First letter from Debt Recovery Plus is their final warning and I'm stumped (DRP, Peel Centre, £160)

whywouldtheydothis

Hello I've read all the stickies over and over but baffled by what to do. I've been holding myself back from posting because I imagine similar posts come in here often and it's probably annoying but I just can't find an answer I don't want to pay some scammy parking company a load of money so this is my last ditch effort before I suck it up and roll the dice on something I fear could be detrimental.

I received a letter from Debt Recovery Plus yesterday saying I have missed their first 2 warnings and I owe them £160

As far as I can understand the FAQs say to first complain to the retail store to get it cancelled but don't miss the appeal deadline.
However, this correspondence is the first I have from them as I never got the first 2 warnings, nor a ticket on my windscreen so this is the first I'm hearing of any violation. Anyway it says I've lost my right to appeal so I guess if I understand the FAQs correctly, it's too late to complain to the store.

This letter has also come to me 4 weeks after its dated, meaning I've missed their 'deadline' and they will now recommend their client take legal action.
Did I park there without paying? I don't know it was 4 months ago and I go there all the time. It's unlikely but it is possible!

The advice I've gathered seems polarising and since I can't find a match to my scenario (though I'm sure there are many and I've titled mine sensibly hoping others can find it where I failed to.)

I hear both 'ignore it forever and they will eventually stop bothering you' and 'they will take you to court and you will be forced to pay thousands for lawyers etc'
I know it's all calculated scare tactics but I'm sorry I've fallen victim to it as I've never dealt with it before and I simply can't afford to pay them what they're asking as I'm living off savings and don't have an income now or foreseeably to health reasons.

I'd probably concede their cameras are less likely to make mistakes than I, and ask them to let me pay £60 due to them not sending the first warnings. But I assume they will just say no to try and scam more money, and then I'd have relinquished my shot at ignoring them which may have worked.

What do? please sorry thank you

KeithP

Hello and welcome.

The fourth post of the NEWBIES thread explains exactly how to deal with debt collector's letters, but to summarise that post - ignore them.

patient_dream

As Keith says above

DRP are only circus clowns and money scammers ... you do not owe £160

"recommend their client take legal action" ??

That's so funny, nobody takes any notice of DRP. ... 100% POWERLESS

Who is the PPC that wants to waste their time with DRP ?

Coupon-mad

Check your V5C logbook.  Did you forget to change the address where the car is kept?  You must always change your V5C when you move.

An old address given out by the DVLA is the usual reason why no PCN is received.  The car address has nothing to do with your driving licence.

I'd probably concede their cameras are less likely to make mistakes than I, and ask them to let me pay £60 due to them not sending the first warnings.

You won't be doing that. You won't pay a penny.

But if there was an old address in play at first, YOU MUST contact the parking firm to tell them to erase the old address, as the NEWBIES thread tells you in the LBC & SAR section (second post).

Which PPC is it?

Which Peel Centre?

What happened when you obviously tried PLAN A which is the first advice right at the top of the NEWBIES thread?  Especially if you have ongoing health conditions that meet the definition of disability and would slow you down and cause you to always need more time than able-bodied shoppers.

GET POLITE BUT ANGRY in your complaint to the retail park and it'll be cancelled this week.

whywouldtheydothis

Check your V5C logbook.  Did you forget to change the address where the car is kept?  You must always change your V5C when you move.

    This was it thank you. I bought the car the day I moved house so for some idiotic reason I put my old address and clearly completely forgot. I have just now requested an updated V5C.

Which PPC is it?

Which Peel Centre?

It's Anchor Security Services Ltd / Ocean Parking, and it's the car park for the Stockport Retail Park SK1 2HH

What happened when you obviously tried PLAN A which is the first advice right at the top of the NEWBIES thread?

On the linked thread for successful complaints it says "If complaining please do not miss your appeal deadline" and I took this to mean it was too late since the appeal deadline is long-gone. I suppose I should drop everything and complain to the retailer now?

