Luton Airport PCN

brizesaver

Hi,

Starting my own thread, after being told to do so.
I posted this 24th March:
""My car was photographed at Luton Airport on the edge of the roundabout with a person clearly visible getting out of the passenger side and I got a "Parking Charge Notice" from Apcoa. This happened on 12/2 and I just got the notice today, dated 22/3. If my appeal using your excellent template re: poor visibility of the signs etc. is not succesful, would I still have the option of paying the £48 or would I have to pay the full £80?""

I duly emailed the template letter on 26th March and got the standard acknowledgement from APCOA, saying they would respond within 35 days. It has now been 43 days and I have not had anything at all. We have had lots of Bank Holidays in the interim, do I allow for those or can I assume they will not pursue further?

Redx

never assume anything

if you can do so , check online to see if the PCN is still valid or not

also check any email accounts to see if their reply has arrived and has been missed

in theory they will have replied and turned down the appeal and issued a POPLA code

brizesaver

Hi, Thought this had all gone away as it is now over 18 months old, but yesterday I had a "reminder" letter from APCOA Parking.
The first paragraph states:
"As we have not received a payment or an appeal we would like to remind you that this Parking Charge Notice is still outstanding"
I emailed an appeal and they recognised this by replying and confirming they received it and that they would reply within 35 days.
Obviously I have not heard anything in 18 months.

I intend to print out my appeal, and their confirmation email and post this to them, Registered Post. Is this the best thing to do, or is there something else?
Thanks in advance.

The_Deep

They did the same for my son in law, for whom I was acting. I sent them three copies of the appeal with ever more threatening language, they eventually conceded and declined to contest my appeal.

This is an entirely unregulated industry which is scamming the public with inflated claims for minor breaches of contracts for alleged parking offences, aided and abetted by a handful of low-rent solicitors.

Parking Eye, CPM, Smart, and another company have already been named and shamed, as has Gladstones Solicitors, and BW Legal, (these two law firms take hundreds of these cases to court each year). They lose most of them, and have been reported to the regulatory authority by an M.P.
for unprofessional conduct

Hospital car parks and residential complex tickets have been especially mentioned.

The problem has become so rampant that MPs have agreed to enact a Bill to regulate these scammers. Watch the video of the Second Reading in the House of Commons recently

http://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/2f0384f2-eba5-4fff-ab07-cf24b6a22918?in=12:49:41 recently.

and complain in the most robust terms to your MP. With a fair wind they will be out of business by Christmas.

Umkomaas

I intend to print out my appeal, and their confirmation email and post this to them, Registered Post. Is this the best thing to do, or is there something else?
Thanks in advance.

I wouldn't bother, instead attach all the above and send it with a complaint to Steve Clark of the BPA. He will deal with APCOA. The APCOA admin systems are all over the shop.

steve.c@britishparking.co.uk

Never use 'registered' post (it's no longer called that), always first class post with a free Certificate of Posting from your PO counter. Otherwise PPCs refuse signed for letters, then guess what, you have proof it was not delivered!

EDIT TO ADD

Just a quick check before complaining - did you put your name and postal address in the appeal you sent to APCOA?

Coupon-mad

and post this to them, Registered Post.

Not only is there no such thing as registered post (since the 1970's, I think) but NEVER send anything by recorded/signed for delivery to a PPC! You are giving a scammer the chance NOT to sign, then all you have for your money is evidence of non-delivery!

Echoing what Umkomaas said above.

brizesaver

Umkomaas, thanks for replying, also Coupon Mad and The Deep.=, thanks.



I meantRecorded Delivery, not Registered, don' t know why I said that. Age related, no doubt

Yes, I did include my postal adres.

They have given me 14 days from date of posting, 24.09, so I think I will post them the print outs and tell them I have also sent a copy to Steve Clark.
It is so tempting just to give up and pay them, but I am not going to!
I need that £80 more than they do!

Thanks to everyone who gives their time so freely to fight these sacs de merde .

Redx

there is no RECORDED DELIVERY either, its called SIGNED FOR now

and in any case, you wont be sending it by any of those paid for methods anyway

if using a postal letter, take it to the counter , pay for first or second class and ask for a FREE CERTIFICATE OF POSTING

they will do alll the necessary and give you a receipt , showing that they accepted it into the royal mail system, they will then put it in a bag with all their other letters , awaiting collection

its free, its proof of posting , iit is not recorded/signed for/special delivery

all it costs is the actual cost of the stamp, which you pay anyway

Umkomaas

Redx wrote: »

there is no RECORDED DELIVERY either, its called SIGNED FOR now

and in any case, you wont be sending it by any of those paid for methods anyway

if using a postal letter, take it to the counter , pay for first or second class and ask for a FREE CERTIFICATE OF POSTING

they will do alll the necessary and give you a receipt , showing that they accepted it into the royal mail system, they will then put it in a bag with all their other letters , awaiting collection

its free, its proof of posting , iit is not recorded/signed for/special delivery

all it costs is the actual cost of the stamp, which you pay anyway

........ and the law says that it is 'delivered' 2 working days later - no argument, no wriggle-room, DELIVERED!

Redx

yep, unless its an NIP going to Bentley Motors on behalf of a certain Mr Beckham, in which case it takes 15 days and the court case gets thrown out