DCBLegal and Vehicle Control Services Limited

Marburymike

As a 'newby' I have already read most of the posts about DCBLegal but my case appears to be significantly different. My wife received an 'unpaid parking notice' in June 2019 for and 'offence' in June 2016 (ignored on legal advice) and again in June 2020 (also ignored). Last week I received the same notice but in my name! The 'offence' was cited at Apperley Court - no other address or postal code etc. The only name we could find is in Gloucestershire - 100+ miles away.  Most folk would not know where they were on a particular day 3 years perviously but we did - it was our granddaughter's birthday party in Cheshire. On the letter DCBL's client is Vehicle Control Services Ltd. I recommend you look at their website and the 254 (out of 255) negative views. I appreciate that DCBL act for other clients but from my research Vehicle Control Services appear to be operating a scam. Has anyone had a similar experience with this company? I would be interested to know. 

Le_Kirk

Who is the registered keeper of the car and did the notice arrive in that person's name?  Could it be a ANPR reading error?  Could it be a cloned VRM?

KeithP

Hello and welcome to the forum.

If you are just carrying out research into the popularity (or otherwise) of DCBL, then can I suggest this thread?...
DCBL letters ..... forum group thread.

If you would like help with your issue, then perhaps the best starting point is the NEWBIES thread.
The NEWBIES thread is one of the first five threads on this parking board - it's the only one of those five threads with the word NEWBIES in the thread title.

How is your case 'significantly different'?

Fruitcake

VCS are frequent flyers on this forum. Tens of thousands of people are or have been in your situation, so yes, lots of people have had a similar experience to you. We see dozens of them on here every week.

UK MPs across all parties have referred to these unregulated private parking companies as rogues, scammers, and bloodsuckers.

The advice to ignore a PCN has not been given here on this forum since the law changed in 2012, so I'm not sure where you saw it. Wherever it was, it was bad advice.

Send an SAR as per the NEWBIES to the DPO of VCS to obtain all your personal data that they hold, including the original NTKs.
Include proof of ID such as a copy of the V5C or two redacted utility bills or bank/card statements.
Never send photo' ID.

Plan A is always to complain to the landowner, so do that as soon as you get the NTKs showing where the alleged event occurred.
Both of you should send SARs separately.

ParkingMad

This post on FB mentions Apperley Court in Bradford, together with VCS parking permits:

https://m.facebook.com/pg/apperleycourt/posts/

I think the postcode is BD10 0LW.

The postcode BD10 0LT shows the entrance to the estate.

D_P_Dance

Have you complained to your MP?

Coupon-mad

Doesn't sound like the same PCN as your wife's.  Look at the date of parking event.

I hope you haven't moved house since she ignored those two PCNs and she's got herself a CCJ at the old address, due to VCS filing a claim against her behind her back?  Or that her car was registered to the 2016 address and the logbook never changed? You can't ignore these.  They don't just go quiet, they issue court claims to old addresses.

If you are both unsure, each of you should email VCS for a SAR, to see all photos and letters sent over the years.  The NEWBIES thread explains all this and about LBC stage, which is where you are at with your one.

ParkingMad

Marburymike said: Has anyone had a similar experience with this company? I would be interested to know. 

This person has had a similar experience to you -

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6285333/vcs-hit-for-1-500-counterclaim-5-years-worth-of-harassment/p1

ParkingMad

You could register for this group action. They are trying to get compensation from the DVLA for misuse of their personal data under GDPR.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6290268/dvla-misuse-of-personal-data-under-gdpr-group-action-no-win-no-fee/p1

ParkingMad

Please also complete the government consultation on the level of parking charges, which closes at midday on the 27th August. 

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6286801/government-consultation-re-private-parking-charge-levels-august-2021-please-bookmark-this-thread/p1

Coupon-mad

Yes please do both urgently!

Please tell us you know about these two threads and have done both required urgent tasks?

I really hope you have done the Government Consultation by email and objected absolutely to ANY debt recovery fake 'costs' being added on top of a parking charge (of course) and told them what you think of them increasing charges to £130 instead of £100...which is already extortionate.

You have 6 days to do the consultation.  Please, please, do and do it by email so you attach evidence.  Spread the word, is closes within days, next week!

Also, I hope you've also registered for the Group Action, against the DVLA (open to anyone with a PCN since 2018?).  Gotta be in it to win it!  Nothing to lose, and it's genuine.

Read the threads about those important matters, they both need doing, right now, this week.