Euro Car Parks/Debt Recovery Plus

LJG111

Good afternoon,

I'm at a bit of a sticking point having just received a letter from Debt Recovery Plus Ltd, in relation to a PCN from Euro Car Parks Ltd.

My sticking point is the fact I have not received the actual PCN with any details. I think this comes down to a crossover of moving house and only being able to afford to redirect post for a limited time.

With so much to sort paper trail wise after moving, (alongside stuff which doesn't matter but contributed to more paper work, such as changing jobs/getting married) I appear to have overlooked updating my V5 with the DVLA, so guessing the PCN letters will have arrived at my old address.

This is the point at which I am stuck for where to turn... Having no original paperwork to go off, and Euro Car Parks not communicating anymore due to passing over to Debt Recovery Plus.

With having no paperwork of the event I am unsure of how it has occurred. Whether I was simply waiting to pick my partner up from work, or whether I we were eating in the establishment.

To top it off, not knowing there was a charge against the car, I have recently changed cars with my dealership, so I am no longer the registered keeper, and do not want this to cause issues with my dealership.

Any advice would be much appreciated, many thanks!

Umkomaas

Email the DPO at ECP via their Privacy section of their website and ask for data rectification of your former address to your new address. Require them to notify any of their agents they are using in your case.

Ignore anything from DRP. Read the NEWBIES FAQ sticky, post #4 about dealing with debt collectors.

To top it off, not knowing there was a charge against the car, I have recently changed cars with my dealership, so I am no longer the registered keeper, and do not want this to cause issues with my dealership.

The charge doesn't follow the car. The PPC has one stab only at getting the RK details linked to the car's VRM from the DVLA. They've already done that.

I appear to have overlooked updating my V5 with the DVLA

The DVLA won't overlook the opportunity to fine you £1,000 for your omission, so I'd be getting your V5C and your driving licence updated (2 separate notifications required) as your immediate priority.

LJG111

Thanks for your reply!

I will email ECP, could you please clarify what you mean by DPO? I'm new to this forum and the abbreviation.

If I do so will I receive new notification of the charge and then go on to an appeal? Or is that well passed?

The charge doesn't follow the car. The PPC has one stab only at getting the RK details linked to the car's VRM from the DVLA. They've already done that.

So it won't have any implications in the cars PCP being up and car returning to the dealership?

The DVLA won't overlook the opportunity to fine you £1,000 for your omission, so I'd be getting your V5C and your driving licence updated (2 separate notifications required) as your immediate priority

I now have a new vehicle with the V5 registered to my new address, the licence is sorted.
With the V5 for the previous deal being filed away, and my first vehicle it was overlooked, stupidly. However when Bristol Street took it back and accepted registration of the vehicle they told me it being up to date wouldn't cause an issue.

The_Deep

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.

Coupon-mad

See the NEWBIES thread post #2, for how to send a SAR and what DPO is!

Le_Kirk

DPO = Data Protection Officer. While you are writing about the correction notice, submit a SAR - ask Auntie Google or read the NEWBIE sticky - asking for all the data they hold on you, including but not limited to, the original PCN. You could separately write/e-mail ECP with your correct address for service as belt and braces.

Umkomaas

I will email ECP, could you please clarify what you mean by DPO?

Data Protection Officer.

So it won't have any implications in the cars PCP being up and car returning to the dealership?

Nope. One shot at RK data. No more goes, unless the next keeper falls foul.

However when Bristol Street took it back and accepted registration of the vehicle they told me it being up to date wouldn't cause an issue.

Yep, hopefully. But we've seen dealers mess up, with the car still registered to a former keeper. But it would only be relevant to any future contravention, not your current one.

LJG111

Coupon-mad wrote: »

See the NEWBIES thread post #2, for how to send a SAR and what DPO is!

I'll get on to that once I get a minute, thanks for the help!

LJG111

Le_Kirk wrote: »

DPO = Data Protection Officer. While you are writing about the correction notice, submit a SAR - ask Auntie Google or read the NEWBIE sticky - asking for all the data they hold on you, including but not limited to, the original PCN. You could separately write/e-mail ECP with your correct address for service as belt and braces.

Much appreciated, will get on to the Newbie post and arm myself with the correct information and get an email over. Will also send a separate one regarding the change of address!

LJG111

So after contacting ECP for a rectification of data, requesting copies of original paperwork which was not received, alongside requesting a SAR I have received a response.

ECP have stated they sent due notice, received no response, have passed the matter to DRL and will no longer be assisting me on the matter.

After not knowing what the charge was for they have included copies of the original correspondence, in which the reg number can be seen on the carpark for 20mins, waiting to pick my partner up from work.

In relation to my SAR request, they have simply pointed me in the direction of their GDPR policy, providing no more information when I did ask numerous points.

Any advice on the next step of action to take??

Umkomaas

providing no more information when I did ask numerous points.

To what specific points have they failed to respond?