Free Traffic Legal Advice

Hi all,

So this is going to be quite a big post but just looking for some advice.

So, back in August we booked a hotel with Booking.com (I'm based in Scotland, we booked a hotel in England). We drove down as the hotel says it has free private parking on site. We parked at the hotel and the holiday was fine.

In December, we received a letter from Debt Recovery Plus (it's in my partner's name so I don't need to hide my full name on Reddit) to say we owe £160 for parking in the hotel's car park without a permit/ticket. We weren't told about or given a permit/ticket. We phoned the hotel after receiving this letter and they said they would deal with it.

2 weeks ago in late May we got another letter from Debt Recovery Plus to say to pay by the 4th June or we will be taken to court.

I phoned the hotel again and they said to tell Debt Recovery Plus to contact them (the hotel) as they have all the proof we stayed there. I phoned DRP and they said as it's now in our name we need to pay it and they can't contact 3rd parties. We panicked and paid it.

I then phoned Booking.com and sent all the proof we stayed there to them and for them to ask the hotel to reimburse us as it's the hotel's fault. After a week of back and forth, Booking.com have taken the hotel's side as the hotel said I need to contact the original parking company. I don't have the parking company's details or contact number, and the hotel said they don't have it either. I wasn't sent the original parking fine letter either, only 2 emails from DRP.

I've now contacted Citizens Advice and have a meeting with them on Tuesday - but I just want advice for this and if there is anything else I can do? I don't mind paying the £160 if it was my fault, but I know it's the hotel's fault and they should be reimbursing me.

Thank you,

Kay

Sorry, just re-read this. You paid it. Doh! Silly move. Good luck in getting that money back from the scammers. 

You need to find a site that will advise you on how to try and claim back the money from the debt collector, assuming it is them who you paid. Lesson learnt and painful on your pocket but I doubt you'll get anywhere with this.

As it isn't a parking issue anymore, I can't see you getting another advice from here.

Not sure b789 reads you have paid it?

Yup, re-read and noticed this bit. Too late for them. Wasted money. If only thy'd found this site and come here first, they wouldn't have paid a penny.

I phoned the hotel again and they said to tell Debt Recovery Plus to contact them (the hotel) as they have all the proof we stayed there. I phoned DRP and they said as it's now in our name we need to pay it and they can't contact 3rd parties. We panicked and paid it.

I kept getting pulled into the last bit where it mentions paying!

I think the OP meant that they don't mind having paid rather than going to pay the £160. A shame that people have more money than sense these days. Especially when they needn't have paid a penny in Scotland (for now).