POPLA appeal result letter

Parrotparty

Hi there
I appealed to POPLA on a parking ticket, had a letter from them which was just a response from the parking firm Smart Parking.

The parking ticket was £60 if paid immediately or £100 if more than 2 weeks.

Yesterday I got a letter from a debt collection agency for £160. Phoning them, they said Smart Parking are their clients. They said I should have had a letter saying the result of the appeal and asking me to pay £100 within a specified time period or increasing to £160.

I contacted POPLA and they emailed a letter dated 10 August which informed me my appeal was unsuccessful and that I should pay £100 within 2 weeks or rise to £160 after that. I informed them I had not received letter. They have not yet come back to me.

I called debt recovery company and they said hold on we will talk to manager, who spoke to Smart Parking
then phoned me back and said I could pay £128 immediately and settle. Or they would take me to court. So I paid. They said POPLA confirm that they did not despatch this letter then they will reimburse the £28.

I have emailed POPLA asking why they didn't send letter, but no answer as yet.

How do they normally send result? Email? Standard post? Signed for?
The debt collection people said I wouldn't be able to challenge POPLA as they are not responsible for mail lost in post. They are only required to send the letter out. This seems unfair that I should pay more than £100 given that I had not had the letter informing me to pay this.

Thanks for your help
Emma

DaveyJones

Sounds like you fell for their BS and they took your money.


Popla has been changing hands from London councils to another firm, they haven't even contacted me yet about sending in my appeal and I applied my code over a week ago. I might be wrong but I think they just strong armed you into paying and im not even sure if you popla appeal was successful can they even get your money back??

Nodding_Donkey

Welcome to PPC world, you have just been mugged off.

What a waste

Herzlos

Contact the BPA immediately and tell them that you've been tricked into paying by debt collectors whilst the POPLA appeal is still in progress.

Alas there's probably very little you can do at this stage, but if you can get a copy of the results from POPLA and they find in your favour, you can claim the £128 back from the debt collector as it should have been void at that point. It'll be an uphill struggle though; you're not dealing with reasonable companies.

fisherjim

Why on earth did you pay a debt collector, and then come here, wrong way round I'm afraid, you have been well and truly caught my friend!
Debt collectors lie all the time, it's the way they make their money!

Parrotparty

Thanks for responding people. I've amended my post as you all thought I don't know result, I do, they emailed the letter when I spoke to them, it is APPEAL UNSUCCESSFUL. They either did not send the letter or it was lost in post. I did not receive it, and thus letter as well as saying appeal unsuccessful, said pay £100 within 2 weeks or it rises to £160. So the first I hear is the letter from debt collectors. By which point the bill is £160. I have not had the option of paying £100 because I didn't receive this letter. I'm asking you how does this letter usually get sent? Email? Recorded? First class? It's not bloody fair. I bet they get a lot of people saying that they have not received letters, but that doesn't alter the fact that I did NOT receive mine. I cannot understand why in this day and age, when we submit appeal online, they do not communicate result electronically. I am guilty of presuming they would email.

stephenliverpool1

That's life and you will learn next time.


I doubt you will get your money back now.


Now back to LFCvMUTD lol !