EPC PLC administration charge following a toll fine in Hungary

LRMA

Please help if you can. 

In August we went through Hungary to Romania. We purchased the vignette online but I put in the wrong number plate (one wrong digit). We were stopped and checked in one of the services and we then realised the mistake but the guy waved us through and we carried on. 

Once we realised the mistake I emailed the National toll services to make them aware of the problem and that resulted in a long winded exchange of email where they were asking all sorts of evidence and details as well as a payment of a fee for them to change the digit.

Meanwhile , we received two fines from Epc Plc from them (one for each day). 

We managed to make the change and we were advised that the matter was closed. 

Not long after we received an underpayment charge from EPC PLC to cover their administrative cost for sending us the fine we didn’t have to pay. 

What should I do? Do I pay ? There were two fines but we received the underpayment charge just for one. 

For one reference number they said:

” On behalf of the relevant Issuing Organisation, we confirm that due to the circumstances of this representation, the case has been cancelled or liability has been transferred.”

For the other one this is what we received. 

“According to the contract between Nemzeti Útdíjfizetési Szolgáltató Zrt. and Euro Parking Collection plc, you are under an obligation to pay the required outstanding fees to both parties. In this case you have paid the penalty charge / correction fee amount set by the Hungarian legislation, however the payment obligation applies for the penalty just as for the administrative fees, in order for the Penalty to be issued and sent to the officially registered address - to cover the charges for obtaining the keeper details, translation, postal costs (recorded mail), conversion of currency with possibility to pay to a local bank account etc.

Please ensure that payment is made in order to avoid further charges being added”


I hope it make sense all this. It’s so complicated. We didn’t have to pay the fines as they changed to digit to rectify the vignette but now are being asked to pay for the fact that they had to issue the fine. 

Can Epc plc take us to court? Out of principle I don’t want to pay. 

I don’t know where to go with this. Please help. Thank you ,
A

B789

Think this through... which bit of English contract law have you supposedly breached? 

Boat_to_Bolivia

It's odd, there have been a number of threads about similar issues recently?

LRMA

B789 said:

Think this through... which bit of English contract law have you supposedly breached? 

This is the reply I got from the Hungarian National Toll Services when I asked them why the underpayment charge was sent from the 3rd party which is Epc plc. 

“ During the procedure, the companies contracted for collection use the basic data made available to them to retrieve the ownership data of the relevant vehicles, based on which they mail the payment notices and collect the fines on behalf of NTPS Plc. During the enforcement of a claim abroad, the companies contracted for fine collection collect not only the fine payable to NTPS Plc. but also an amount equal to all their administrative costs relevant to the collection and determined in a contract and/or by the laws and regulations of the country concerned (data retrieval, postal, communication, office administration, collection and, if needed, court expenses). The administrative costs always adhere to the rules and regulations of the law of the country concerned.

The surcharge amount and the administration fee of the entrusted fine collection company should be paid as specified in the notice letter. In this payment notice letter you are provided with all necessary data in connection with the case (time and place of the control, surcharge amount, payment deadline, paying methods, etc.).

Important: even when directly paying the fine to our Company, our customers are not exempt from the payment of the costs incurred due to the cooperation of our partners, for the settlement of which the companies contracted for the collection of fines may submit their claims”

LRMA

Boat_to_Bolivia said:

It's odd, there have been a number of threads about similar issues recently?

This is why I decided to post as there seems to be a lot of experience on the forum. I appreciate that everyone’s experience and circumstances are different but I wanted some advice. Thanks 

KeithP

Search the forum for Hungary and you will find several threads about this.

Here is one very recent thread...

PCN from EPC PLC for vignette from Hungary

Boat_to_Bolivia

LRMA said:

Boat_to_Bolivia said:

It's odd, there have been a number of threads about similar issues recently?

This is why I decided to post as there seems to be a lot of experience on the forum. I appreciate that everyone’s experience and circumstances are different but I wanted some advice. Thanks 

Of course, how daft of me!

Umkomaas

Just ignore it!

patient_dream

As per the thread Keith points you to.

Half-way says ..... Tell EPC to FOAD

As EPC probably understand Hungarian, >>> "baszd meg és halj meg"

Half_way

or you could try ....

 Dear EPC re whatever this thing is/reference number

 We/I deny all debt in this case, and we/i have no intention of paying this charge which we dispute in its entirity, we/i will give you one full week to either begin proceedings to  recover  this non uk issued  charge via the UK court system, or alternativly to cease pursuing this matter.

 If you continue to pursue this after ( date) without issuing proceedings in a UK court ( for a matter that is outside of UK juridstiction)  then i/we reserve the right to charge you a processing fee for each letter/commnication received of£20 with the exception of an appology/discontinuation letter, of which as a gesture of goodwill we will not charge you for

LRMA

Half_way said:

or you could try ....

 Dear EPC re whatever this thing is/reference number

 We/I deny all debt in this case, and we/i have no intention of paying this charge which we dispute in its entirity, we/i will give you one full week to either begin proceedings to  recover  this non uk issued  charge via the UK court system, or alternativly to cease pursuing this matter.

 If you continue to pursue this after ( date) without issuing proceedings in a UK court ( for a matter that is outside of UK juridstiction)  then i/we reserve the right to charge you a processing fee for each letter/commnication received of£20 with the exception of an appology/discontinuation letter, of which as a gesture of goodwill we will not charge you for

You my friend are a legend in your own time. Thanks