I really need your help as I'm already paying out alot to get it fixed and now it's costing me even more

I'm having some work done on my car, the clutch is being replaced but I recently recieved a call from the garage saying clutch cylinder needs replacing. I was arguing with the rep on the phone that this is part of the clutch job and i shouldn't be charged - the engineer said no and that they will only charge me for me the part. I later recieved a call back from the owners mother who also works in the business and said the price to do this work is £80 and we usually charge 130. I was shocked how they jumped from £56 to £80 - I was originally quoted £56 and then the owner said I override him and say that the price is £80...she wasn't listening so I asked to speak to her son tomorrow who owns the business to speak to me...I just wanted to know do I have any rights in regards of retaining that price I was told at the beginning I was never given a break down of what I will be paying for but just that it will cost me £500 for a new clutch

is his practices legit?

should i even take his letters serious?

hey guys i was having another read of the letter and i noticed something at the bottom:

'Regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority Registered No 272121

Graham White Solicitors is a trading name of Michael Sobell, Solicitor'

It looks like this is a sole solicitor who has purchased the company name Graham White and using it as a front!...does anybody know anything about this Michael Sobell? is he registered or he is a fake?...another thing i noticed at the bottom of his letterhead he doesnt mention what qualifications he has!? the letter is signed : Yours Sincerely Michael Sobell, Solicitor[/COLOR]

can you guys recommend any things i should do or who i should contact to find out more about this Michael Sobell?

so you say i should be worried - what do you guys reckon will happen? and when you guys say that nothing will happen are there any examples where the case has never gone any further?

is this correct that no baliffs can be actioned until the case gone to court?

the letter is my 2nd letter and you can tell it is a stanard print out but it is very worrying as they have listed all the fees and given me 7 days to take action!...the last thing i was is the case going to court and where costs build up!

Well I recieved my next letter from graham White informing me of the court costs and that I have 7 days to respond - this is a worrying letter

Well I just got my next letter from graham White informing me of the costs to take action against me to take the case to court - I have 7 days to respond...should I reaspond as this looks like a serious letter

well i received my letter from roxburghe debt collectors informing that they have been informed by ncp to recover the outstanding parking contravention (PCN)...now i was wondering what should i do? i havent sent a response to there last letter informing me that the matter would be passed to debt collectors - what do you advise i do now as i have 7 days to act on this letter...the total amount they are requesting is £240 and if in 7 days i dont make a payment the matter will be passed onto Graham White solicitors...

Can anyone help? i know people say dont act but has anyone been through this same problem? it would give me some confidence!

sorry i meant debt collectors not baliffs - sorry for any confusion

guys could you tell me could this case be taken to court if the baliffs never recieved the payment?

i got my warn letter too but i havent written back - im in the process of producing my final letter to NCP. Im not scared or bothered if they try and pass the matter to some baliffs as this is a private matter that im sorting out with NCP and baliffs will only demand for payment...if anyone has any advise or been in the same situation please advise as me and other users affected could do with the help.

so what do u recommend? shud i reply or ignore them as baliffs cant really do anything but increase the fine

hey i havent seen any reponses - anybody give me advise?

Hi guys any response to my recent message post? Please come back to me

i just had a thought about the 2nd point about the person raising the barrier and i dont think that statement would stand...

Hi mate

really sorry about the late reply but check out my post and checkout the replys and tell me what you think...ive just updated it today with the latest letter from ncp

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/parking-traffic-offences/165979-ncp-cark-paking-fine-2.html#post1840938

many thanks

nev

hi guys

well its been about 2 weeks now and ive just recieved a response from NCP...just to back track ive copied my last letter i sent before there response

Dear Sir/Madam

Re: reference CP

I am appalled at your inability to accept responsibility for faulty machinery and the incompetency of your company of not having anyone to attend to a trapped customer late at night.

As is the normal practice, I tried to pay on my way out, but could not do so, due to the faulty machine. Having waited for over one hour for an attendant to come, I became worried and concerned as I was trapped. After many attempts to raise the alarm to my plight of being trapped behind a barrier, no help or assistance came due to faulty equipment. I had no alternative but to raise the barrier manually and thus leave the car park.

