Failed POPLA - APCOA 1 letter wrong on Registration

marayl

Hi, i need some advice as i have failed 3 POPLA decisions for APCOA ANPR Parking at Bristol Parkway despite having purchased parking by phone. The reason was a simple error between a letter O and number 0 in the registration number of the my husband's car that i was driving.
I am feeling like a numpty as i didn't read the Newbies thread before acknowledging the driver as i didn't want this coming back on my husband.
The issue is not straightforward (so please bear with me ) as APCOA had previously cancelled a PCN for the same issue and at this point i checked that the default vehicle registration details were correct on their website.
I then parked and paid by phone at Cheltenham Train station, another APCOA/Connect Cashless Parking site, but i didn't realise that the phone system had defaulted to the incorrect registration. The next time i paid for parking at Bristol Parkway i did not notice that the incorrect registration details were being used as i was confident that i had corrected the details online.
I accept that i was inattentive whilst using the automated phone message system to pay for parking, but i am at a loss to explain how the system defaulted to the incorrect registration after i had changed the details online. APCOA have not answered this challenge during my appeal and POPLA have decided in their favour.
I don't know what to do as £300 is a lot of money especially when i had paid ~£50 to park there?
Do i just pay up?
There has been no acknowledgement of the receipts i had for parking so should i deduct this from what i pay them?
I would add that i am stressed by this and i'm not sure how far i could take this with the threat of potentially escalating costs.

Fruitcake

You are now in ignore mode.

The chances are that Byelaws apply at this station car park and therefore CRAPCOA cannot take you to court, only the train company or landowner, and only for trespass, and only in a magistrates court, and only within six months of the alleged event.
CRAPPCOA won't get any money if this happened, and they can't pass your details to the TOC/landowner.

I suggest you ask the PPC lots of questions over the next few weeks until six months are up.

Are byelaws mentioned on the PCN? Are byelaws mentioned on the railway signs around the car park? Are they mentioned on the CRAPCOA signs?

Ask the scammers under what authority they are operating (contract, byelaws etcetera.)
Ask if byelaws apply.
Keep asking questions like that, one every two weeks or so until six months are up, then tell them that this is now statute barred and you consider the matter closed.

Redx

so a simple human error that happens every day in this "game"

I would not pay them a penny because this is typically classed as "de minimis" and if the actual fees were paid then a judge may well see it the same as you and thrown any court cases out

APCOA have 6 years to try a court case in small claims court (MCOL)

if any of these were train station incidents, then the magistrates court for penalties runs out after 6 months and only the TOC can issue those types of court proceeedings

and the 6 year rule for civil cases would rule anything out after 6 years

personally, I would not pay a penney and fight them in court if all they have is one character out in the reg details (VRM)

I would send APCOA a SAR under the new GDPR (now free) and get all the details including asking for printouts of the VRM details they took the money for, the ones that were mistyped for example , so you have concrete evidence in case you need it in the future

keep all paperwork for 6 years

IGNORE any debt collector letters

the only time you need to respond is to a formal LBC under the new PaP rules, or actual court case papers , meantime , string it out past 6 months as detailed by fruitcake above

The_Deep

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 HofC recently.

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

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

marayl

Thanks to everyone for the supportive comments; it's given me the impetus to take them on and not just roll over and pay. I'll keep you updated and if i feel my resolve slipping, come back to you for more advice.

Umkomaas

marayl wrote: »

Thanks to everyone for the supportive comments; it's given me the impetus to take them on and not just roll over and pay. I'll keep you updated and if i feel my resolve slipping, come back to you for more advice.

A refreshing FightBack attitude. We're there alongside you, as necessary.

Half_way

This is the UK standard number plate font

Notice the lack of the letter I and the Number 1, this is because I is identical to 1, and O is the same as 0



from what i understand theres some guidance somewhere on this, and you should tell apcoa to FRO

Coupon-mad

Nothing will happen, ignore APCOA and complain to the ICO about misuse of the VRN data.

Do this as well:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5849784/june-2018-start-of-the-new-ppc-and-dvla-fightback-gdpr-related

Silversurreal

3rd Jun 18, 10:41 PM
This is the UK standard number plate font



Half_Way wrote Notice the lack of the letter I and the Number 1, this is because I is identical to 1, and O is the same as 0


Surely you meant the letter I and the number 0 ;-)

But as there is no number 0, then they know (if they were honest or cared) that its an input error, but any excuse to issue a charge eh! Logistically they haven't got a leg to stand on, because for example if your car is a 2010 number plate, and you logically assumed your car reg is 10 - as there is no zero in NPs they always use 1o (but with caps on for obvious reasons) But interesting I bet that catches out a lot of people I knew there was no letter I, but hadn't thought about the Zero not coming into the equation. I'm sure most of us assume a 2010 car is 2010 not the letter O If it wasn't all computer generated and someone actually used a brain they'd pick it up, but they don't care, it's "YES we're got another one. issue a PCN quick smart" any excuse for these thieves. But as you have proof you paid it would get thrown out for this reason alone! Don't worry :-)

fisherjim

This is how many times APCOA have been to court don't roll over and pay them:


http://www.parkingappeals.info/companydata/APCOA_Parking_UK.html

marayl

No it's definitely a letter O and number 0 that they're being pedantic about.