Excel PCN sent to wrong address, not able to appeal

bandleflop123

Hi everyone,

I have read this forum in and out and just need some help with my issue and want to know exactly what to do. So I got a letter from dcbl about a PCN that I had apparently ignored but I didn't get any PCNs from Excel at all prior to this. I called dcbl and got told that my address on my logbook was old - now I realise this is completely on me but I am disabled and have intense memory issues with intense brainfog, so I completely was convince I had done this because my licence has my current address, of course now I am aware that a changed licence address doesn't mean a changed logbook. I said to them that I cannot pay the £170 charge because I cannot afford it, and that I would like to start the process again. The person on the phone was very cold and rude about it, and I ended up calling the service predatory and hanging up.

The PCN was for an Iceland in Gravesend, in which I parked in for a little over 10 minutes and forgot to buy a ticket, but had gone into Iceland and done a £10 shop which would have resulted in the £1 being refunded anyway. The original charge for this was £100 (ridiculous).

I then called Excel Parking Services, in which I spoke to someone who is more understanding. I told them my situation, about how due to my disability I had forgotten to buy a ticket, and that I had done a £10 shop that would have refunded this to me anyway, and my call with dcbl and they understood and told me to email Excel directly with proof of my disability and purchase and all the details, including my conversation with dcbl, to their litigation email.

Now I am wondering how to word the email so I do not cause any more trouble for myself than I already have. Being the way I am, I would like to try and appeal to people's emotions but I don't know how susceptible they are to this. 

So far I have this:

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To whom it may concern, 

PCN No: [REDACTED]

Vehicle Registration No: [REDACTED]

I am writing to discuss the above PCN - I had not received any letters for this charge prior to receiving a letter from dcbl as these letters were sent to my previous address. I understand this is because of the failure to update my logbook. I thought that updating my licence would automatically resort into an updated logbook, I am mentally disabled so I did not think to double check / if I did this had slipped my mind to do it when I had to do it. I have a very bad working memory and intense brain fog due to my disabilities and autoimmune problems, and am considered disabled by DWP (evidence attached). 

Today I spoke to one of your PCN phone line employees, [redacted], about this and they had suggested I contact you directly about my issue. I remember the day I parked in Iceland, I had gone into Iceland for about 10 minutes and made a shop for a little over £10 which would have refunded me the £1 if I had gotten the ticket (evidence attached). Unfortunately, due to my disability, I had forgotten to pay for the ticket. It's an honest mistake that I am sure a lot of people have made in the past, I definitely did not ignore it on purpose, I would rather have parked for free by paying £1 and getting it back from the cashier over having to go through this process. I am essentially writing to ask to either re-start the process if possible or have my PCN forgiven which I would incredibly appreciate.

Being disabled means I don't have a high income as I am out of work, I am not able to pay for the current charge of £170 or any court charges that may incur. 

I did also want to say that I had an upsetting call with dcbl, in which I did say the service which the person on the phone works for is predatory, resulting in them  assuming I called them predatory. I didn't mean it in this way. I was upset that the same thing was being repeated to me over and over even though I had said I was disabled. I apologise for any upset this has caused. [redacted], from Excel Parking Services, on the other hand, was extremely lovely and understanding and patient with me, so I would like to extend my full gratitude to them. 

I hope this email makes sense, if you need anything else from me, please do let me know. I don't want this to go any further than it needs to, and I apologise for not taking the steps to change my address before as I had the wrong information given to me with my licence. 

Best,

[REDACTED[

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Please let me know if I am being to gullible, if I have to go about this any other way. Any help would be appreciated. I am dyslexic and have bad reading comprehension as well so please explain things to me as if I am a toddler! Thank you!

Gr1pr

Ideally you should be contacting Iceland customer service with proof of patronage and the PCN reference number, mentioning the Equality Act 2010 due to your mental condition etc, asking them to cancel the Excel PCN on your behalf 

If necessary, contact their CEO , Richard Walker from memory, with this saga 

We call it plan A on here 

Plan B would be contact with Excel Parking 

Do not phone or contact any more rude debt collectors, they cannot and will not help you 

bandleflop123

Gr1pr said:

Ideally you should be contacting Iceland customer service with proof of patronage and the PCN reference number, mentioning the Equality Act 2010 due to your mental condition etc, asking them to cancel the Excel PCN on your behalf 

If necessary, contact their CEO , Richard Walker from memory, with this saga 

We call it plan A on here 

Plan B would be contact with Excel Parking 

Do not phone or contact any more rude debt collectors, they cannot and will not help you 

Thank you so much, I did try going in the store but the guy was rude about it. I defo will call them tomorrow. Or email them. 

Gr1pr

Or go above their head, to head office, make a fuss

bandleflop123

I've called them and they said to contact customer service through email with the letter from dcbl - I did, I'll update on what happens as the person on the phone said that it might not go through... 

bandleflop123

Gr1pr said:

Or go above their head, to head office, make a fuss

I got an email back insisting that the parking land is not owned by Iceland, but by Excel, so not sure what to do. 

Grizebeck

bandleflop123 said:

Gr1pr said:

Or go above their head, to head office, make a fuss

I got an email back insisting that the parking land is not owned by Iceland, but by Excel, so not sure what to do. 

Probably not true. Now I know excel own a fair few car parks but those are stand alone ones..it is most likely owned by Iceland. 
Spend £3 to find out on land registry (gov) website.

Coupon-mad

bandleflop123 said:

Gr1pr said:

Or go above their head, to head office, make a fuss

I got an email back insisting that the parking land is not owned by Iceland, but by Excel, so not sure what to do. 

Excel do not own an Iceland car park.

You do know what to do from the 4th post of the NEWBIES thread (ignore DCB Ltd) and then the second post of it (if DCB Legal send a LBC).

bandleflop123

Grizebeck said:

bandleflop123 said:

Gr1pr said:

Or go above their head, to head office, make a fuss

I got an email back insisting that the parking land is not owned by Iceland, but by Excel, so not sure what to do. 

Probably not true. Now I know excel own a fair few car parks but those are stand alone ones..it is most likely owned by Iceland. 
Spend £3 to find out on land registry (gov) website.

Yeah, I found information for free that they have been letting the grounds, including the carpark, since 2005 and emailed them again with this proof.

bandleflop123

Got another similar response from Iceland:

Hi ,

Thank you for contacting Iceland.

Iceland does not operate the parking facilities, they only operate the building for the store. 

Iceland won't be able to dispute the parking fine as we do not own it, It will either be Horizon or Excel and they are the only department that will look to dispute the PCN for the customer. 

I am sorry for the inconvenience this has caused.


Kind regards,
In The Iceland Customer Care Team

When I literally found proof that they let the whole grounds, including the carpark. Should I complain on facebook or should i start emailing their head office and complain to the CEO?

Coupon-mad

Email their CEO with your evidence and say you are appalled that the branch staff fobbed you off and lied to you.  Iceland lease the whole land and Iceland contracted with Excel Parking, meaning Iceland can cancel PCNs for customers (it's standard in Excel contracts; sometimes costs a nominal £10 per cancelled PCN but the right to cancel some PCNs per month exists).

Tell the CEO all of the above.