A trouble with a car park operator's notice

7Kristian · 8 August 2023 at 7:45PM

I apologize at the very beginning for a rather long post but I thought it will be betetr to describe the situation complexly.

In June I received a parking charge from a private operater running a car park for a council with an ANPR technology.

I received a letter from them after I just left for my holiday. I returned 2 weeks later only to find that letter waiting for me after 14 days discounted rate period expired.

The company gives you an opportunity to appeal a charge via their website . I decided it’s worth trying. I did so on the 22nd of June.

You are instructed not to pay a charge untill you receive a decision on the appeal. they will respond to you IN WRITTING within 35 days. So I did not pay anything and was checking my post.

On the 1st of April I received a letter from a debt collection company acting on behalf of the car park operator. The charge is of course nicely inflated now.

I thought what the hell as I was still waiting for the letter about the appeal‘s outcome .

I went through my emails and I found out that they replied only 2 days later on the 24th of June by an email ( it was a NO, what else ).

This email unfortunately ended up in my spam folder which I check only here and there so I was not aware of it.

The car park operator website is all automated. When I tried to fill my charge number into their website form it was not found. No phone number to reach a real person.

So...

If the operator states in their T&C’s that they will respond in writting how does an email reply stands in the light of it?

Just to clarify I do not dispute the initial charge. I am willing to pay for it.

Any thoughts what is the best way to go forward now?