PCN from Civil Enforcement- Procedure Advice

mrsterlingsaver

Hello folks!

As per the newbies thread, I've had a read and shan't give too many specific details, but before my query, a bit about the PCN:

This PCN was sent to the registered keeper, not the driver. The "T's and C's of Parking" only offer up the words "Authorised vehicles only"...
To clarify, I've parked in the same place for three weeks with each appointment at this particular hospital. 
Admittedly, on double yellows, but with a valid blue badge supplied. 

Inside the hospital is a kiosk where you're supposed to input your registration. Not trusting of such systems, having seen folks run into problems with them before, I've taken the relevant precautions by taking photos of the approval screen after inputting the reg. In a nutshell, I've no intention of paying, and naturally will be complaining to the hospital and appealing.
Anyhow, onto the query!

I've followed the advice offered up here, and headed to the relevant Civil Enforcement website and input the details to appeal, filled out the relevant bits and bobs, popped in my paragraphs etc, but it seems to want to have an email and to send a verification code to this email. 

Now, as someone who has an absolute multitude of emails across personal, life, business, family and other, I have quite the choice in which email to offer up. Naturally, I'm going to use my spam email, which does not have my name etc attached to the account. 

I entered my email, all typed correctly, and confirmed it, and clicked for a verification code. Gave it five minutes... and nothing. This, by the way, was at 4:30 ish yesterday. So, not a problem, initially. There's an option to resend the verification code. Clicked that... Nothing. 
Again, gave it half an hour, went off, made a cup of tea etc, cracked on with some odd jobs to fill the time. Checked emails again, and still, nothing. 
Checked junk. Nothing. 
Checked "promotions"... and, yup, you guessed it, nothing. 

So I refresh the web page, and try again. All the details in again, copy and paste the paragraph, so on and so forth. Try the same email. Nothing. 

I open up a new tab on a different browser. I know Safari can be temperamental sometimes, so I give Mozilla a go. Same result. So I try again on Mozilla, different email this time. Same result... Nothing. 

To paraphrase Spandau Ballet, to cut a long story short(er), I repeat this process across 5 different devices, with 8 different emails and four different browsers. Not a SINGLE verification email comes through. Across iCloud generated emails, google emails, @live emails, @hotmail emails, even trying my btinternet one. 
At 7am this morning, I get one verification code for the very first email I tried. I type it into the webpage that I left open, only to be told that it's expired and to request a new one. 
I have received maybe two or three emails total, despite trying MULTIPLE different emails across a 24 hour window. 

Now, I'd like to get this flippin' appeal in to them, but how am I supposed to do that when there's clearly an error with their system? Every other verification code I have ever requested in my life has arrived within a 2-3 minute span. No more, no less. 

My personal belief is that there's some sort of intentional delay in sending a verification code in order to attempt to prevent the submission of appeals, but then I figured if this would be the case, other people would surely have experienced it, but I can't possibly believe that this has just happened to me, across multiple browsers and devices?

In light of all the information above, and all the time I've wasted trying to get this predatory ticket I never should have been issued with in the first place sorted, could someone shed some guidance on how to proceed with this appeal please when the website itself won't allow me to do so?

Many thanks!

KeithP

Hello and welcome.

It appears that you are expecting a verification code by return.

The process is...

1. you send in an appeal,
2. CEL read your appeal and decide whether to accept it or not,
3. CEL email you back the result of their deliberations.

That will take several days/weeks.
When they have refused your appeal they will send you an email to the address you have supplied with a verification code allowing you to appeal to PoPLA.

Coupon-mad

Sounds to me like CEL have changed their system to want to verify email addresses when people appeal.  Totally unnecessary.

Get around it by lodging your appeal as a complaint instead and telling them why & attaching your screenshots.  Tell them unless they recognise this as an appeal and cough up a POPLA code, you'll report them to the BPA.

mrsterlingsaver

KeithP said:

Hello and welcome.

It appears that you are expecting a verification code by return.

The process is...

1. you send in an appeal,
2. CEL read your appeal and decide whether to accept it or not,
3. CEL email you back the result of their deliberations.

That will take several days/weeks.
When they have refused your appeal they will send you an email to the address you have supplied with a verification code allowing you to appeal to PoPLA.

Hi Keith, 

Thanks for your welcome! Lovely to be here.

I think you may have misunderstood my post somehow. I am not able to send in an appeal without confirming my email with a verification code prior to submitting the appeal. That's where the problem lies!

The letter states "You can appeal [...] in writing only at www.ce-service.co.uk". There is no alternative method to appeal such as email or letter. Only through their specific website and appeal form, which requires the code, hence my theory positing that the delay in my reception of a verification code is some sort of underhanded tactic employed to dissuade people and frustrate them further. God, I'd love a proper watchdog/rogue traders approach on these parking people.

mrsterlingsaver

Coupon-mad said:

Sounds to me like CEL have changed their system to want to verify email addresses when people appeal.  Totally unnecessary.

Get around it by lodging your appeal as a complaint instead and telling them why & attaching your screenshots.  Tell them unless they recognise this as an appeal and cough up a POPLA code, you'll report them to the BPA.

Do you reckon this will work? I can't see any way to make a complaint. There's a phone line (for payment only, very helpful...) and their FAQ's state (in some insane manner) "The appeals department does not accept appeals online." It then refers you to a... website... online. Yeah, go figure.

Despite their "Contact Us" label, there is actually no way to contact them. 

KeithP

Oh, sorry I misunderstood your opening post. There was a lot to read.  

Have you not seen the Watchdog or Rogue Traders stuff?
Head over to youtube.

Coupon-mad

mrsterlingsaver said:

Coupon-mad said:

Sounds to me like CEL have changed their system to want to verify email addresses when people appeal.  Totally unnecessary.

Get around it by lodging your appeal as a complaint instead and telling them why & attaching your screenshots.  Tell them unless they recognise this as an appeal and cough up a POPLA code, you'll report them to the BPA.

Do you reckon this will work? I can't see any way to make a complaint. There's a phone line (for payment only, very helpful...) and their FAQ's state (in some insane manner) "The appeals department does not accept appeals online." It then refers you to a... website... online. Yeah, go figure.

Despite their "Contact Us" label, there is actually no way to contact them. 

Yes it will work.  They CERTAINLY have a complaints page.

The BPA AOS members list has links to all members' mandatory complaints policies.

Le_Kirk

Whilst these are used to contact the DPO, it has been reported that they have worked.: -

office@ce-service.co.uk

Legal3@ce-service.co.uk

dataprotectionofficer@ce-service.co.uk

Worth a try.