I am therefore only offering the normal amount that was due for parking fees as a full and final settlement.

If you don’t accept this final settlement then I will also be pursuing legal action against NCP for illegally detaining me within your car park as false imprisonment and for continuous harassment.

As you continue to send threatening letters on my father’s name, who had nothing to do with this, he will issue joint and separate summons for libel and harassment against your company. He has contacted you on many times over this matter.

I see your charge as unlawful, unenforceable and I am not liable. I will not be providing any payment and your continued pursuit of this matter will constitute an offence under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 and “habeas corpus”. I consider this matter closed and I am explicitly instructing you not to contact me or my father again except to confirm the matter is now closed. You have been advised for the final time not to cause further distress and harassment to myself or my father.

Yours Sincerely

Now the response from ncp

26th Nov

Dear Mr Singh,

CP issued at leicester Abbey st on 10th Oct 2008 to vehicle with registration mark xxxxxxx

Thank you for your recent correspondence regarding the above notice number

As you are aware the above Parking Contravention Charge Notice was issued to you for damaging car park equipment.

Please note that this is the 3rd letter that we are writing to you to confirm our decision on this matter. We have investigated all of the claims you have raised in your previous letters and our decision still stands: The penalty notice was correctly issued to your vehicle for not fully complying with the car park regulations.

In your appeal you have stated that you were trapped for over an hour. You have also stated that you tried to contact a member of staff for assistance. After reviewing the cctv evidence, it shows you entering the car park with another person whom waits at the barrier. It then shows the barrier being lifted by this person and your car exiting. The cctv clearly shows that no payment was attempted, i therefore feel that this parking contravention charge notice has been issued to you correctly. You are able to request cctv footage by completing the attached form.

as such there is no merit in entering into any further correspondence regarding this and therefore we will not respond to any future correspondence regarding the case.

we will allow a further 14 days to make a payment. if you do nothing about this then the process will run its course.

If no payment is recieved within 14 days from the date of this letter sent to the registered keeper, we will send a reminder letter to the keeper providing a further 14days to make payment. If no payment is forthcoming at this stage, the case will be passed to a debt collector who will seek to recover the outstanding debt plus any reasonable administration costs incurred by the debt collector.

Yours sincerely

Caroline Theobald

Customer operations manager

No reading this letter i am very worried about the company sending debt collectors! as they have clearly outlined that if i ignore there letters then they will send debt collectors! - alot of you advise me to ignore there letters but how is this possible if NCP are threatening to take action against me.

There are some things i would like to point out -

1)the only video footage they have is me entering the car park which was 4 hours or so before i arrived and then when my car passed the raised barrier...i also want to highlight one thing - if you look back at NCP's letter there is a section where they say 'After reviewing the cctv evidence, it shows you entering the car park with another person whom waits at the barrier. It then shows the barrier being lifted by this person and your car exiting.' - no where does it mention that there is footage of me lifting the barrier up or touching it, so there is no proof of me physically damaging the equipment.

2) there are two entrances to the car park, one past the barrier which is walking through the car park to the car OR the side entrance through the door...i tried the side entrance through the to pay for my car park permit and after wondering around the car park inside and out i decided to walk upto the car which is where the camera caught my car driving through the raised barrier.

3) im not sure what to do? please tell me what i should do and are there any letters you could provide i could send to NCP?

Many thanks

Nev

well at the moment ive decided to send this letter off today and if they reply ill decide what to do next, hopefully they wont reply back and acknowledge my request.

This is the latest letter ive sent to NCP

Dear Sir/Madam

Re: reference CP

I am appalled at your inability to accept responsibility for faulty machinery and the incompetency of your company of not having anyone to attend to a trapped customer late at night.

As is the normal practice, I tried to pay on my way out, but could not do so, due to the faulty machine. Having waited for over one hour for an attendant to come, I became worried and concerned as I was trapped. After many attempts to raise the alarm to my plight of being trapped behind a barrier, no help or assistance came due to faulty equipment. I had no alternative but to raise the barrier manually and thus leave the car park.

