Accidental admission of guilt APCOA Heathrow

foxhead

Hi all,

I'm completely new to this forum and had no idea of the potential avenues you have when receiving a fine of this kind. Wish I'd known years ago and annoyed at myself for not having done research until now. Here's the situation:

My friend sent an email to latepayment.heathrowdropoff@apcoa.com admitting they had forgotten to pay the £7 fee for drop-off at Heathrow, in the process admitting they were driving at the time, in order to request the opportunity to make a late payment and avoid a fine. They had no response almost 3 weeks later, and have since received a parking charge.

Naturally, if they had read this forum first, they would have submitted a template appeal. Their 14-day reduced charge expires imminently. Given the admission of driving by email, what is their best course of action? Is it worth trying the template appeal in the hopes APCOA don't make the connection between the email and the parking charge?

Obviously there is no downside to appealing as it will refresh the 14 day deadline for reduced payment, even if the appeal is rejected. So, if the template appeals can't be used now or is unlikely to be successful, is it worth instead appealing based on having clearly intended to pay based on the proactive email prior to a parking charge being issued?

Time is of the essence and so my friend will be grateful for any advice that can be offered. Thanks in advance!

Gr1pr

Nobody will receive a fine, Nobody has received a fine ( magistrates issue fines, not APCOA. )

Its just an invoice, usually arriving in the post

No harm in appealing as keeper using the template, so they should try it and see, and learn to come here first in future

foxhead

Thanks for the reply

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82138532#Comment_82138532

Okay yeah excuse the wrong terminology, i don't think it meaningfully changes my question though?

I don't really frequent forums at all so the oversight comes from that.

You'd suggest its better to appeal via format rather than on the grounds of mercy?

Gr1pr

Mercy never seems to obtain a positive outcome with any of the 200 or so private parking companies ( not in my 15 years of helping people. )

foxhead

I can't believe it. I submitted the appeal last night, and first thing this morning they replied to my email from 3 weeks ago. Nasty pieces of work.

James_Poisson

You should realise that Heathrow get the drop off fee not APCOA they get the money from PCN's there is no incentive for "mercy"

foxhead

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82139630#Comment_82139630

I do realise that, hence I would've taken the keeper appeal route had I known it was an option prior to stepping my foot in it.

Having said that, there is an established precedent that they are willing to be forgiving / show discretion in instances where people proactively offer to pay the £7 prior to receiving a parking charge. See below link, where there is a steady stream of thanks directed towards Gary Williams, the guy whom replied to my email. It seems he at least has a track record of being reasonable.

https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.apcoa.co.uk?search=gary+williams

Regardless, I've been told that my appeal (keeper's appeal argument) is now in the appeal department and can't be otherwise influence.