Debt Recovery Plus - PLEASE HELP!

Firefly987

Hi everyone, I am new to this forum so please forgive me for asking silly questions. 

I have received a Debt recovery plus letter stating I owe £170 for overstaying my parking by 40 mins at McDonalds parking. I had not received any previous PCN's or reminders. 

When I called Debt Recovery (I've read previous post afterwards which states I shouldn't call, wish I read this before), the person was very arrogant and said it was my responsibility to have updated my V5C logbook as Id moved house so they had to recover my details through my drivers licence from the DVLA. The letter was received on the the 7th day payment had to be made and he said it was my responsibility to make sure Royal Mail delivers my post in time. He refused to lessen the amount and said I can make 4 monthly payments or they will send Debt collectors to my home.

I have never received a parking fine or been on the other side of the law so this is quite stressful.

I have since sent emails to Met Parking services who were the original parking company that sent the PCN explaining I didn't receive the PCN and not able to appeal on the links they provided. They said they would pass my details to the correct department but i have not heard anything from them.

the Debt recovery person had my email address and phone number and said he would call me back by the end of the week for payment.

My friend who followed me and left at the same time, did not receive any PCN.

I am quite stressed about this, do I have any recourse not to pay this or at least to get the amount reduced significantly? 

many thanks for any advice given. Its much appreciated.

Firefly987

Just to add, Ive read the Newbies post, what I didnt see was...

1. What happens if you've called them and written to the original company asking to appeal post deadline.
2. If DR+ contacted DVLA to get your personal data to send the letters to your new address.

Am I now liable because I contact them?  

B789

For heavens sake, another prime example of how our education system fails everyone because they don’t teach the most basic things about civil law.

Which law do you think you are on the wrong side of? This is not a criminal matter. You have received a speculative invoice for an alleged breach of contract from a scamming, unregulated private parking company. You have no debt unless a judge says you do.

As you have already found out, you should never have spoken with the bottom-dwelling scammers who masquerade as debt collectors. They are not a party to the contract you have allegedly breached. The thug/eejit you spoke to has no power to do anything. All they rely on is intimidation of gullible victims like you to capitulate and pay up because you have no idea about how to handle anything to do with civil law, thanks to the pathetic state of our education system.

Now, you block the phone number of the DRP scumbags. You never phone anyone, not even solicitors. Your phone conversations are not worth the paper they are written on. You communicate, only when absolutely necessary, by email. That way you have a transcript and proof of delivery and receipt.

Have another read of the Newbies/FAQ thread and keep referring to it as it is your bible for these things. You will have to weather the inevitable wave of useless debt collector letters. They really are useless. They are only used as part of this giant scam to intimidate the gullible. As you’re now on this forum, you are not so gullible anymore and you are learning a valuable life lesson. Use the letters as emergency toilet paper or line the bottom of a cat litter box.

If/when you receive a real Letter of Claim (LoC or LBC) come back and we well help you through it all. The NewbiesFAQ thread, second post, explains what an LoC is and how you should deal with it.

Stop stressing. This is nothing to do with criminal law. It is a simple dispute over an alleged debt which is covered by civil law.

Have you even tried Plan A yet? Have you complained to the landowner and have you written to your MP to complain about being scammed by unregulated private parking companies?

patient_dream

To be blunt, DRP are only sewer living critters who TRY to scam people by adding fake amounts ... the extra £70

NOT ON THIS FORUM.  DRP are pointless and powerless who you ignore and they will go back in the sewers.  Ignore the drivel and stupid threats.
They may fly-tip a few more letters on you. So I understand their letters are very good for cat litter 

fisherjim

Firefly987 said:

When I called Debt Recovery (I've read previous post afterwards which states I shouldn't call, wish I read this before), the person was very arrogant and said it was my responsibility to have updated my V5C logbook as Id moved house so they had to recover my details through my drivers licence from the DVLA. The letter was received on the the 7th day payment had to be made and he said it was my responsibility to make sure Royal Mail delivers my post in time. He refused to lessen the amount and said I can make 4 monthly payments or they will send Debt collectors to my home.

All the above in bold is a pack of lies from a bullying idiot that has no idea what he is talking about.

1. The parking company traces the keeper through the VRN and their ANPR cameras (Not the debt collector)
2. How on earth can they have traced you through your driving licence when did you show them that?
3. How on earth can you make sure the Royal Mail delivers your post on time, that's hilarious!
4. You have no debt, only some idiots claiming you owe them money maybe you do maybe you don't only a judge can decide on that.
5. They will not be sending anyone to your home, they never do, they are not bailiffs, they have no powers to do anything, you would just tell them where to go, and it would cost them more than the £60 you won't be paying them.
6. It's not a fine.
   

Now you see why you never phone stupid debt collectors who are on a no win no fee contract with the parking company, you ignore them they eventually throw in the towel and give it back to the original scammers as a failed tactic!

Coupon-mad

No-one will come knocking. They lied. Relax!  But update that logbook.

Just ignore the £170 demands.  You are taking the bait of a scam and don't need to.  Stop responding unless you move house or get a Court Claim form.  

Exact same advice as on LOADS of threads at this 'nothing' stage, e.g.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/80111295#Comment_80111295

Read that reply as if I'd typed it for you.  We assume you are not in Scotland

But please come back to join us and do the PUBLIC CONSULTATION in August.

Join us all here then, to respond to the Public Consultation in August, to minimise the level of parking charges and INSIST ON A BAN OF FALSE ADDED 'FEES'.

We need you - as a genuine PPC victim of aggression, sharp practice and an 'extortion' attempt to add £70 - to respond robustly to the Public Consultation on the level of parking charges and banning of the false added DRA 'fee' that too many honest motorists currently fall victim to.

It will need consumer input (powerful voices) but change is afoot. It's taken about 5 years to get to this stage:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6333036/breaking-news-government-has-announced-the-statutory-code-of-practice-and-enforcement-framework/p1

And then the industry threw victims' money at it and blocked and delayed it - explained here:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/79310609/#Comment_79310609

Please now Bookmark BOTH threads and set up email alerts on your posting profile, so that you get an email alert when we post there, as we will, once the Public Consultation opens.

...anticipated very soon...end of July we think.