VCS Bristol Airport - LBC Stopping in a zone where stopping is prohibited

cathcartzigel

Thank you for excellent advice provided on this forum.  
I am the keeper (but not registered keeper) of a vehicle that received a Charge Notice issued on 4th August - 5 days after an alleged offence occurred at Bristol Airport.  The offence is 46) Stopping in a zone where stopping is prohibited issued by Vehicle Control Services.  The offence occurred in a slip-road to a short-stay car park where a stop was made in order to read signage - totally absurd to have been sent a charge notice for this.  I have been abroad for the last three weeks and read the letter for the first time today - the very last day of the appeal deadline which I am doing online. 
I understand the initial appeal will be rejected but welcome any advice.  In particular I'm mindful of recent post by Paul_Parker about the same offence and location which was rejected by POPLA.  
I have e-mailed Bristol Airport to complain and will also write to the DVLA to complain about details being issued for a non-parking offence.  

Coupon-mad

There is no appeal so don't hang your hat on it.  NO SAYING WHO WAS DRIVING.

We assume everyone has read the NEWBIES thread before posting and knows the above.

These cases are won later, in court. Relax and search the forum for VCS Airport stopping.

Redx

as welll as Bristol airport, read recent cases for Brighton , Doncaster etc too, all very similar, some for stopping at a pedestrian crossing

yes VCS will reject your appeal , even if it was on time, it wouldnt matter because a rejection is almost inevitable

no blabbing about who was driving

cathcartzigel

Yes, have done a lot of reading this morning!
I can see why victims just pay the £100 fine - thereby inadvertently encouraging parking companies to continue unchallenged.   
I've used the appeal template from the Newbies post so no driver disclosure.  At least I have time now to research/strategise before further action is required.  

KeithP

cathcartzigel said:

I'm mindful of recent post by Paul_Parker about the same offence and location which was rejected by POPLA.   

But Paul_Parker's case the parking company was Defence Systems Ltd - trading as Park Watch - a member of the BPA's Approved Operator's Scheme.

In your case you tell us that the parking company is Vehicle Control Services Ltd which is an IPC Accredited Operator and therefore PoPLA is not available to you.

I'm not sure you incident can be at the same place as Paul_Parker's.

nosferatu1001

Theres not much to strategise. 
That search above is critical. You win IF they try court. Given their revenues are tanking they might not last long enough to file. 

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 in some cases, cancellation. 

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 later this year,

Just as the clampers were finally closed down, so hopefully will many of these companies, persistent offenders denied access to the DVLA database and unable to operate.

Hopefully life will become impossible for the worst of these scammers, 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/of these Private Parking Companies.

Umkomaas

Paul Parker's case was in Perry Barr, Birmingham, a fair way away from the end of the BRS runway. In addition the PPC pursuing him is a BPA AOS member with POPLA as the second stage appeal assessor service; VCS is an IPC AOS member, so no POPLA. 

Additionally an airport is likely to have bye-laws in place, which a shopping centre will have nothing like that. There's not a lot you can take from Paul Parker's case really, so pass on that. 

I am the keeper (but not registered keeper) of a vehicle that received a Charge Notice issued on 4th August

How come VCS are writing to you if you're not the RK?  Has the RK transferred liability, and if so, in what format .... naming you as 'the day-to-day keeper', or as 'the driver'?  Or have they simply handed over the paperwork to you to deal with (not the way to handle this, has the potential to become very messy!). 

Fruitcake

It is not a fine.

Have a look at this thread where the victim posted a map of the airport supplied by VCS showing where they are and are not authorised to scam. Check where the car was to see if it was on or off the red line. Off the red line means it is outside the scammer's scamzone where they have no authority and therefore no reason to obtain keeper details from the DVLA.

Thread.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6122387/vehicle-control-services-no-stopping-in-a-queue/p3

VCS witness statement including their contract and maps. Note two of the maps show differing scam zones, and that the car park entrance roads are without the red line.

file:///C:/Users/User/Downloads/Bristol%20Airport%20terms%20(6).pdf

cathcartzigel

My apologies - it's the same offence but different location.   I'm clearer on the difference between IPC and BPA now and how that feeds into the process I'm likely to encounter.  

Redx

the process will be that they will stonewall you, threaten court etc

its pay or fight, we advocate people to fight and not pay

but you need to read airport threads involving VCS, not private car parks on private land