APCOA Parking - Debt Recovery Plus

Ineedausername

Dear all
New to the world of asking for help but your advice is very much appreciated
Background
- Been parking at the same car park for a number of months. A busy city centre parking close to work
- have a weekly pass that allows parking from 07:00 - 20:00
- Purchase these weekly tickets on the app
- i sometimes arrive earlier than 07:00 - by a few minutes but no more than 10 mins. Creature of habit so i know how long it should take from home to parking
- when i am leaving for the day - i tap my number plate in to the pay machine and the machine reads a charge of a few pounds - usually £1.50 which is steep for 10 mins but I pay using coins. Most of the time there is a £0.00 balance and I go on my merry way
So nothing out of the ordinary here so far
Current Situation
- I received a letter from Debt Recovery Plus for a demand for payment - unpaid parking charge notice of £140.00. Reason – Use of private car park without a valid permit. News to me!
- called APCOA who operate the car park and was informed that due to the driver not being found, and numerous letters sent to the registered address, they sent the debt onto debt recovery plus.
- i told them this is the first letter i have seen - she gave me the address that they had been sending these letters to - to my old address ( is still own the home but don’t live there).
- she stated they use DVLA to trace the car and this is the address they had. news to me as i have not lived at that address for over a year. She told me to contact DVLA about getting the log book changed.
- OK, fair point I thought I did not have register the car to my current address (flat im renting) as I still own the old house – I just work away from home a lot and rent a smaller house near work but I could see her point
- all my other mail goes to my old house and I pop by every few months in case there is any mail. Anything that looks urgent, the lodger normally gives me a shout
- now she tells me there are another 3 in the system – a total of 4 PCN’s and that debt recovery will be perusing these too. She advises me to call them to discuss this matter as they are the ones whom will be chasing payment
- I called Debt recovery plus whom informed me that they have indeed a number of PCN’s they are chasing
- she also informed me the total cost is several hundred pounds (more than £600!)
- she said if this was not cleared, they would be seeking further action including court
- now, the jobs both me and the wife have, don’t allow us to have a CCJ or risk our credit score – it’s a condition of our employment that we sustain a good/excellent rating with no CCJ’s, bankruptcy’s etc. hearing this, made me feel very anxious
- she very kindly offered to reduce the rate (below £500 but more than £400 – I’m keeping the numbers vague on purposes) if I paid now and no further action was taken. It’s a one time offer expiring at 15:00. She also said that I can appeal to APCOA and they may cancel the charge and you can have the money back but this needs to be done in writing to them and within 14 days of the letter.
- I paid (I know now I probably should not have and hence why im here)
I asked her how they managed to find me yet APCOA had not? She said they used my driving license/insurance database to locate my car. Im not sure of the legalities of this route?
Support requested
- can I appeal to APCOA? Even though I have paid Debt recovery plus? I have read the stickys and it does seem as though this maybe a futile exercise?
- can I make my credit card payment in dispute? Or until this is resolved?
- the only reason I can think of the fines being generated in the first place is that the ANPR camera had not registered the number plate correctly going in but has done so when leaving? Is there a method to check this?
- whats the legality of them checking databases – driving licenses/insurance without my consent? Do they even need my consent im not sure?!
Your advice, support, shoulder to cry on is most appreciated
Thank you
INeedAUsername

Redx

too late for any appeals if its with DRPL (who are powerless)

read post #4 of the NEWBIES FAQ sticky thread near the top of this forum

DISREGARD ALL DEBT COLLECTOR LETTERS, EVERY ONE

if APCOA were to try court , come back to this thread (we havent seen them try it yet)


you should not have paid a penny

Fruitcake

You paid a toothless debt collector! :eek::eek::eek:
:wall::wall::wall:

CRAPCOA are one of the easiest PPCs to beat. Debt collectors have no powers to do anything other than send poor quality bog paper.

Never, ever 'phone a parking scammer, and never, ever, ever contact a debt crawler.

You can't appeal to CRAPCOA now, you are way past that.

You have thrown your money down the drain and can do nothing other than learn by your mistakes and read the sticky thread for NEWBIES.
This tells you how to deal with PCNs.

KeithP

Fruitcake wrote: »

You paid a toothless debt collector!

Ahhh... but it was a bargain.

He negotiated it down from over £600 to under £500.

Astute wheeler dealer.

Ineedausername

most appreciated
lesson learnt

beamerguy

Firstly, there is no risk of a CCJ as long as you follow what we say

DRP are simply nomads who roam around the country looking for fools ...... do not phone them again, as they are powerless, they have no option but to pass this back to the PPC.

Debt Collectors (DRP & ZZPS) What they don't want you to know
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5859454/debt-collectors-drp-zzps-what-they-dont-want-you-to-know&highlight=debt+collectors+drp

And to show you that DRP are verbal diarrhoea merchants
READ THIS
The CCJ Myth and threats EXPOSED
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5849106/the-ccj-myth-and-threats-and-lies-told-by-debt-collectors-and-ppcs-exposed&highlight=myth
=========================================

Just seen .... YOU PAID A SCAMMER ?????


Join the club who exposes scammers on BBC RIP OFF BRITAIN

Ineedausername

yep. the crap they told me on the phone
should have seen it - probably more worried about the CCJ bit to be honest - not had to deal with this type before.
appreciate the time you guys put into this
thank you

Ineedausername

now that i have read the forum - can i contact the credit card company and tell them to place the amount in dispute? and then let them chase me?

Redx

no harm in asking, say you were duped , if you dont ask , you dont get

beamerguy

Ineedausername wrote: »

now that i have read the forum - can i contact the credit card company and tell them to place the amount in dispute? and then let them chase me?

Yes I would ...... section 75 of the consumer credit act allows you to reclaim and reverse the transaction

REASON
You have been subjected to a scam from a company who has not proved any monies are owed apart from threatening letters

Seriously, do it now

They can try to chase you if they wish to explain their scam

Remember, DRP are a useless bunch of scammers

Ineedausername

appreciate it