parkingticket appeals

percy

Hi,I received a PCN from VCS in September. I ignored the first letter after searching online and getting advice (not from MSE!).
After receiving the second letter I panicked and another online search brought up parkingticketappeals.org. I phoned them to see if they would take the case as I was supposedly outside the appeal timeframe. They said they could deal with it and I emailed the details to them. They advised that when I get the Debt collectors letter to email a copy to them. Had that letter this morning and have sent to them. However looking on MSE I am a bit worried that this company is all it says it is, and may not be trading anymore. Not sure where to go with this now. I have read through the Newbies page on this, should I launch my own appeal to VCS?
Help much appreciated!

Coupon-mad

Already discussed thoroughly here:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5136709

They are trading but lots of shenanigans:

http://parking-prankster.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/parkingticketappeals-changes-companies.html

Can't add much more that hasn't already been said on that first thread, which is also about VCS. At debt collector stage you should be ignoring the letters or replying robustly which is presumably what PTAS have agreed to handle for you. You do realise you could have just done nothing? That's what we have done for years, and when people miss the appeal deadline (like you did) that's what most of us recommend. So now you are panicking both about VCS and about PTAS when you could have done nothing at all!

Read the NEWBIES thread post #4. Collecting debt collector letters is amusing:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3829727

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showth...t=#post67206460

We have laughed at debt collector letter chains for almost a decade; I have collected those letters myself a few years ago. They are funny! Only take seriously real court papers (RARE) or a Letter before Claim from VCS or their Solicitors, not DRP or Zenith or PCS (all the same bunch of pen pushers at a call centre, no powers, no fans!).

Redx

in any case, any appeal to VCS would receive a reply that its too late, out of time , especially now they are with the IPC

percy

Thank you for your advice. Received an acknowledgement email from appeal company. They say they will deal but that their guarantee has changed and guarantees I won't receive a court claim with their involvement and if I do they will pay the costs of the claim. I will sit tight and hope it turns out ok, no other option at this point I guess.

bazster

I suggest you ask them exactly how they can guarantee you will not get a court claim against you. They did have a (controversial) method of dealing with some cases where there was no point in appealing, but that method was entirely dependent on them getting involved before the company had got the keeper's details from DVLA.

This is clearly not the case here. It's all very well them making guarantees but it is you, not them, who is at risk of a County Court Judgment against you. If I were in your shoes I wouldn't simply accept their guarantee without knowing (i) how they intend to prevent you getting such a claim and (ii) the financial extent and reliability of their guarantee. For example, (i) if the company issued a claim against you (ii) you didn't bother to defend it because you relied on this guarantee (iii) you got a default judgment against you and (iv) the judge awarded full costs against you because of your unreasonable behaviour in not defending, you could be looking at £1,000 or more. Are they going to pay that? 'Cos if they don't (or don't do so promptly), you've got a CCJ.

I'm not saying that you shouldn't rely on them, simply that, if I were in your shoes, I would want some assurances as to exactly what they are, or are not, going to do.

Having said that, court cases from VCS are fairly uncommon (although they do happen).

percy

Thanks Bazster, I will keep the forum posted on how things go. Due to my ignoring the first letter and losing my right to appeal I am trusting the appeal company to deal with this for me. The only other option would be to ignore all future letters and do nothing I guess. I am hopeful I have chosen the right route!