Regardless;

But if there was an old address in play at first, YOU MUST contact the parking firm to tell them to erase the old address, as the NEWBIES thread tells you in the LBC & SAR section (second post).

Please excuse me as I'm finding the LBC & SAR section daunting -

Am I just to email the PPC asking them to erase my old address, or should I be tacking this onto a SAR?
I'm confused as to if I should just be asking them to erase the old data and do nothing more because I am worried that overstepping could incriminate myself or otherwise incite them to pursue further.

In my head 'dear ppc please remove my old address data it's wrong kind regards bye' doesn't do enough but then I don't know if that's intentional because I don't know how it works behind the scenes. I am also trying to absorb a lot of information about how this all works as well so that I can do my part carrying the torch in this community.

Coupon-mad

In my head 'dear ppc please remove my old address data it's wrong kind regards bye' doesn't do enough 

It is enough as long as you provide the new address as well.  Do use the word 'erase' and do email the DPO, as per their Privacy page.

But I'd ask for a SAR as well, so you get to see all their photos and the missing PCN & reminder if they sent one.  Keep those in case Anchor Security Services Ltd / Ocean Parking break the habit of a lifetime and think about suing you (in which case you do not pay, you defend, it is EASY).

We do this stuff every day here.

TOTALLY IGNORE the daft £170 debt demands!  Anchor Security Services Ltd / Ocean Parking are not litigious. Nothing happens.

The Stockport Peel Centre staff are well used to complaints about parking firms as that place used to be bled dry by Excel Parking who are far worse than innocuous little Anchor Security Services Ltd / Ocean Parking!

Used to be a truly notorious cash cow site and I know that the Peel Centre got so fed up they used to step in and cancel PCNs when it was Excel.  They ended the contract it was that bad. So a robust complaint like yours won't take them by surprise and they will listen.

stutaylor86

If it helps, and not that the (as I’ve learned recently) forum legend Coupon-mad needs any corroboration, but i had the exact same situation with Ocean Parking at the Peel Centre in Stockport a couple of years ago.

After sending them a SAR, and ignoring the pointless Anchor SS mob, they duly responded and then disappeared into the ether, thus far not heard from again!

Don’t let them intimidate you, follow the advice from the experts on here, and it will be fine and over before you know it!

whywouldtheydothis

Thank you both immensely for your input and further outlining of the best procedures. I'm honestly shocked how helpful you and this community are.
I've sent a complaint to the retailer and a SAR to their appointed PPC and I'll update here any response or resolution for posterity.

Coupon-mad

whywouldtheydothis said:

Thank you both immensely for your input and further outlining of the best procedures. I'm honestly shocked how helpful you and this community are.
I've sent a complaint to the retailer and a SAR to their appointed PPC and I'll update here any response or resolution for posterity.

And please come back (first) in August to join us in changing the law.  This isn't a petition or similar 'pie in the sky' stuff.

It is nearly there.  I am heavily involved. The law is ready to go in 2024 to stop the greediest excesses in parking charges and fake 'fees'.

Read and bookmark the thread by MSE_JC and you'll see fro the 2022 replies what I mean.  Some PPCs (with more money than consumer fairness genes) legally blocked the new statutory Code of Practice in 2022.

...and we can now finally push it over the line in August when the DLUHC publish the final Public Consultation.

We need you!

...and your driving relatives!

whywouldtheydothis

Coupon-mad said:

And please come back (first) in August to join us in changing the law.
Read and bookmark the thread by MSE_JC and you'll see fro the 2022 replies what I mean.

Absolutely I will. You can count on my involvement.

The DPO has responded to me saying they can't provide my SAR or address change without the PCN number and my VRN. I thought they were supposed to provide this to me? I do wonder if me providing these admits to any wrongdoing.

Coupon-mad

I would definitely have provided the PCN number and VRM and am surprised people don't, when they email for a SAR. When writing to any company you would naturally give them their 'reference' (PCN number in this case).

Perfectly safe. None of this is stuff that they don't have already.