I am therefore only offering the normal amount that was due for parking fees as a full and final settlement.

If you don’t accept this final settlement then I will also be pursuing legal action against NCP for illegally detaining me within your car park as false imprisonment and for continuous harassment.

As you continue to send threatening letters on my father’s name, who had nothing to do with this, he will issue joint and separate summons for libel and harassment against your company. He has contacted you on many times over this matter.

I see your charge as unlawful, unenforceable and I am not liable. I will not be providing any payment and your continued pursuit of this matter will constitute an offence under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 and “habeas corpus”. I consider this matter closed and I am explicitly instructing you not to contact me or my father again except to confirm the matter is now closed. You have been advised for the final time not to cause further distress and harassment to myself or my father.

Yours Sincerely

Hey guys i managed to get hold of the original letter they posted out too me - tell me what you think of the letter and what actions should i take...i thought about what you guys have been saying about ignoring the letters but is that the sensible thing to do?

Notice of car park contravention

date of contravention 26/09/2008

date of issue 10/10/2008

time of contravention 02:47

on the 26/09/2008 you were register driver for the vehicle with vehicle registration number ******* when it was recorded by CCTV camera that the above vehicle was involved in the following contravention

Damage to Car park Equipment

Therefore national car parks believe that a parking charge contravention notice for the amount of £200 is now payable by you for the breach of terms and conditions as displayed in the car park.

YOU HAVE 28 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THIS LETTER TO PAY THE FULL OUTSTANDING CHARGE

FAILURE TO PAY MAY RESULT IN NATIONAL CAR PARKS LIMITED INSTRUCTING A DEBT COLLECTION AGENCY TO COLLECT ANY SUM DUE. THE DEBT COLLECTION AGENCY MAY COMMENCE PROCEEDINGS AGAINST YOU IN THE COUNTY COURT AND OBTAIN A COUNTY COURT JUDGEMENT AGAINST YOU. THIS MAY AFFECT YOUR ABILITY TO BORROW MONY OR OBTAIN CREDIT. A WARRANT MAY THEN BE ISSUE TO COUNTY COURT APPOINTED BALIFFS TO RECOVER PAYMENT. YOU WILL ALSO BECOME LIABLE FOR THE ADDITIONAL FEES OF THE DEBT COLLECTION AGENCY, THE COUNTY COURT AND THE BAILIFF.

thanks guys i really appretiate everybodys feedback - ill keep you all informed about what ever happens.

PS anyone recommend any kind of template letters i should send out?...

Thanks user: Steve__M

A middle option is to write to them stating that I'm appalled at their inability to accept responsibility for faulty machinery, and to offer only the amount that was due for parking in full and final settlement, stating that without further evidence I dispute their charge. Even if this is rejected it shows a willingness to pay what's due.

im thinking of sending a letter like this to NCP but im not sure when to send it?...im sorry if you guys think im stressing over too much but the last thing i want is my fine to get bigger and i dont want to go to court!

when i recieve the next letter ill post it on here and ill let you know what actions NCP are taking...Thank you all for the help again!

so are you all sure that NCP wont take things that far to court?...i have spoken to them on the phone and they are extremely unhelpful and there manager chris sharp at PCCN is useless!

Thanks for the messages guys - the only thing that stresses me out is going to court and im not one who wants to attend court!...has anyone been through a smiliar situation with NCP or had any problems about fines to reassure me!

Hi mate

(below).Thanks for the reply - when i look back at the letter sent by NCP there is a final note on the bottom of the letter which i fogot to add on the post (below).

Payment can be made by either

sending a cheque or postal order to national car parks

debit or card payments

if the payment is not received within this time then the case will continue to progress.

You tell me to ignore there messages but they have warnmed me that if the payment isnt recieved then they will take the case further...yes but it my case it was raising a barrier as i had no means of exiting the car park - as a private company cant they send baliffs to my house to collect the payment?