Letter Before Claim From Gladstones

GUNIT

Hi,

I have never had to deal with anything like this before so please bare with me.

I had a letter from Gladstones Solicitors this week. It is for a private parking charge (One Parking Solution) dated in 2017. It is the first time I have heard anything about this parking charge. It seems they have been sending letters to my old address. The amount due has now risen to £160 due to my 'non payment'.

I never actually parked, I pulled in to set up my sat nav and then drove off. I did not see any signs clearly stating I would get a fine for not even getting out of the car. I never had a windscreen ticket, just this letter before claim over a year later.

Before finding this forum and reading the newbies thread, I had already sent a reply to Gladstones earlier today asking for evidence. But now I have read on here to not reply on the reply form. It does say to either pay or reply by next week so at least I have replied.

What would be my next steps? Do I write to One Parking Solutions and request an SAR?

Thank you for any input

Coupon-mad

Do I write to One Parking Solutions and request an SAR?

Yep, but presumably what you took to be a LBC is in fact (more likely one OPS) asking you to pay debt collectors...they use Gladstones headed notepaper. No solicitor involved.

The_Deep

It is the will of Parliament that these scammers, (very often former clampers), 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.

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.

GUNIT

***UPDATE***

After a few weeks since the last 30 days to reply or pay ended, I have finally heard something from gladstones. But still nothing from the parking company that I sent an SAR to.

Gladstones have emailed me a reply to correspondence and have enclosed the evidence. The pictures show my car stopped there for one minute. I did not leave the car, my girlfriend got out the car. The signs where facing the opposite direction to the direction I came in. The writting on the signs are very small and would have to get out of the car to read it!

I now have another 30days until legal action!

Any advice on what I should do next would be hugely appreciated.

Thank you

Coupon-mad

Read the NEWBIES thread post #2, learn what happens when and be ready, and read all other defence threads you can find about short stops (e.g. PCM defences are almost all like this).

Are you sure the Gladstones letter didn't in fact tell you to contact DRP (despite the reply forms an 30 days making it look like a real LBC?).

GUNIT

The letter is requesting that I pay gladstones directly quoting their reference number!

beamerguy

GUNIT wrote: »

The letter is requesting that I pay gladstones directly quoting their reference number!

So, it's a LBC

Did Gladstones comply with the new PaP ????

Proof of their claim, photos etc, proof of money claimed ???

Are they asking you to get this information from their web portal ?
IF SO, YOU WANT ALL PAPERWORK BY POST.

GUNIT

Yes they sent all the previous letters and evidence by email as attachments. It also includes the new letter which now gives me another 30 days until legal action.

I have had another read through the newbies section. From what gather my next step would be to say I am still waiting for an SAR from the parking company and this case should be put on hold until received. And to request everything to be sent in the post(evidence etc).

GUNIT

And I should complain to BPA and the dvla as I was only there for one minute as shown on the evidence photos.

Is this the right steps or shall I just wait until legal action?

Thank you

Coupon-mad

No, I would tell Gs by email, that you have requested a SAR because you cannot believe that One Parking Solutions would be so stupid as to file a meritless claim about a predatory parking ticket by CCTV where you believe their own evidence will show the car stopped briefly for one minute. The driver didn't park, did not accept any contract nor had any opportunity to read any terms, then drove away.

Say that OPS' charges are as much of a predatory ticketing scam as PCM at Heath Parade, and the case will go the same way as other well-defended ones like it.

So you suggest they discuss the lack of evidence and BPA CoP breaches (predatory ticketing and lack of grace period) with their client and engage their brain, before issuing a pointless robo-claim at their own cost.

Given a SAR is outstanding and in progress, you now allow Gladstones & their client the 30 days the SAR might take, to make a sensible call and cancel the planned conveyor belt claim in this instance, unless Gladstones think predatory ticketing is acceptable and that the BPA CoP is not as stringent as the IPC CoP they know and love.

yours faithfully,

you

(I like a sarcastic approach to scams...)

GUNIT

**UPDATE**

I sent the above message in Feb. It took Gladstones over 6 weeks to reply. Apparently the 10 minute grace period 'is not the case in this instance'!! They have now issued me with ANOTHER 30 days (3/4th time now!!) to give a substantive response or payment.

Shall i just ignore this?