Horizon PCN - Start time is showing as 1 minute 57 secs earlier than my booking

Coupon-mad

Agreed, but let's see how they explain the PCN when you complain (NB not 'appeal').

Rfm1701

I've sent a letter to complain about the wording of the PCN and to ask for clarification about those terms (the vague language) they've used. Their online complaints form would only allow 500 characters so I couldn't submit it there. Fingers crossed!

Coupon-mad

Did you get a free certificate of posting at the Post Office? If not, they could bin it.

Rfm1701

I sent it via recorded delivery, so they have to sign for it. I saved the receipt. That's the way I've sent all my correspondence to them, so even if they try to bin it, I have proof it was sent and they would have received it.

Rfm1701

I was wondering if in the meantime, it might be worth sending another letter to add onto the appeal (while they are still considering the appeal) to summarise the main points (but not the vague wording of the PCN, as that is a complaint, not part of the appeal.)

1. I overpaid for the booking - total period covered is 18.25-23.59 and paid £12*, which exceeds what they have on their camera timestamps (entry: 18.23.03 and exit: 23.27). I've overpaid by almost half an hour, which is more than enough to cover my entire booking and results in no monetary loss to the operator. I did a dummy booking on the app for a Saturday for longer than my time. I did the dummy booking for 18.00-23.59, and that shows a price of £12, so for a booking of even longer than mine, it's still the same price.
2. De minimis principle - Any time discrepancy is a minor error and again, results in no monetary loss to the operator.
3. ANPR machines can sometimes have timestamps which are slightly off by a minute or so. I am aware this would then affect the exit time and mean that is also slightly off by about a minute, but I was still covered until 23.59.

Actually, I'll just leave it for POPLA in case they don't withdraw the PCN at the initial appeal stage). I can start drafting something for POPLA while I wait so that I've done some preparation if the initial appeal is rejected.

Coupon-mad

Stop spending money on post.

Nobody is 'considering' the appeal.

Rfm1701

Yeah, that's probably right - they'll just reject it.

kryten3000

Never use the signed for service (recorded delivery doesn't exist any more), send with free proof of postage from the post office counter. Mail sent first class is assumed delivered on the 2nd working day following postage unless it can be proven otherwise.

That's quite difficult for parking companies to prove :)

Rfm1701

OK, will note that if needing to send future letters. I'll be sure to send a second copy then with the free proof of postage.

James_Poisson

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81885347#Comment_81885347

Parking companies are dodgy they do not use their real office addresses there is unlikely going to be a signature.

UKPC for example had at one time at least four addresses, a sorting office in Uxbridge, a postal address used as a registered business address in Coventry, their real address (unlisted) in Beaconsfield now Wooburn Green, and a PO box which was a newsagent on the A40 in Denham.