ECP ANPR PCN - Esso Cobham services A2 london bound

[Bongo90]

Hello,

 

following proper advice, I pulled into the services after a long drive for a rest as I was literally falling asleep at the wheel. 
 

this was cobham services on a2 in Kent for 59mins.

 

I pass through here often and have never noticed you have to pay £1 to stay there longer than 35mins.

 

today I received a PCN for £100!!!

 

 

please answer the following questions.

 

1 Date of the infringement

15/10/20
 

 

2 Date on the NTK [this must have been received within 14 days from the 'offence' date]

21/10/20

 

3 Date received

24/10/20
 

4 Does the NTK mention schedule 4 of The Protections of Freedoms Act 2012? [Y/N?]

yes
 

5 Is there any photographic evidence of the event?

Photo of numberplate 
 

6 Have you appealed? [Y/N?] post up your appeal]

N
 

Have you had a response? [Y/N?] post it up

N/A
 

7 Who is the parking company?

Euro car park 

 

8. Where exactly [carpark name and town]

Esso cobham services gravesend, A2 trunk road da12 3bh
 

For either option, does it say which appeals body they operate under.

POPLA /BPA
 

There are two official bodies, the BPA and the IAS. If you are unsure,

please check HERE
 

thank you all in advance for advice 

 

 

 

PCN.pdf

[Ethel Street]

That's this one, not the Cobham Services on the M 25?

https://motorwayservicesonline.co.uk/Cobham_(A2)  [That's not the Operator's site]

A petrol station rather than a full motorway services?

According to that link there's 35 minutes free parking.

 

 

[dx100uk]

no such thing as 35mins free parking

 

can yo put all you documents into one PDF please

so we can Zoom

read upload carefully

 

[Bongo90]

@Ethel StreetCorrect.

 

@dx100ukI can’t work out how to do this on my phone so will have to try at work on the computers. Thank you

[dx100uk]

there you go all done

i thought i could see you'ed left your reg number and their PCN number in your pictures.

 

there are quite a few threads here on this only allowed 30mins on certain esso forecourts

total rubbish ofcourse 

and none haver gone anywhere so far FWIW.

 

dx

 

 

 

[Bongo90]

Thank you. Is it worth replying to say why I was there and that I feel it’s a bit disproportionate?

 

had I known I’d have paid the original £1 but I was so worried about getting into a space without crashing!

[honeybee13]

It's not worth appealing because ECP won't listen, unfortunately, plus you can give the impression that if they lean on you, you'll pay them money when you don't need to. The only time we normally advise writing to them is if you get a Letter Before Claim/Action.

 

Best to say nothing for now and if you do get a LBC, we'll help you to draft something. Have a read around some other parking threads and you'll get an idea of how these people operate.

[Bongo90]

Thank you. I’ll sit on my hands, for now! 

[honeybee13]

 

HB

[Bongo90]

Hello,

 

So the attached letter has come through the post. I guess this is when I am supposed to reply? Any advice would be great, please!

 

Kind regards,

James Parking letter.pdf

[dx100uk]

nope

its not a letter of claim

and a DCA is not a bailiff nor has any powers on any debt ...no matter what it's type

don't forget our search top right..esso PCN

[Bongo90]

Thank you. noted - sit tight and ignore.

 

happy new year!

[lookinforinfo]

I wouldn't worry too much. As you didn't pay you did not accept their Terma and Conditions which makes you a trespasser. Only the landownwer can sue for trespass which is not Europarks.

[FTMDave]

I thought I'd seen it all by now when it comes to the antics of the PPC, but this one left me open-mouthed.

 

The place is by all intents & purposes a service station.  Sure, you're not on the motorway but there's Londis, Greggs, Costa, etc.

 

Who has ever heard of having to pay to use a motorway service station?  Hardly anyone is going to stay for less than 35 minutes, the time you take to order a cuppa, drink it and go to the bathroom will take you over 35 minutes.

 

I'm quite careful about these things but I'm damn sure I would have missed their miniscule sign, placed opposite the huge signs enticing you to use the businesses present.

 

Absolute conmen, well done for calling their bluff.

[Bongo90]

Hello all,

 

Update is that i've today had the attached letter, which claims to be a Notice of Intended Court Action.

 

Simultaneously says that should I not pay they will 'recommend' their client takes court action against me, so I don't think i'm getting anything imminently!

 

Will I get another letter of intended action from ECP? or do I respond to this one?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Bongo90

Photo.pdf

[FTMDave]

Begging letter - ignore.

 

It's not Debt Recovery Plus's debt, so they can do absolutely nothing.

[Bongo90]

Hello all,

 

Hope you're well. A new company, Zenith Collections, are now sending me letters. (Attached)

 

Am I still best to ignore these too? Also, any chance they're going to turn up at my address to "recover" the debt? If so, what action do I take?

 

Kind regards,

James 

Doc1.pdf

[FTMDave]

Another begging letter - ignore.  They can't do anything as it's not their debt.

 

I've never heard one case of them turning up at an address.  If they did, you'd just tell them to Foxtrot Oscar.

[Bongo90]

Just did a little research and zenith are just a different name to DRP who sent the previous letters!

[AndyOrch]

Topic open

[Bongo90]

So, many many months later. A new letter. 

 

This one even had threatening and embarrassing stamps on the front of the envelope. I assume to embarrass you into paying... 

 

Thank you in advance for advice as to whether or how to respond. 

 

Bongo90

Photos-export-11-26-2021-132128.pdf

[dx100uk]

powerless DCA

very safe to totally ignore

[Bongo90]

Thank you. Can I please ask, what specifically am I looking for in any letter received through the post before I need to do more than file it away unanswered?

 

Bongo90

[honeybee13]

Normally you want to come and ask us if the letter is headed Letter Before Claim or similar or it's a court form from Northampton.

 

But if you aren't sure, it's best to ask.

 

HB

[dx100uk]

letter of claim

lots of example in pcn threads here

it wil also come with a reply pack with an I&E form