Making a profit out of my PCN?

Coupon-mad

waveyjane said:

YankeeBrit said:

If you insist on using Registered mail, as you've found out, all it really gives you is proof of non-delivery. You should use the free "certificate of posting" from any post office... as advised in the Newbies/FAQ thread.

I'm pretty happy so far just making money off Royal Mail TBH, but OK. I used GroupNexus's online appeals page first BTW.

Also BTW there's no mention of "certificate of posting" in the newbies thread. 

I like your style.

Your evidence from Royal Mail also shows that Group Nexus are IMHO either providing an address that doesn't exist, otherwise isn't serviceable or where they might be ignoring written appeals.

Why not show your evidence in a complaint to the BPA online?  Group Nexus allegedly ignoring appeals sent by post (twice) suggests it's not lost in the post.

Once, possibly.  Twice? Questionable.

To make a complaint to the BPA you have to firstly exhaust the PPC's complaints procedure they publish.

How about sending your complaint to Group Nexus 'signed for'?!

Le_Kirk

waveyjane said:

I sent the letter Royal Mail Signed For. Their tracking showed it never got delivered. Meanwhile, I get another notice from the parking firm. So I claimed compensation from Royal Mail, who duly sent me £52.25.

I then re-sent my appeal (saying I wanted it back dated). Again, by Signed For. And again, it didn't get delivered. So I got another £52.25...

Wow, most I have ever had for non-delivery of signed-for is a book of 12 First Class stamps (and that was when they were cheap)!

waveyjane

Le_Kirk said:

waveyjane said:

I sent the letter Royal Mail Signed For. Their tracking showed it never got delivered. Meanwhile, I get another notice from the parking firm. So I claimed compensation from Royal Mail, who duly sent me £52.25.

I then re-sent my appeal (saying I wanted it back dated). Again, by Signed For. And again, it didn't get delivered. So I got another £52.25...

Wow, most I have ever had for non-delivery of signed-for is a book of 12 First Class stamps (and that was when they were cheap)!

Yep. And they refunded the cost of the postage (£2.25) on top of that. 

YankeeBrit

Which address did you send the signed-for letter to? I'd like to invest/risk £2.25 for a possible return of £50.

KeithP

From that Post Office website you have shown us...

How did you convince them that the contents were worth £50?
Half a dozen sheets of paper, at most, that could be reproduced at the press of a button?

Looks almost as bad as a parking ticket scam.  

waveyjane

YankeeBrit said:

Which address did you send the signed-for letter to? I'd like to invest/risk £2.25 for a possible return of £50.

It was to their appeals dept. PO box 14836, London NW3 1WT.

KeithP said:

From that Post Office website you have shown us...

How did you convince them that the contents were worth £50?
Half a dozen sheets of paper, at most, that could be reproduced at the press of a button?

Looks almost as bad as a parking ticket scam.  

I used the first PCN notice showing the amount they wanted, and said that my lost letter meant I now had to pay £50 more as I'd been unable to lodge the appeal. I then got another letter for £170, so used that the second time around. This time, I'm going to send the appeal to their registered office instead and see what happens though (been over 3 days and no delivery made yet according to their tracking). But if I lose the case due to my lack of ability to appeal (as opposed to my reasons for the appeal), I'd say that's legitimately not my fault, so will ask for a further £50 in compensation.

Coupon-mad

You won't lose the case.  Won't pay a penny!

waveyjane

Just an update on this. 

Got a letter today saying they'd reduce the PCN to £60 (looks like based on my original online appeal before I sent in bigger ones by post) if paid within 14 days. So I thought I'd pay it to keep them out of my hair for now. It means I'm still £50 up and might be £100 if my latest compensation claim goes through (letter to their head office was also reported lost).

Interestingly, in the letter they referred to signs "throughout the gym" telling customers of the need to validate parking. My son used that gym while I was shopping that day (and he didn't mention any signs about parking), so do retailers outsource these PCN scams?

I'm tempted to pop into this gym at the weekend to see what this signage is like. If it's crappy (it was basically zero apart from tiny text next to a big blue "P" on the car park entry sign) I think I might punt £35 on serving them with a small claims court summons to see if I can get the £60 back + some costs. So I might make £156.75 (+ extras maybe), £96.75 if I don't take them to court, or £44.50 if I do and lose my case. 

BTW on this "registered mail fail" tactic: Royal Mail could say I'm making fraudulent compensation claims. Although I sent them a copy of the PCN letters I had, which they could have used to decide not to give me the maximum £50 each time (just refunded the postage, say), so I'm assuming I'm OK. And in theory if they had delivered the letters, I might not have had to pay anything (and at one point it looked like I needed to pay £170). With a bit of luck, Royal Mail might investigate (and hopefully sue) Group Nexus if they're purposefully black holing mail.

Coupon-mad

I don't understand why you want to give them £60?

waveyjane

Just to keep them out of my hair so I can try getting it back from them and/or the gym (with whom they appear to be running the scam) on my terms not theirs. Also, there's a very (very) small chance they might be able to force me to pay in some way. So I'm happy to use somebody else's money (if I'm unsuccessful in the small claims court that is) to remove that possibility in the meantime. I can't do worse than make £40. I could make £156. Worth playing for I reckon.