3. Harrassment over paid fine from CP Plus
« previous next »
Pages: [1]

Author Topic: Harrassment over paid fine from CP Plus  (Read 1452 times)

0 Members and 150 Guests are viewing this topic.

Harrassment over paid fine from CP Plus
« on: »
I got a fine for being at a service station for too long, from CP Plus

Rightly or wrongly, I did pay it (I will definitely research this better next time before I do)

Even so I'm getting chased by them still.

I received a letter asking me for proof of payment through a bank statement, which I replied to and attached - and as per Citizen's advice website, quoted harrassment. 

I've now got another letter asking exactly for the same thing. They seem to be looking at the wrong date. They are not doing the slightest to actually sort this out.

I am going to reply to this one just to see if it's second time lucky (quoting harrassment again), but is there anything else I could / should do at this stage or just wait to see if I get another letter?

I have found the CEO's email, is that worth trying?

Any help gratefully appreciated!
Logged

Share on Bluesky Share on Facebook

Re: Harrassment over paid fine from CP Plus
« Reply #1 on: »
Quote from: louisandthecat on October 08, 2024, 03:38:15 pm
They seem to be looking at the wrong date.
Are you 100% sure this is not a different charge? There should be some sort of PCN or case reference number on any correspondence from CP PLus, compare this number to the number on the PCN that you paid.
Logged
Agree Agree x 1 View List
Re: Harrassment over paid fine from CP Plus
« Reply #2 on: »
That's a really good question that did make me go back and check

Unfortunately, part of the problem is that I never received a confirmation email from them, because their website crashed (I didn't even get a "paid" confirmation page). So I have no idea what "number" the attached the payment to - obviously they didn't attach it to anything.

However the dates match up in terms of me paying it when I was asked to

In terms of them getting the date wrong, what I mean is that they asked me to provide a bank statement for the day I was in the service station, not the day I paid the fine. They're just not even bothering to process this properly.

Logged
Re: Harrassment over paid fine from CP Plus
« Reply #3 on: »
Also to confirm, all of the correspondence I've had has the same reference number

On my bank statement, All I have is this

Date
"Online payment"
"UK Parking tickets"
£100

There's no reference number or even the account this was paid into
Logged
Re: Harrassment over paid fine from CP Plus
« Reply #4 on: »
Quote from: louisandthecat on October 08, 2024, 04:00:27 pm
Also to confirm, all of the correspondence I've had has the same reference number

On my bank statement, All I have is this

Date
"Online payment"
"UK Parking tickets"
£100

There's no reference number or even the account this was paid into

Have you tried contacting your bank to get the necessary details that aren't shown on your statement?

As you admitted liability and paid the scammers, there is not really much we can offer. CAB should be assisting you in this. We advise on how to not pay the scammers in the first place and how to deal with them.
Logged
Never argue with stupid people. They will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience” - Mark Twain
Re: Harrassment over paid fine from CP Plus
« Reply #5 on: »
Hi there

I will try getting more details - thank you.

And no worries,I’ll try citizen’s advice - I’ll know better next time.

Logged
Re: Harrassment over paid fine from CP Plus
« Reply #6 on: »
Please do shoot me down if I'm wrong, but in my (admittedly ancient) experience of the CAB, they haven't got a clue about parking matters.  In fact they didn't even know the difference between a private or council PCN.  They will likely just advise you to contact CP Pluss again.  If the CAB have got their act together over the last 10 years then I'm very happy to be wrong.

So assuming you can't get CP Plus to see sense, then the ultimate destination is presumably a load of guff "debt collector" letters and then (perhaps) a county court claim.  At which point the OP would have a silver bullet case in that he has already paid the fine and informed the claimant of this on a number of documented occasions?
Logged
Agree Agree x 1 View List
Re: Harrassment over paid fine from CP Plus
« Reply #7 on: »
Indeed - but this isn't really a parking matter at this point as the OP has paid the parking charge. It's now a case of a customer having paid an invoice, but the creditor claiming it remains unpaid, which should be something that the CAB can advise on.
Logged
Agree Agree x 1 View List
Re: Harrassment over paid fine from CP Plus
« Reply #8 on: »
Quote from: dave-o on October 09, 2024, 09:48:58 am
Please do shoot me down if I'm wrong, but in my (admittedly ancient) experience of the CAB, they haven't got a clue about parking matters.  In fact they didn't even know the difference between a private or council PCN.  They will likely just advise you to contact CP Pluss again.  If the CAB have got their act together over the last 10 years then I'm very happy to be wrong.

