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

whywouldtheydothis

I am now at my wit's end to be honest :^(
I apologise because if I don't vent and plead for help here, I'm going to go absolutely insane.

After following along the various guides on this forum, I've just received a letter from CST Law, with the usual threat to have me pay before they take legal action later this week. I assume this is what you call an LBC.

I also received my SAR where they show my car driving in and out, an hour apart.

I had read ahead in the past through all the walls of text for hours, trying desperately not to explode my brain, and at this point I've already spent more time than the money is worth had I originally paid this parking scam rubbish.

Now I'm learning I have to register on some sites, draft a letter of defence, send it to xyz, read and understand pages more of guides, seek out evidence against the alleged offence which I don't even vaguely remember happening; such as driving to another city to take pictures of their signs. - appear in court, change court dates because i'm out of the country most of the near future, buy formal clothes, etc. As I said this is honestly far too much for me to fight in terms of crucial time taken away from starting up my business and I'm completely stuck understanding it all.

Simply put, this is beyond overwhelming. Is there really this much to do? In my eyes it's an absolute tragedy to have to pay them a penny but I don't care if I'm guilty or not, I simply don't have the time to fight this anymore if this is what's involved.

Then why am I whining here like a pathetic little baby?
Well, I'm hoping either:
1) I've misunderstood and there's not that much to do
2) I can be advised on how to cut my losses by having the £160 reduced to the original sum (was it £80?)

Please if anyone can advise I would be highly appreciative. I have had great difficulty getting to this point, so I guess I've got low IQ lol. I know people want to tell me not to pay, but like I said; I'm already waaayyyy past this being worth it.
blablabla... wit's end... If I paid them without a last ditch effort here first, I couldn't live with myself. Even if nobody answers me I will feel better having vented, so: please, thank you, please, and thank you.

KeithP

whywouldtheydothis said:

I've just received a letter from CST Law, with the usual threat to have me pay before they take legal action later this week. I assume this is what you call an LBC.

That's all I could find worth commenting on in your post.

Well is it a Letter of Claim or is it not a Letter of Claim?
The first few paragraphs of the second post of the NEWBIES thread explain how to identify a Letter of Claim and deal with it.

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

whywouldtheydothis

KeithP said:

Well is it a Letter of Claim or is it not a Letter of Claim?
The first few paragraphs of the second post of the NEWBIES thread explain how to identify a Letter of Claim and deal with it.

Thank you for replying

I can't find any information anywhere about identifying a 'real' letter before claim, however it doesn't say the words 'Letter Before Claim' anywhere on the page, so perhaps it's not? I see conflicting info to identify on other sites, and this is a new company/brand that is sending me letters after receiving 8 debt collection letters.

Also if I wait as far as receiving a 'real' LBC (assuming this isn't), wouldn't it be too late to cut my losses and pay?

KeithP

whywouldtheydothis said:

I can't find any information anywhere about identifying a 'real' letter before claim...

Well I did point you towards the second post of the NEWBIES thread.

On the fourth line into that post it says...

If you have a 'Letter of claim' or Letter Before Claim (LBC), a claim IS likely. I mean a 'real' LBC with a 30 day deadline and reply forms.

Does the letter you are talking about match those criteria? I suspect not. Which in turn means it is a debt collector's letter and my earlier post should help with that.

If you can't work it out, why not show us the letter?

whywouldtheydothis

Ah I was looking for information regarding how to spot one, but I see now that you meant the criteria was a 30 day deadline and reply forms.

There are no reply forms, and the 'deadline' appears to be a warning that they will send court documents after that date. Thank you for your help in identifying this, and I understand the advice is to ignore it.

I'm still worried that waiting to receive an LBC would leave me unable to surrender when the fight becomes too time consuming :C

KeithP

whywouldtheydothis said:

I'm still worried that waiting to receive an LBC would leave me unable to surrender when the fight becomes too time consuming :C

You can 'surrender' at anytime you like - right up to walking through the mythical courtroom door.
But I do struggle to understand why you would want to put money in the pockets of these people.

Coupon-mad

You sound at your wits' end and I think you are a perfect person to show the Government what this scam does to people.

You've only got a debt collector letter that everyone ignores but we get that it distresses people.

Did you know CST Law are actually DR Plus? 

Please please (please) do this and give the Government your evidence - the horrific £170 demands - and tell them how receiving extortionate 3 figure demands and a scary court threat feels:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6471857/please-reply-to-question-4-of-the-governments-call-for-evidence-re-the-level-of-parking-charges

Explained there.

PLEASE READ AND JOIN US.

REALLY IMPORTANT THIS MONTH

It's one email. One question.  It will take you minutes.

Make sure you attach the horrible letters to provide evidence.  The Government WANT to see this evidence this month. Please help!

State at the start of your email response to the DLUHC that you are a consumer and are answering Question 4.

Say how the attached letters made you feel.  Put whatever you want.

In your own words.  Vent if you want!

The DLUHC do know how bad it is but they need evidence.

Finish by saying that you want your letters and horrible experience to assist the Government to be robust and act quickly to protect motorists and ban the added 'fee' that stops people even thinking about paying.  It is too high and totally unfair harassment of good people.

Change the law... we already are... it will make you feel empowered.  We can achieve this together.

Umkomaas

Read this CST Group thread. Might help you understand why this nasty bit of work is designed to add further harassment to motorists, aimed at their extortion to drag money from them. Then, ...... send that evidence to the DLUHC as requested by @Coupon-mad. If you don't do that, this vital opportunity is lost, probably for ever, then PPCs will run riot through the country and millions of motorists each year will be lined up to pay them money. Be aware, that last year 11 million motorists were served with private parking tickets. Don't allow PPCs the opportunity to have licence to place their hands into motorists' pockets at will, with impunity. 

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6166004/cst-letters-forum-group-thread/p1

Le_Kirk

If you are starting your own business, you cannot have a low IQ as you claim.  Try not to let pathetic debt collection letters purporting to be letters before/of claim intimidate you. As to the vast amount of reading and reams of writing and buying new clothes, the template defence thread explains that the defence is almost written for you and all you have to do is edit two paragraphs.  When you are in receipt of an actual N1 court claim form, do that, post those paragraphs here for critique and you will be helped through the process. The court appearance (if it happens) could be virtual and you won't need any clothes - well you know what I mean!

whywouldtheydothis

I forgot to update this thread earlier, but for now I've decided to hold off again, as you all recommend
You are all fantastic for your patience, so thank you and I'm sticking with it for now.

Also I sent the e-mail to the government in protest as outlined.
Here's to hoping change is made on a grander scale (and to hoping they stop harassing me on this occasion  ).