Hi everyone,
Im hoping to get some advice on a PCN received as the Registered Keeper of the vehicle, and whether its worth taking to POPLA or if the £60 reduced rate should be paid.
The Details:
Operator: Saba Park Services UK Limited
Location: Brent Cross Station Main
Date of Event: 19 March 2026
Issue: "Failing to obtain a valid ticket or cashless parking session"
My Status: I am the Registered Keeper.
The Situation:
The driver parked the vehicle at the station at 9:00 AM and immediately attempted to pay using the PayByPhone app. The app was experiencing technical errors and repeatedly failed to process the payment. The driver could not remain by the car waiting for the app to resolve its issues, as they had to urgently had to head to an interview.
The driver continued trying the app periodically, and the payment finally processed successfully at 12:16 PM. The amount paid was £8.00, which is the flat daily rate for this location. Therefore, the operator suffered no loss of revenue for the vehicle's stay that day.
The Appeal:
An initial appeal was submitted directly to Saba, providing the receipt showing the daily rate was paid in full. Saba rejected the appeal, stating:
The car park is strictly "pay on entry".
App difficulties do not create an exemption to the terms and conditions.
The retrospective payment at 12:16 PM does not cover the time parked prior to that exact moment.
Current Status:
Saba is demanding £100, reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days of their rejection letter (dated 20 March 2026).
A POPLA verification code has been provided.
Saba explicitly states that appealing to POPLA forfeits the opportunity to pay the reduced rate.
Has anyone successfully navigated POPLA with a similar "app failure but full daily rate paid" scenario, or is POPLA likely to side with Saba's strict "pay on entry" clause? Furthermore, does the Notice to Keeper look compliant with PoFA?
Any advice on angles to fight this would be hugely appreciated .
