G24 and now DRP

Davetona

Hi everyone, I’m new to the forum and looking for some direction really.
I parked at Costa Coffee on Alperton Lane where I had arranged to meet a friend for a coffee, we were in the shop for 150 minutes according to the PCN, quite a while really but when you are oblivious to time constraints and having a war and peace catch up with a mate, time does fly by. My friend also received a PCN and paid but I am far more stubborn than he is and decided not to. There were no evident signs displayed as you drive in that state the parking restrictions, not that I recall seeing anyway and I know ignorance is not grounds for a defence. Neither of us were warned by the shop staff about the parking restrictions either and I also didn’t see any signs that would’ve alerted me to the time limit. Maybe normal folk just consume their coffee and leave after a few minutes but we were in no rush.

I received the PCN final notice on 3rd October 2018, I was otherwise disposed with my wife being in hospital terminally ill so the last thing on my mind was sorting out some dubious parking charge. I had ignored the original from September due to a few reasons, I was totally livid at the cost and ridiculousness of the charge and after speaking with Costa’s head office and getting nowhere I read this forum, notwithstanding I was in and out of the hospital on a daily basis.

Now I have received the demand to pay from DRP who clearly cite the Beavis case as a reason to pay up. I have read through the Newbie post by Coupon-mad dated 13th Nov 2013 and although it states this is regularly updated I’m either being very thick or I’m just having trouble understanding what to do for the best.
What is making me question everything is the content of the Forum suggesting I should just ignore G24 because no one pays them along with the contents of the Coupon-mad sticky! I have also read other forums on the subject. Some state that court action is actually on the increase whereas others state it never goes that far.

So would someone please kindly advise on the following -

1. Do I totally ignore G24 and DRP?
2. Do I just pay up which goes against my grain anyway and will this contravene everything this Forum stands for thus damaging it?
3. Appeal directly to G24 to try to get this cancelled or is it too late now as it’s gone to the debt collectors.
4. Ask for a SAR

Many thanks in anticipation.

Dave

Coupon-mad

None of the above, read any G24 threads and you'll see retailer complaint is the way to kill it.

beamerguy

Now I have received the demand to pay from DRP who clearly cite the Beavis case as a reason to pay up

Usual rubbish from DRP, nothing to do with the Beavis case

DRP ARE MONEY SCAMMERS
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/74439905#Comment_74439905

There you will see about the Beavis case which will show you that DRP have verbal Diarrhoea

IGNORE DRP .. NEVER CONTACT THEM.

Also depends what misleading statements they make to try and extort money from you

MISLEADING AND AGGRESSIVE COMMERCIAL PRACTICES
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/721872/misleading-aggressive-commercial-practices-guidance.pdf

Part 1: Liability for misleading and aggressive
practices
The 2008 Regulations make misleading actions unlawful
(see regulation 5). An action by a trader is misleading if it
contains false information or if it is likely to mislead
the average consumer in its overall presentation.

Starters for 1 ..... The Beavis case

fisherjim

Davetona wrote: »

There were no evident signs displayed as you drive in that state the parking restrictions, not that I recall seeing anyway and I know ignorance is not grounds for a defence. Neither of us were warned by the shop staff about the parking restrictions either and I also didn’t see any signs that would’ve alerted me to the time limit.

Yes that was an appeal point but you are beyond that now.


Make a strong complaint to Costa, (a good deal stronger than their awful coffee) I can't understand why your friend paid the Muppets at G24 who are useless at every avenue of business they dabble in!

The_Deep

It is the will of Parliament that these scammers be put out of business. Hopefully that will take place in the near future. The Bill has passed through the HOC without hitch, and goes to the Lords soon. In the meantime involve your MP, the poor dears are buckling under the weight of complaints about these scammers. Read this one which I wrote earlier

This is an entirely unregulated industry which is scamming the public with inflated claims for minor breaches of alleged contracts for alleged parking offences, aided and abetted by a handful of low-rent solicitors. Is has been suggested by an MP that some of these companies may have connections to organised crime.

Parking Eye, CPM, Smart, (especially Smart}, and others have already been named and shamed in the House of Commons as have Gladstones Solicitors, and BW Legal, (these two law firms take hundreds of these cases to court each week), hospital car parks and residential complex tickets have been especially mentioned. They lose most of them, and have been reported to the regulatory authority by an M.P. for unprofessional conduct

The problem has become so widespread that MPs have agreed to enact a Bill to regulate these scammers.

Sir Greg Knight's Private Members Bill to curb the excesses, and perhaps close down, some of these companies passed its Third Reading in late November, and, with a fair wind, will become Law next year.

All three readings are available to watch on the internet, (some 6-7 hours), and published in Hansard. MPs have an extremely low opinion of the industry. Many are complaining that they are becoming overwhelmed by complaints from members of the public. Add to their burden, complain in the most robust terms about the scammers.

Davetona

Ok, so do I write directly to Costas head office for the complaint or to the location of the purported violation? My mate who paid wrote to their head office and got nowhere, he’s now voting against Costa by boycotting them, I’m sure they will suffer cos of the loss.........NOT !!

Thanks

Dave

Davetona

I’m starting to get worried now people, the more I read on here the more it’s on my mind. I read numerous threads about ignoring G24 but when reading responses and other posts in reality I should’ve appealed but I just ignored the mail like it was suggested on here. I can try and trace the land owner and complain but is it not too late for that? I’m not worried about DRP but in the absence of an appeal if it goes to court I really have no defence because I never followed the procedures and wrote to them.

Help please!! I’m not thick but ever so slightly confused over the best course of action to take.

Thanks

Dave

Redx

let me put this in simple terms for you then

1) yes you should have appealed to G24 by using the blue text template

we tell EVERYONE in ENGLAND & WALES to make an initial appeal with the template

some people ignore that advice or dont check what the advice is

so if somebody has ignored, then that ship has usually sailed

2) we tell EVERYONE to complain to the landowner or M.A. to get it cancelled, ESPECIALLLY when it is G24, this is always the best option, but some people dont

this can and should be done asap and can be done anythime at all, so do so, in your case to the retail outlet AND to the head office

the next stage is to IGNORE the debt collector letters because they are powerless and can do nothing at all

the last stage, if it happens, is to come back here when either an LBC or an MCOL arrives in the post, within 6 years

after 6 years it is statute barred from a court case in civil court (MCOL) in E & W

so yes get complaining, but other than that there is nothing to do , YET