Hungarian Penalty Charge Notice

Car_54

twhitehousescat said:

Car_54 said:

AdrianC said:

Watchkeeper said:

I object to paying an intermediary from whom I've received neither goods nor services.

You might not have received services from them, but their customer has. Their customer is not you, it's the Hungarian motorway toll authority. They cannot directly access DVLA registration records - so have employed a UK-based company with DVLA authority to do so on their behalf.

According to the DVLA (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/804467/mis546-giving-people-information-from-our-vehicle-record.pdf), private parking companies can only access information "where a vehicle has breached the terms and conditions of a private car park".

On the face of it, Euro Parking Collection plc have obtained the OP's details illegally.

no not correct , there are about 6 groups of people (private) who can get data from dvla . those include finace and credit search type people providing they are members of the correct assosiation 

True, but

1. Euro Parking Collection plc is not "A finance company or bank wanting to trace your property or find out when the person with finance sold the vehicle".

2. Those companies can access data only for purposes which do not include foreign motorway infractions.

Watchkeeper

AdrianC said:

There would certainly have been signs up saying a vignette was required.

Basic travel common sense says you find out what local requirements are. Fail to do so, and don't complain about the inevitable consequences.

I'm not complaining about the consequences, and I'm disappointed I didn't make that clear. I hoped my saying "I do not dispute the offence, nor am I averse to paying the penalty" would have made that evident but apparently not. I can only say that I have approached the Hungarians directly twice with a view to paying the penalty directly but have received no response. It's the involvement of a third party and its fees that sticks in the craw.

Thanks for all the replies, people. It may be worth investigating DVLA's role in this.

AdrianC

Watchkeeper said:
It's the involvement of a third party and its fees that sticks in the craw.

They're part of the consequences.

Thanks for all the replies, people. It may be worth investigating DVLA's role in this.

DVLA have done nothing wrong here, neither have the Hungarian authorities.

[Deleted User]

It's not the Hungarian authorities, it's the UK based agency that has screwed up here.

Fraudulent data requests via the DVLA are quite serious. In the past they have been settled in court for around £750 per offence. I'd write to them stating that since they have inappropriately acquired your data from the DVLA you are considering legal action and would like to offer them a settlement of £750.

Jumblebumble

AdrianC said:

Watchkeeper said:

I object to paying an intermediary from whom I've received neither goods nor services.

You might not have received services from them, but their customer has. Their customer is not you, it's the Hungarian motorway toll authority. They cannot directly access DVLA registration records - so have employed a UK-based company with DVLA authority to do so on their behalf.

So what !
The Hungarian authorities can pay the company they engaged or not but this is not the concern of the OP
No one insisted the Hungarian authorities  take the action they did.

AdrianC

Jumblebumble said:

No one insisted the Hungarian authorities  take the action they did.

The OP isn't disputing the validity of the penalty, remember...

DoaM

AdrianC said:

Jumblebumble said:

No one insisted the Hungarian authorities  take the action they did.

The OP isn't disputing the validity of the penalty, remember...

OP has also said that they've tried to resolve it with the Hungarian authorities but to no avail. Therefore the Hungarian's decision to use a debt collector was their choice, so OP has no debt collection charges owing.

AdrianC

What "debt collector"? They've used a UK agent to liase with DVLA to translate a UK registration into the UK keeper's name and address. That's all.

Car_54

From their website, "Euro Parking Collection plc (EPC) specialises in the identification, notification and collection of unpaid traffic and public transport related fees, charges and penalties". That sounds like debt collection to me.

DoaM

Car_54 said:

From their website, "Euro Parking Collection plc (EPC) specialises in the identification, notification and collection of unpaid traffic and public transport related fees, charges and penalties". That sounds like debt collection to me.

And to me ... hence why I deliberately used the term Debt Collector.