 of this forum. Use the Forum Jump button to get back to page 1.

Have you complained to the supermarket - they will often get these charges cancelled, but you do need to talk to the manager, not the customer services desk.

Thanks for your prompt reply.
I haven't spoken to the supermarket, but will do so today, thanks.
If that doesn't work, I'll send a copy of the template letter and see what happens.
Just out of interest, what is the timescale for being able to ask for a POPLA code? It seems unfair that I got a letter as registered keeper, but the right to the POPLA service ran out before the actual timescale on the letter did.

Umkomaas

Most PPCs require appeals to them within 28 days of the NtK. They then have 35 days to respond. If they reject your appeal and issue you with a POPLA code (but I'm doubtful you will get one now, but still try) you have 28 days to appeal to POPLA.

Press hard with the supermarket; your best prospect at the moment, IMHO.

tumbledowngirl

Umkomaas wrote: »

Most PPCs require appeals to them within 28 days of the NtK. They then have 35 days to respond. If they reject your appeal and issue you with a POPLA code (but I'm doubtful you will get one now, but still try) you have 28 days to appeal to POPLA.

Press hard with the supermarket; your best prospect at the moment, IMHO.

Is there any mileage in the fact that the NtK didn't state I had 28 days to appeal? It simply said that if the fine wasn't paid after 35 days, I would become liable.

Husband was going to speak to the shop manager this afternoon (I've been at work) so let's hope he got somewhere.

tumbledowngirl

Umkomaas wrote: »

Most PPCs require appeals to them within 28 days of the NtK. They then have 35 days to respond. If they reject your appeal and issue you with a POPLA code (but I'm doubtful you will get one now, but still try) you have 28 days to appeal to POPLA.

Press hard with the supermarket; your best prospect at the moment, IMHO.

Is there any mileage in the fact that the NtK didn't state I had 28 days to appeal? It simply said that if the fine wasn't paid after 35 days, I would become liable.

Husband was going to speak to the shop manager this afternoon (I've been at work) so let's hope he got somewhere.

Umkomaas

Clutching at straws in many respects. What did the NtK say about appeals? Did it mention POPLA? Often contained in the information on the back of the letter.

If there is nothing about any appeals process, this might give you cause to complain to the BPA.

You need to send the initial appeal from the NEWBIES FAQ sticky and see where that goes.

As I said - the complaint to the supermarket manager is your best bet at the moment.

tumbledowngirl

Supermarket manager wasn't interested and refused to help.
I'll send an appeal letter and see what happens.
Am I correct in thinking I don't need to lose sleep over this, as it's Britannia?

Coupon-mad

Quite right - I have helped 3 colleagues to ignore Britannia in the past, before POPLA. Britannia are not litigious. However, if you keep emailing them and complaining & saying their charge isn't a GPEOL and the driver was shopping at the Supermarket, they do sometimes cancel (as another colleague discovered who had made the same mistake as you at first by ignoring it).

tumbledowngirl

Coupon-mad wrote: »

Quite right - I have helped 3 colleagues to ignore Britannia in the past, before POPLA. Britannia are not litigious. However, if you keep emailing them and complaining & saying their charge isn't a GPEOL and the driver was shopping at the Supermarket, they do sometimes cancel (as another colleague discovered who had made the same mistake as you at first by ignoring it).

Thanks for the reassurance.
I wasn't intending to ignore it, in actual fact, but was waiting for the NtK and was going to write the soft appeal - however, I was then unwell and the final reminder letter arrived before I'd got my act together. My fault, but I wasn't ignoring it.

Coupon-mad

At least it wasn't ParkingEye!