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Gemini Parking Solutions - POPL

Howdy

I had a fine for not buying a ticket at a london hospital. I went to pay and the machine was displaying an error message. I looked all over for another but couldn't find one. It has since been brought to my attention that there was one outside which I did not see. Anyway, I appealed with POPL but they rejected it. I sent Gemini the following in a letter;

Regarding this penalty charge, I have enclosed a picture of the error on the payment machine. I did not find another machine to pay the fee and I tried looking everywhere for one inside the car park. I don't need to avoid paying a £2 fee and I rarely get parking tickets or fines. Your charge of £100 is not only ridiculous but disgraceful. All I owe to your company is £2, demanding any more is unlawful. I enclose a cheque for the £2.00 in full and final settlement. I would advise you to
cease and desist, or we will begin legal proceedings under Section 3 of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997. I trust this matter will be concluded admirably.


Gemini have now returned the cheque and are going to add more fees if I don't pay. Any ideas what I could do? Thanks in advance. G
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Comments

  • Coupon-mad
    Coupon-mad Posts: 131,627 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Post Photogenic First Anniversary
    edited 16 May 2017 at 8:25PM
    Should have come here and appealed as keeper and won at POPLA.

    What you do now, is ignore them:

    http://www.bmpa.eu/companydata/Gemini_Parking_Solutions_London.html

    Under a dozen small claims this year, not a big player.

    Come back if they try and don't write your own defence like the appeals...sorry to say it, but this was very easy to win at POPLA, look, a report back today from someone who came here in good time and appealed a Gemini annoying PCN to POPLA in the usual forum winning way:

    http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=5650711

    Gemini 'Notice to Keepers' (their PCN letters) are not even compliant with the POFA; you could easily have won on that point alone at POPLA, had you not given away the driver at earlier appeal. Keeper liability kills it in every Gemini case. If a keeper comes here and learns first.

    Too late now, ignore them. Ignore the debt letters.

    If you pay you have been mugged! Don't - there is no need. We do not pay the likes of Gemini here, not even when a person loses at POPLA as some NEWBIES do (usually in similar situations to you). No big deal, the worst they can try is a small claim. We win them too.
    PRIVATE 'PCN'? DON'T PAY BUT DON'T IGNORE IT (except N.Ireland).
    CLICK at the top of this/any page where it says:
    Forum Home»Motoring»Parking Tickets Fines & Parking - read the NEWBIES THREAD
  • gainz
    gainz Posts: 21 Forumite
    Thanks man!

    On the appeal they sent POPL loads of photos to win this. I can't see how I can get out of this and just ignoring makes me nervous. My bro had to pay £260 to another private parking firm as the costs kept going up with each letter. The case in your link had a legitimate claim as they did have a blue badge (I think I read it right).
  • waamo
    waamo Posts: 10,298 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Name Dropper
    You do not have to pay unless a court tells you that you have to.

    Gemini send threatening letters but do little else. Unless the letter is titled "Letter before claim" it can be ignored. If you do get a letter before claim then people here can help with a response.

    In the highly unlikely event of court papers arriving again you will be helped with a response.

    Do not under any circumstances ring them. They lie. If you get letters they will contain lies.
  • Coupon-mad
    Coupon-mad Posts: 131,627 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Post Photogenic First Anniversary
    edited 19 May 2017 at 12:10AM
    gainz wrote: »
    My bro had to pay £260 to another private parking firm

    What a 'hook, line and sinker' victim of this well-known scam he was. He didn't have to pay a penny. Even if he'd been sued and lost he would NEVER have paid £260! OMG what is the matter with people...how do people fall for such tripe and not research it first, with a flexing of their Googling finger, to save a 3 figure sum they want to shell out to a scammer?

    Oh dear, I hate to read about people so easily taken in by letters. Really depressing to read you believe he *had to* as well!
    PRIVATE 'PCN'? DON'T PAY BUT DON'T IGNORE IT (except N.Ireland).
    CLICK at the top of this/any page where it says:
    Forum Home»Motoring»Parking Tickets Fines & Parking - read the NEWBIES THREAD
  • gainz
    gainz Posts: 21 Forumite
    Hi again, this is the letter they sent me, it does not state "Letter before claim".

    IMG_20170523_153133195.jpg

    I did call them though I forgot to add and tried (failed) to negotiate a discount. The robot wouldn't have any of it and said a debt recovery agency will be instructed soon.

    Shall I just sit tight?
  • Umkomaas
    Umkomaas Posts: 41,345 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post Photogenic
    That is nothing like a LBC. See what their next move is.
    Please note, we are not a legal advice forum. I personally don't get involved in critiquing court case Defences/Witness Statements, so unable to help on that front. Please don't ask. .

    I provide only my personal opinion, it is not a legal opinion, it is simply a personal one. I am not a lawyer.

    Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; show him how to catch fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.

    Private Parking Firms - Killing the High Street
  • beamerguy
    beamerguy Posts: 17,587 Forumite
    First Anniversary Photogenic Name Dropper First Post
    oooh ... scary stuff told to you by the Gemini robot:rotfl::rotfl:

    Who cares if they get stupid debt collectors to send you
    stupid letters, they can do sweet FA
    When they get fed up wasting their money, they will pass it back to Gemini

    The stupid thing about Gemini is that you did offer a sum, they should have accepted this but NO, greed takes over so they will no doubt end up with nothing
    That's what I call a stupid company
  • Coupon-mad
    Coupon-mad Posts: 131,627 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Post Photogenic First Anniversary
    You PHONED them?!

    Why?
    PRIVATE 'PCN'? DON'T PAY BUT DON'T IGNORE IT (except N.Ireland).
    CLICK at the top of this/any page where it says:
    Forum Home»Motoring»Parking Tickets Fines & Parking - read the NEWBIES THREAD
  • waamo
    waamo Posts: 10,298 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Name Dropper
    What part of do not under any circumstances ring them didn't you understand?
  • gainz
    gainz Posts: 21 Forumite
    edited 24 May 2017 at 10:49AM
    waamo wrote: »
    What part of do not under any circumstances ring them didn't you understand?

    Mate I didnt see the post until after. Why are you guys so hard on me? I have a full time job that is super stressful atm and this fine on top is making me nuts!
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