It's not a "bailiff" letter. DCBL are just a powerless debt collector who can be safely ignored. They are not a party to the contract allegedly breached by the driver. Never, ever, ever communicate with a useless debt collector. Use their letters as kindling or to line the bottom of a litter tray.
Just because they put the word "bailiff" in their name, doesn't make them "bailiffs". If I set up a company with the name "king" in it... does that make me royalty? Obviously not. Stop imagining that any one can simply send bailiffs round to knock on your door. It simply cannot happen without a whole process of litigation to go through first and even then, assuming you were unsuccessful, there still would be zero chance of a bailiff knocking on your door.
If ParkingEye are using DCBL to issue their threatening letters, then you know that they don't think there is much chance that they can recover the alleged debt. They will eventually send you a Letter of Claim (LoC) through their bulk litigator of choice, DCB Legal and eventually an N1SDT Claim Form from the CNBC. If you follow the advice, you won't be paying a penny.
For now, please show us the email/letter that the gym sent to ParkingEye requesting the cancellation of the PCN. When you receive the LoC from DCB Legal (not DCBL), then show that and we will advise on the next steps.
Here is a lesson on why bailiffs can't just come knocking on your door:
Why no bailiff can knock on your door
1. County Court Judgment (CCJ):
• A bailiff (enforcement agent) can only get involved after a creditor has obtained a CCJ against you in a county court.
• If the CCJ is under £600, the creditor cannot transfer it to the High Court for enforcement by a High Court Enforcement Officer (HCEO). Instead, enforcement would remain under the county court's jurisdiction.
2. Threshold for High Court Enforcement:
• If a CCJ is over £600 (including fees and interest), the creditor can transfer it to the High Court for enforcement by an HCEO. This is a common method because HCEOs tend to be more effective at recovering money.
3. Cost-Benefit Analysis for Creditors:
• For CCJs under £600, creditors may find it uneconomical to pursue enforcement through county court bailiffs, as they are generally slower and less effective than HCEOs.
• As a result, creditors may opt not to escalate enforcement for small amounts.
4. Private Parking Charges and Bailiffs:
• In the context of private parking charges, no bailiff action can occur unless the parking operator has gone to court, won a case, obtained a CCJ, and you fail to pay the judgment within the stipulated time (usually 30 days).
So, no bailiff will come to your door for a debt under £600 unless the creditor deems it worth pursuing through county court enforcement. However, even if the debt is over £600, bailiff involvement only happens after a CCJ is issued, and enforcement is transferred to the High Court.
