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    • further polished WS using above suggestions and also included couple of more modifications highlighted in orange are those ok to include?   Background   1.1  The Defendant received the Parking Charge Notice (PCN) on the 06th of January 2020 following the vehicle being parked at Arla Old Dairy, South Ruislip on the 05th of December 2019.   Unfair PCN   2.1  On 19th December 2023 the Defendant sent the Claimant's solicitors a CPR request.  As shown in Exhibit 1 (pages 7-13) sent by the solicitors the signage displayed in their evidence clearly shows a £60.00 parking charge notice (which will be reduced to £30 if paid within 14 days of issue).  2.2  Yet the PCN sent by the Claimant is for a £100.00 parking charge notice (reduced to £60 if paid within 30 days of issue).   2.3        The Claimant relies on signage to create a contract.  It is unlawful for the Claimant to write that the charge is £60 on their signs and then send demands for £100.    2.4        The unlawful £100 charge is also the basis for the Claimant's Particulars of Claim.  No Locus Standi  3.1  I do not believe a contract with the landowner, that is provided following the defendant’s CPR request, gives MET Parking Services a right to bring claims in their own name. Definition of “Relevant contract” from the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, Schedule 4,  2 [1] means a contract Including a contract arising only when the vehicle was parked on the relevant land between the driver and a person who is-   (a) the owner or occupier of the land; or   (b) Authorised, under or by virtue of arrangements made by the owner or occupier of the land, to enter into a contract with the driver requiring the payment of parking charges in respect of the parking of the vehicle on the land. According to https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/46/section/44   For a contract to be valid, it requires a director from each company to sign and then two independent witnesses must confirm those signatures.   3.2  The Defendant requested to see such a contract in the CPR request.  The fact that no contract has been produced with the witness signatures present means the contract has not been validly executed. Therefore, there can be no contract established between MET Parking Services and the motorist. Even if “Parking in Electric Bay” could form a contract (which it cannot), it is immaterial. There is no valid contract.  Illegal Conduct – No Contract Formed   4.1 At the time of writing, the Claimant has failed to provide the following, in response to the CPR request from myself.   4.2        The legal contract between the Claimant and the landowner (which in this case is Standard Life Investments UK) to provide evidence that there is an agreement in place with landowner with the necessary authority to issue parking charge notices and to pursue payment by means of litigation.   4.3 Proof of planning permission granted for signage etc under the Town and country Planning Act 1990. Lack of planning permission is a criminal offence under this Act and no contract can be formed where criminality is involved.   4.4        I also do not believe the claimant possesses these documents.   No Keeper Liability   5.1        The defendant was not the driver at the time and date mentioned in the PCN and the claimant has not established keeper liability under schedule 4 of the PoFA 2012. In this matter, the defendant puts it to the claimant to produce strict proof as to who was driving at the time.   5.2 The claimant in their Notice To Keeper also failed to comply with PoFA 2012 Schedule 4 section 9[2][f] while mentioning “the right to recover from the keeper so much of that parking charge as remains unpaid” where they did not include statement “(if all the applicable conditions under this Schedule are met)”.     5.3         The claimant did not mention parking period, times on the photographs are separate from the PCN and in any case are that arrival and departure times not the parking period since their times include driving to and from the parking space as a minimum and can include extra time to allow pedestrians and other vehicles to pass in front.    Protection of Freedoms Act 2012   The notice must -   (a) specify the vehicle, the relevant land on which it was parked and the period of parking to which the notice relates;  22. In the persuasive judgement K4GF167G - Premier Park Ltd v Mr Mathur - Horsham County Court – 5 January 2024 it was on this very point that the judge dismissed this claim.  5.4  A the PCN does not comply with the Act the Defendant as keeper is not liable.  No Breach of Contract   6.1       No breach of contract occurred because the PCN and contract provided as part of the defendant’s CPR request shows different post code, PCN shows HA4 0EY while contract shows HA4 0FY. According to PCN defendant parked on HA4 0EY which does not appear to be subject to the postcode covered by the contract.  