Civil Enforcement PCN 2nd Letter Newbie help needed

xenton

Hi,

I'd already started trying to deal with this myself before finding this forum. I wanted to check what my next step should be at this stage, rather than inadvertently making my situation worse.

I received a reminder on 15 June 2025 from a PCN that was issued on 29 May 2025.

I appealed this via the form on their website as per the instructions in the letter. I pointed out that I had received a reminder for a PCN I had never received in the first place. This had taken away my opportunity to pay their 'reduced fee' for early payment. I also went on to say 'Payment not made in accordance with notified terms' was extremely vague, and two still frames of what appeared to be my vehicle, too small to read the time stamps and too heavily cropped to determine where it was, did not indicate exactly what I was being accused of.

I received a response via email on 20/05/2025 saying they had considered the matters I had raised and advised that they were able to accept a reduced sum of £60 on this occasion. I still didn't know what I was being accused of or what the original reduced rate should have been, so I intended to respond, but things have been hectic and it sat in my to-do pile.

I have now received an 'ACTION NEEDED' letter from civil enforcement dated 04/07/2025 demanding £140 and warning me that this debt will escalate to £170 plus costs. Usual threats of passing the debt on and starting legal procedures.

I just wanted to know what my correct next course of action would be at this point.

Thank you all for your time and expertise.

Gr1pr

Did CEL offer you a popla code in response to your appeal   ?  Presumably you did receive a popla code and Presumably your opportunity to appeal to popla has lapsed because you failed to appeal to popla  ?

xenton

Gr1pr said:

Did CEL offer you a popla code in response to your appeal   ?  Presumably you did receive a popla code and Presumably your opportunity to appeal to popla has lapsed because you failed to appeal to popla  ?

Hi,
No they didn't offer a popla code, just offered a reduced payment.

Gr1pr

Put a complaint to CEL stating that they failed to reject the appeal and failed to issue a popla code,  a breach of the BPA Code of Practice 

The complaint link can be found on the BPA AOS members list 

xenton

Gr1pr said:

Put a complaint to CEL stating that they failed to reject the appeal and failed to issue a popla code,  a breach of the BPA Code of Practice 

The complaint link can be found on the BPA AOS members list 

Thanks so much for your help, I've found the link to the CEL complaints procedure and I have two options, in writing or via their online form, which would be the better option?

Gr1pr

Online, cheaper,  quicker, cant go missing 

Le_Kirk

Gr1pr said:

Online, cheaper,  quicker, cant go missing 

...................... but take a screenshot or copy somehow as I believe it will go missing after you press submit.

xenton

I've been trying several times a day to submit the complaint online but just keep getting the "There was an error trying to send your message. Please try again later." Error message, should I just give up and do it in writing?

Coupon-mad

Isn't there a complaints@ or DPO@ email?

Le_Kirk

Emails I have for CEL are: -

office@ce-service.co.uk, Legal3@ce-service.co.uk, dataprotectionofficer@ce-service.co.uk

xenton

Thanks for those, great help 👍