What do I do if phoned DRP???

RyanY3105

Fruitcake said:

Please start from the beginning.

Tell us what happened, where, and when, and what has happened since.

Never ever 'phone a parking company.

Ignore powerless debt collectors. The only thing they can do is send you poor quality bog paper.

What happened when you complained to the landowner?

I don't see how Not - so - Smart parking can pursue a charge from a completely different parking company.

So I received a PCN in July for £60. I got a few letters telling me o have to pay by a cartain date or it'll be passed to debt collectors, I ignored them. A few weeks ago I get a letter from QDR Solicitors acting on behalf of Enterprise Parking Solutions demanding payment or the matter will be taken to court, affect my credit blah, blah, blah.

This was the point I phoned QDR Solicitors and the only people I had phoned up until then. I said due to unforseen circumstances I and only revieved QDR Solicitors letter and not any of the others (I lied basically). I then setup a payment plan with QDR Solicitors as I was just wanting the issue to go away. 

Just the other day I receive a letter from DRP asking for a different amount that QDR Solicitors were asking for. I phone QDR who tell me the direct debit has been removed/withdrawn (can't remember the exact word they used) and the issue is ongoing. They could not give me a reason for the direct debit being cancelled. I had already received a letter from DFC - a 'Bespoke Direct Debit Services' detailing the amount and time period the payment plan will be in place for. I phone DFC to ask if the direct debit had indeed been cancelled to which they tell me it has NOT been cancelled.

I now phone back QDR Solicitors to be told the direct debit is in fact still live. QDR explains to me all business is being transferred to Smart Parking Limited and all dealings have to be done through them or their debt recovery company - DRP. 

Debt Recovery Plus' letter states it was sent on 03/11/2021 and if they do not hear from me within 7 days, legal proceedings will begin. I received the letter on the 7th day. I phoned to tell them I already had a payment plan in place with QDR and would phone back once I found out what is going on with the plan. They seemed to be ok with that.

So I am now dealing with DRP who are collecting on behalf of Smart Parking Limited. I have phoned them and waiting on a call back to start a payment plan with them.

Jenni_D

To my knowledge QDR have only ever acted as debt collectors and have never acted as solicitors raising court claims for a parking company. As such they are no different to DRP and are merely debt collectors who can be ignored.

If the PCN was issued by EPS, how does the alleged debt now lie with Smart? Have EPS and Smart both written to you to advise you of the assignment of the alleged debt?

RyanY3105

I have also found that DRP are not registered with the FCA. Obviously big red flag.

Jenni_D

They don't need to be registered with the FCA ... not unless they are offering credit facilities. Please don't send yourself on a wild goose chase.  

Fruitcake

Stop 'phoning!

Ignore debt collectors. They have no powers and cannot take you to court.

Only the PPC that issued the PCN/NTK can issue court proceedings. 

The advice to ignore a PCN has not been given here since the law changed in 2012 (in England and Wales).

You still haven't told us what happened, where, or when. 
For example, why was the PCN issued? (Overstay, failure to pay, parked outwith bay markings, overstay, failure to register VRM etcetra)
Where in the UK did the alleged event occur? (Nation, type of car park such as retail park, supermarket, residential, hospital etcetera).
What happened when you complained to the landowner?

nicestrawb

And also, has anyone actually taken any money off you yet, either directly or via direct debit etc? If not, make sure they are cancelled with your bank and tell them that you do not agree to it.

Coupon-mad

Please, please stop phoning and NO, you won't be paying.  Have they taken anything yet and did you sign a DD mandate?  Don't.

This is not a parking fine.  It is a rogue industry.

patient_dream

The very first thing you do tommorow when the bank opens is to cancel the direct debit.

We can then start from fresh as you are being led up the garden path by scammers.

There are some silly banks that say they cannot cancel a direct debit, that is rubbish. You are instructing your bank NOT TO PAY

PLEASE don't be talking to down and outs like DRP, they are totally powerless, nothing they can do they are simply money scammers.   Would you normally pay a scammer ???

95Rollers

Never phone these clowns 🤡.  Once you do that they've got your number and then will subject you to endless calls and no doubt pass your details onto other grubby companies like QDR Legal etc. Plus there is no audit trail as they don't really record calls and aren't FCA regulated which explains their unprofessionalism.

RyanY3105

Fruitcake said:

Stop 'phoning!

Ignore debt collectors. They have no powers and cannot take you to court.

Only the PPC that issued the PCN/NTK can issue court proceedings. 

The advice to ignore a PCN has not been given here since the law changed in 2012 (in England and Wales).

You still haven't told us what happened, where, or when. 
For example, why was the PCN issued? (Overstay, failure to pay, parked outwith bay markings, overstay, failure to register VRM etcetra)
Where in the UK did the alleged event occur? (Nation, type of car park such as retail park, supermarket, residential, hospital etcetera).
What happened when you complained to the landowner?

You still haven't told us what happened, where, or when -

So I was issued a PCN by mail back in July from a Hotel/Pub carpark. I parked my car there for 11 minutes I think the PCN said - I ran into a takeaway to pick up my food after being at the hospital all day. This was in a town called Falkirk in Scotland. I was issued this due to failure to pay - didn't know I needed to pay.

Where in the UK did the alleged event occur?

The car park is a small car park with capacity for approx 30 vehicles. As I said, this was in a town called Falkirk in Central Scotland (Forth Valley) and belongs to a hotel/pub.

What happened when you complained to the landowner?

I have not complained to the landowner down to the fact that I NOW KNOW I should've paid so don't imagine they will be willing to help.