I've now been waiting 5 weeks since I put my application in. Is this normal? My circumstances are very simple; no loans, no credit card payment facilities, no overseas transactions and no bad credit history. I've just been promised for the 5th time that the account will be open in 2 working days.

I have not heard anything since my last post August last year. Thank you for all your help and support.

A phone message was left for me from Graham White Solicitors asking me to call back. No contact name was left. Do I respond?

I haven’t heard from them but I’m not pushing my luck. I don’t park the car in any car park they control just in case the clamp or tow it.

Just a little up date. It started in May when I couldn’t find a ticket machine to buy a £6.50 ticket. I got a “Slap and Run” (PCN) for £90.00 or £45.00 if you are quick. I now have two letters from Roxburghe Debt Collectors claiming £125.00 and two letters from Graham White Solicitors, the second forecasting an additional £142.25 in fees before they start legal action. The format of these letters is exactly the same as others posted elsewhere on CAG. Following your and others advice I’m doing nothing. Scary though!

Why would any one buy it when you can get it for free on trains? What is it with "perky"? I googled Perky+Parking. Mike Perkins takes up a lot of band width! I whois'ed ppc. The registrant has a PO box at a sorting office in Wolverhampton. It just gets more interesting?

The DVLA supply information to a number of commercial organisations. Allegedly this is supposed to be sanitised to prevent the keeper’s details being disclosed. But the DVLA web site does say that these organisations can combine this data with data from elsewhere. One of the companies listed is Experian, a credit reference agency. See http://www.transportoffice.gov.uk/crt/otherbusinesses/saleofdata/vehiclecheckcompaniessaleofanonymiseddata.htm The DVLA web site http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/OwningAVehicle/AdviceOnKeepingYourVehicle/DG_4022066 List reasons why information about vehicles and their registered keepers might be released and offers a list of organisation who may obtain that information electronically http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/OwningAVehicle/AdviceOnKeepingYourVehicle/DG_4022066?IdcService=GET_FILE&dID=192072&Rendition=Web One of the companies on the list is Experian. The DVLA also provide “Approved Conditional Access”. Some companies are able to request electronic access and receive information via a secure link. http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/OwningAVehicle/AdviceOnKeepingYourVehicle/DG_4022067?IdcService=GET_FILE&dID=118470&Rendition=Web This sounds remarkably like the scheme above. One of the organisations listed is the British Parking Association who run the “Approved Operator Scheme” http://www.britishparking.co.uk/info_page.php?id=73&info_id=21 who have access to the DVLA database. Approved operators include Meteor, Debt Recovery Plus Limited Commercial Collection Services Ltd, G24 and Newlyne. All of whom are old friends of CAG. There are also a number of companies who specialise in Number Plate Recognition. I noticed that G24 (a car park management company) and Newlyne (a debt recovery company) have the same address, funny that! I’m sure it is perfectly feasible that these organisations could “Legally” share information and build up huge databases on us. It’s one thing for government bodies to hold this information but for private companies … it scary!

On topic Al27, Crem and Pin1onu I’ve been getting some ear ache from my brother in law about Credit Reference Agencies. Is there any way Meteor could give me a bad credit reference or sell a PCN to a debt collector who could do the same?

Off Topic. This forum has opened up a whole new area of oportunities for me take a look at this Self Ticketing | National Parking Control . Now all I need is a patch of land ...

Hi Al / Crem, Are you really saying “do nothing”? I’ve always played things straight; no late payments on loans or mortgages and on the few occasions I’ve picked up PCN’s I’ve paid them. I’m a bit of a pussy and I feel intimidated by the law and big organisations. Normally I would just give in but I feel offended. I’ve acted reasonably and responsibly and I don’t see why I should pay. Is there anything they could do to hurt me? Can they issue some kind of default notice or something that will give me a rotten credit rating or issue a County Court Summons?

On the 5th May 2009 I visited Bletchley Station for the first time. I drove into the car park. It looked very new and it looked like there was still work in progress. There was no barrier, I could not see any ticket machines, I didn’t notice any tickets on other cars, there was no indication payment was required or how to pay. My assumption was that payments had been suspended while the work was in progress or it was a pay on exit. When I got back there was a £45.00 fine on my windscreen and I was not the only one. I have appealed to Meteor but this has been rejected. I’ve made a little video to illustrate my case which I am in the process of uploading on to YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.. If you have received a penalty notice at Bletchley similar to mine, I’d like to hear from you. Together we can beat this.