Cloned hire car

Claygate2691

Europcar are trying to invoice me for 3 PCN notices from Tower Hamlets Council.

not only do they have PCNs for the dates I hired the car but for after I returned the car. The PCN photos are of the same car in the same street including 1 that is 6 days after we dropped the car back ( they are not invoicing us for this ). 

After examining the photos of the PCN there are multiple differences, this includes number plates, blue detailing on the bumper, no Europcar sticker in window screen and also damage that was on the car before we picked it up. Fortunately my husband filmed the car when we collected due to the damage on the car. 

Europcar have paid the PCN so we can no longer appeal but now they have invoiced us for 3 PCN that was nothing to do with us. 

How do we deal with Europcar. 

DE_612183

I presume they have sent you an invoice, or have they claimed a payment from your bank / Credit Card?

You should speak to them asap and outline the facts here.

Claygate2691

I have done this and sent the evidence to them. I hope they are reasonable and then sort the issue out with their car being cloned via the council. I just wish they had sent us an invoice or email straight away, they instead let 6 weeks pass and just tried to take the money from our card. We blocked this and then they finally sent us an invoice. It’s terrible that they just tried to take the money before making any contact. 

I wish they had not paid the PCN nad hope that we won’t be liable for the charge. We have requested the mileage as we believe that alone proves it was impossible for us to have taken the car to London. 

DE_612183

It's their fault for paying the charge - they should always pass the charge onto the you, not pay and then invoice you.

I would let them carry on - if they submit a claim they'd have to go to small claims court where you then produce your evidence and it gets thrown out.

If they carry on threatening you - tell them this and also complain to your MP.

Fruitcake

Are you sure it is a cloned number plate as opposed to a number plate misread by an automated camera system? The Deregulation Act 2015 states that Councils aren't permitted to use ANPR scameras and then send postal PCNs for parking events, only for infringements on;

a bus lane;
a bus stop clearway or bus stand clearway;
a Keep Clear zig-zag area outside a school; or
a red route.


Please confirm the reason for issue of the PCNs. 
For parking events, there should images taken by a hand held approved device, and a notice placed on the windscreen, which of course you will never have seen.
For other events where ANPR is used, it is not unknown for the system to misread alpha-numeric characters and incorrectly interpret them as a VRM. 
The infamous "KNITTER bus lane penalty" is a case in point.

Claygate2691

100% cloned. There are lots of differences in the two cars. Reg is the same. I know I wasn’t there and why would the next person to hire it be in the same road. 

Claygate2691

Also Europcar has their stickers in the window screen and they are not in this car. I have sent them all photos and included the fact there are more PCN’s after I have dropped the car back. Hopefully this will all be rectified. 

Fruitcake

I agree. The images are from a hand held camera used by a CEO with penalty notices left on the vehicle, so no mis-conversion of ANPR images to alpha-numeric characters. That all points to this being a cloned number plate.

Europcar should contact the police and the DVLA.

You might be better taking this over to ftla.uk since they seem to be best placed to help with council and police motoring matters, whereas we specialise in parking charges from unregulated parking companies here on MSE.

Claygate2691

Thank you