Printfriendly

Monday 9 June 2014

Watchdog on POPLA. Print out and keep checklist

On BBC1, Wednesday 11th June Watchdog are covering dodgy tactics used by parking companies to try and game the POPLA process. Here is the Prankster's print out and keep guide.

Check how many dodgy practices Watchdog manage to cover in the program.

Not giving a POPLA code with an appeal refusal

Saying the appeal time has elapsed at the same time as sending a Notice to Driver

Starting the debt collection process while an appeal is running

Giving a POPLA code which does not work

Offering to do the POPLA appeal for the motorist

Trying to mislead the motorist that their appeal is not one POPLA will even accept

Telling the motorist their appeal will not succeed at POPLA

Giving a POPLA code which starts from an earlier date to the date the appeal refusal was sent

Stating that the motorist can pay and get their money refunded if they win the appeal, even though they know POPLA refuse appeals if the motorist already paid

Asking for a stamped addressed envelope with appeals

Stating that the motorist's grounds are not valid grounds for appeal, even though they have won a previous appeal with the same operator on the same grounds

Hiding the POPLA code in the appeal refusal without saying what it is

Sending fake information to motorists to try and persuade them not to appeal to POPLA

Only providing a web address for POPLA, and not paper copies of the appeal documents.

Not answering the motorist appeal points, and just sending a template letter

Sending in false financial information to try and explain genuine pre-estimate of loss calculations

Sending in different  false financial information to try and explain genuine pre-estimate of loss calculations, after POPLA reject previous explanations

Incorrectly redacting contracts to hide information detrimental to their case.

Sending the evidence pack to POPLA but not the motorist

Sending a different evidence pack to POPLA but not the motorist

Sending the evidence pack late to the motorist and lying to POPLA as to the date it was sent

Sending in witness statements with false information

Sending in witness statements with information not in the knowledge of the witness

Sending in witness statements with opinions the witness is not qualified to make

Sending in witness statements with true, but deliberately misleading information

Sending in witness statements with false information and photocopied witness signatures, without the knowledge of the witness

Signing witness statement on behalf of the witness, without their knowledge

Signing witness statements while pretending to be an employee of the witness

Charging the motorist £27 for a POPLA appeal

Refusing appeals and forcing the motorist to use POPLA, even though large numbers of appeals have been lost on the same point.

Happy Parking

The Parking Prankster


5 comments:

  1. Will BBC Watchdog be aware of all these points?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's touted as being a 5 minute slot, which if correct, don't expect to much. At least it's get air time though, so the good news is that it will be less money going into the pockets of The PPC's.

      Delete
  2. How about deferring a soft appeal, pending further information and listing it as "ongoing". A practice we know that BPA appear to find acceptable.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I hope that it also covers such things as POPLA's non notification of allowing other appeal points instead of the very narrow list currently made known to drivers.

    It would be good to get a quite separate appearance by Greenslade to answer questions too. Quite how POPLA can be independent when its paymaster is the BPA funded by their members, why they can be independent when they issue notices to the PPC's regarding how to construct a defence to a challenge. Why they have never addressed certain very important appeal points such as the PPC not operating on relevant land. The list is almost as long as that in the above the PPC list

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's a five minute slot, not a four part mini-series!

      They have three cases where (allegedly) operators have tried to circumvent the POPLA process. They will feature those, followed by a 'What are the BPA going to do about it' interview with Patrick Troy.

      Then it's over to Matt Allwright and more dodgy tradesmen, salesmen etc.

      Delete