Parking fine - current stage debt collectors

ordinaryguy123

Hi,

at the end of April, I got issued a pcn from Smart parking ltd for parking at my gym as i mustve forgot to input my car plate into the kiosk inside the gym. 

I appealed this giving evidence of me being a gym member, and the time of entry into the gym which matches the parking time, and they did offer a reduced price of £20, however on this occasion I did not pay as I have previously made the same mistake and have paid. So this time I stayed firm in not paying. Now they have passed the case onto debt collection agents which are expecting payment of a larger fee of £170. 

Is anyone able to advise on my options, or should I just pay the fine?

Gr1pr

Do not pay a penny

Read post 4 in the newbies sticky thread in announcements near the top of the forum by coupon mad 

Ignore the debt collectors letters 

Come back to this thread if or when you receive a Letter of Claim giving you 30 days notice,  or a court claim pack from the CNBC in Northampton using MCOL 

Coupon-mad

You don't have a fine.

There's no dilemma. Ignore them.

Read the 4th post then the 2nd post of the NEWBIES thread. As above, come back to this thread if you receive a Letter of Claim or a claim form. 

Le_Kirk

Why do you assume "you must have forgotten to input your VRM"?  Maybe it was a faulty keypad on the input device!

Coupon-mad

ordinaryguy123 said:

Hi,

at the end of April, I got issued a pcn from Smart parking ltd for parking at my gym as i mustve forgot to input my car plate into the kiosk inside the gym. 

I appealed this giving evidence of me being a gym member, and the time of entry into the gym which matches the parking time, and they did offer a reduced price of £20, however on this occasion I did not pay as I have previously made the same mistake and have paid. So this time I stayed firm in not paying. Now they have passed the case onto debt collection agents which are expecting payment of a larger fee of £170. 

Also, while your case is quiet and at this 'NOTHING' stage of tedious £170 threatograms, we kindly ask you pleeease to respond to the Public Consultation which is now open for August.

What parking operators do is is a national disgrace and a drain on Society, in terms of money and anxiety. If you want to be part of the push to change things in future, it's very important that people like you tell the Government that:

a) you have no faith in POPLA or the IAS and that there must be a SINGLE APPEALS SERVICE that people trust. The sector is crying out for an independent and impartial appeals service - not two involved in a race to the bottom - that will give a real option to resolve disputed cases out of court. If there had been an impartial and fair ADR you'd have used it, etc.

b).  THE ENRICHMENT OF 'DEBT RECOVERY FEES' MUST BE COMPLETELY BANNED. CASES ARE NOT SOLVED BY DEMANDING MORE MONEY AND OFFERING A 'PAYMENT PLAN' THAT ONLY THE VULNERABLE PAY. DEBT RECOVERY FIRMS MAKE NO MONEY IF THEY HANDLE DISPUTES IN THE SPIRIT OF THE APPEALS CHARTER, WHICH IS WHY THEY PLOUGH ON TO COURT CLAIMS AND CCJs, RATHER THAN OFFERING REAL RESOLUTION AT PRE-ACTION STAGE. THEY OFFER NOTHING. THEY JUST CHURN MONEY. THERE IS NO LEGITIMATE 'RESOLUTION' OPTION TO KEEP YOUR CASE OUT OF COURT. THIS IS WRONG.

c). Tell them about your experience and how the likes of DCB group are driving a 'court claim in every case' culture that never existed before, and most profit is going to the third parties with no thought as to the interests of parking operators, landowners or consumers, which cannot be right.

Responses are invited to the Consultation now:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6617396/parking-code-of-practice-consultation-8-weeks-from-11th-july-2025/p1

Do it this month pleeease!

We will discuss it further next week on that thread if you want ideas.

ordinaryguy123

Coupon-mad said:

You don't have a fine.

There's no dilemma. Ignore them.

Read the 4th post then the 2nd post of the NEWBIES thread. As above, come back to this thread if you receive a Letter of Claim or a claim form. 

Thank you for the response! The debt collectors have told me to discuss the payment with them by 13 August (today) or they will increase price to £280 due to it being escalated to the courts. What should I do? Do I need to speak to them or anyone, and how can I get this pcn cancelled

Gr1pr

If the gym won't cancel it,  it wont be cancelled,  so forget that avenue unless your gym complaint,  or landowner complaint,  works

Do not discuss anything with lying powerless debt collectors,  IGNORE THEM  !

Come back to this thread if or when you receive a Letter of Claim giving you 30 days notice,  or a court claim pack from the CNBC in Northampton using MCOL 

ordinaryguy123

Gr1pr said:

If the gym won't cancel it,  it wont be cancelled,  so forget that avenue unless your gym complaint,  or landowner complaint,  works

Do not discuss anything with lying powerless debt collectors,  IGNORE THEM  !

Come back to this thread if or when you receive a Letter of Claim giving you 30 days notice,  or a court claim pack from the CNBC in Northampton using MCOL 

Okay thank you! Just a little hesitant as what would be my next steps if I do receive a letter of claim. My concern is am I going to have to pay a larger sum later on? 

Thanks

Gr1pr

The LoC response template and defence of a court claim against you are both covered in the 2nd post in the newbies sticky thread in announcements near the top of the forum by coupon mad,  so I am amazed that you don't know what those next steps are   !  I did tell you to come back to this thread if either happens.  I also mentioned it last week in my reply to you 

Hopefully you will be paying nothing later on