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Gladstones Solicitors Letter Before Claim (PCN) Advice

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  • I'd let that new thread die, by not replying. No need to merge as it's unimportant really.

    You don't need to respond to Gladstones, you just report them to HMRC like in every single other Gladstones LBC VAT concerns thread.  Search the forum.
    Apologies I have had a look, would you be able to point my in the right direction. 
  • Coupon-mad
    Coupon-mad Posts: 152,019 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Search the forum for:

    Gladstones VAT concerns report HMRC
    PRIVATE 'PCN'? DON'T PAY BUT DON'T IGNORE IT (except N.Ireland).
    CLICK at the top or bottom of any page where it says:
    Home»Motoring»Parking Tickets Fines & Parking - read the NEWBIES THREAD
  • Search the forum for:

    Gladstones VAT concerns report HMRC

    Tell HMRC that:

    This report concerns VAT concerns involving the conduct of the legal and Debt Recovery firms operating as parasites clinging limpet-like to the 'rogue' private parking industry.

    This report specifically concerns Gladstones because the attached evidence is about their failure to confirm whether consumers are being unlawfully hit with the VAT element of their added 'fees'.

    This is not about parking charges (these cannot exceed £100).  It is all about the added £70 admin/DRA costs that the DLUHC called 'extorting money from motorists'.

    These third party debt collectors include BW Legal,  DCB Ltd, DCB Legal, Gladstones Solicitors, Empira, TNC, CIS, Trace Debt Recovery, ZZPS, Debt Recovery Plus, QDR solicitors, CST Law, Elms Legal and others who are listed as members of the BPA and/or IPC Approved Operator or approved debt firms.

    Because the concern is that they steadfastly refuse to answer questions about the VAT on their DRA fee, it is now widely suspected that some or all of the private parking industry specialist Debt Recovery firms (including legal firms) may be operating as follows.

    Either:

    (a) not paying HMRC the VAT element on the £60 or £70 per PCN 'admin fees' that they charge for 'debt recovery'. This amounts to £multi-millions p.a. due to parking cases now exceeding 12m DVLA look-ups per year.  Within weeks, £70 per PCN is added and aggressively demanded. 90% of those cases that result in court claims include multiple £70 'fees' that the parking operator clients have never paid and appear to be unjust enrichment of the DRAs;

    or

    (b) including VAT within the fixed £70 'fee' which they describe as "our costs". This has the object or effect of making the consumer pay the VAT, which HMRC has already stated is unlawful in cases of enforcement or debt recovery fees.

    The service supplied by a debt collection agency is a single composite supply, the core of which is debt collection, which is specifically excluded from the finance exemption, and is thus taxable:

    https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/vat-finance-manual/vatfin3255

    I have complained and given Gladstones every chance to clarify what they are doing in terms of VAT on what they call "our costs" but they have swerved the questions (see attached emails).

    This is long overdue HMRC investigation; please let me know if you require further information.

    yours faithfully

    your name

    So I should send this and attach my emails? What should I do regarding gladstones if I dont reply arent they going to keep chasing and take things forward?
  • Coupon-mad
    Coupon-mad Posts: 152,019 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    When I did my report there was no option to attach documents.  Just do it now. Takes 10 mins.
    PRIVATE 'PCN'? DON'T PAY BUT DON'T IGNORE IT (except N.Ireland).
    CLICK at the top or bottom of any page where it says:
    Home»Motoring»Parking Tickets Fines & Parking - read the NEWBIES THREAD
  • When I did my report there was no option to attach documents.  Just do it now. Takes 10 mins.
    Okay will do, what should I do regarding Gladstones? 
  • Coupon-mad
    Coupon-mad Posts: 152,019 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Read the second post of the NEWBIES thread. Not sure why people think there always has to be a next step. I know lots of people ignoring Gladstones.
    PRIVATE 'PCN'? DON'T PAY BUT DON'T IGNORE IT (except N.Ireland).
    CLICK at the top or bottom of any page where it says:
    Home»Motoring»Parking Tickets Fines & Parking - read the NEWBIES THREAD
  • wahidur35
    wahidur35 Posts: 33 Forumite
    10 Posts Name Dropper
    Read the second post of the NEWBIES thread. Not sure why people think there always has to be a next step. I know lots of people ignoring Gladstones.
    So I sent the letter of claim response to Gladstone over 6 months ago. Now I have received a letter of claim from bwlegal. Do I respond in the same way or just ignore them as this was being dealt with Gladstone but they have obviously give up.
  • Coupon-mad
    Coupon-mad Posts: 152,019 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Yes - very common. Back to the second post of the NEWBIES thread!
    PRIVATE 'PCN'? DON'T PAY BUT DON'T IGNORE IT (except N.Ireland).
    CLICK at the top or bottom of any page where it says:
    Home»Motoring»Parking Tickets Fines & Parking - read the NEWBIES THREAD
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