So assuming you can't get CP Plus to see sense, then the ultimate destination is presumably a load of guff "debt collector" letters and then (perhaps) a county court claim.  At which point the OP would have a silver bullet case in that he has already paid the fine and informed the claimant of this on a number of documented occasions?

You are correct in that the CAB are clueless about private parking matters. As pointed out by @DWMB2, this is no longer a "parking matter". CP Plus are laughing all the way to the bank and are not a part of the process any more.

It is more likely that the OP is "being chased by them" means that the debt collector has not received the message that the PCN has been paid or something else. Hence my recommendation that they go back to the CAB should this escalate to a court claim, which is highly doubtful, as a debt collector cannot initiate anything and only CP Plus can do that, which they won't if they've been paid.

The moral of the story is, never admit liability for a PCN, under any circumstances, if you want avoid funding the scammers.
Logged
Never argue with stupid people. They will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience” - Mark Twain
Re: Harrassment over paid fine from CP Plus
« Reply #9 on: »
Thanks all. I have written to them again, I don’t feel particularly concerned as i have rock solid proof I paid. It is comforting to hear that this leaves me in quite a secure place.

Also good point that this is now a straightforward general legal matter rather than a parking issue, I hadn’t thought of that.

I should point out that it’s them chasing me, not debt collectors at this stage. In a way I’d prefer the debt collectors as at least you can actually talk to them and show them the proof directly.

Also note I am following the advice on this page of the citizen’s advice site which seems to exactly describe my situation

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/law-and-courts/parking-tickets/stop-being-chased-for-a-parking-ticket/#:~:text=If%20you've%20already%20paid%20your%20parking%20ticket&text=Explain%20that%20they%20must%20stop,protection%20from%20Harassment%20Act%201997.

I’ve written to then again basically saying the above for the second time and hopefully it’ll work this time

Thanks for your help everyone
Logged
Re: Harrassment over paid fine from CP Plus
« Reply #10 on: »
Quote from: louisandthecat on October 09, 2024, 04:30:08 pm
In a way I’d prefer the debt collectors as at least you can actually talk to them and show them the proof directly.
Careful what you wish for. I've never encountered a single debt collector that was interested in any conversation that didn't involve them receiving payment, and would never recommend anyone engage with them.
Logged
Agree Agree x 1 View List
Re: Harrassment over paid fine from CP Plus
« Reply #11 on: »
Never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever eve, and I repeat EVER try and talk with a debt collector. I don't know how much more forcefully I can stress that point.

Debt collectors or Debt Recovery Agents (DRA) in these situations are powerless and their single purpose is to extort as much out of you as possible, relying on the already displayed gullibility of their victims. The DRAs are not a party to any contract allegedly breached by the driver with the PPC.

DRAs work on a no-win, no-fee basis for the PPCs. They use scary language with words like "CCJ" and "bailiff" knowing that the majority of the low-hanging fruit on the gullible tree will simply pay up out of ignorance.

So, no, don't ever expect a DRA to be on your side. In this case, if it is the PPC still chasing you and you have solid evidence you have paid what they are claiming, then take the CAB advice on how to get them to stop or how to defend it should they try to make a court claim.
Logged
Never argue with stupid people. They will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience” - Mark Twain
Re: Harrassment over paid fine from CP Plus
« Reply #12 on: »
Ok, that’s helpful. Strangely I have done this before when an incorrect bill was handed over from an energy company and they dropped it straight away as soon as I showed them the evidence

Sounds like it was very lucky in that case and won’t do it again!

I will follow citizen’s advice from here, thank you.
Logged
Pages: [1]
« previous next »
  3. Harrassment over paid fine from CP Plus