Major keying error - missed appeal offer - received debt letter

apwood

Bank Park sent NTK for not paying. I was about to leave for a 3 week holiday so quickly submitted appeal with screenshot of parking app and banking app , showing I had paid but against wrong registration. The TwinPay parking app defaulted to the registration of a temporary courtesy car I had previously parked there.

I confidently expected this to be cancelled or to receive a further physical letter, so given being busy while away and then ill with hospital visits when I returned, I forgot and never thought to check emails. I then received a debt letter for £170. Now I realise they offered by email, while on holiday for me to pay £20 to settle, if I did so quickly. Now its over 28 days so too late to appeal further.

Given my own mistakes is it worth refusing to pay and wait for a letter before claim? I could then write to offer the £20? Could this all backfire on me? Is there anything else I can do?

I don't know who owns the land.

Note, I regularly park here and pay 3 or 4 times every week.

apwood

Note, I would have paid and am willing to pay the reasonable £20 due to their admin but £170 is too much.

Gr1pr

Ignore the powerless debt collectors letters

Coupon-mad

Yeah no paying (at all) but you could email Bank Park a complaint evidencing you were away and tell them how you missed their email but are prepared to pay £25 in full and final settlement, if they will call their dogs off.

Say you note from their website they pride themselves in being fair and friendly, and they raise money for charity. Thus you are offering £20 to pay the keying error settlement plus £5 for their chosen charity:

https://www.bankpark.co.uk

Remind them about the CMA's Open Letter to parking firms in July, which requires an approach of fair and open dealing with consumers and not taking actions that cause detriment.

Also attach proof to this complaint, that you are a regular paying customer, paying Bank Park 3 or 4 times a week and you will no longer do so and will in future park elsewhere, if they fail to act reasonably and accept £25 to resolve it.

Read all the CMA statements first.

This was on BBC News and on MSE itself:

MSE article: July 2026

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched a major crackdown on the UK private parking industry, issuing an open warning over unfair appeals, and advising stricter government oversight CMA takes action on private parking practices.

If Bank Park refuse your offer of £25 in full & final settlement, just ignore the letters from DCB Ltd and defend any claim.

DCB Legal always discontinue defended claims so you'd pay nothing in the end, and you risk no CCJ as long as you don't do something daft, like move house and fail to tell them. Open all letters. Do NOT show us the laughable £170 threatograms.

Defending is a cinch.

No worries.

🙂