G24 ANPR PCN - Sports Direct & Matalan​​​​​​​, Heathcote Road, Longton, Stoke on Trent ST3

[Samtex]

Hi all, 

I have received a letter from a Debt Recovery agency on behalf of G24 limited for an outstanding parking charge which I never received as it went to my old address which I do not have access to. 

 

The letter did not include the location, time, duration or any proof of the violation only the date and a request to pay a £160 fine. 

 

Through my own efforts I have managed to find out that the fine was from the Sports Direct car park in Longton, Stoke on Trent on 29/12/2020. This car park is free for customers but seems to run on some kind of rebate scheme where you use your receipt to claim back the 60p charge.

 

At the time the weather was very poor due to deep snow so many of the standard markings where coverd, we were also at the height of the pandemic so I was been very careful to avoid any public health hazards especially unkempt surfaces.

 

I was in an out of the store after exchanging goods with a receipt which would have made me exempt from any charges and made parking free.  

 

I have contacted G24 directly several times explaining the situation, requesting proof of the offence, for all the missing information that I would need to know if it was actually me or not, with my updated address and with the receipt from Sports Direct to show the driver was a customer.

 

Each time they have responded with an canned response email stating that the time for appeal is over, that they posted the information (old address even though they know this) and that I should pay the fine. 

 

So now I am left we the debt recovery agency demanding payment or court action, G24 not providing any proof or meaningful communication and without the right to appeal / pay a reduced fee because I didnt see the original charge within 21 days. 

 

As a side note I have been very careful not to personally admit liability in any of my communications especially since I have not received any proof. 

 

Any help would be gratefully received. 

 

Many thanks 

 

[honeybee13]

Hi.

 

We don't normally recommend contacting PPCs and certainly not debt collection agencies [DCAs], but well done for not letting them know you were driving.

 

Are you saying this is the first you've heard of this parking ticket?

 

HB

[FTMDave]

There is no point in corresponding with G24.  We have a case at the moment where they are pursuing an NHS volunteer who was rushing to try to save someone's life.  That's the sort of vermin you're dealing with.

 

A few questions.

 

In your correspondence, did you tell them who was driving the car?

 

Is this car park solely for Sports Direct customers, or part of a retail park?  If the former, you could get on to Sports Direct and get them to call the fleecers off.

 

Have you formally informed the fleecers of your new address?

[Homer67]

And it's not a fine and never can be.

[Samtex]

3 hours ago, honeybee13 said:

Hi.

 

We don't normally recommend contacting PPCs and certainly not debt collection agencies [DCAs], but well done for not letting them know you were driving.

 

Are you saying this is the first you've heard of this parking ticket?

 

HB

That's is correct. My car was registered at an old address at the time of the violation and has since been updated. Since nobody lives at that address anymore I have no access to it. 

 

I only contact the debt collection agency to tell them I was in contact with G24 and they should get updates from them. 

 

3 hours ago, FTMDave said:

There is no point in corresponding with G24.  We have a case at the moment where they are pursuing an NHS volunteer who was rushing to try to save someone's life.  That's the sort of vermin you're dealing with.

 

A few questions.

 

In your correspondence, did you tell them who was driving the car?

 

Is this car park solely for Sports Direct customers, or part of a retail park?  If the former, you could get on to Sports Direct and get them to call the fleecers off.

 

Have you formally informed the fleecers of your new address?

I believe the car park is joint between Matalan and Sports Direct which they have outsourced to G24s automated service. 

 

They have my new address but I have not admitted I was the driver, only that I'm the owner of the car in question and have a receipt proving I was a sports direct customer. I couldn't admit liability  anyway as I've seen no evidence of the alleged offence. 

[honeybee13]

I'm not clear if G24 have your current address, could you clarify please?

 

HB

[Samtex]

Yes, they have my current address and have had it for almost a month now after I appealed the charge and provided them with a store receipt.

 

However I only admitted owning the car and not that I was the driver otherwise I would have never opened up communication in the first place. 

[honeybee13]

That should be OK then, G24 can't try to get a backdoor CCJ at your old address.

