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Driver lives in Australia, threatened with debt collectors by UK company?
banter113
Posts: 3 Newbie
Hi, my brother was visiting from Australia and using my car incurred a parking charge on the 18.11.18 in Manchester. When I received the parking charge on the 5.12.18 I gave them his name and address in Australia on the 06.12.18
He lives with our elderly mother, but is travelling for 6 months.
My mother just rang me upset and worried as a letter arrived dated 10.1.19 but postmarked 22.1.19 saying the charge has increased to £100 and if it's not paid in 42 days they will send debt collectors and add a further fee of £60.
My brother reckons they are bluffing, that UK companies have no legal right to send debt collectors in Australia, but my mum is worried and I don't know where to find information.
She wants to send the letter back to them saying "Not at this address".
Does anyone know what the situation is and what the best action is?
He lives with our elderly mother, but is travelling for 6 months.
My mother just rang me upset and worried as a letter arrived dated 10.1.19 but postmarked 22.1.19 saying the charge has increased to £100 and if it's not paid in 42 days they will send debt collectors and add a further fee of £60.
My brother reckons they are bluffing, that UK companies have no legal right to send debt collectors in Australia, but my mum is worried and I don't know where to find information.
She wants to send the letter back to them saying "Not at this address".
Does anyone know what the situation is and what the best action is?
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Comments
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Ha ha I doubt very much it said "they will send debt collectors" the useless muppets don't even do that here, and are completely harmless apart from the odd scary letter.
Read the newbies thread, you have discharged your liability for this scam invoice by naming the driver, who was the PPC?0 -
Obviously no need to withdraw implied rights then.You never know how far you can go until you go too far.0
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Read the newbies thread, you have discharged your liability for this scam invoice by naming the driver, who was the PPC?
It is UKPC. I'm more concerned for my mother now as my brother is off travelling and I don't know how my mum will cope if they send debt collectors to her house!0 -
It is UKPC. I'm more concerned for my mother now as my brother is off travelling and I don't know how my mum will cope if they send debt collectors to her house!
Debt collectors turning up at someone's house only happens on daytime TV soaps.
They have absolutely no powers whatsoever other than the ability to send very poor quality bog paper or hamster bedding.
Your brother needs to respond, admitting that he was the driver, giving his Oz postal address for service. The scammers won't take your word for it so it MUST come from him.
Any threats to UK residents after that should result in complaints to the BPA, DVLA, and your MP.
You should be doing the latter anyway about this unregulated scam. Once the scammers have the driver's details they cannot lawfully go after anyone else. If they try, they could get themselves in deep doo-doo.
Ensure your brother contacts the scammers as above, reassure your mother and make sure she passes everything to you, and come back here if you need to make any complaints.I married my cousin. I had to...I don't have a sister.
All my screwdrivers are cordless."You're Safety Is My Primary Concern Dear" - Laks0 -
I really don't think they would fly to Australia to try and collect £100. The airfare alone would make it madness.
Besides which they don't have the legal power to do that. Can you imagine Australian police being happy for a bunch of foreigners turning up demanding money?0 -
Debt collectors cannot door knock, if they do call the police and they can escort them off the premises.
The only time this can happen is if it goes to county court and you lose and do not pay.
As said, your brother should advise UKPC that he was the driver and give his address in Australia.
He may well get letters from the stupid debt collectors like DRP but they are only used bog paper
Get that done quickly
UKPC won't be travelling to Australia, with their track record in the UK, doubt they would get a Visa to enter Australia0 -
The PPC must be either desperate or stupid (or likely both) to be writing letters and posting them out to Australia, !!!!!!!
Possibly the letter writer didn't concentrate too hard during their school geography lessons!Please note, we are not a legal advice forum. I personally don't get involved in critiquing court case Defences/Witness Statements, so unable to help on that front. Please don't ask. .
I provide only my personal opinion, it is not a legal opinion, it is simply a personal one. I am not a lawyer.
Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; show him how to catch fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.#Private Parking Firms - Killing the High Street0 -
The mother MUST NOT respond saying "not at this address"
A simple - bogoff, the driver is outside the jurisdiction of the E&W courts and you haev no prospect of success, and I will not pay ANY demands unless ordered to by an Australian court, will suffice
State that continued harassment will result in a claim against them in Australia, which as a corporate body will stick...0 -
If Mum is in Oz, tell her to ignore the letters like this person is:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5899989/tourist-from-australia-pcn-from-cpm
DO NOT SEND THE LETTER BACK MARKED NOT AT THIS ADDRESS!
NONONO.
The entire point of naming the driver in Oz is to kill the scam stone dead, not for Mum to unpick your hard work and for you to get the threats again.
Tell her to file the laughable demands till the eejits soon give up. No-one comes knocking in the UK, let alone abroad!
It's a letters scam, like a phishing email scam only with paper.PRIVATE 'PCN'? DON'T PAY BUT DON'T IGNORE IT (except N.Ireland).
CLICK at the top or bottom of any page where it says:
Home»Motoring»Parking Tickets Fines & Parking - read the NEWBIES THREAD0
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