Smart Parking / Debt Recovery Plus | £170 fine with no notice?

Coupon-mad

Anonymous_MSE7 said:

Hi Everyone, 

I have another small update. I didn't have a letter there for a few months, but just got one from Direct Collection Bailiffs Ltd (dcbl). My understanding from the forum is that I should just continue ignoring them? 

I also just wanted to ask what the end game for this looks like. Will they eventually give up? Are they likely to go to court at some point? 

Thanks

No paying at all.

The exact £170 letter you describe is already in the pictures in post 4 of the NEWBIES thread.

You'll be back here when you get the DCB Legal LBC and the inevitable claim form to defend. They don't actually see it through to a hearing though. Defending is free and even easier than appealing.

See post 2 of the NEWBIES thread. Page one is always a click away. See my signature below my replies.

But please read this message and do the vital, current Public Consultation:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6617396/parking-code-of-practice-consultation-8-weeks-from-11th-july-2025/p1

It's important that the Government hears from people like you. For example, you can tell them that you would not have minded paying £60 but was definitely not going to pay £170!  The Debt Recovery Fee must be banned completely. Nobody should be threatened with paying more than the 'top' (still high) cap of £100 before court.

The link shows the two vital points to concentrate on, IMHO:

- banning 'fee' add-ons completely.

- making sure a new SINGLE appeals service replaces POPLA and the IAS which are seen as not fully independent and involved in a 'race to the bottom'.

Click through to the main thread about the Consultation, Do not be deterred by the fact that some questions are for the parking industry only.

We are currently discussing how to respond and I have provided guidance and examples of poor practice that you might wish to include with your answers.  So far I'm up to question 20 but am working on the rest, this weekend.

Please join us in doing this Consultation. This is your one chance to make a difference re the proper regulation of private parking. It closes on 5th September which is only ten days away.