6.2         The entrance sign does not mention anything about there being other terms inside the car park so does not offer a contract which makes it only an offer to treat,  Interest  7.1  It is unreasonable for the Claimant to delay litigation for  Double Recovery   7.2  The claim is littered with made-up charges.  7.3  As noted above, the Claimant's signs state a £60 charge yet their PCN is for £100.  7.4  As well as the £100 parking charge, the Claimant seeks recovery of an additional £70.  This is simply a poor attempt to circumvent the legal costs cap at small claims.  7.5 Since 2019, many County Courts have considered claims in excess of £100 to be an abuse of process leading to them being struck out ab initio. An example, in the Caernarfon Court in VCS v Davies, case No. FTQZ4W28 on 4th September 2019, District Judge Jones-Evans stated “Upon it being recorded that District Judge Jones- Evans has over a very significant period of time warned advocates (...) in many cases of this nature before this court that their claim for £60 is unenforceable in law and is an abuse of process and is nothing more than a poor attempt to go behind the decision of the Supreme Court v Beavis which inter alia decided that a figure of £160 as a global sum claimed in this case would be a penalty and not a genuine pre-estimate of loss and therefore unenforceable in law and if the practice continued, he would treat all cases as a claim for £160 and therefore a penalty and unenforceable in law it is hereby declared (…) the claim is struck out and declared to be wholly without merit and an abuse of process.”  7.6 In Claim Nos. F0DP806M and F0DP201T, District Judge Taylor echoed earlier General Judgment or Orders of District Judge Grand, stating ''It is ordered that the claim is struck out as an abuse of process. The claim contains a substantial charge additional to the parking charge which it is alleged the Defendant contracted to pay. This additional charge is not recoverabl15e under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, Schedule 4 nor with reference to the judgment in Parking Eye v Beavis. It is an abuse of process from the Claimant to issue a knowingly inflated claim for an additional sum which it is not entitled to recover. This order has been made by the court of its own initiative without a hearing pursuant to CPR Rule 3.3(4)) of the Civil Procedure Rules 1998...''  7.7 In the persuasive case of G4QZ465V - Excel Parking Services Ltd v Wilkinson – Bradford County Court -2 July 2020 (Exhibit 4) the judge had decided that Excel had won. However, due to Excel adding on the £60 the Judge dismissed the case.  7.8        The addition of costs not previously specified on signage are also in breach of the Consumer Rights Act 2015, Schedule 2, specifically paras 6, 10 and 14.   7.9        It is the Defendant’s position that the Claimant in this case has knowingly submitted inflated costs and thus the entire claim should be similarly struck out in accordance with Civil Procedure Rule 3.3(4).   In Conclusion   8.1        I invite the court to dismiss the claim.  Statement of Truth  I believe that the facts stated in this witness statement are true. I understand that proceedings for contempt of court may be brought against anyone who makes, or causes to be made, a false statement in a document verified by a statement of truth without an honest belief in its truth.   
    • Well the difference is that in all our other cases It was Kev who was trying to entrap the motorist so sticking two fingers up to him and daring him to try court was from a position of strength. In your case, sorry, you made a mistake so you're not in the position of strength.  I've looked on Google Maps and the signs are few & far between as per Kev's MO, but there is an entrance sign saying "Pay & Display" (and you've admitted in writing that you knew you had to pay) and the signs by the payment machines do say "Sea View Car Park" (and you've admitted in writing you paid the wrong car park ... and maybe outed yourself as the driver). Something I missed in my previous post is that the LoC is only for one ticket, not two. Sorry, but it's impossible to definitively advise what to so. Personally I'd probably gamble on Kev being a serial bottler of court and reply with a snotty letter ridiculing the signage (given you mentioned the signage in your appeal) - but it is a gamble.  
    • No! What has happened is that your pix were up-to-date: 5 hours' maximum stay and £100 PCN. The lazy solicitors have sent ancient pictures: 4 hours' maximum stay and £60 PCN. Don't let on!  Let them be hoisted by their own lazy petard in the court hearing (if they don't bottle before).
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British Gas fixed price 'fine' - need some advice please


