DCB Legal Letter of Claim for Britannia Parking – Help Needed

Greentie1

Hi all,

Hoping you can help — I’ve just received a Letter of Claim from DCB Legal acting for Britannia Parking regarding an alleged parking charge from West Quay Retail Park Southampton.

Summary:

• Date of alleged event: 2 Jan 2025

• Time: After 6pm

• Car park offers 1 hour’s free parking after 6pm as per signage (photos taken).

• When I parked at West Quay, Southampton, it was clearly advertised as offering a free one-hour parking period. 

• I did not notice the small asterisked condition requiring the collection of a ticket for the free period — which was neither prominent nor adequately communicated, especially considering the confusing wording on the machine itself that instructed pressing a button for up to 30 minutes between 8am–6pm. This wording reasonably implied that for the full one-hour free period no ticket was required.

• I didn’t notice a small asterisk in the 2nd sign I had to read saying to obtain a zero-value ticket. It was raining, dark and cold, signage isn’t well lit, and the pay machine instructions are unclear and confusing (I have photos of both).

• I received a PCN final notice 30 days after the event which I appealed but was rejected. Then some letters from a Bailiff ltd and now  this letter claiming £155.

• I’ve sent DCB Legal a formal PAP-compliant dispute email asking for a 30-day hold and clarifications.

Letter claims £85 PCN plus £70 ‘debt recovery’ fee.

Would appreciate advice on the next steps if they do proceed to a claim. Also happy to share my signage and machine photos if useful for others. Although, when I showed it to 4 different people only one of them identified the asterisk and the others stared at it for a while not being able to understand where it said a free ticket should be displayed.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Coupon-mad

Sounds like you are on track.

You will defend a claim form in the Summer and DCB Legal will discontinue by the new year. That's what happens.

Greentie1

Thank you so much!

Le_Kirk

Greentie1 said:

• I did not notice the small asterisked condition requiring the collection of a ticket for the free period — which was neither prominent nor adequately communicated, especially considering the confusing wording on the machine itself that instructed pressing a button for up to 30 minutes between 8am–6pm. This wording reasonably implied that for the full one-hour free period no ticket was required.

Wow, you have to press a button for up to 30 minutes