 

HB

[FTMDave]

It's just clicked with me that we've had a few cases at this place recently, including the disgraceful one of the NHS volunteer I mentioned.

 

The car park is a strange set up from what I can see on Google Maps (see attachment), on the one hand the car park is not just for Sports Direct, on the other there is only one other shop there and the entrance sign refers to Matalan/Sports Direct.com Customer Car Park (rather than it being called a retail park or some such, indeed Sports Direct's logo is used in the title).

 

One of the other motorists got onto the store in Stoke, and was fobbed off.  I suggest you e-mail the CEO  [email protected]  and attach any proof of purchase and demand the ticket be cancelled.  Nothing ventured ...

Stoke-on-Trent, England - Google Maps — Mozilla Firefox 14_05_2021 12_57_31-converted(1).pdf

[Samtex]

Here are the only two written letters I have received regarding this matter. They are both from the debt collection agency but none from G24 and they seem unwilling to communicate even though I've told them that I have not received any proof. 

 

 

Letters.pdf

 

..

Edited June 3, 2021 by Samtex
Uploading files

[brassnecked]

Trace like all these DCA are paper tiger's plenty of what why maybe, also its an invoice a sepeculative one, looks like they have added the Unicorn £60 feed tax as well, if going after keeper can't add that in.

[FTMDave]

So e-mail the CEO of Sports Direct.  It may turn out that this is a retail park and you'll get nowhere, but it's worth a try.

 

Ignore G24 and Trace completely now.

 

That's unless you want the original PCN from G24, in that case SAR them.

 

We have three other cases going on for the site, so far the fleecers haven't taken anyone to court, or even properly threatened court, so relax unless you get a Letter before Claim/Letter Before Action

[lookinforinfo]

You could send them an sar asking for the PCNs they have sent. Since you will need that info. to take your own photos of the car park and planning permission for their signage its probably better to have that done now rather than wait for their WS to get those details.

 

[Samtex]

Even though I don't have the PCN I still know the car park in question and the date. I'm just not going to pay a fine that I have no proof of and haven't had my 21 days to appeal.

 

If I am correct the laws says you have 21 days from the receipt of the parking charge not 21 days from when it was issued. Since I didn't receive it I haven't started my 21 days. 

[honeybee13]

Why are you wanting to appeal, Samtex?

 

HB

[brassnecked]

And its NOT A FINE its a Civil Speculative INVOICE, for breaching some term they allege. as part of a Contract, appeals are useless, they usually ID the Driver removing POFA protection.

[Samtex]

Since the first letter I received was from the debt collection agency I didn't have the opportunity to pay a reduced penalty, put my case forward or anything like that. 

[FTMDave]

Given the disgraceful way they've treated you, do you seriously think they would accept an appeal?

 

As explained in post 3, we actually have a case where an NHS volunteer parked in that car park while racing to get medication to try to save someone's life, and the fleecers are after him  https://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/topic/432744-g24-pcn-no-permit-sports-direct-matalan heathcote-road-longton-stoke-on-trent-st3-voluntary-73yrs-old-nhs-responder/?tab=comments#comment-5099203

 

Advice has been given in posts 13 & 14 about what you need to do.

[Samtex]

I will be emailing Mike Ashley directly to see what response is given. 

[FTMDave]

[FTMDave]

I've had to hide your post.  Your name is showing, and TBH it wouldn't take much to work out your address either.  The upload guide explains how to redact properly.

 

However, this is a begging letter which you can safely ignore.

[Samtex]

To keep the thread up to date here is the latest letter I received from the debt collection agency regarding this matter. 

Please see attached a copy of this letter Letter 3.pdf

[honeybee13]

Another threatogram by the looks of it. A debt collector can't sue you anyway.

 

HB

[brassnecked]

Don't think that would qualify as a letter Of Claim the DCA of itself couldn't sue.

[Samtex]

It says they have tried all other methods however G24 who are the client and the debt collectors are aware that I don't have any information or proff regarding this matter. 

 

It is a little worrying just to ignore the letter but I really don't have anything in regards to paperwork about the fine at all.