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Hi there, firstly if I'm just repeating a thread already, please accept my apologies :)

 

After receiving two very hefty bills for my gas and electric (I'm on dual fuel) this week I want to move away from British Gas. Unfortunately I fixed my prices when I received my last set of bills after being told on the phone by one of their advisers that the prices would not come down and I should fix them. Lo and behold just after Christmas I received a cheeky letter saying, yes, everyone not tied into the extortionate fixed until 2011 would see their bills drop, but bad luck you wont.

 

Unimpressed I decided to wait for my next set of bills and see the damage. They have turned up and BG want £162 per MONTH out of me, no chance I simply cannot afford it. I was made aware of penalties to pay if I 'broke' the fixed price, but I feel I should not have to pay them since I actually refused to be in a fixed price when the adviser first 'advised' me, he then went on to press that the prices wouldn't be falling and neither would anyone elses, and that I wouldn't lose out. I feel a big mug for believing him! Is it possible to tell BG that I'm moving away and I'm refusing to pay the penalties because of false info??

 

I've been a customer of BG for 7 years now and I've felt extremely let down by them. Every time I ring to try and sort out my sky high direct debits they try to sell me something else. I want out!!!!

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Ok I've submitted a complaint about seeing if the penalty charges can be waived and I'll keep you all up to date on how it goes. I'm not expecting miracles out of them, obviously customer loyalty counts for nothing and they are only out to make a good few bucks out of us.

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When you were first offered the price protection till 2011 this was the best advice anyone could give you as the cost of gas & electric went up twice in 2008 and everyone predicted it would continue to go up so this wasnt falsh information at all.

 

In regards to submitting a complaint this is probably the best thing i could advise you, most agents you speak to wont remove it (me included) as it still is a good tariff (this is depending on whether there is another price decrease or not) and you have entered a contract but the complaints team may look at the situation another way, hopefully in your favour :)

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Is there a penalty if you come off the tariff or only if you leave the supplier??

 

 

I was wondering that too.

 

Im aware that if you changed supplier that penalty would be applied, is this Fixed Price tariff based on paying Direct Debit? If it was and for example you decided that wasnt the way you wished to pay, would that charge be applicable?

 

Im sorry, Ive hijacked the thread!

 

Good luck, I hope they waive the charges for you and/or put you on a beneficial tariff in its place.

ARGH COMPLAINTS!!!

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I went onto the fixed price in September 2008 time, so I suppose that maybe I'll be fighting a losing battle.

 

I've done some looking into switching suppliers and with one particular supplier I can save £270 per year so it may be worth just paying up with British Gas and moving on

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Hi there, firstly if I'm just repeating a thread already, please accept my apologies :)

 

After receiving two very hefty bills for my gas and electric (I'm on dual fuel) this week I want to move away from British Gas. Unfortunately I fixed my prices when I received my last set of bills after being told on the phone by one of their advisers that the prices would not come down and I should fix them. Lo and behold just after Christmas I received a cheeky letter saying, yes, everyone not tied into the extortionate fixed until 2011 would see their bills drop, but bad luck you wont.

 

Unimpressed I decided to wait for my next set of bills and see the damage. They have turned up and BG want £162 per MONTH out of me, no chance I simply cannot afford it. I was made aware of penalties to pay if I 'broke' the fixed price, but I feel I should not have to pay them since I actually refused to be in a fixed price when the adviser first 'advised' me, he then went on to press that the prices wouldn't be falling and neither would anyone elses, and that I wouldn't lose out. I feel a big mug for believing him! Is it possible to tell BG that I'm moving away and I'm refusing to pay the penalties because of false info??

 

I've been a customer of BG for 7 years now and I've felt extremely let down by them. Every time I ring to try and sort out my sky high direct debits they try to sell me something else. I want out!!!!

