No Parking Ticket, Straight to Debt Collector Letter

JennyFogarty

Hi Guys,
Just found this site, Im a complete newbie and have read a couple of threads. I must say you all sound like a very knowledgable bunch! Maybe you can point me in the right direction too?

I received a debt collectors letter this week from a company named Equita. I immediately called and asked what the debt was all about. She told me it was for two unpaid parking tickets. (Which I was completely unaware of), at a Morrissons 2 hour stay carpark in July. She gave me the amounts and dates, but no reference numbers... I disputed receiving any notice of these and she basically called me a liar and hung up on me. Her name was Clara. I didnt get the name of the second person when I called back but he was equally as abusive and I got very upset. At this stage my boyfriend called back for a third time, trying to remain very calm and to get some information on these parking tickets and he was threatened with a bailiff and hung up on too!

What Im baffled about is that I had one parking ticket which I received in the post in June, I paid this online and have record of it. Why would I not receive the two others in the post? And whats more worrying is the letter from Equita states that "The Supreme court dismissed the further lodged by the First Defendant." - I have not appealed anything as I dont even have the ticket reference number.

Im very confused as to what is going on and found myself sobbing after the incredibly abusive response I got from the people at Equita when I called.

Has anyone had any dealing with something like this? Or does anyone know how I can even find out the reference number of these mysterious tickets? Parking Eye dont talk to anyone on the phone about this

I have been made redundant this past month too so am more rattled by this than I would like to be! am Any advice would be so much appreciated..

Thanking anyone in advance for taking the time to read or reply.

Jenny

beamerguy

Hi,

Firstly because Parking Eye use ANPR, the charges are
sent in the post to you.
Each charge gives the opportunity to appeal to PE and
if they reject (as they will), you are given codes to appeal
to POPLA.

You are saying you never received these ?
They clearly have the correct address for Equita to write

Equita are bully boy thugs but at the end of day, they are
only simple debt collectors and any further action must
be started by PE and certainly not Equita.

The most concerning part of this, is that you are unable
to get information and you are being restricted in doing so.

As much as you cannot prove you did not receive the letters,
nor can Parking Eye prove they ever sent them in first place

Equita is the most disturbing part of this by threatening
bailiffs which can only happen if you lost in court.
Equita are talking rubbish and they know it.

Suggest you issue a complaint to the BPA to which
Parking Eye are members, clearly stating your case as above
because there is a code of practice which they must comply with

STEP 1:
Complain to Steve Clarke of the BPA, he knows all about
the code of practice ?


STEP 2
Complain to Morrisons about the bad conduct of their agent.
and request the charges are cancelled

Mr David Potts CEO

Email david.potts-ceo@morrisonsplc.co.uk

My local Morrisons is always half empty and the staff
say it's because of Parking Eye

Quentin

Ignore debt collectors. See this thread

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5035663

JennyFogarty

Hi Beamerguy.

Wow, thank you so much for this invaluable advice and for taking the time to lay it all out for me.

Yes, what’s confusing me is that I received one parking ticket perfectly through the post, but nothing else. And like you mentioned, if Equita were able to reach me, how come Parking Eye failed to not hese occasoins? So so strange. I actually thought it was a scam until she said it was Morrison’s, cause I knew I had been there.

When I tried to contact Parking Eye, as I have no reference number, I was not able to get passed the first automated message on the phone or web.

I am going to formulate a complaint straight away to the BPA like you advised.

I’m also very worried/angry about this ‘appeal’ they claim I apparently logged. I have given no permission to anyone to appeal on my behalf!

Very frightening behaviour from Equita but thanks to your advice BEAMERGUY, I’m ready to argue back.

Again, thank you for such sound advice, I had no idea where to turn.

Have a wonderful Christmas,

Jenny

JennyFogarty

Thank you Quentin, I appreciate the link and will read this now too.
Jen

beamerguy

Welcome to the world of scammers Jenny

You must complain to the CEO of Morrisons, you will not be the first, he already knows about Parking Eye

The question must be " why do you allow Morrisons customers
to be harassed by his agents to the point of threatening bailiffs"

Because these scammers have run riot over the last few
years, in the New Year there will be a private members bill
which we hope will scupper this scam.

Show your MP what is going on and ask they support
the new bill

Anyway, let us know, on this forum there are some great
experienced people and two solicitors so rest assured
you will get the best advice

PS: DO NOT CONTACT EQUITA AGAIN

JennyFogarty

Wow Beamerguy,

Im so chuffed I found this site. I really didn't know what to do except cry on Wednesday!
I had no idea this went on as I just moved to London two years ago from Dublin. (There is no Parking Eye there.... yet!)

It would never have occurred to me to involve Morissons, but you are so right in saying that they are allowing there customers to be harassed by thugs and ned to put a stop

I like to think of myself as a bit savvy when it comes to avoiding scams or parking bullies, but Im obviously not. I can only imagine how these people would upset older people like my elderly Dad or others like him.

You guys are giving great advice to people who need it most. Thank you from all of us who were rattled by experiences like mine.

I will revert back here when I get a response from both of the bodies I am about to contact.

J
:shocked:

Umkomaas

We always advise never to telephone a PPC or a Debt Collector as you will come off second best every time. Don’t forget, they deal with this stuff everyday. No matter what you say, or your boyfriend says, they’ll have heard it before and will know exactly how to handle it. They aren’t in the business of trying to help you and they certainly won’t be lending a sympathetic ear. They just want your cash, and don’t care about who or what they upset in order to get their hands on it.

But I’m sure you are now well aware of that, as you lick your wounds. You won’t be the last to suffer verbal abuse from the foul gob (mouth is too nice a word) of a debt collector.

You might not realise this, but you’re ‘fortunate’ that Equita are involved. Ordinarily where there are unpaid tickets, ParkingEye resort almost immediately to litigation (25,000 court papers issued per year), they very rarely involve a debt collector - they use the court (or threat of it) to perform that function.

But in order to instigate court action, they must have the authority of their contract principal (in your case, Morrisons). It’s pretty clear they don’t, and we know for a fact that if a complaint is raised with the CEO of Ms, without fail, he will cancel the ticket. It looks like Ms are locked into a contract with PE and are regretting their involvement, but to get out of it, the early cancellation charge would be punitive.

Somerfield found out this to their cost when they were ordered to pay PE £300,000 to [STRIKE]stop PE harassing their customers[/STRIKE] cancel the contract. A bit too late perhaps, as Somerfield went bust not long afterwards.

I’d follow BG’s advice and complain to the CEO and see if he can get PE and Equita off your back. If you’re a regular Ms shopper, send scans of recent receipts or redacted bank/cc statements to prove you’re a regular shopper. If you’ve got a M’s ‘More’ store loyalty card, quote its reference number.

I must say you all sound like a very knowledgable bunch!

Not sure what to make of that! There are just four ‘bunch of ....’ collectives, as follows:

- bunch of bananas
- bunch of grapes
- bunch of seals
- bunch of pigeons

Hope it’s not the’bananas’ you were thinking of! :rotfl: