Success - Task Enforcement make full refund

[Velanova]

As a new member to this site, just wanted to let people know that I recently obtained a full refund from TE amounting to £420 regarding a parking ticket.

Their bailiff failed to provide a breakdown of the fees demanded, failed to deliver the demand in a sealed envelope per the National Code of Conduct as I wasn't in at the time, in short failed to do a lot of basic stuff including failure to respond to a SAR. I would have taken them to Court and made it clear to them that was going to happen if they didn't put things right. Final demand for repayment in 7 days or court action without further notice produced the refund in the form of a cheque stuffed in an envelope, no covering letter or even a compliment slip!

 

I recommend people being tenacious and not giving up when up against bad practices. Task Enforcement (and others) don't make it easy to communicate - use of PO Boxes etc. Don't be fooled - ALWAYS send SARs by recorded delivery to Head Office address - you won't be able to send recorded delivery to a PO Box number. This is important because TE initially denied receiving any SAR but I was able to produce a copy of the signed receipt printed from the Royal Mail website so put paid to that nonsense from them.

I'm quite disappointed they paid up really, I would have loved to put them under the cosh and claimed even more back in compensation but maybe next time eh? ;-)

[tomtubby]

As a new member to this site, just wanted to let people know that I recently obtained a full refund from TE amounting to £420 regarding a parking ticket.

Their bailiff failed to provide a breakdown of the fees demanded, failed to deliver the demand in a sealed envelope per the National Code of Conduct as I wasn't in at the time, in short failed to do a lot of basic stuff including failure to respond to a SAR. I would have taken them to Court and made it clear to them that was going to happen if they didn't put things right. Final demand for repayment in 7 days or court action without further notice produced the refund in the form of a cheque stuffed in an envelope, no covering letter or even a compliment slip!

 

I recommend people being tenacious and not giving up when up against bad practices. Task Enforcement (and others) don't make it easy to communicate - use of PO Boxes etc. Don't be fooled - ALWAYS send SARs by recorded delivery to Head Office address - you won't be able to send recorded delivery to a PO Box number. This is important because TE initially denied receiving any SAR but I was able to produce a copy of the signed receipt printed from the Royal Mail website so put paid to that nonsense from them.

I'm quite disappointed they paid up really, I would have loved to put them under the cosh and claimed even more back in compensation but maybe next time eh? ;-)

 

As many people on here are aware, our business is a commercial one advising the public regarding bailiff enquiries. We very rarely get complaints regarding Task Enforcement and it is good to hear that when a mistake has been made, that they will refund the money. Sadly, the same is not true with many other enforcement companies...

 

PS: Task Enforcement have Contracts with many local authorities including Transport for London.

[Velanova]

Tom, I have to tell you that getting them to pay up was like drawing teeth and took 5 months. I deliberately kept my post short because otherwise it would have gone on and on.

Personally, I feel that if I didn't know as much as I do about how to go about dealing with this kind of situation, I would never have got the money back. And as Forrest Gump would say - that's all I got to say about that.

[Witchywoman]

As a new member to this site, just wanted to let people know that I recently obtained a full refund from TE amounting to £420 regarding a parking ticket.

Their bailiff failed to provide a breakdown of the fees demanded, failed to deliver the demand in a sealed envelope per the National Code of Conduct as I wasn't in at the time, in short failed to do a lot of basic stuff including failure to respond to a SAR. I would have taken them to Court and made it clear to them that was going to happen if they didn't put things right. Final demand for repayment in 7 days or court action without further notice produced the refund in the form of a cheque stuffed in an envelope, no covering letter or even a compliment slip!

 

I recommend people being tenacious and not giving up when up against bad practices. Task Enforcement (and others) don't make it easy to communicate - use of PO Boxes etc. Don't be fooled - ALWAYS send SARs by recorded delivery to Head Office address - you won't be able to send recorded delivery to a PO Box number. This is important because TE initially denied receiving any SAR but I was able to produce a copy of the signed receipt printed from the Royal Mail website so put paid to that nonsense from them.

I'm quite disappointed they paid up really, I would have loved to put them under the cosh and claimed even more back in compensation but maybe next time eh? ;-)

 

I am a new member as well and it was interesting to read your post.

 

I had a visit from TE this week at my home to collect money on behalf of Lambeth Council for a PCN for parking in a loading bay in Brixton on a Sunday last November. I didn't receive anything in the post, nor was anything left on my car. The bailiff said everything (whatever that is) would have gone to my previous address as that was the address on his 'bill.' I explained that I didn't live there anymore. He said he was going to tow my car away unless I paid him a total of £634.94 which included the 185.00 cost of the PCN - £120 for PCN - the rest for the court fee is what he told me. The rest was made up of his fees:-

 

Letter - £11.20

Visit fee - £112.75

Attendance to remove goods - £130.00

Levy Fee - £120.00

VAT on Enforcement Costs - £74.99

 

I was completely gobsmacked. He had spent the previous hour ringing my door bell at approximately 10 minute intervals and knocking quite softly. It was early in the morning about 830 and I do not answer the door unless I am expecting someone. Eventually something came through my letterbox and it was his 'Notice of Seizure of Goods and Inventory' aka his bill. It was not in an envelope.

