PCN Armtrac Security

Dirty_Harry

Hi All,


My wife received a PCN from Armtrac Security back in the summer. The PCN was issued for failing to display a ticket. She purchased a pay and display ticket that was valid for the entire duration of her stay, however the adhesive on the ticket failed in the sun and it fell off the inside of the windscreen onto the drivers seat.


We appealed to the IAS who subsequently dismissed the case. We included a witness statement from another person who was present in the car to confirm that the ticket was correctly displayed when the vehicle was vacated. We also argued that the landowner had not been financially disadvantaged as the correct fee had been paid.


My wife has now received a letter from Armtrac requesting payment of £100 within 10 days. If we fail to pay then they will refer the matter for debt recovery plus associated costs. I am not willing to pay these crooks a penny and I am more than happy for it to go to court if necessary and run the risk of losing.


Do we just ignore the debt recovery letters or write back stating the debt does not exist and they will need to take us to court? Am I right in thinking that we'd only be liable for the original charge (£100) plus a small amount of costs if it ever did end up in court and we lost?


Thanks.

Coupon-mad

Yours is like this thread, below:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5543174

Out of interest, why did you try the IAS, widely considered a 'kangaroo court'? Easy to Google and find this sort of blog:

http://parking-prankster.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/independent-parking-committee-kangaroo.html

http://parking-prankster.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/ipc-kangaroo-court-defies-government.html

http://parking-prankster.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/is-independent-appeal-service-kangaroo.html

Do we just ignore the debt recovery letters or write back stating the debt does not exist and they will need to take us to court? Am I right in thinking that we'd only be liable for the original charge (£100) plus a small amount of costs if it ever did end up in court and we lost?

Ignore debt collector threatograms and yes, any claim that they might recover (and they would be unlikely to win purely because this is 'only' Armtrac) would just be £100 plus court fees of about £75 max, plus a smidgen of interest.

This blog may also be of interest, about Armtrac:

http://parking-prankster.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/independent-parking-company-sham-exposed.html

and this BMPA link which tells you they've tried just two court hearings, not very litigious then!

http://www.bmpa.eu/companydata/KBT_Cornwall.html

Court claims are as rare as hen's teeth from this lot and would be defendable of course. You will be ignoring debt collector letters till the cows come home, which has no effect on your credit rating (but do check each letter and if you move house within SIX YEARS tell the idiots, this is why):

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5524754

and please read all of that thread and join our campaign. Get angry about the fact you will now have to field debt collector letters for years and please also tell your MP and Mrs May (and Mr Corbyn) how awful the IAS is, seemingly biased, with a conflict of interests due to their Gladstones connection - and that the IAS has shown itself to be wholly unsuitable as a consumer ADR.

We need MORE complaints about the IPC and IAS.

THIS DECISION BELOW, TO GRANT THE 'IAS' ADR STATUS FOR ONE OF THEIR 'APPEALS' SCHEMES, NEEDS OVERTURNING:

http://parking-prankster.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/the-independent-appeals-service-ias-has.html

The IPC are so cosy with Government depts with their 'lobbying' and 'thought leadership'(!) that Skippy & co are now touting for Local Authority business in a spiel of what most right-minded consumers would see straight through, using utter drivel propaganda. Read it and weep at the pathetic onward march of this 'socially dangerous' industry.

If the IPC get their hands on Local Authority car parks then IMHO, this Country has gone mad:

http://www.theipc.info/local-government-membership

Instead of responding again now, channel your energy and anger about this rubbish invoice, the awful IAS 'pseudo-decision' and the six year 'credit clamping' black cloud now hanging over you, by sending letters of complaint as shown.

Ralph-y

you have just been given some invaluable information .......

had you of decided to consult and pay a solicitor on such matters .... the information would not be any where near as good :eek:

please read and act on such

good luck

Ralph:cool:

Dirty_Harry

Thanks for posting Coupon-mad.


We took your advice and ignored the initial letter from Armtrac and heard nothing more until a couple of days ago when a debt recovery letter from TNC Parking Services arrived through the post. It's the usual rubbish........"failure to act today will result in the immediate referral to our litigation department".


The amount requested now is £179 - original parking charge of £100 plus TNC administration charge of £79.

Ralph-y

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

wait till you see our charges

ignore


Ralph:cool:

hoohoo

This case shows it is the parking companies responsibility to provide sticky tickets
http://parking-prankster.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/gladstones-pick-link-parkings-pocket.html

Coupon-mad

You may wish to compare notes with this poster:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5523918

They are in exactly the same position as you. If either of you give up & pay you have not only been mugged but we would consider you to have supported the protection racket and funded the next 'PCNs' from these chancers, to more victims.

I am hoping the silence from that OP means he's happily ignoring the letters and will come back if he/she needs help to defend a flimsy court claim, as flimsy as the tickets.

Dirty_Harry

Rest assured I do not intend to pay a single penny unless forced to do so by court action.

Received another letter today:

"NOTICE OF INTENTION TO ADVISE CLIENT TO ISSUE SUMMONS"

Fortunately I can see that these letters amount to nothing more than idle threats, however my wife doesn't see it that way when she reads statements such as.....


Instruct Baliffs to seize goods to be sold
Apply for Court Judgement to be issued
Obtain Court Order for Financial Examination

Is it worth sending a letter stating that the debt does not exist and call their bluff stating we will see them in court or just keep hold of all letters and ignore all requests for payment?

beamerguy

Dirty_Harry wrote: »

Rest assured I do not intend to pay a single penny unless forced to do so by court action.

Received another letter today:

"NOTICE OF INTENTION TO ADVISE CLIENT TO ISSUE SUMMONS"

Fortunately I can see that these letters amount to nothing more than idle threats, however my wife doesn't see it that way when she reads statements such as.....


Instruct Baliffs to seize goods to be sold
Apply for Court Judgement to be issued
Obtain Court Order for Financial Examination

Is it worth sending a letter stating that the debt does not exist and call their bluff stating we will see them in court or just keep hold of all letters and ignore all requests for payment?

Instruct Baliffs to seize goods to be sold
Apply for Court Judgement to be issued
Obtain Court Order for Financial Examination

Explain to your wife that the three points above are utter cr*p

It's not even been to court yet ????

Also explain that if it does go to court and you lose, hopefully with help on this forum you will win, then the court will instruct you and give you up to 28 days to pay. If you don't then you get a CCJ.

I would show the letter to your local Trading Standards as it is menacing and they are making threats designed to extort money from you. Also, if you have a local MP, get them involved

TNC Parking Services are simple vultures without the bite.

Armtrac are the ones who will take you to court and from all acounts on here, they are not the smartest page in the book