Excel Parking, DCB Legal court claim 2025

coolguyMD

Hello noble citizens, 

I understand the frustration with people posting their own threads. I have read the newbies FAQs and am just writing this to ensure I have understood everything.

I received PCN from excel parking services, i decided to appeal it to them initially since I had paid for the parking on the app, but mistakenly chose the wrong car park. Here I also (stupidly, according to the thread I just read) admitted to being the driver. 

After they refused the appeal, I DID actually attempt to pay for the parking, however their website did not work and I tried multiple times only to see “failed transaction” (which I have screenshots for). So I just left it, and now have received notice of debt recovery from Direct Collection Bailiffs Ltd. 

What I’ve understood from the thread is that this letter means nothing, and is NOT a warning that people will come to my house. And that what I should do is appeal to the landowner and in failing that, just wait for a letter to go to court.

Have I got everything right? I really don’t mind paying the reduced charge that much, which is why I previously attempted to do so, but their site doesn’t even work! So I was considering calling the people on this letter and telling them I had already tried and failed. Will this factor matter if it goes to court?

I will appreciate any advice,

Thank you.

Gr1pr

Correct 

No phoning anyone 

Ignore DCBL 

Come back here if DCB Legal post a Letter of Claim, or if a court claim pack arrives

Keep trying plan A 

coolguyMD

Cool, thanks for the quick response.

How much should I expect to be out of pocket if this goes to court?

Im sure it goes without saying but I’m really just looking to pay as little money as possible.

I saw the figure of £300 floating around a few times on other threads, is this a base rate everyone has to pay? How likely is it that they won’t bother sending any more letters from now?

Gr1pr

One PCN is typically around £212, not £300, the typical claim is around £300 ISH

DCBL Will carry on chasing it, so study the last 2 sentences in my previous reply, especially the LoC and claim response to you, both will happen eventually , probably via DCB Legal 

Coupon-mad

coolguyMD said:

Cool, thanks for the quick response.

How much should I expect to be out of pocket if this goes to court?

Nothing, obviously! They discontinue.

People pay nowt.

coolguyMD

Regarding plan A, is there a template email here that I can send them, if not, what should I include in my message and how could I even find the landowners contact details?

Additionally, I’m still confused regarding what happens after I ignore this Direct Bailiffs Ltd letter and then I get a letter to court. Would I need to get a solicitor or anything like that, or do I prepare a defence myself, how time consuming is it?

patient_dream

coolguyMD said:

Regarding plan A, is there a template email here that I can send them, if not, what should I include in my message and how could I even find the landowners contact details?

Additionally, I’m still confused regarding what happens after I ignore this Direct Bailiffs Ltd letter and then I get a letter to court. Would I need to get a solicitor or anything like that, or do I prepare a defence myself, how time consuming is it?

It's only DCBL ???  Suggest you look at the DCBL DISCONTINUATION thread.  

To send you a letter using the word BAILIFF is stupid, childish, just trying to scare you ..... it's not even gone to court

YOU DO NOT NEED A SOLICITOR
You simply play this silly game with DCBL .... They are famous for chickening out 

Gr1pr

Read this 

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6574268/ukpcl-dcbl-claim#latest

Then read the newbies sticky thread in announcements by coupon mad 

Then read the Successful complaints thread in announcements to see what other plans A complaints have been used successfully, starting from the end, the newest ones 

Also read the DCB Legal Discontinuations thread by Umkomaas as well, and study the linked cases in there

Plenty of information on here about all of the stages, if you read them, like we do

Coupon-mad

coolguyMD said:

Additionally, I’m still confused regarding what happens after I ignore this Direct Bailiffs Ltd letter and then I get a letter to court. Would I need to get a solicitor or anything like that, or do I prepare a defence myself, how time consuming is it?

You will be using our detailed (and updated regularly) Template Defence - see the top of the forum - which leaves you ONE paragraph to add. This month I've even started giving people a generic script for that paragraph too! Leaving people literally ONE DATE to change, and your name & claim details added at the top. Signature and date at the end. Job done.

It is twenty times easier than any appeals system. Done by email. No risk. No cost.

No hearing because they discontinue.

No solicitor needed at all.  Dead easy!

Squidman7

Coupon-mad said:

coolguyMD said:

Additionally, I’m still confused regarding what happens after I ignore this Direct Bailiffs Ltd letter and then I get a letter to court. Would I need to get a solicitor or anything like that, or do I prepare a defence myself, how time consuming is it?

You will be using our detailed (and updated regularly) Template Defence - see the top of the forum - which leaves you ONE paragraph to add. This month I've even started giving people a genetic script for that paragraph too! Leaving people literally ONE DATE to change, and your name & claim details added at the top. Signature and date at the end. Job done.

It is twenty times easier than any appeals system. Done by email. No risk. No cost.

No hearing because they discontinue.

No solicitor needed at all.  Dead easy!

You my friend, are an absolute legend 💚🙏🏼🥰

coolguyMD

Thank you all for ur help. I recently used one of these online legal help websites. I spoke to a barrister about this situation and she said I need to prove that they didn’t lose anything. Since I did pay to park there but just selected the wrong car park on the app, I  need to show that they manage both car parks as this way they still got paid. However I just called Excel parking services and they say they don’t manage the car park that I did pay to stay in. 

So what does this mean for my case, do I have no defence if this goes to court?

Lastly, I’m thinking of calling DCBL or Excel and telling them that I DID try to pay for the PCN but the transaction declined on their website multiple times and I couldn’t pay the £60. I have screenshots of the failed transaction too. Is this advisable?