Excel Parking Charge Notice.

NTPalmer

First of all I am new here and this is my first post. I am hoping you all will be kind with me here.

The driver received a PCN Ticket on 14th April . The ticket to park was paid up till 15th April. Yet the driver returned to their car to find a Parking Charge Notice fixed to the window screen.

The only notification the driver had was a square card with a serial number on it, the date. The card stated that "The Car Park operator has *reason to believe* that this vehicle is parked in contravention of the advertised Terms and Conditions" Nothing else stating how the driver breached the Terms and Conditions of Parking,

There were no terms and conditions advertised. simply cars on gravel, no signs, no entry or exit markings and no bay lines on the ground/gravel. Only a pay and display meter. (Birmingham City Centre)

On this card, There was a website. .myparkingcharge. so the driver checked as soon as they got home, logged on with the serial number, and it comes up "sorry, we cannot find this ticket" So the driver left it, thinking this must be a scam.

Today the driver receives a Notice to Keeper letter stating they got the drivers info off DVLA. Charging £100 or £60 if paid withing 14 days.

The Driver has checked the Appeals procedure, and found out that they can only accept an appeal via the online portal, but since the portal cannot find the ticket, there are no ways to appeal, no ways to getting any info why the driver is being charged.

On the notice to Keeper letter. it said the Contravention Reason is 81? Parked in a Restricted/Prohibited Area.

There is no photo evidences illustration what is the prohibited area, no evidences at all.

There is no way that the driver can appeal, cannot phone or email them, and they will not accept an appeal via post, the only viable option and working link is to call and pay, The online payment button isnt live either. The driver called the payment line with the same serial number and indeed it was recognised with prompts to put in card details. they will not accept payment any other way.

IPC Accredited Operator, on their website they say they can only receive appeals that have been denied internally from the PCN issuing company before they will review the appeal? Without the access to the portal the driver is stuck.

I did some research on the company and the owner of the company has been investigated and took to court and lost his case, but no amendments have been made to the way he operates. How do I know this is not a scam.? it all seems really dodgy with noone to contact to ensure accountability and legitimacy of this company,

The driver has looked on the Private Parking Appeals website, they charge for the first stage of the appeal, and since this company is monitored by IPC, they do not offer any refund of the service charge. The website goes on to say " as BPA members ourselves, we do not accept that the International Parking Company (IPC) operates a fair and transparent appeals process, and the IPC continues to refuse to engage with us to resolve our concern..." (so really thats letting me know that they may take the case, but they are not promising anything) They go on to say " As a result, we are supporting the BPA in their lobbying of Government for there to be a single, demonstrably independent, transparent appeals service for all private parking companies.

This company wants the driver to pay £100 or £60 by 04/05/2017 (reduced amount if paid within 14 days.)

What does the driver do now?
Should the driver just pay it? there are so many reviews that once the time has elapsed this company has been known to sell the debt to another company who hound you for this money, and may issue a CCJ against the name of the driver or registered keeper, (if they cannot prove who is the driver then they have rights to ask the registered keeper of the vehicle to pay the charge) .

Coupon-mad

What does the driver do now?
Should the driver just pay it?

No. The top thread on the forum tells you what to do (back where you clicked 'new thread').

there are so many reviews that once the time has elapsed this company has been known to sell the debt to another company who hound you for this money,

Excel never sell the charge to another company. They use debt letters but that's not selling it. And it's not a debt or fine.

and may issue a CCJ

No-one can 'issue a CCJ' in this country. They could try a small claim and it is defendable (defending does not risk a CCJ unless the person fails to turn up at a hearing/ refuses to pay if a Judge says so in the end.

In your case I would email a fairly generic standard challenge from the registered keeper, not implying who was driving but attaching a scan of the driver's P&D ticket and stating that the PCN number is xxxxxxx and the VRN is xxxxxx so why does the charge not come up for an online appeal?

Then follow what the NEWBIES FAQS thread at the top already tells you in post #3 (about not doing IAS stage) and #2 (if you get a small claim - we haven't seen one lost yet where posters here have had full input into their defence). Search and read 'BW Legal Excel claim' and you will see what we mean.

DO NOT PAY FOR AN EASY LIFE. That is supporting the whole thing and funding the next PCNs.

NTPalmer

Coupon-mad wrote: »

In your case I would email a fairly generic standard challenge from the registered keeper, not implying who was driving but attaching a scan of the driver's P&D ticket and stating that the PCN number is xxxxxxx and the VRN is xxxxxx so why does the charge not come up for an online appeal?

There is no email address to send an email too. On the letter it states that they do not accept emails or phone calls or even postal appeals. There is no way of contacting this company outside the portal inside the website. The driver has been going around in circles and in every moment the portal response cannot find the ticket on their system. Yet the driver has still received a notice to keeper letter.

Coupon-mad

On the NTKs they used to send it had an email on:

cpo@excelparking.co.uk

but I see they've tried to make these ones 'different':

http://excelparkingservices.co.uk/appeals/

I would email a challenge as keeper, to that email address anyway, not saying or implying in your wording, who was driving, BUT including the keeper's NAME AND POSTAL ADDRESS. Ask what other reasonable steps a keeper could take in a case where the charge cannot befound on the other website, which is clearly not fit for purpose (show a screenshot of the website).

Keep a copy of the sent email because by including a screenshot, it becomes your permanent proof that the appeals webpage was not working AND that you informed Excel, as well.