Yet another plea for help - Excel Parking

[filthysurfer]

Hi guys. First post and asking for advice. How typical is that?

 

I received a 'Parking Charge Notice' from Excel this morning and I'm afraid £60 rising to £100 is out of all reason. In fact it's daylight robbery. A few minutes over and these people have the right to charge you such exorbitant sums? A £400 gas bill yesterday and then these jokers. Sorry but I know where my money is going. I'm so mad about this so I'll move on...

 

...to the advice. I've had a little mooch around and there seems to be two schools of thought. More recently the advice seems to be ignore, ignore, ignore. However some seem to recommend the written 'short and to the point' approach, template or otherwise. Any thoughts on this?

 

Secondly, I'm a little concerned about whether some of the advice on here is from genuine first hand experience. No offence to any members here but internet forums can be a bit Chinese whispers ie plenty of people willing to state what they've read elsewhere as fact. I'd hate to get a little further down the line and find out that in fact this might just cost us an arm and a leg. I do not intend to pay this charge as I believe it to be excessive and if there isn't a law against it there should be.

 

 

Depending on the advice I'll keep you posted.

Edited March 5, 2010 by filthysurfer

[letshelp]

The rock solid advice is to ignore. Any contact from you will only encourage them to send you more threatening letters as they think you are wavering over payment.

33 unenforeceable invoices ignored, so far, without incident.

regards

[filthysurfer]

33 unenforeceable invoices ignored, so far, without incident

 

You personally? You'd have thought they'd have given up by now.

 

How far are they likely to go? I've read a few other posts re: phone calls. I'm sure I'm quite capable of dealing with them but I don't really like the idea of my wife getting hassle over the phone.

[Rooster-UK]

You'll get a few letters, each one threatening more dire consequences than the last.

Those will be followed by letters from a "debt collection agency". Fear not..... they come from the same office, next desk.

If you are very lucky, you may get a couple from a "solicitor". These are written by either the office cleaner or the tea-boy, depending on whose turn it is that week.

 

Don't write.

Don't email.

Don't phone.

 

Do not reply or respond in any way to any of them.

Eventually, they'll get fed up and turn their attentions on some easier, less well-informed target.

 

Always remember that it is NOT a fine, it's an unenforcible [problem] invoice.

 

Just IGNORE.

[Huff&Puff]

I think that there used to be a school of thought that said you should write, but in the light of later experience, the utter futility of doing so has been realised by all.

 

This is the [problematic]' income, any appeal that they allow would deprive them of that income. I'll give you one guess how many appeals they allow

[filthysurfer]

Thanks for your support so far. Early days yet though.

 

I'll keep you posted.

[Al27]

Phonecalls are annoying, but at the end of the day they're no different from a double glazing seller. You wouldn't get stressed over one of those.

 

If they call, hang up or tell them to take a long walk off a short pier.

[2 pints]

hi filthysurfer the best thing todo is ignore i to had an invoice for work that had not been carried out by ukpc. asking for 35 pound . then because i dident pay it went up to 70 pound to date.i wrote to them asking if they washed and waxed my car when i was xmas shopping . if not then why the invoice i will never pay the scumbags anyway merryhill is a free carpark when i get my 3rd letter i will let you know just look for the name 2 pints goodluck and dontpay

Edited January 28, 2010 by 2 pints

[2 pints]

hi just had my 3rd letter today asking for 128 pound they went on to say who was driving on that day im never going to pay and will go all the way i will let you know when i get my next letter

2 pints

[2 pints]

hi filthysurfer i got your message but unsure how to send back but every time i get a letter mate i will let you know how i get on good luck and i to will go all the way

[dingle!]

Hi filthy surfer.I just told my partner about my ticket and he said just pay it .you were in the wrong so just pay it.

but you know what he too has just made me feel more determined to stick this out to prove that if we all stay ignorant we just keep paying the price......lets hope he never gets a ticket!

[filthysurfer]

It's the severity of the charge more than anything else. Then you find out from places like this how these businesses are run. Non-existant appeals procedures, fake solicitors, threats etc. Bugger that.

 

That said, even though I'm now aware of these invoices and their dubious legal standing I would still continue to use and pay in these car parks. Not paying at all with a 'do your worst' attitude would be wrong imo.

 

Stick to your guns dingle! and I'll keep you up to date. I'll have a small wager that your partner would be straight on here if he did get one of these tickets

[dingle!]

i`ll tell you one thing that i`m not sure about.It was only last thursday thet i got the`parking charge notice` i did wonder if i should write to them and plead with them to let me off as the machine has been out of order more often than not in the last few months and as it happens it was yesterday and is today out of order ,are they just trying to catch us out!.

surely because of their inconsistancy i have a plea.

