Help: received a PE claim, should I pay or fight in court?

samBox3838

Dear guys,

Just received a claim form from the ParkingEye. I don't even remember I receive all the letter mentioned by other members here. I was going to the Royal free hospital for a surgery and follow up therapies. I registered and always paid with my mobile phone through the paybyphone website. So I think I was paying every time. But according to the Claim form there is one time I didn't pay. From the "issued day" it seems it is for a short therapy session less than 30 min. I checked my credit card record, and it does not has the parking payment for this therapy day.
According to posts in the forum, I should received a few letters asking for payment and allow me to explain. I don't remember I got one of them, but I also cannot prove that I haven't receive them, since I throw a lot of junk mails without looking what they are saying.
I am very upset that as a royal parking customer, I always pay for my parking, and this time for no reason, they land me a £175 charge! So guys would you suggest me to pay or go to court to defend?

Thanks for any suggestions.

Sam

Half_way

and relax...
Have you contacted the hospital to explain things, and ask then to cancel?
even if their agents, parking eye have/may have issued court papers the principal can call them off at anytime upto the day of court.

pogofish

As you were being treated, I would strongly suggest you take this-up with PALS and your consultant first.

Then follow the advice in the Newbies Sticky, read it carefully.

Coupon-mad

Definitely compain to PALS and your consultant and/or the Ward Manager/Patient Experience Team about this and say how upset you are by this horrendous threatening situation.

You can email a complaints contact at the Royal Free here but I would also contact the staff where you were treated, and PALS:

http://www.royalfree.nhs.uk/contact-us/compliments-and-complaints/

Before you do anything else you need to log on to MCOL using the claim number and password supplied in the box on the centre right of the Particulars of Claim (you will need to create a Government Gateway ID first - if you don't already have one - go here if you don't).

Having logged on using those details you should select the options to acknowledge service of the claim and to defend the case in full - do not attempt to put in a defence now - there is no rush for this just yet.

Having acknowledged service - within 14 days, do not miss it - you will then have a total of 28 days from the date you received the papers to submit a defence. We will help. Come back and tell us how you get on.

I did have an email exchange/rant last year at the Complaints Managers at the Royal Free, telling them that patients and staff would be sued and they would regret this contract and not bothering to have any clause to give the NHS Trust ANY final say or veto, before victims were sued.

They always appeared not to give a stuff, frankly, which was utterly shocking. But maybe they will be more helpful to a distressed patient.

samBox3838

Many thanks for all the warm supports and helpful suggestions. I will try to contact the PALS to see if they can be any helpful, and update progress here.

sam

Redx

and read this , point PALS etc at it and quote it at them too, see why the ROYAL (not so) FREE are ignoring guidance issued by Jeremy Hunt

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nhs-patient-visitor-and-staff-car-parking-principles/nhs-patient-visitor-and-staff-car-parking-principles

but logon to MCOL and acknowledge that claim asap, put nothing at all in the defence box, read bargepole`s advice for doing this, linked via post #1 of the NEWBIES sticky thread, court section

Coupon-mad

samBox3838 wrote: »

Many thanks for all the warm supports and helpful suggestions. I will try to contact the PALS to see if they can be any helpful, and update progress here.

sam

Not 'try to contact', just do it (PALS are easy to Google!).

Also I gave you an email address, you can complain tonight to the Royal Free! RIGHT NOW. YOU MUST GET THE BALL ROLLING.

Before you do anything else this week though, acknowledge that claim to give you longer to defend and complain.

samBox3838

Update for the progress.
Sorry guys, I was out for a business trip for a week. When came back, found a reply e-mail from the PALS. It said PALS will pass my e-mail to "the Trust Parking manager".

But it also said:"I do know if this is a county court letter the Trust cannot get involved as the process has gone too far. " . Will it be true ?

If it is , I will need to prepare my defence. I have read through the "NEWBIES sticky thread". I think it is very useful for early appealing, but not much information on fighting in court. Is it because the same reason used in appealing will be used in court?

Many thanks for all of your supports again.

Sam

Half_way

the principal can cancel right up to the day in court, however you may need to remind them of this.

samBox3838

So the "Trust parking manager" have reply and don't want to help. It seems she didn't even read my e-mail at all, and she just repeat she cannot help! Full replied e-mail attached below.
Should I push her or as she say go talk to the parkingEye, I think talk to the parkingEye is just waist time, since all they care is the money.
Any suggestion how could I push this lady to cancel my ticket?

"
I have been forwarded your email by our complaints department, to respond.

I regret to advise that due to the age of the parking charge, I would not be in a position to intervene. ParkingEye’s system automatically generates parking charges and chaser letters when a parking charge has not been appealed or settled. If you are saying that you have received nothing from ParkingEye which is the reason the amount has increased so much, then this is something that you would need to take up with them directly.



If the machines were not working on that morning then the option to pay via Paybyphone was available to you. Paybyphone can confirm if a payment was made in November 2015.

I suggest you contact ParkingEye directly on: 01772 450970 to try and resolve.

I am sorry that I am unable to be of further assistance on this occasion.

Kind regards

Dee



Dee Davis

Car Parking Manager

Facilities Management

Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
Royal Free Hospital
Pond Street, NW3 2QG

Tel: 020 7830 2345
Internal extension: 35858
_________________________

Quentin

samBox3838 wrote: »

.... she say go talk to the parkingEye, .....

Don't follow that advice to speak to PE directly on the phone!


(Never phone them)