ECP / DCB Legal Discontinuance

stanb200

Just wanted to add my weight to the ongoing ECP / DCBL Discontinuances. I haven't posted, but have used the advice in this forum pretty much from the start (not religiously).

Got a Parking Fine (as did 2 other cars - friends - at the same time) in November 2023. The other two couldn't pay at all, we tried to extend as we'd arrived earlier. The app was offline and the machines all showed an error, so we literally had no means of paying. Took all the requisite evidence and screenshots. Then the fun began.

After the original fine, the response to my appeal never came through. I knew it was due as my friends had had the same on the same day. Spoke with POPLA and they said they couldn't do anything without the code. Obviously no means of getting hold of ECP, so just had to wait.

Ended up submitting formal complaint to ECP, which they ignored as a complaint and took as an appeal which was "too late", BPA and POPLA were like chocolate fireguards throughout.

So I stayed the course and prayed I'd get an understanding judge.

Went through the Debt Collector process, just ignored them all. Then when it got to the court letters. I picked up this thread and followed almost meticulously.

Funnily enough the DQ was sent with no postage on it, so that cost me £5 to retrieve from Royal Mail, which set me on a more determined than ever path. Mediation came and went, I did offer £20 which was obviously rejected.

Because by this point, I just though f**k it, we'll see what happens, I did engage with the constant calls from DCB afterwards, their offers went from £270, £250, £190 and £170, etc. I'm pretty sure I'm on first name terms with most of the callers there, I had 3 different agents, over many many calls. One was lovely, but obviously absolutely useless outside of her script, one was the smuggest woman I have ever had the displeasure of talking to "well… we'll just have to see what happens when we take you to court won't we?", but the third one is the reason I'm writing this thread. It was the longest of the calls, and he was absolutely downright threatening, to the point I asked (and subsequently did) make a Subject Access Request to access the call recording (which to their credit, DCB Legal complied with very quickly). I even called him out on his behaviour, but he just doubled down on everything. He got very shirty though when I asked for the SAR and reminded me the call was "without prejudice", so I just said I wanted to investigate it as a separate matter.

During that call however, I did up my offer (for giggles) to £25, but told them that every time they called me thereafter it would reduce by £1. He told me I wasn't budging enough. I pointed out that I had increased my offer by 25%, his had come down by only 10%, he started telling me how statistics work, and then our burgeoning relationship soured and we parted ways.

On the next call, I got fed up and told them that I wasn't willing to waste 20 mins per call on them "reading through my notes" for them to tell me that I should've tried harder to pay, and I asked them not to call again, which to be fair, they honoured, and I heard nothing until today when I got the Discontinuance through. I'm a bit concerned that its arrived on April Fool's Day, but I don't think DCBL have that much sense of humour.

But in short, the process here worked perfectly and I would advise anyone to just stay the course, it's a long road, but I'm happy for sure.

The timeline by the way was Court Date was due at the start of May and their deadline was 8th April, so its just a week before they were due to pay.

Thanks All

N279 - Notice Of Discontinuance.jpg

Gr1pr

Well Done, another one for member @Umkomaas

Just to say that it was ECP via DCB Legal LTD ( not DCBL. )

There definitely wasn't a fine, just an invoice from a private parking company

The saga is typical of the other 810 or more in the discontinuations thread by Umkomaas

Umkomaas

Thank you @stanb200 for the copy of your NoD . I can now get this counted in the DCBL Legal thread of shame. 👍

Great reporting of your experiences. I think that maybe @Coupon-mad (the foremost contributor on this forum and who is working directly with the Govt on developing the new Code of Practice) will be interested in you having a recording of your ‘discussion’ with DCB Legal.

Nellymoser

👏👏👏 What a fool the agent was to say "well…we'll just have to see what happens when we take you to court won't we?" Yes we will..usual Discontinuance

Coupon-mad

the third one is the reason I'm writing this thread. It was the longest of the calls, and he was absolutely downright threatening, to the point I asked (and subsequently did) make a Subject Access Request to access the call recording (which to their credit, DCB Legal complied with very quickly). I even called him out on his behaviour, but he just doubled down on everything. He got very shirty though when I asked for the SAR and reminded me the call was "without prejudice", so I just said I wanted to investigate it as a separate matter.

Please can you give me a version of that but clipped or re-recorded without the names/refs at the start? I would like to send your evidence to the Government, if you are agreeable.

ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST!

You could email to ask the judge for your costs. That's explained with 2 linked examples of success, in the NEWBIES thread.

😄

patient_dream

INMO phone calls from DCBL should be treated like the Nigerian rubbish and recorded and sent to the CMA