 

I then opened the door straight away and he asked my name. I confirmed it and we had a discussion about his bill. He said if I didn't pay within ten minutes, his tow truck would be round to tow my car away and I would then incur storage charges. I asked him how he had found my car and he said 'oh you know those cars that go round with cameras on top' and I said no, I didn't know them. Well, he said, we had an operation in the area and we found your car. I have no idea if he was telling the truth. I also wonder how he knew to knock on my door if the car was found that way. He also had a copy of the court order allowing him or his company to seek the fees on behalf of Lambeth Council and to collect reasonable fees!!! That order detailed the date of the contravention and the road. He said that I must have been caught by a camera and a picture would have been sent to my old address. A picture of what? My car in a loading bay? Not sure how that is an offense.

 

I was frightened and ended up paying him with my debit card.

 

Upon looking at the back of his bill I noticed that the charges they are 'allowed' to charge are 28% on the first £200 if the sum exceeds £100. The bailiff very conveniently didn't point out what was on the back of this form.

 

I feel completely hoodwinked and angry.

 

Can someone tell me what to do now? I have called my bank to see if they could help me but they said because it was a chip and pin transaction and no signature was involved they will not be able to help me.

 

Do I pursue Lambeth separately for the ticket I never received or are they responsible for the behaviour of the bailiff? I understand that bailiffs are given licenses to practice and they can be withdrawn in the case of not following the code of conduct or whatever rules they are supposed to adhere to.

 

 

Thanks in advance.

Edited June 18, 2011 by Witchywoman

[hallowitch]

I am a new member as well and it was interesting to read your post.

 

I had a visit from TE this week at my home to collect money on behalf of Lambeth Council for a PCN for parking in a loading bay in Brixton on a Sunday last November. I didn't receive anything in the post, nor was anything left on my car. The bailiff said everything (whatever that is) would have gone to my previous address as that was the address on his 'bill.' I explained that I didn't live there anymore. He said he was going to tow my car away unless I paid him a total of £634.94 which included the 185.00 cost of the PCN - £120 for PCN - the rest for the court fee is what he told me. The rest was made up of his fees:-

 

Letter - £11.20

Visit fee - £112.75

Attendance to remove goods - £130.00

Levy Fee - £120.00

VAT on Enforcement Costs - £74.99

 

I was completely gobsmacked. He had spent the previous hour ringing my door bell at approximately 10 minute intervals and knocking quite softly. It was early in the morning about 830 and I do not answer the door unless I am expecting someone. Eventually something came through my letterbox and it was his 'Notice of Seizure of Goods and Inventory' aka his bill. It was not in an envelope.

 

I then opened the door straight away and he asked my name. I confirmed it and we had a discussion about his bill. He said if I didn't pay within ten minutes, his tow truck would be round to tow my car away and I would then incur storage charges. I asked him how he had found my car and he said 'oh you know those cars that go round with cameras on top' and I said no, I didn't know them. Well, he said, we had an operation in the area and we found your car. I have no idea if he was telling the truth. I also wonder how he knew to knock on my door if the car was found that way. He also had a copy of the court order allowing him or his company to seek the fees on behalf of Lambeth Council and to collect reasonable fees!!! That order detailed the date of the contravention and the road. He said that I must have been caught by a camera and a picture would have been sent to my old address. A picture of what? My car in a loading bay? Not sure how that is an offence.

 

I was frightened and ended up paying him with my debit card.

 

Upon looking at the back of his bill I noticed that the charges they are 'allowed' to charge are 28% on the first £200 if the sum exceeds £100. The bailiff very conveniently didn't point out what was on the back of this form.

 

I feel completely hoodwinked and angry.

 

Can someone tell me what to do now? I have called my bank to see if they could help me but they said because it was a chip and pin transaction and no signature was involved they will not be able to help me.

 

Do I pursue Lambeth separately for the ticket I never received or are they responsible for the behaviour of the bailiff? I understand that bailiffs are given licenses to practise and they can be withdrawn in the case of not following the code of conduct or whatever rules they are supposed to adhere to.

 

 

Thanks in advance.

 

hi welcome to CAG would you please start your own thread using this the liked

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/newthread.php?do=newthread&f=168

 

Have a read of this thread in particular post 8 by tomtubby it explains what you should do to get the PCN reverted back to the original fine

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?252408

 

post 7 by tomtubby

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?251314

Edited June 19, 2011 by hallowitch