APCOA Heathrow drop off PCN

benbean

I wish I saw this thread earlier - I appealed with APCOA for a T5 PCN - I drove in by mistake and meant to go to the short stay car park for a meet & greet. They’ve denied the appeal, saying tough luck basically and to go to POPLA if I want to take it further. In my explanation, I explained that I went in by mistake so I guess I’ve admitted fault… is there anything I can do with POPLA now or am I best just cutting the losses and paying the £40 reduced charge? I wish I saw this post first and started the appeal correctly - I thought they would be understanding as I didn’t actually drop anyone off and didn’t even stop but no.. Any thoughts or help would be much appreciated!

Coupon-mad

benbean said:

I wish I saw this thread earlier - I appealed with APCOA for a T5 PCN - I drove in by mistake and meant to go to the short stay car park for a meet & greet. They’ve denied the appeal, saying tough luck basically and to go to POPLA if I want to take it further. In my explanation, I explained that I went in by mistake so I guess I’ve admitted fault… is there anything I can do with POPLA now or am I best just cutting the losses and paying the £40 reduced charge? I wish I saw this post first and started the appeal correctly - I thought they would be understanding as I didn’t actually drop anyone off and didn’t even stop but no.. Any thoughts or help would be much appreciated!

Of course you don't pay.  No-one pays APCOA.  Nothing to worry about at all. Going into a zone and driving through it CANNOT lead to a parking charge, because no parking took place.  Immediately ticketing for driving in is not allowed.

It's a shame that you threw away the 100% winning point of 'no keeper liability' that wins in seconds at POPLA, but of course you can do a decent POPLA appeal.

How long between the entry and exit photos?  Over five minutes or under five minutes?

Grizzly_Bear

Hi all, could be I’m a simple bear but I can’t tell which is the definitive template to use to challenge the initial PCN from APCOA for the Heathrow T5 Drop Off zone? Please could someone point me to the correct format to use to appeal? TIA

Umkomaas

Grizzly_Bear said:

Hi all, could be I’m a simple bear but I can’t tell which is the definitive template to use to challenge the initial PCN from APCOA for the Heathrow T5 Drop Off zone? Please could someone point me to the correct format to use to appeal? TIA

Just send them this (making sure you do not tick any box which identifies you as the driver):

As your Parking Charge Notice does not comply with the requirements of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (Schedule 4), you are, in law, unable to hold the registered keeper of the vehicle liable for the parking charge; I suggest therefore that you contact the driver. As there is no legal requirement placed on the registered keeper to identify the driver, I will not be doing so.'. 

mynamenicola0101

Wanted to say a huge thank you to this thread - I’d be totally stumped without it and all of the comments and flag posts people have given meant I successfully challenged my PCN and saved a very expensive mistake.

Coupon-mad

mynamenicola0101 said:

Wanted to say a huge thank you to this thread - I’d be totally stumped without it and all of the comments and flag posts people have given meant I successfully challenged my PCN and saved a very expensive mistake.

Very good! You wouldn't have paid though, even if you'd lost at POPLA.

One favour please: don't go just yet...and don't disappear for months without logging on here.

We need you - as a genuine PPC victim of aggression, sharp practice and what would have escalated into an 'extortion' attempt to add a fake £70 fee on top of the already stupidly high parking charge - to respond robustly to the Public Consultation on the level of parking charges and banning of the false added DRA 'fee' that too many honest motorists currently fall victim to.

It will need consumer input (powerful voices) but change is afoot. It's taken about 5 years to get to this stage:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6333036/breaking-news-government-has-announced-the-statutory-code-of-practice-and-enforcement-framework/p1

And then the industry threw victims' money at it and blocked and delayed it - explained here:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/79310609/#Comment_79310609

Please now Bookmark BOTH threads and set up email alerts on your posting profile, so that you get an email alert when we post there, as we will, once the Public Consultation opens.

...anticipated very soon...end of July we think.

We need people like you and your driving family & friends to respond in high numbers.

Separate submissions from each driver.

I am sure you want your voice heard to stop this happening again.  See you in August.

flyebye

Hello my friends.

I just wanted to come back here to assure you this appeal still works for those that have received the Apcoa PCN for Heathrow airport.

I recently received a PCN for this and challenged with a very simple note with key points being Heathrow airport not being relevant land / does not comply with regards to POFA 2012 and without needing to go to POPLA, APCOA just came back and waived the fee so there you go just wanted to give you fellows some assurance as I'm sure many others have already done so

Can't thank this forum enough 

Coupon-mad

Oh hello @flyebye I recall one of your threads I think!

Hope you are ready to come back for the Public Consultation mentioned above your reply?

cavalopreto

Hello everyone,

I want to express my gratitude to all of you for providing such crucial information. 

I am pleased to share that I utilized the template TEMPLATE ''ONE SIZE FITS ALL'' FIRST APPEAL THAT DOESN'T SAY WHO WAS DRIVING + The protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (Schedule 4) bit last week to appeal the drop-off ticket I received by just going past the drop-off zone buy not using because I was looking for the short stay parking. I received a response from them stating that they have waived the ticket! 😃

It is important to note that there is no need to provide a detailed explanation of what happened or attempt to express sincerity, as they won't consider your personal history. Simply copy and paste the template as-is, and patiently wait for a response within a week.

Ah!, as mentioned many times in this thread and by the tone of the letter I received, Never mentioned you are the drive, you are the KEEPER!

Thank you all once again for your valuable contributions and support in this matter. 

B789

Not unexpected. APCOA will have basically ignored the bit about no keeper liability and told you that they are cancelling it as a gesture of goodwill. In other words, don't be a naughty person and obey our rules in future.

Personally, I'm sad that I don't work out of LHR anymore. I would have gone through the drop of zone several times a week just to cause them paperwork and then sent them the same "go get stuffed" response every time.