Are parking firms allowed to ask for an admin fee?

racksu

I received a PCN from a private firm called UKPS. I still have the ticket I bought on the day in question with my car reg details but it had fallen from my dashboard - so I challenged the fine, including a picture of the ticket I bought as proof. In response the firm said it would cancel the PCN "to be fair and reasonable" but requested a £25 admin fee for costs incurred to date. I've responded saying I feel this is unreasonable and asked for an invoice and link to their T's and C's that detail this charge. My question is - are they allowed to request such an "admin fee"? The email states the £25 offer is valid for 8 days after which the charge would revert to the full PCN amount of £60 or £100. I've not heard back from the company yet and the 8 day deadline expires today. Any advice appreciated. TIA.

KeithP

racksu wrote: »

My question is - are they allowed to request such an "admin fee"?

Of course they can.

I could send you an invoice for £25 for having read your post if I wanted to.

If I did do that, you would obviously not pay it - just as you can decide whether or not to pay their "admin fee".

racksu

Thanks for replying. So what action could UKPS take if I decide not to pay?

twhitehousescat

they will forget there offer , harass you with debt collectors and risk £25 on taking you to court in the next 6 yrs , if you move house you may get a default CCJ and it will cost you , or cost you £255 to get a set aside and a lot of wasted time and effort

nasty people

MistyZ

The parking companies need to maintain their dignity. Acknowledging that a ticket obviously was purchased and apologising wouldn't cut it, therefore they graciously demand 25 quid instead.

I wouldn't pay it, I'd see the 'offer' as an indication that they don't think they'll win this one.

If this was at a retail park, pub car park, leisure centre etc. then complaining to the manager or CEO responsible for the premises and insisting that they get the charge cancelled would be one line of attack which often works.

The_Slithy_Tove

Make sure you keep that email with the offer to cancel. If they ever decide to take you to court over the original parking charge, you will produce that email to demonstrate that they accept the charge would be cancelled.

Also keep all paperwork and any other relevant emails for 6 years.

Coupon-mad

racksu wrote: »

Thanks for replying. So what action could UKPS take if I decide not to pay?

Read the second post of the NEWBIES thread.

You won't be paying, there is no payment decision to make about this scam.

racksu

An update - I have today had the second notice for £100. They ignored my previous email asking for proof of admin fee. Such a stressful process.

The_Deep

Such a stressful process.

You have seen nothing yet, wait until they take you to court.

The whole industry is a scam, relying on threats of court, and the public's ignorance of the Law, A bill is currently before parliament which will regulate the scammers, many of whom are ex-clampers.

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 Second Reading in the Lords this month, and, with a fair wind, will l become Law later this year..

All five readings are available to watch on the internet, (some 7-8 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.

waamo

That are scammers. Ignore debt collectors letters. They are junk mail. You should not ignore a genuine Letter Before Claim or court papers.

A genuine LBC can be distinguished from a debt collectors letter as it has financial information forms in it. Debt collectors letters do not have such forms.

If you do get an LBC or court claim come back to this thread for further advice.

Complain to your MP. This very issue is being discussed in parliament.

beamerguy

racksu wrote: »

An update - I have today had the second notice for £100. They ignored my previous email asking for proof of admin fee. Such a stressful process.

UKPS still trying to scam you.

If they thought they could win, they would never had cancelled the charge ........

YOU PAID, you can prove it, just because it fell of the dashboard is so trivial that this will be a sheer waste of the courts time.

They are now trying to penalise you .... that is a penalty charge for not agreeing to their scam £25

At the end of the day, these idiots will try court using a dodgy legal who does not know their a*s from their elbow and they get whooped and in this case for unreasonable behaviour

They have agreed you paid so what happened to your money?

Just be prepared to get idiot debt collectors writing to you which you ignore regardless of what they say.