Free Traffic Legal Advice

The driver parked to meet a business colleague in a pub on the evening of 29th Nov 2024.

The driver had no idea that ECP managed the parking there and it didn't even occur to them to check. It was dark and there were no clearly lit signs that were noticed so the driver was not aware (it has since been visited to check position and clarity of signs).

The driver have since checked and there is only one single tablet to register customers vehicles which is positioned at one entrance door but the driver entered through a different door on the night and no staff membered advised to log the vehicle registration.

The first notice that the keeper received was the Final Notification Letter dated 03/01/25 (attached).

When this was received, the driver went to the pub and spoke to a less than helpful bar manager who said that they need to provide proof that the driver was there directly to ECP via the website. It was explained that the driver had paid cash for drinks so had no record and the staff member just basically shrugged and walked away.

The driver subsequently managed to get a proof of a payment (bank statement) from the business colleague but by the time they got it, the ECP website said it couldn't be appealed and had been passed to debt collection.

The keeper has now received a debt recovery letter from DRP dated 6th Feb (attached) although it didn't arrive until 14th Feb last week.

It states this is the fourth letter - it is not - it is the second letter.

I wondered if anyone was able to suggest how the keeper approach this now and what process needs to be used - any letter templates would be a massive help and gratefully received.

All the best and thanks in advance.


https://imgur.com/a/hp6FSLO

Nothing attached, please see https://www.ftla.uk/private-parking-tickets/read-this-first-private-parking-charges-forum-guide/

We don’t need to see anything from DRP, but the correspondence from ECP might be useful.

Ignore DRP and follow the advice which will be given here in due course.

Thanks for the comment - I was having issues posting the photos but I've attached the ECP Final Notice Letter now - I can post the DRP letters if needed 👍

Please do not post the useless letters from DRP+ or any other powerless debt collector. You can safely ignore them. All they can do is try and persuade the low-hanging fruit on the gullible tree into paying up out of ignorance and fear. Never, ever, communicate with a useless debt collector. Ignore them.

Rather than complain to the bar staff, you should find out who the landowner is, as it will be them or their agent that contract ECP.

As it is too late appeal, just wait out the useless debt collector letters and come back one you receive a Letter of Claim from DCB Legal or any other incompetent bulk litigator. We will advise on a response.

Eventually this will end up with a court claim which is easily defended if you follow our advice. Eventually, the claim will either be struck out or discontinued.

Understood. Thanks for the comment.

My challenge is that the keeper is worried that this will affect their credit file or end up in a CCJ despite me saying it should be ignored.

As an aside i would contact the pub owners, not the manager, and inform them how poor the system is and usless the managers was, especially at a time when the pub trade is trouble.