Parking Eye / DCBL - now at final reminder stage, see context

feistychicken

I received a PCN in November 2025 due to an overstay at my GP surgery, where I was attending an appointment. I appealed to Parking Eye, and then to POPLA, which was rejected.

Here are the facts:

1.The signage there is very confusing -

• The sign on arrival states "Patients and Staff only - 30 minutes max parking", but there is a public Boots pharmacy on site.
• The terms on the larger signs within the car park state "if you are going to be longer than 30 minutes, register your vehicle and get an extra 60 minutes".
• The signs in the surgery state "every time you visit, you must enter your vehicle reg".

I have never been there longer than 30 minutes in the 3+ years I have parked there, and before receiving the PCN have never entered my vehicle reg, and have never received a PCN until November 2025. This therefore disputes that any vehicle unregistered within their system automatically receives a PCN, and upholds that the Parking Eye signage is the 'accurate' signage.

2. On the surgery website, it states "we are unable to cancel parking charges, please contact Parking Eye through its appeal process".

I saw this info after receiving the PCN, so naturally did not contact the surgery because I had assumed from this publicly displayed information, they wouldn't be able to help.

However, after making a separate complaint to the surgery about my medical care, I happened to mention this issue, and was told "if you had contacted us, we could have requested cancellation for you". They subsequently submitted a cancellation request, but haven't heard back from Parking Eye (as of last week - I have chased).

3. I have contacted Parking Eye numerous times myself to enquire about the cancellation request, and they have ignored it.

They have, however, sent a semi-automated "we are unable to accept any further appeal, you now owe us money" within days of receiving my letter, so I know they are seeing them.

4. I have provided the evidence that I was a patient attending an appointment, the fact it was delayed by the GP, and evidence that I have never entered my car reg prior to then.

None of this was accepted as grounds for appeal.

5. They have offered me both £20 and £60 reduced payments in the time since November.

I also submitted a counter offer more recently just to get rid of them, which was again ignored.

6. DCBL is now dealing with the alleged debt.

They tell me they don't care and can't get involved with the dispute, and PE tells me that I can only deal with DCBL.

7. I have evidence from other patients at the surgery explaining that they a) didn't know the surgery could cancel a charge that they have previously received/paid, and b) have fallen foul to the inconsistent signage too.

I received a final reminder from DCBL yesterday, with the charge now £170.

Their letter says "you are no longer able to appeal the parking charge unless you have extenuating circumstances", but doesn't tell me how I can do that, and they have also said they won't get involved….

I'm not really sure what else I can do at this point, and have resigned myself to going to court, but in the infinite wisdom of this forum, is there anything else I have left in my arsenal before it does?

Thanks

Gr1pr

Nothing else you can do, except complain about it to your local MP

Ignore DCBL, they cannot do anything other than take payment

Then wait for DCB Legal to send you an LoC and respond with the template

Then await a Money Claim N1SDT pack from the CNBC in Northampton using MCOL to arrive in the post in due course, which is when all this will be resolved, probably with a discontinuance before the hearing fee deadline

Coupon-mad

"They subsequently submitted a cancellation request, but haven't heard back from Parking Eye (as of last week - I have chased)."

As long as you didn't try POPLA, the cancellation request should work. Try logging in as if to pay on PEye's website: does it show as cancelled?

EDIT:

OMG I re-read your OP and see you tried POPLA and have therefore binned landowner cancellation with ParkingEye (that's their criteria, we've seen this time and again).

Wholly unfair detriment and not what POPLA should to lead to. But this is why it's PLAN A in the NEWBIES thread, never Plan B!

Either way, you'll never pay anything because DCB Legal always discontinue defended ParkingEye claims.

Please show us the PCN (both sides) and the rejections of your later dispute (by PEye and by DCB Group).

Not the POPLA farce (you should never have tried POPLA). Not typed versions, and not a series of links, actual images of the latest fob off letters/emails visible as pictures in a reply post please.

Also go and get images of the signs in the car park AND - vital - an image or two of how unremarkable the VRM tablet is inside. Hidden on a far wall? Sitting dormant on a desk? No arrow pointing to it?

Good evidence for your later defence stage and I'm collecting photo evidence that these 'consumer notices' - VRM screens for public use - are not conspicuous and thus, not 'bound to be seen'. These systems an unfair trap because they represent an onerous hidden obligation, like an opt-out clause.

feistychicken

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82133087#Comment_82133087

Alas, I had already tried POPLA, because the surgery's published guidance was that they couldn't request a cancellation. Their website still says the same, and the printed document at the surgery as of last week still says the same (below).

It still says it's owed on the PE website.

The contact from DCBL was via email, so no image of a letter, but this was the email:

And the comms from PE (which never addresses the actual questions and points I make in my comms to them):

Coupon-mad

Errrr… the keeper identified you as the driver, why? Not advised. Nor POPLA. You could not have won at POPLA (they only look at whether you input your VRM or not, nothing else) but could have had landowner cancellation. Everything that shouldn't have been done was done. Oh dear…but you live and learn!

Never mind, play the game, defend the claim this year and it'll be discontinued in 2027 before the hearing.

Please do take time to get pics of the sign in the car park and the obscure position and unremarkable view of the VRM tablet as you walk into both the surgery and also the view of the one in the pharmacy. Not a close up, the general appearance as you enter both premises or sit in the waiting area would be good. Need to see how non-conspicuous the point of transaction is inside both buildings and that it is an unfair trap - easy to miss.