Also it is netto`s carpark and surely they must realise that the majority of people that shop in a budget store can`t afford charges that ammount to more than thier monthly shopping budget.

[lamma]

there is no appeal. its a [problem]. they don't care who you are, or what the circumstances are or whether their claims are valid. never write to them, I would file their rubbish and ignore it.

[filthysurfer]

Just what he said. The reference to an appeals process merely adds a veneer of respectability to their grubby business.

 

And re: Netto. I would imagine they couldn't care less either and will probably just refer you back to Excel.

[letshelp]

Hi filthy surfer.I just told my partner about my ticket and he said just pay it .you were in the wrong so just pay it.

but you know what he too has just made me feel more determined to stick this out to prove that if we all stay ignorant we just keep paying the price......lets hope he never gets a ticket!

Your partner is the reason these [problematic] stay in business, hounding other people. If you pm me his details I ill send him an invoice for £1,000 if he is so keen to pay [problem] invoices.

regards

[dingle!]

Your partner is the reason these [problematic] stay in business, hounding other people. If you pm me his details I ill send him an invoice for £1,000 if he is so keen to pay [problem] invoices.

regards

 

Lol yeh we`ll go halfs on it!.

I did phone netto head office today.(i didn`t give them any personal details).I asked if there would be any chance of a ticket being cancelled if appealed against and she said you should have had a valid ticket displayed so the chances of that are non.so that told me........... they can whistle

[filthysurfer]

Here's a little bit of interesting off topicness...

 

I've received a letter today from Peugeot Fleet with a PCN issued by CP Plus Limited enclosed. At the moment it's just for my records because CP Plus Limited will be contacting me directly as Peugeot have supplied them with my company details. It turns out one of my employees took a little unauthorised trip 50 miles down the motorway last weekend and left our vehicle parked in a motorway service car park all day.

 

Now obviously everyone's gut reaction is to tell these jokers where to get off but I'd be interested to hear a few opinions on this one. Disciplinary issues aside, what would others do in my position? I'm not after advice, I'm just interested in other members views.

[Andy77799]

FS: I got an NCP invoice, got all the letters these guys on here said I would and nothing more!

 

They will regret it if they did ring me, same with any cold callers!

[dingle!]

I spoke someone in general terms from excel about the appeal process.Firstly i asked her why it say`s on thier boards in the carpark 40.00 fine and on the ticket 60.00 fine.she replied oh it`s 40.00 pounds and you now have 2 weeks to pay.....very generous!.Also the ammount is frozen until your appeal has gone through.she also told me that the charges are enforceable because it`s private land and that these forums haven`t got it quite right!I left it at that.

Edited March 5, 2010 by dingle!
adding to it

[DBC]

I spoke someone in general terms from excel about the appeal process.Firstly i asked her why it say`s on thier boards in the carpark 40.00 fine and on the ticket 60.00 fine.she replied oh it`s 40.00 pounds and you now have 2 weeks to pay.....very generous!.Also the ammount is frozen until your appeal has gone through.she also told me that the charges are enforceable because it`s private land and that these forums haven`t got it quite right!I left it at that.

 

She would say that wouldn't she? And, of course it's not a fine.

[Andy77799]

What a load of rubbish! and waste of money on a phone call!

 

But worth it I guess , if you enjoyed yourself and it made you smile!

[filthysurfer]

I'm starting to feel left out now. Still nothing from Excel

[filthysurfer]

I feel left out no longer. Finally received my second letter today. £100 within 14 days or they go ...tut... in my general direction. Sod's Law says it's the day after I uninstalled my scanner so atm I can't post up the actual letter. I will somehow though, it would be good to have the full set on here.

 

I'm a little upset to read that I've lost the 'right' to appeal. I quite liked Excel telling me what rights I have. You know, a **** pot private company making money hand over fist employing minimum wage semi-retirees and preying on the general public's ignorance of their real rights. Rather than the rights earned over hundreds of years of struggle, eventual emancipation and specifically the right to not get shafted by these robbing b*****ds.

 

Anyhoo, I'll keep you posted. I'm also quite sure that I'll be the one that ends up in court because that sort of **** always happens to me

[filthysurfer]

Received letter #3. Final, final, not going to tell you again, come on, pay up demand. 14 days before SWAT come through my living room window.