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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.  
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      The judge's reasoning is very useful and will certainly be helpful in any other cases relating to third-party rights where the customer has contracted with the courier company by using a broker.
      This is generally speaking the problem with using PackLink who are domiciled in Spain and very conveniently out of reach of the British justice system.

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Financial Ombudsman rules against Insurance company use of non-OEM replacement windscreens


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When my windscreen was hit by a stone and needed replacing, the Insurance company insisted on using third-party glass and fitters.  Volvo states that non-OEM glass will potentially compromise the function of about 20 safety systems and warranty claims because of non-OEM glass replacement will be invalidated.  My reaction to the insistence on third party suppliers is that it represents unfair contract terms.  Despite the small print that no-one reads, my understanding was that my car insurance policy contract should put me in the same position as I was prior to the damage and not compromise my or passengers' safety or invalidate parts of the manufacturer's warranty. 

The insurance company has now agreed to pay my claim for an OEM replacement windscreen.   You do not have accept their high-handed dismissive response on safety concerns and they can be challenged successfully via the Financial Ombudsman Service.

Recommendations for making a claim
1.    Check with the car manufacturer/dealer for their view on the safety of third-party glass & fitters.  Ask them to supply any supporting documentation or publications.

2.    Ask the car manufacturer/dealer if the fitting of non-OEM glass will invalidate any part of the vehicle warranty.

3.    Tell your insurance company that you want an OEM replacement windscreen fitted by a manufacturer approved fitter.  The reasons are:
a.    3rd party glass has not been tested in the same way as OEM glass and therefore cannot be proven to be as safe or to allow the car’s safety systems to operate as designed. 
b.    The use of 3rd party glass will invalidate the warranty.
c.    Your insurance company will no doubt point you in the direction of small print in the insurance document that forces you to use their ‘approved supplier’ and any replacement glass that they want to supply.  I would maintain that using components and unapproved fitters represents unfair contract terms and contradicts the expectation of an insurance policy to restore the insured to the position they were in before the claim; especially where the insurer’s preferred resolution of a claim reduces the car's safety features and invalidates the car manufacturer’s warranty.  

4.    If the insurance company rejects your argument, then raise an official complaint so that they are forced to issue a final refusal letter.

5.    Contact the Financial Ombudsman Service at https://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/ or call their helpline at 0800 023 4567.  

6.    I would suggest referencing this ruling on the use of third-party glass.  It is very likely that similar complaints against other car insurance companies will have a similar outcome.
 

FactSheet - VolvoGenuineWindshield-compressed.pdf

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Thank you very much indeed for this.

How long do this process takes you from the moment of the stone hit your windscreen – to getting your final decision from the ombudsman.

Were you without a car at all and if so for how long?

Were you paid any compensation as a result of this?

How long did the insurer take before they gave you the final response?

Could you please give us the name of the insurance company.

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Hi BankFodder

I rang my insurance company on 13 August 2023 and the options offered were third-party windscreen replacement or £120 contribution if I chose to use an OEM replacement.  I refused both options and made an official complaint via the insurers internal complaints procedure. 

At this stage, I booked my car into the local Volvo dealer for an OEM replacement windscreen.   The Volvo approved adhesive requires the vehicle to be stationary for at least 12 and up to 24 hours.  It is worth noting that most third party fitters do not use vehicle manufacturers' approved adhesives and will let you collect your vehicle after 2-4 hours. The dealer gave me a loan car.

As expected, on 8th September the insurance company did not uphold my complaint.  On 9th I made a complaint via the Financial Ombudsman Service.  The initial conclusion in my favour by the FOS investigator was 3rd November 2023 that gave the insurance company 2 weeks to respond. 

There was some back & forth that resulted in the insurance company agreeing to pay my full costs on 25th January 2024.  The insurance company have until 21st February to contact me and, presumably, arrange payment.

I don't want publicise the name of the insurer as, as far as I am aware, nearly all car insurance companies/policies use the same approach with minor variations in terms and have been doing this for 10-15 years.  It is likely that there are thousands of vehicles with third-party replacement windscreens that compromises driver & passenger safety. 

I was told by one technician that a 1-millimetre difference in glass thickness could result in a 1-metre inaccuracy in the safety systems distance calculation.  I was told by another technician that variance in glass thickness was not unusual in third-party manufactured replacement glass.  

I cannot find any evidence that third-party manufacturers test their products to the same standard as the car manufacturers are forced to by the various legislative structures that apply in the marketplaces where their products are sold.  I also cannot find any objective external oversight or any evidence that suppliers and third-party fitters use the same strict standards as the car manufacturer for quality testing or fitting method or use of appropriate adhesive.  

 

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Thank you for this. I hope others and your position will read your account and it will help them.

Maybe if your insurance company doesn't play ball and doesn't pay you by the deadline, you might then be prepared to name them

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  • BankFodder changed the title to Financial Ombudsman rules against Insurance company use of non-OEM replacement windscreens

OK ... It's Direct Line (owned by UKI who also own Churchill).  But most of the car insurance industry seem to have similar clauses in their policies. 

It gets worse the more of the small print read - Direct Line state "We may decide to repair your car with parts that haven’t been made by your car’s manufacturer, but that are of a similar standard. This can include recycled parts."

Does anyone know of any companies that do not impose third-party or recycled replacement components?

Edited by earthling2023
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Thank you.

Clearly if the parts that they use are not up to the manufacturer standard in the way that you have described, that they are in breach of their own terms and conditions.

 

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I think the main point is that the Insurance companies don't know if third-party components are up to the standard determined by the various legislations that determine what vehicle manufacturers have to comply with .  Third-party manufactured components do not seem to go through the same or any safety or quality testing as imposed on OEM's.  

If the the insurance companies T&Cs include the idea of fitting recycled parts then I'm not convinced their policies are worth the paper they are written on.

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