Error in penalty notice

granola

I have had a letter from a debt collection agency about an alleged parking contravention. It asks me to contact them if the information is wrong. It is. No supporting correspondence from their parking company client exists for the information on their letter, either.

Are they fishing? Should I correct their information? What happens if I do? Am I able to appeal/complain under Protection of Freedoms Act?

Has anyone encountered this before?

Fruitcake

Please read the Sticky thread for NEWBIES. This explains the whole unregulated process, and why it is safe to ignore debt collectors.

It is often thought that parking scammers deliberately put in false information in the hope people will stupidly call them and give away the driver's identity. Don't tell him Pike!

Only ever refer to The Keeper and The Driver.

pogofish

Post Four of the Newbies Sticky covers debt collectors in their entirety. Please read that.

Yes, "errors" on tickets are surprisingly common - One school of thought is that PPC's do this in order to persuade victims to contact them to "correct" the info - and inadvertently, reveal the driver and give them for free the personal details they would otherwise pay for from the DVLA.

Another school of thought is that they are just utter muppets who couldn't get it right if they wanted to - not that a PPC cares one way to the other TBH.

The rest of the Newbies Thread will bring you up to speed on the vultures.

granola

Thanks all. I have read the Newbie several times and always find something new, so grateful for fresh pointers and the gentle reminders.

granola

I originated this thread.

I appealed a parking charge notice from a PC a month ago. I checked with the driver, and it seems there was an unwitting contravention, mainly due to poor signage, but with enough responses to make an appeal worth starting.

About two weeks later the DC letter arrived alleging a contravention at the same car park, same car, but three weeks earlier and with a parking charge number I didn't recognise. The car was never in the car park then. As suggested, I re-read the NEWBIE post, particularly about DCs, and did not get in touch.

Is it usual for a debt collection agency to demand payment on behalf of their parking company client if an appeal procedure is in progress?

Do DCs buy the alleged charges and try their luck, or was it just bad paperwork at the DC and PC or bad number plate recognition?

As an aside, the parking company have just turned down my appeal and offers POPLA. Other than saying it was from the Appeals Department, it was unsigned. Should it have been?

pappa_golf

Is it usual for a debt collection agency to demand payment on behalf of their parking company client if an appeal procedure is in progress?

quite often , however you say you appealed a later ticket

Do DCs buy the alleged charges and try their luck,

only in very rare occasions

or was it just bad paperwork at the DC and PC or bad number plate recognition?

As an aside, the parking company have just turned down my appeal and offers POPLA. Other than saying it was from the Appeals Department, it was unsigned. Should it have been?

YES , who was the parking Co

Coupon-mad

If that was the first letter, the NEWBIES thread tells you to appeal. The first letter (even from PCS/ZZPS) is the NTK.

granola

Britannia Parking, in both cases. Who should I run a POPLA appeal letter past?

Ralph-y

the forum 'grandees'

Ralph:cool:

granola

Pappa Golf's reply suggests the lack of signature on the PC letter turning down my appeal to them is significant in my appeal to POPLA. How so, please?

I have considerable content for the appeal from around the forum which I am editing together and will ask for comment on later. For that, I am very grateful to everyone.

granola

Could someone point me to a thread which explains the difference between keeper and registered keeper (discovered in one of the NEWBIE threads?) I'll have another look at the Protection of Freedoms notes again meanwhile.