Mr Gater has been the straw man fronting a number of failed appeals companies, all having a similar modus operanti. The company starts processing claims legitimately, even getting some cancelled. However as customers increase and failed appeals mount up, the company phoenixes, leaving a string of unsatisfied customers.
Previously the man behind these companies has been Phil Hilsden, and The Prankster previously blogged about Mr Hilsden here. Mr Hilsden also apparently provided false names and address for drivers to parking companies, and therefore presumably these companies would be quite keen to get in touch with Mr Hilsden, in order to get to the bottom of the matter.
Given the history of Mr Gater's past business failures, The Prankster would also advise extreme wariness regarding this new company. There are legitimate companies who assist with appeals, but on past form, this is not likely to be one of them.
Parking companies wishing to get in touch with Mr Hilsden could ask Mr Gater whether he is acting as a straw man yet again. They could write to the company maildrop at their registered address, 83 Ducie Street, Manchester, United Kingdom, M1 2JQ, but are likely to have more success in contacting Mr Gater at the registered address of his previous companies, 92 Carrwood Road, Renishaw, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, S21 3TF
Update
Although there is a 'real' Ricky Gater, it now appears there may be more than one. Has Phil Hilsden changed his name to Ricky Gater? Only time will tell.
Happy Parking
The Parking Prankster
The people with significant control (PSC) provisions of the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 came into force on 6 April 2016.
ReplyDeleteFrom this date, companies must keep a record of the people who control them - your PSCs. There are criminal penalties if you don't do this.
For most companies these will be individuals who:
hold more than 25% of the company's shares or
hold more than 25% of the company's voting rights or
have the right to appoint or remove the majority of directors.
Further details are available here: http://ow.ly/104T63
How this will be enforced is not clear, but people who run companies anonymously will now be committing a crime. It should be possible to report companies who have failed to register their PSCs to Companies House, but probably not until the new system has fully bedded in (June 2017).
Is he related to the well known reptile Ali Gater?
ReplyDeleteGive it a couple of months before he is out of business. The use of the name Parking Eye will be jumped on in no uncertain terms.
ReplyDeleteHe must be mad to call his business that same, less the space between the words, of his main target.
I mean, try registering MarksAndSpencer and see how dodgy this is. The financial penalties for use of a trading name owned by another company is a real problem. I wonder if he does joined up writing yet?
In fairness though Mr Hilsden/Gater was very well respected within the Parking Appeals/MSE circles, no one would say anything bad against him despite it being in the public domain about his past ... It was only when he crossed another person involved in Parking Appeals/MSE did anyone take notice what a dangerous and untrustworthy individual he really was.
ReplyDeleteWhile that's fair comment, the other individual didn't go digging into Hilsden's past, contacting him employer, Landlord, neighbours, family, colleagues and similar to avoid paying debts owed by the business(es) to that former contractor.
ReplyDeleteNotice as well how that victim is no longer involved in Parking Appeals, only appears rarely on Pepipoo and never on MSE, whereas Hilsden continues to trade fraudulently, apparently with impunity.
think I may start a burger bar, call it something like "MacDonalds."
ReplyDeleteD'ya think anyone would mind.
Should be fine. Jeff Bridges hasn't been after you about your username yet…………unless of course you are Jeff Bridges, in which case I'll look really silly :)
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAnd look what's appeared, even before "Ricky" manages to get his wordpress site off the ground:
ReplyDeletehttp://rickygater.doesntexist.com
http://parkingeyeappeals.does-it.net
Oh dear, much wailing and gnashing of teeth in Heanor, I expect.