Met Parking Services

RichieBoy56

I received a PCN from Met Parking Services for overstaying at a McDonald's restaurant. I have tried to pay the £60 using their payment systems but to no avail.

I was of a mind to just pay up and get on with my life but this seems to be impossible.

Are these robbers required to provide an easy way to pay?

Can I charge them for wasting my time?

Your assistance would be appreciated as usual.

fatbelly

Welcome to the world of the private parking scam. Please don't pay them. It only encourages them.

James_Poisson

People don't usually come here for advice on how to pay, but there are many reasons why it won't accept your payment, and you are dealing with dodgy people is one of them. If you are hell bent on paying it contact them, if you want to fight the scammers stay here.

No you cannot charge them for wasting your time, forget it and concentrate on other more worthwhile things.

MrJenkinsEsq

The advice here will always be not to pay, including from me. I'd still rather you defended, but it's ultimately your choice, and if you're set on paying, doing it properly gives you the best chance of keeping it to £60 rather than risking more through an unguided attempt. If you really do want to pay but literally can't, you need to tell them in writing before the discount expires. You might be less willing to pay £100, and less still to pay £100 plus whatever fictitious costs they pull from the aether.

Keep screenshots of the failed payment attempts, and send something like this to MET by email. If you aren't the registered keeper, remove the first sentence of the paragraph that starts "I write as".

Dear Sir or Madam,

PCN reference: [reference]
Vehicle registration: [VRM]
Date of issue: [date]

I write as the registered keeper. The identity of the driver is not given in this or any other correspondence.

I attempted to pay the £60 reduced charge for the above PCN through your online payment system on [date(s)]. Each attempt failed. Screenshots are attached.

I tender £60 unconditionally in payment of this charge, and I remain ready and willing to pay it.

Please provide your bank details or another working method of payment. This offer remains open.

The reduced rate applied when I attempted payment. Any lapse of that rate is the result of your payment system failing, not of any delay on my part.

This is an open letter. If proceedings are issued, I will rely on it as evidence of tender before claim under CPR 37.2, and in support of an application for costs under CPR 27.14(2)(g).

Yours faithfully,

[Name]
[Address]

A word of caution before you send anything. This sets a floor, not a ceiling. By tendering £60 you're conceding that at least £60 is due, which makes it much harder to argue later that you owe nothing. It doesn't cap what MET can claim either. They can still sue for £100 plus their addons, and if the court decides the discount had lapsed and £100 was due, your £60 tender fails as a defence. If the tender holds up, it helps you on costs and interest, but it isn't a guaranteed limit on what you pay.

Be aware too that an email like this tells MET you're willing to pay. They may see you as a soft target and simply not reply until the discount window has passed, then demand the full amount. You'd be better off defending. MET routinely discontinue once a defence is filed, so that route is more likely to cost you nothing.

RichieBoy56

Thanks for the comments.

The reason that I decided to pay is that l successfully defended a claim from VCS a few years ago (with help from here), but it was a long drawn out process that eventually went to small claims court and I haven't got the heart to go go through it all again for the sake of £60!

It does annoy me that I am having to chase them in order to pay.

I am minded to ignore but keep evidence of my attempt to pay. If I do receive a letter before action then I would present my evidence in defense.

What is Met Parkings record on going to court?

Gr1pr

Look At the over 940 discontinuations in the thread by Umkomaas, some of which are MET

James_Poisson

"but it was a long drawn out process that eventually went to small claims court and I haven't got the heart to go go through it all again for the sake of £60!"

That is exactly what their business model is, wear them down with template threats until they pay up, it's all pre-prepared and they fill in the details then fill their bank account.