Parking fine moved to DRP

Noirstar

Hi all.

I received a fine back at the end of April but have been away with work so didn't see the letters at all, since they are buried under paperwork, and they don't put a ticket on your windshield. Received a Debt Recovery Plus letter last week saying I now owed £140 since the matter was now under their care. The original ticket was for £70. Now, I don't dispute the ticket, I was in the wrong so am happy to pay, however, euro car parks will not deal with it any more, it can only be dealt with through DRP.

I spoke to DRP through live chat and they were willing to drop the amount to £119. I have seen a lot of posts about the practices of DRP and am only here to see if paying this reduced fee is the correct course of action, and to see if there is anything else that can be done. I did look at the sticky section as advised, but I couldn't see anything specifically relating to my situation.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Coupon-mad

Absolutely NOT.

DO NOT PAY DRP.  STOP CONTACTING THEM!  THIS IS GASLIGHTING BY THEM SO STOP BEING SUCKED IN.

But can you please screenshot that live-chat to show us exactly what they said when offering £119?

Haven't seen that before and it will be good evidence that £70 is just a made up figure plucked from thin air.  Please screenshot the image of that conversation and show it here.

 I was in the wrong so am happy to pay,

Can I ask why? What scenario could possibly be your fault to the tune of £100-odd?

Noirstar

It was pay £40 in 2 weeks, £70 after that in a 'Euro car park' zone. I was maybe an hour over the 4 hour limit, perhaps a little less. That's where I believe I was at fault, but perhaps not? I cannot post the transcript yet as the forum will not let me link it, but I do have a copy of it.

Snakes_Belly

"But can you please screenshot that live-chat to show us exactly what they said when offering £119?

Haven't seen that before and it will be good evidence that £70 is just a made up figure plucked from thin air.  Please screenshot the image of that conversation and show it here."

I still have the LBC from my bundle that shows £60.00 added on for debt collection charges. With it I have a copy of DRP's web page showing that they work on a no collection no fee basis. As it went to a court hearing DRP had not collected yet Excel were adding on £60.00.  

Coupon-mad

Noirstar said:

It was pay £40 in 2 weeks, £70 after that in a 'Euro car park' zone. I was maybe an hour over the 4 hour limit, perhaps a little less. That's where I believe I was at fault, but perhaps not? I cannot post the transcript yet as the forum will not let me link it, but I do have a copy of it.

Can you not yet post an image here?

Umkomaas

The parking company have instructed us to collect £140.00...as a gesture of good will I have removed our fees to offer a reduction to £119.00.

And there's me thinking their fees are £70. Or are they £0?  Never seen £21 mentioned before. What confusion. What deception! 😮

Mouse007

Quick, redact your name above - delete image and repost

Coupon-mad

You nearly got sucked in!

Should never have offered to pay £70; no harm done but you aren't meant to ring or contact DRP to talk about how to pay a scam extortionate PCN. Ignore them.

Highly unlikely to sue for a £70 PCN.  Sit tight.

Snakes_Belly

Was it ever decided in the new CoP when debt collection should start?  I commented  that it should not start until after a court hearing when a judgment has been made in favour of the PPC. Then it actually becomes a debt.

Coupon-mad

No, not really and as you know, the DLUHC had it hopelessly wrong in 2021 and intended to allow the 'race to court & gaslighting' £70 fee to be cemented into the contract on the signage.

They could not have had it more wrong. Astonishing they could be so wrong.  Think of the damage that would cause - and still could cause - if +£70 per PCN was 'nailed on' as part of the contract, meaning that no Judge could interfere with it even if £700 had been added for a scam ten-ticket case.

Then imagine if that claim (with the added £700) went undefended due to an old address being used, and the victim ended up with a huge CCJ and HCEOs rocking up with a writ.

I mean, what were the DLUHC thinking in 2021?

The August Consultation last year was plain gobsmacking in its utter misunderstanding of all that is wrong with the roboclaim/DRA model, and it's our job to make sure they don't slip back into that error this year.

Clearly someone just doesn't get it. And the worry is, the new DLUHC Ministers might not, either.