Appealing private (BPA) Parking Notice out of time

Overdash

I recently moved and went abroad for a month for work in November. When I got back I found a "final notice" from Horizon Parking worth £80. They claimed to have sent me 2 other letters which the post office did not deliver. I had 14 days to pay the £80 or gets pushed to debt recovery.

I asked them, in those 14 days if I could reset the ticket as I didn't have the opportunity to appeal to pay the reduced fine due to the circumstances. They replied 1 day before the 14 days elapsed, practically ignored my entire email, and told me I have 1 more day to pay. I then sent a response re-emphasising my point, to which they replied the next day saying it's no longer their concern as they've pushed it to Debt Recovery (DR) so I must deal with the DR people.

I wanted to raise a POPLA but required a verification code and asked them for it as they seemingly rejected my case and they said "We didn't reject your ask as you were out of time and cannot raise one. So we cannot grant you a verification code".

What should I do? I don't mind paying the reduced rate but I think this is absolutely unfair given the circumstances. I had another ticket from 2019 that I recently fought for similar reasons, just through emailing and they agreed on a £20 settlement and called off their DR squad. So, these Horizon people seem completely unreasonable.

Any advice would be appreciated .
Thanks

Umkomaas

So, these Horizon people seem completely unreasonable.

Like almost every other private parking firm out there. Try to get a cancellation from the organisation on whose land the parking event occurred - they can cancel. Failing that, ignore anything else that is thrown at you except an unlikely Letter of Claim from solicitors representing Horizon, or a County Court Claim Form via the Northampton CCBC, come back on this thread if you receive either of these.

Don't concern yourself about useless debt collectors, they can do nothing to cause you detriment. The NEWBIES FAQ Announcement, fourth post, tells you all about them!

Overdash

Umkomaas said:

So, these Horizon people seem completely unreasonable.

Like almost every other private parking firm out there. Try to get a cancellation from the organisation on whose land the parking event occurred - they can cancel. 

It was a Tescos parking station. I stayed 20mins longer due to queues in Tescos and shops nearby. Should I email Tescos head office? And is there a template/example I could follow so I get the best chance of success?

Grizebeck

No you dont need a template

Umkomaas

Should I email Tescos head office?

Try the manager of the store you visited first. No templates available at this late stage. Just so you know, there are no silver bullet templates in any case. 

Overdash

They just got back to me with some disappointing news... any advice on how I should proceed?

Should I actually contact the collectors?

Grizebeck

You proceed by ignoring the debt collection agency
End of

fisherjim

I cannot understand why you want to pay a scammer's invoice (it's not a fine) when the reason you got this was due to Tescos  being busy which is not your fault.

Neither is it your fault that Tesco decide to contract out to a bunch of greedy Muppets who's only interest is money, they do NOT manage parking only time on site.

It's also not your fault that Horizon are in bed with another scammer who provide their services on a no win no fee basis to send out threatening letters that have no weight at all and an be ignored.

Of course Tesco can get this cancelled but they choose to fob off genuine customers more fool them!

It's a pity you didn't come here first before outing yourself as the driver, Horizon are too dim or lazy to rely on POFA 2012.

But you are where you are don't pay the idiots at the debt recovery Co they are just chancers, you do not have a proven debt anyway, follow the advice on here, remember you are not dealing with reasonable people, debt recovery and parking firms only reason with their bank mangers.

Half_way

Overdash said:

They just got back to me with some disappointing news... any advice on how I should proceed?

Should I actually contact the collectors?

Who are these "they" that you are talking about, who have generated that garbage above?

patient_dream

Overdash said:

They just got back to me with some disappointing news... any advice on how I should proceed?

Should I actually contact the collectors?

One day Tesco might start to be professional and wake up that they employ money scammers

They may well have contacted Horizon who told them a blatant lie .... "they cannot do anything because it is in the hands of collection agents"

TOTAL AND UTTER RUBBISH and this fool at Tesco actually believed it. He probably is away with the fairies and prefers parking scammers to real money spending customers.

The simple fact is that Horizon at any time can cancel the ticket right up to a day in court.

I would be asking the CEO why his agent being Horizon has lied to this so called Customer Service Specialist
Is TESCO the organ grinder or the monkey ?   Tesco can just tell Horizon to cancel ... end of story. 

I had a run with Tesco Express a while ago. Small car park with faded white lines, in the sunshine impossible to see. Horizon sent pictures of new white lines where I had parked. I cried SCAM with Tesco and within 24 hours it was cancelled

That proved to me that Horizon were money scammers and that Tesco were part of the scam. Never spent money at Tesco since and never will

I don't think the CEO of Tesco understands the damage parking companies do to his company ...... In my circle, Tesco is a swear word

Ask the CEO why he allows money scammers to operate, driving customers away. The answer is his so called Customer Service Specialist who is very ignorant about who pays his wages

The one thing for certain is that Horizon have no interesr in whether Tesco lose customers ... they are only interested in farming a car park for money. 

Tesco, like all the supermarkets have been sold a pup, that being they are on site to stop abuse. That is a load of rubbish, all they do is abuse Tesco customers 

Tesco is just one of many companies who have been scammed by a scammer

Half_way

If thats form Tesco, that deservers a reply reminding them that they are liable for the actions of their agents, and ask them why their letter has been deceitful in advising that they are unable to cancel?

I'm not too sure if this could be taken further as could it be possibly be seen as an attempt to gain money by deceit/deception?