Credit rating threat on unpaid Euro Car Park charge

[mojo0111]

Hi all,

 

Hope you can help a 1st time poster.

 

Borrowed my fathers car back in February. Got a charge from ECP at my local supermarket. Did not realise a charge was applicable (had never paid on numerous visits in my own car before) and didnt notice the signs from where i had parked. Duly wrote a letter explaining this to appeal the charge. Never got a reply.

Some time later my father received a notice from them saying he was liable for the charge (now £50). I wrote to them again on his and my behalf explaining that i was the driver, but not registered owner, and was contesting the charge and had never had any correspondence from them regarding my original appeal.

Again no reply.

However, today my father has received another letter saying that he has to pay £75 within 7 days or they will be applying to have his credit reduced/affected and marked for non-payment of debt owed to them.

They also said that they will not be entering into any further correspondence on this matter.

So, my queston is can they do this?

And if so can they still do it even though i have notified (via recorded delivery) them that i was the driver and that they should deal directly with me and not the registered owner?

 

Please help!!

[Rob S]

The simple answer is no they can not. They are telling porkies about the possible damage to your fathers credit rating. I would suggest he writes to them and points out that as the registered keeper he is not liable for their invoice. I am surprised they have not come after you, but they seem to think they can chase the registered keeper, when in fact any purported contract they think exists is between them and the driver.

 

By the way, was this a free car park, and under what circumstances do they think you have infringed their T's and C's?

[mojo0111]

Thx for the reply. My 1st impression was that they were trying it on, especially as they were going for this angle and not threatening legal action. I havent seen the exact wording yet as the letter was sent to my fathers house. Am going to pick it up tonight and will do as you have suggested.

 

I received a penalty notice for failure to display a parking ticket.

The carpark used to be free to users of the supermarket (but was Pay and display to non-patrons). At somepoint (unknown to me) it has become a 'full' pay and display carpark for all users. So, i contested it on this basis.

[demon_x_slash]

The sticky at the top of the forum, and any thread dealing with private car parking companies (of which there are many) will help you out in dealing with these [problematic].

[Zamzara]

The simple answer is no they can not. They are telling porkies about the possible damage to your fathers credit rating. I would suggest he writes to them and points out that as the registered keeper he is not liable for their invoice.

 

They do not have any legal right to do so but these people may try it on anyway: I wouldn't be complacent.

 

Mojo, you should put them on notice that the information they propose to register is factually incorrect and that to pass it on would therefore be an offence under the Data Protection Act, and the Fraud Act 2006.

[mojo0111]

got the letter from my dad last night - it specifically states that 'they can deal only with the registered keeper, who takes full responsibility for the car'!!

have used your info and the info on the sticky to draft an appropriate response regarding this and the threat to my dads credit rating.

cheers for help, lets see what happens.

[demon_x_slash]

it specifically states that 'they can deal only with the registered keeper, who takes full responsibility for the car'!!

 

Ahahahahahahaaaaa...

I love it when they put this kind of rubbish in writing...fools.