My first posting - hi everyone!- and thought you might like to hear about my Excel saga.... In January 2007 my wife was surprised, on returning to the car, to find an Excel warden writing out a ticket. She had seen him as she ran across the car park - and it's a huge car park (in Stockport at a shopping outlet). He told her she was 4 minutes 'over' on the ticket, as he began writing it. My wife pointed out that she'd been running to the car, it was a wet day, she had got there on the point of the ticket expiring, and that the 4 minute 'overstay' was actually mainly taken up with talking to the warden. After a very polite conversation, my wife said "Well I find this unacceptable. I am driving away now, I have done no wrong." The warden tried to stand in front of the car - she waited for him to move, and drove away leaving him to complete the ticket. In April, I received the first demand from Excel, for £100, stating I had already lost the grounds for an appeal.Undeterred I replied, using recorded delivery, stating that the grounds for this PCN were false and explained the context in detail. Two weeks later, despite the first notice having denied me an appeal, I received a letter from a Mr Mike Norton, telling me "your appeal has been considered and rejected." I then received a further formal notice warning me "Failure to pay will result in court action." I wrote again, this time stating that the basis of the notice was, as previously stated, unfounded. I requested a County Court hearing. Some weeks later I received a "Pre-Legal Notification" from "CCS" debt collectors invoking this that and the other threat if I did not pay. I wrote to them stating that I would not pay and requesting immediate referral to the County Court. A couple of weeks later an outfit called "Charles Howard and Co" (same address as CCS) wrote with an even more impressive letter, saying "We are authorised to prepare documents for court if you do not payi within 14 days" (this was now my 3rd such deadline!). I wrote reminding them of the fact that Court was my preferred option, and stated that if they wrote again I would refer the matter to the police.I copied it to Excel. All recorded delivery as usual. Two days later - some old friends got in touch! Yes - Excel again, a Mrs Price (who sounds benevolent) saying that I had admitted an overstay and was liable, though interestingly now for just the £100, not the £140 requested by CCS. Presumably Excel have picked up the tab for their costs! She gave me a new deadline to pay or risk court - and naturally I wrote back (last week) saying that their actions, and those of their agents, constituted harrassment under the 1970 Act referred to elsewhere, and that, if no definitive letter stating the time and date of my County Court hearing were received by me within 14 days, I would refer them to the police. That's where I'm up to! Cheers Darren - the Stockport Battleaxe....