Too late to win? BW Legal

WillowHay

Hi all, I think I have done my homework, but apologies if I have missed something (there's a lot to take in! I've been through the Newbies thread and also searched for BW Legal and read through everything I could find relating to them.

Short summary of my claim:

PCN issued by NCP after they removed 'Autopay' function from their App and I didn't realise until too late
I appealed using their appeals process
Didn't hear anything, sent two emails to NCP to follow up, received no responses
Received a letter from another debt collection agency, who I called and they were awful to deal with - they said appeal rejection was sent by email to me (it was never received). Awful person on telephone said she would refer to Legal 

Then received letter from BW Legal - fine is now £170!

Started corresponding with them via their portal to try and explain the situation

BW Legal tell me that appeal response was actually sent in the post with the following statement:

to the address provided in your original appeal. On the balance of probabilities, this appeal response was delivered to the address provided.

I resent my evidence of my emails to NCP and reiterated that I had tried to deal with this via emails sent to NCP - BW legal tell me that it's my responsibility to contact NCP during the time the appeal confirmation stated (which I believe I did!)

I asked that the fine was reduced to the amount stated on the appeal rejection letter which I would happily pay.

BW Legal still not interested, latest response from them received today:

Thank you for contacting us, please find our response below:
Good Afternoon

We write with regards to the above matter.

Please note that our Client is not accepting settlements or reduced payments at this time, and we are not an appeals service.

We would strongly recommend seeking your own independent legal advice, from a free, reliable source such as Stepchange or Citizens Advice, should you continue disputing the full charge due.


If you have any further issues or new questions that you would like us to assist you with, we kindly request that you use the contact options below to submit a new query.

So, now I feel very foolish to have engaged in backwards and forwards with this 'Legal' firm for months now. I am reaching the end of my tether and considering just paying the fine to get rid of it as I have realised that there is no reasoning with these people.

Obviously, also wishing I had checked here first and taken the steps advised in Newbies. All of the advice there says to ignore first letters from BW Legal and to not engage with them!

Have I messed it all up by engaging with BW in this way? Would I still have a claim worth pursuing do you think, or should I just relent and pay the fine?

Apologies if there is a clear answer in the Newbies thread to my quandary, happy to be signposted if I have missed something. 

Zbubuman

Rule no 1 - We never pay these scammers. 

Rule no 2 - Ignore debt collection letters - They cannot do anything to you , unless instructed by the courts. 

Come back to us if you receive a letter before claim.

In the meantime ensure that your address is up to date on your licence and logbook. Also write to BW legal & NCP confirming your correct address in the event of service, and tell them to ERASE all other addresses they hold for you. 

Coupon-mad

Yep just wait and read the second post of the NEWBIES thread, to prepare. 

WillowHay

Thank you for the replies, appreciate that. In relation to addresses, they have always had the correct address, my logbook was up to date at the time of the PCN, so do I still need to do as you mentioned Zbubuman and send a letter to confirm this? 

Zbubuman

WillowHay said:

Thank you for the replies, appreciate that. In relation to addresses, they have always had the correct address, my logbook was up to date at the time of the PCN, so do I still need to do as you mentioned Zbubuman and send a letter to confirm this? 

Yes - I would write to them confirming correct address for service and to Erase all other addresses they might hold for you. 

In the event that they obtained an old or incorrect address. Last thing you want is for them to issue proceedings on an old address and obtain a summary judgement. you will find that parking companies and their solicitors are notorious for sending claims to old addresses ( even if their letters are being returned as " no longer lives here, he hasn't lived here for the past 20 years, this address is now a coffee shop, Secret MI6 safehouse, etc)