Paymyfuel fine for driving off without paying for petrol

adidas

Hello all

I have been contacted for driving off without paying for fuel about 7 days ago with a fine of £50. I went in today and payment for fuel was refused. It was a genuine mistake that I forgot to pay. I self-reported to the Police today who said no theft had occurred and it is a civil matter. I have written with an appeal to Pay My Fuel today. I have read that these are appeals are often declined. I also wasn't even aware that they could charge fines for simple mistakes.

I have written to the head office of the petrol franchise offering to pay for my fuel by email and to the appeal process offering to pay for the fuel as well, again by email.

Has anyone had success in challenging these and getting the "fine" which I think is an exorbitant admin fee removed? Have you been able to pay the original fuel amount?

adidas

Just to clarify, I received the letter today for 7 days ago and that I went into the petrol station today to attempt to make payment and it was refused.

Coupon-mad

Show the letter. Both sides.

adidas

Paymyfuel 2.jpeg

Paymyfuel 1.jpeg

Here you go.

subjecttocontract

£50 seems quite a reasonable penalty.....it's less than most speeding fines. In your shoes I'd just pay it and move on.

LoneStarState

Double check that the forecourt is actually being operated by who you think it is. More recently, many superstore branded petrol forecourts are actually run/operated by an external entity (such as the Motor Fuel Group).

If you're sure on who actually operates the forecourt (and therefore who you would owe a missed fuel payment to), it might be worth trying to send a cheque in the post for the fuel only and see if it's cashed.

PayMyFuel seems to obtain registered keeper data via a KADOE electronic link provided as part of an accreditation framework from a police crime prevention initiative.

Police CPI - Accreditation Scheme for Fuel Retailers and Cost Recovery Agencies

There's talk of an agreed assurance framework that members with KADOE access must follow. That framework is however not available on the site but is available as a result of an FOI request here:

Accreditation Scheme for Fuel Retailers and Cost Recovery Agencies - a Freedom of Information request to Police Crime Prevention Initiatives Limited - WhatDoTheyKnow

Coupon-mad

There is no legislation that allows any firm to charge what they call 'a penalty'. That's their mistake. They've made it up.

However, you owe for the fuel oversight.

Go online and see if you can pay £40 to cover the fuel, rounded up. Just pay that.

adidas

Thanks, I can see that there's an option to send a cheque by post. If I go online, it defaults the payment to £88. I can't see how I can pay online without this?

Car1980

This is about covering your bases, so I would send them a cheque clearly marked "in full and final settlement" for £42.05.

Just say in the covering letter "Find attached a cheque in full and final settlement for the fuel cost + £2.50 DVLA address fee + £0.91 postage recompense.

They may or may not cash it, but you're safe either way. If they did make a court claim you can admit the £42.05 and then they'd have no chance of arguing a £50 penalty.

If you did choose to nothing I'd be amazed if anything happened other than debt collection junkmail. Plenty of these recipients will have purposefully nicked the fuel and it'll be like getting blood out of a stone going legal with such 'clientele'.

"£50 seems quite a reasonable penalty.....it's less than most speeding fines. In your shoes I'd just pay it and move on".

Please ignore this. It's wrong.

adidas

@LoneStarState @Car1980 who should I address the letter to? Pay My Fuel or Motor Fuel Group?

Coupon-mad

Whatever the letter tells you re payment by cheque.