OK. So you identified as the driver. PoFA breaches by G24 cannot be argued. Never mind. there are other breaches that will go against them.
However, as you have exhausted the appeals process, you will have to wait for the inevitable court claim. This is good because it is the only truly independent dispute resolution service.
Ignore all the debt collector letters that are going to come your way. They are powerless and can only scare the low-hanging fruit on the gullible tree to pay out of ignorance and fear. Nothing will happen.
You are now waiting for a Letter of Claim (LoC). Come back when you receive won of those and we will advise on how to respond.
You can, in the meantime, send a formal complaint to G24 and to the DVLA. As G24 have breached the BPA/IPC Private Parking Single Code of Practice (PPSCoP) by incorrectly reducing the time allowed to make payment before debt recovery action can begin, they have also breached the DVLA KADOE contract.
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, Postcode]
[Email Address]
G24 Ltd
Complaints Department
PO BOX 3320
Gerrards Cross
SL9 8WT
[Date]
By email to: info@g24.co.uk
Subject: Formal Complaint – Parking Charge [PCN Reference] – Breach of PPSCoP
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing to formally complain about Parking Charge Notice (PCN [Reference]) issued for an alleged contravention at Chadwell Heath Retail Park. This charge is both unjust and in breach of the BPA/IPC Private Parking Single Code of Practice (PPSCoP).
Background of the Complaint
My vehicle suffered a mechanical failure and was immobilised while awaiting recovery. Due to the lack of alternative spaces, the vehicle was pushed into a disabled bay to avoid obstructing traffic. I submitted a breakdown report confirming the mechanical failure and subsequent recovery, yet G24 rejected my appeal.
Following your rejection, I escalated my case to the Independent Appeals Service (IAS), but the appeal was also unsuccessful. Given your failure to comply with the PPSCoP, I am now lodging this formal complaint before escalating the matter to the DVLA and IPC.
Breach #1 – Incorrect Payment Deadline
Your Notice to Keeper (NtK) unlawfully states that payment must be made within 28 days from the "issue" date. This is a clear misrepresentation of the required timeframe under the PPSCoP, which mandates that recipients have 28 days from the date of "receipt" to respond or make payment. This breach unfairly reduces the time available to challenge the charge, rendering the notice non-compliant with industry regulations.
Breach #2 – Failure to Apply Breakdown Exemption (Annex F1(c))
The PPSCoP explicitly prohibits enforcement against a broken-down vehicle awaiting recovery. Clause Annex F1(c) of the PPSCoP states:
"A Parking Charge Notice must not be issued where there is evidence that the vehicle was immobilised due to a mechanical fault and was awaiting recovery."
Despite submitting irrefutable evidence of the breakdown, including an official breakdown report, G24 wrongfully refused to cancel the charge. This constitutes a clear failure to adhere to the PPSCoP and demonstrates an unfair enforcement policy.
Concerns Regarding Late Delivery of the NtK
The NtK was received after the 14-day deadline for PoFA compliance, and I do not believe that the notice was actually sent on the date it was issued. Furthermore, I have reason to believe that G24 did not use a first-class or equivalent service to comply with the two-working-day delivery assumption under PoFA. Most hybrid mail systems used by consolidators employ a slower 2-3 day delivery service, which does not meet this requirement.
As such, I require G24 to provide evidential proof of the actual date the notice was entered into the postal system. The PPSCoP states clearly at section 8.1.2(e) Note 2:
"Parking operators must retain a record of the date of posting of a notice, not simply of that notice having been generated (e.g. the date that any third-party Mail Consolidator actually put it in the postal system.)"
Therefore, G24 must evidence the actual date the notice was posted, not simply generated. An internally generated certificate of posting by hybrid mail from a consolidator does not satisfy this requirement, and G24 must obtain proof from their mail consolidator of the exact date the notice was submitted into the postal system.
Requested Actions
To resolve this matter, I require the following:
1. A written response addressing the specific breaches of the PPSCoP outlined above.
2. Acknowledgment that the charge should have been cancelled under the breakdown exemption clause.
3. Provision of documented proof from your mail consolidator confirming the exact date the NtK was entered into the postal system and the postal service used.
Response Deadline and Notice of Escalation
I expect a full response within 14 days of this letter. Failure to respond satisfactorily will result in the following actions:
- A formal complaint to the DVLA for G24's breach of its Keeper At Date Of Event (KADOE) contract, which governs access to DVLA keeper data.
- A formal complaint to the International Parking Community (IPC) for non-compliance with the PPSCoP.
- Further action, including potential legal challenge, if the charge is not cancelled immediately.
I trust that G24 will take this matter seriously and respond accordingly.
Yours sincerely,
[Your Name]
Send it as a pdf attachment to an email to info@g24.co.uk and CC in yourself. If they come back to you with some rubbish about not accepting complaints at that email address, then, if you have not already done so anyway, send it by post, first class and obtain a free "Proof of Posting Certificate" from any post office.
