Group thread: Heathrow Gatwick Manchester & other Airport drop-off PCNs - easy: how to appeal & win

Le_Kirk

If you read through all the posts on this thread (the group thread for airport drop-off charges) you will find all the successes and the words to use for appeal.

Umkomaas

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81878392#Comment_81878392

Head this off by contacting the leasing company and tell them that you are expecting this charge, ask them to formally notify APCOA when they receive the Notice to Keeper that you were the lessee/hirer of the vehicle on the day, and that they should send a formal Notice to Hirer to you at your postal address.

Coupon-mad

It still works - but the danger is the fleet manager(s) might pay it when they get the PCN. You can never be sure some idiot won't think "eek, it's a fine" and just pay it.

You need to be proactive and contact the leasing company and your company to tell them you will easily win it and you take full responsibility so "please transfer liability to me as lessee/hirer".

DO NOT SAY WHO WAS DRIVING. NOT TO ANY PARTY.

Davdav55

Hi, I was hoping I could get a little bit of advice please.

As the keeper of a vehicle that used the rapid drop off area at Manchester airport just after new year, and then where the driver forgot to pay in time, I had been waiting to see what would happen next.

I hadn't received any contact until yesterday (about month and a half later) when I got a letter from Debt Recovery Plus stating how I need to decide how to pay my unpaid parking charge (which I never received) which is now £170.

My understanding is I should just ignore DRP and deal with APCOA directly.

Should I just go with option B. as listed in the first post and not even bother mentioning the fact I never actually received the PC in the first place?

Should I complain that I never received the parking charge and thus the right to appeal and hope they "reset" it so I can appeal using option A?

Or just complain using option B but also state in addition I didn't actually receive the PC just in case?

Or some other choice I'm not aware of?

I'd rather not just ignore them (as I've seen advised) if possible. If they typically just cancel the PC I'd prefer to go down that route and have some closure rather than keep getting sent debt recovery letters.

Thanks for your time.

Coupon-mad

"Should I complain that I never received the parking charge and thus the right to appeal"

Yes. Complain to APCOA (they have a complaints policy on their website).

Umkomaas

Typically, non receipt of a PCN can be linked to having out of date address details on the vehicle’s V5C (logbook). Please check yours. Update, if needed, with DVLA urgently (can be done on line).

lexa34

Hi all!

Sorry if I am being a bit daft but I need to appeal a pcn drop off charge at Stansted. I understand i have to send any email as a complaint to heneralenquires@apcoa… I have copied the standard blurb but

1. Do I insert the registration or PCN number anywhere so they know whs tto attribute it t

2. do i sign it with my name as advised not to say who was driving.

I was a bit freaked out today as I got a text about paying it (forgot about health conditions means my memory is patchy!) So while it was good to get the prompt, it was bizarre somehow this company acting for apcoa got my phine number!!

I looked up the link amd it is Debt Recovery Plus so hoping the email to apcoa will still work???!

HELP!!! Please and thank you.

Coupon-mad

"It is your legal responsibility to pay" they lied

That's been sent by DR Plus to a registered keeper who ISN'T legally liable for parking events on Airport land (not 'relevant land').

Obviously you have to put your name and PCN ref and VRM on your complaint to APCOA because a complaint must have a name and a ref for them to reply and that is not saying who was driving is it?

Fantilaguy

Hi Guys,

I have had two ongoing PCN's from heathrow (APCOA) which occured over the same weekend. Essentialy I did not appeal to either in the allowed time period with the template above. Having read the thread and seen other people have had this issue I followed advice and sent them the exact same template as a complaint to the ccomplaints email address and on their website.

I recieved this as an email response:

"Unfortunately, the Complaints Department cannot process appeals for Parking Charges, if you would like to appeal the Charge please visit: View the evidence, pay or challenge my Parking Charge Notice (PCN) issued at the Heathrow Drop-Off Zone. Once submitted please allow up to 28 days for this to be reviewed by our appeals team, who will then contact you directly. Alternatively, you can make a postal appeal via: APCOA Parking Dingwall, PO Box 5767, Dingwall, IV15 0AX"

Since then I have been contacted by a debt collection agency who have now been in contact asking for money. Do you guys have an advice of what I could do at this point? Is there still hope in getting it dropped? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

ChirpyChicken

Just ignore DRP