Armtrac Security Services BW Legal Scam

DRobinson55

Good evening,

First of all wanted to say thank you to everybody contributing on this blog. I've seen a lot of posts about Armtrac Security Services and read the newbies guide and found it all very helpful. 

Wanted to post really to let people know the lengths this company is now going to. I parked at one of their car parks in Cornwall whilst on holiday and paid and displayed a ticket. Returned to the car and I had a PCN. The pay and display ticket was still on display. I also have a car parking permit attached to my windscreen for work, and when I viewed their evidence the parking attendent had taken his photos at an angle using my work permit to block my pay and display ticket from view! I've walked around the car with the ticket in the same place and it's not possible the attendent couldn't have seen the ticket and taken these photos!

I appealed to the IAS with this as my case and they have rejected. I've now got a letter saying I have 14 days to pay £100 before passing to BW Legal who will commence County Court procedings and I'll incur further costs. I am assuming just scare tactics before I get anything more offiicial and have to start forming my defence? I'll read the other threads fully to do this. I can get a witness statement from my partner who was with me at the time.

After reading about the company it is shocking they are still generating enough income to be active! Can thiis be used in any way to help bring them down? Is the parking appelent breaking the law taking photographs in such a way? And then the company and IAS just letting it go through! 

Thanks all

KeithP

Make sure you have your own photographs. This will be easily won in court.

beamerguy

I appealed to the IAS with this as my case and they have rejected. I've now got a letter saying I have 14 days to pay £100 before passing to BW Legal who will commence County Court procedings and I'll incur further costs. I am assuming just scare tactics before I get anything more offiicial and have to start forming my defence? I'll read the other threads fully to do this. I can get a witness statement from my partner who was with me at the time.

DESPERATION has set in with parking companies.
The IAS is just a mickey mouse club for scammers
They will no doubt pass it BWLegal, frankly that's their problem. 
Before any court action, BWLegal have by law to send you a letter before claim giving you 30 days to respond. 
That's when it gets amusing as BWLegal will add fake amounts.  Don't pay just wait

To help you understand all about the scam, read this
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6103933/abuse-of-process-thread-part-2/p1?new=1

Coupon-mad

You were never going to win at IAS, and should have come here earlier to avoid that kangaroo court.  However nothing would have changed where you are now.  Yes, defend any court claim and win.  Keep all letters and the P&D ticket for six years, and any photos you took to show the scam.

Wait for your claim to defend.  You know from reading the 2nd post of the NEWBIES thread that we win 99% of the time.

Please now make a real difference - A TASK FOR SEPTEMBER.

The Government is (this month only) consulting about a new statutory code of practice (CoP) and framework to rein in the rogue parking firms.  Read and comment on the draft CoP proposal and the enforcement framework consultation, and get everyone you know to do the same.

You will need to register to comment on the CoP and enter an occupation even if you are retired or a homemaker, but otherwise it is easy to navigate, and comment upon each section/subsection individually. You can save comments to edit later and or submit comments once you are happy with them.

https://standardsdevelopment.bsigroup.com/projects/2020-00193#/section

You do not need to register to comment on the enforcement framework which can be found here. It has a link on page 5 to make comments.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/913272/Code_Enforcement_Framework_consultation.pdf

At the very least, we say the parking charge level should be £50/£25 or higher level £70/£35, as per Council PCNs in E&W.  

And we say the added fake 'debt recovery' costs are just double counting the cost of letters, and MUST GO because that is unfair and illegal.

Please be heard.  You can bet the hundreds of PPCs will be commenting.

No apologies for repeating this vital 'call for action' to consumers, on every thread this month!

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.

zhonguonuren

Sorry you have been scammed whilst holidaying in Cornwall.  Can you say which car park as I am local and want to stop this with involvement from our MP and landowners.  
Meanwhile, follow the advice of the regulars.  After you get the ticket cancelled, consider a moneyclaim online (£25 - (for £300 claim -worth a punt)- for breach of GDPR - misusing your data including passing it to a third party and harassment (Vidal-Hall v Google)  

Best of luck and keep your paid ticket safe!  

By the way, I am all in favour of reporting to IAS on its official complaints system.  I recently went head to head with Will Hurley (sued IPC for negligence in failing to police its members).  The judge said I should have complained to the IPC appeals system (said to judge it was the same people so not independent) and if I had done so my case for negligence would have had more merit.  I lost but did not have to pay £2,000 costs 😃 and obviously if I get another ticket I will be appealing (and then suing).  

Also the IAS/IPC has to report its complaints to the DVLA.  

beamerguy

Also the IAS/IPC has to report its complaints to the DVLA. 

I would hurry up because when the new CoP  and appeals service comes into force, The Great Gladstones IPC/IAS scam will be as dead as a dodo. Only good for parking companies sourcing addresses from the DVLA AND, there is always the possibility that the IPC will lose their ATA status

Half_way

Do you ave photos showng the ticket on display?

DRobinson55

Thanks for the responses all. 
It was the car park at Porthpean Beach next to the sailing club. I do have pictures of my ticket on display and have kept it. 
I am not from Cornwall so assume it would only be a Cornwall MP that would be worth complaining to not a local one for me?

Attached the "final letter before debt recoery or court action" letter I received from Armtrac, is it worth replying to them with the unfair addition of costs, like in the thread linked below or wait to get something from BW Legal to do so?
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6129744/bwlegal-the-scam/p1?new=1

Also, it will cost me quite a lot to go down to Cornwall (assuming that's where it will be held and not virtual) to defend this is in court (day off work, petrol, hotel etc.), do these generally get paid if the case in won and is it worth laying out these costs to Armtrac/BW Legal in advance?

Many thanks

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.

KeithP

Also, it will cost me quite a lot to go down to Cornwall (assuming that's where it will be held and not virtual) to defend this is in court (day off work, petrol, hotel etc.)...

Wrong assumption.

If this ever gets to court it will be at a County Court local to you. You get to name the court later in the process.