 

 

I know how to deal with this as i have experiance in this field please call me i will talk you through this and any one who is with british gas can call me as i have made it my mission to recommend a company i am currently with who i have saved enormous amount of money with sice i swapped. Please call me on 0{EDIT}

 

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DO NOT POST TELEPHONE NUMBERS AND TRY TO COERCE MEMBERS TO CALL YOU

 

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If i recall, the terms were that the tariff could be changed... but if you changed suppliers within the original time period (usually 12 months) the fees would be applied.

 

*this may have been an offer made by a different supplier...

 

All said and done - if this was an outbound sales call then a recording of the call should usually be kept as a matter of course.

 

Log a complaint about misleading information given by the sales agent, as although this may have been true to the best of his knowledge, it turned out to be incorrect. They have a duty to provide accurate information when describing benefits and drawbacks of an agreement, speculation does not constitute accurate information.

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If i recall, the terms were that the tariff could be changed... but if you changed suppliers within the original time period (usually 12 months) the fees would be applied.

 

*this may have been an offer made by a different supplier...

 

All said and done - if this was an outbound sales call then a recording of the call should usually be kept as a matter of course.

 

Log a complaint about misleading information given by the sales agent, as although this may have been true to the best of his knowledge, it turned out to be incorrect. They have a duty to provide accurate information when describing benefits and drawbacks of an agreement, speculation does not constitute accurate information.

 

First of all the terms you quote are incorrect for BG's Fixed Price 2011 and what i mentioned earlier is taken straight from the T&C's of that actual tariff, and secondley the agent who promoted the tariff was accurate, at that point in 2008 the cost of gas went up by over 100% (half of which was passed onto customers with BG) and the prediction was that the cost would keep on going up through the whole of 2009, this thankfully didnt happen and now the cost is coming down people beleive they were miss-sold the tariff which is not the case at all, at the moment BG have lowered gas by 10%, yes its going down but the cost of gas is still very volatile so the tariff is still a good offer (people will have there own opinion) but again this depends on the cost in the future.

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First of all the terms you quote are incorrect for BG's Fixed Price 2011 and what i mentioned earlier is taken straight from the T&C's of that actual tariff, and secondley the agent who promoted the tariff was accurate, at that point in 2008 the cost of gas went up by over 100% (half of which was passed onto customers with BG) and the prediction was that the cost would keep on going up through the whole of 2009, this thankfully didnt happen and now the cost is coming down people beleive they were miss-sold the tariff which is not the case at all, at the moment BG have lowered gas by 10%, yes its going down but the cost of gas is still very volatile so the tariff is still a good offer (people will have there own opinion) but again this depends on the cost in the future.

 

Not wanting to get into an argument - I'm aware they may have been for a similar offer by another supplier (most offers of this type have common terms)

 

Regardless of the current market state a sales person is NOT at liberty to state that prices are not going to come down unless he is certain that they are not (which he cannot be).

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There may well be other offers around with that sort of term to go by, but sadly it doesnt apply to BG.

 

And yeah i totally agree that nobody should be allowed to state prices will not change because it is impossible to say whether they will or not, it is alright for people to advise you of future price changes though and given the current market the advice of capping your prices would have been sound advice.

 

On a side note, have you heard from BG yet ?

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Hi,

 

I've had an email today, they are trying to trace the call as I wrote down the date and time, unfortunately not the advisers name, but they are going to track down the call.

 

We are locating the call taken on the *date* at or around *time* with the agent you spoke to. Once the call is located I will be able to listen to the call.

If the gentleman did say that the price will not go down, I am happy to take you off the price protection 2011 without any charge.

I’m sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused. This is not the experience we would like to provide our customers.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Just an update, SUCCESS! They can prove I was wrongly advised and I have been taken off the fixed price plan so I can move onto another tarriff or change suppliers!

 

I was sure I would here nothing after the first email, but seems I was proved wrong.

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