UKPC MetroCentre Gateshead

Jimtheslim

Hi everyone, I'm a first time caller...

Now then. Yesterday I got one of those invoices stuck to my windscreen courtesy of UKPC at Gateshead Metrocentre. I am aware of the fact it is not a fine etc. I have also looked through as many threads as possible but was just wondering a couple of things:

1) Who decides where and how the disabled bays are marked? Is this UKPC or Metrocentre?
2) I feel I would have a decent case for an appeal. Is it worth appealing to UKPC or Metrocentre or both? (I won't bore you with the details about how I accidentally ended up in what is a very underhanded disabled bay position).
3) If they do take it to court, would this likely to be a court where the 'offence' took place or a court local to UKPC offices?
4) I have gone through many threads and can't find any with any confirmed outcome. Do many people get taken to court by UKPC for £30 charge notices?

Thanks.

Fruitcake

Please read the Sticky thread for NEWBIES then appeal around day 25 using the BPA template in blue. Copy and paste, nothing added and nothing taken away.


Disable bays have to be provided by law by the landowner/operator if the building is greater than a certain size, I think.
What happened on the day is irrelevant though and you could end up giving away the driver's details if you deviate from the tried and tested template.


Two stage appeal will kill this at PoPLA as long as you follow the advice. If you got to court it would mean you would have seriouslyc0cjked things up and not followed advice. It is extremely difficult to lose to UKPC who are scammers and were recently caught doctoring time stamps on photo' "evidence."
You choose which court but it will never get that far.


Do not pay, do not ignore, do not reveal who was driving, do not appeal a windscreen ticket too early but don't miss the appeal deadline.


Contact Metrocenter management as well to complain and tell them you are disgusted that they have used such a criminal outfit as UKPC. (Search on this site to see what they have been up to.)

Jimtheslim

Thanks,

I had read the newbie sticker thread, was just wondering if anyone had experience of being taken to court as every thread seems to just get ended.

What is PoPPLA?

Fruitcake

Jimtheslim wrote: »

Thanks,

I had read the newbie sticker thread, was just wondering if anyone had experience of being taken to court as every thread seems to just get ended.

What is PoPPLA?

Lots of people have been to court over parking tickets, usually because they didn't appeal properly or ignored everything until it was too late.


PoPLA is the second stage BPA appeal where you will beat these scammers. The NEWBIES thread takes some understanding but it is all explained in there.


Ignore the things that are not relevant (IPC, IAS for example) but you have over three weeks before you should appeal in order to read and re-read the NEWBIES thread until you understand what is going on. Printing out the acronyms page will make thing easier for you as well.


Don't worry about court as UKPC are easy to beat at the PoPLA stage.

Redx

no, you have not read the NEWBIES thread because acronyms are explained in post #2 , plus a google search would telll you all about POPLA (not poppla)

Jimtheslim wrote: »

1) Who decides where and how the disabled bays are marked? Is this UKPC or Metrocentre?

2) I feel I would have a decent case for an appeal. Is it worth appealing to UKPC or Metrocentre or both? (I won't bore you with the details about how I accidentally ended up in what is a very underhanded disabled bay position).

3) If they do take it to court, would this likely to be a court where the 'offence' took place or a court local to UKPC offices?

4) I have gone through many threads and can't find any with any confirmed outcome. Do many people get taken to court by UKPC for £30 charge notices?

Thanks.

1) the landowner as its a legal responsibility

2) BOTH (as KEEPER, not driver, at the correct point in time)

3) the defendant can ask for the court of their choice, usually local to them , not UKPC (but the MCOL will come from Northampton)

4) UKPC are currently taking many people to court , as do some of the other parking companies like Parking Eye and CEL

SOME WIN , SOME LOSE, badly worded defences lose, BARRY BEAVIS lost 3 times , 3 COURTS , 11 JUDGES

its a lottery, no guarantee either way

Jimtheslim

Ok, I am now leaning toward the option of appealing, I have read as much as I can that I think might be relevant from the newbie page, problem is the more I try and read it, the more I seem to realise I don't have a clue! I will keep trying.

In terms of writing to the Metro Centre to complain, should I disclose that I was the driver in order to explain why I think the signage and placing of the space was so difficult to differentiate? Or should I just refer to 'the driver'?

Redx

tell yourself in a mirror first, then say the driver told you the keeper.......blah blah

The_Deep

Some reading about UKPC

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]UKPC are former clampers who have been involved in quite a number of sordid scams, for example[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Hull Trading Standards took them to court on 15 counts of fraud. UKPC won all but one, but only because they had a better lawyer, a Q.C. If I recall correctly[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]http://forums.pepipoo.com/index.php?showtopic=63597[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]They were bested by a Winchester barrister [/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?377246-UKPC-liable-for-trespass-**SUCCESS**[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]They were involved in a large scale scam which resulted in a DVLA suspension[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/11858473/Parking-firm-UKPC-admits-faking-tickets-to-fine-drivers.html[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Then they had another go, this one is still being investigated[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5390608[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]And then of course there was Tracey Kiss[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]http://www.tracykiss.com/product-reviews/my-ukpc-parking-charge/[/FONT]

Jimtheslim

Thanks for the above. I have drafted an email of complaint to Metro Centre. If anyone would be willing to check this I would be grateful, I could PM it to you.

Coupon-mad

No need and no-one has time, we deal with too many cases and this is very straightforward. The NEWBIES thread gives you a link near the top to a thread called 'successful complaints about PPCs' which has every complaint known to man, as examples of what to say in a complaint about an extortionate fake PCN issued to shoppers.

You can just say 'we did this, we did that' in the complaint to protect the driver identity.

And for the appeal, do not embellish it and don't submit it too soon. Day 26, online to UKPC, drop down menu 'registered keeper' and plonk in the template (blue writing short appeal from the NEWBIES thread).

Guys_Dad

Jimtheslim wrote: »

Thanks for the above. I have drafted an email of complaint to Metro Centre. If anyone would be willing to check this I would be grateful, I could PM it to you.

I disagree slightly with c-m on this. I think that a letter to the MetroCentre saying effectively "I want you to let me off a parking charge because I nicked a disabled parking space" will not and does not deserve to get the ticket cancelled. Particularly if it is written as a complaint!

In your initial post, you hinted at "the bay is a very underhanded disabled bay position". This should be the mainstay of your letter to them and it might help you if you did post up the draft of your letter to the landowner for forum views.