Letter invoice from Ultimate Customer Solutions

Rose15964

Good afternoon everyone. Hope you are well and safe. 
My brother got a letter from Ultimate Customer Solutions stating he has to pay £160 for a parking charge notice. There is nothing written about when it happened and for which reason is the notice. He did not get any letters before regarding any penalties for Metropark Limited. 
When he gets any penalties he pays directly to ensure to penalty charge will not be increased. 
So we are really confused now regarding this letter as we did not get any letters before. 
Could you please kindly advise what shall he do? As when we called they are not replying as they are closed due to quarantine. 
Thank you for your answer in advance. 
Stay safe!!!

MothballsWallet

That looks like a debt collection letter to me.

From a Google Search, UCS is a trading style* of SolutionLabs Ltd, and look like a debt collection agency: at least that's what I've found on a website called contactucs.com and appears to be backed up from threads on Pepipoo.

If they are a debt collection agency, I think that they can be ignored as per the NEWBIES thread near the top of the board - if your brother gets a LBCCC or Claim Form from the CCBC, then come back here for further information.

Any LBCCC or Claim Form will come from Metropark's solicitors, whomever they are, as UCS cannot issue court proceedings against your brother - they're not solicitors from what I can see, just providing money collection and admin services to Metropark.

Regulars: have I missed anything? (Still learning to try and be an additional volunteer while stuck at home.)

Le_Kirk

Sound advice from MBW.  I would just add that you/your brother should submit a SAR to the dpo of the parking company (not the ragamuffin, bottom feeding, sewer rat debt collector) and ask for all the data relating to the VRM in the surname of and include a scan of the V5C to prove who you/he is.  Better if your brother does it and then there is no confusion over who is defending the claim (if and when it arrives).  For advice on SAR and DPO go to the NEWBIE sticky front page of the forum just below where you clicked on NEW THREAD button.

Rose15964

Le_Kirk
Thank you for your comment. can you please exlain in details regarding SAR? Where should he submit the form and what should he write in it? 
Does he still have to pay this amount? 
Thank you for your answer in advance 

D_P_Dance

Nine times out of ten these tickets are scams, so consider complaining to your MP, it can cause the scammer extra costs and work, and has been known to get the charge cancelled.

Parliament is well aware of the MO of these private parking companies, many of whom are former clampers, and on 15th March 2019 a Bill was enacted to curb the excesses of these shysters. Codes of Practice are being drawn up, an independent appeals service will be set up, and access to the DVLA's date base more rigorously policed, persistent offenders denied access to the DVLA database and unable to operate.

Hopefully, when life gets back to normal, it will become impossible for those scammers who are left to continue their vile trade, but until this is done you should still complain to your MP, citing the new legislation.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2019/8/contents/enacted

Just as the clampers were finally closed down, so hopefully will many of these Private Parking Companies.

Le_Kirk

If you go to the NEWBIE sticky second post using this LINK, you will learn all about submitting a SAR and more but basically the SAR is a subject access request and is used to find out "what the parking company has on you"  You submit the request to the Data Protection Officer of the parking company NOT the solicitor nor the debt collector.  They have 30 days to reply. 

Rose15964

Le_Kirk
But in the letter it's written to proceed a payment within 14 days.
My brother did not get any parking letters before. 
Thank you for your answer in advance 

D_P_Dance

But in the letter it's written to proceed a payment within 14 days

It is a scam, there is no debt unless a judge says there is.  Everthing you need to know is in the newbies thread.

Rose15964

Dear D_P_Dance
Thank you for your comment. 
Can you please clarify who is MP and where can I get their email address to make a complaint. 
What if we just ignore this letter if it is a scam? As we didn't receive any letters before. 

D_P_Dance

Go here 

https://www.theyworkforyou.com/

In future please use a search engine.  Of course it is a scam .  Please read the newbies thread,  it will answer most of your questions t

Le_Kirk

If it states 4 days, it is not a pucker letter before claim, it is a debt collector letter.  Go also to NEWBIE sticky LINK and read about what debt collectors can do  -absolutely NOTHING.  This is why you need to submit the SAR so you can find out what the original PCN was issued for and when and where.  Then you can decide what actionn (if any) to take.