Debt collectors drafted-in to enforce car-park tickets

Private parking firms in Scotland are passing outstanding parking tickets on to debt collection agencies, resulting in more Scottish car owners being threatened with court action over disputed charges, according to Citizens Advice Scotland.

CAS has been campaigning for years on how private parking companies often charge consumers unfairly, for example by charging excessive fees and using signage which is hidden or unclear.

The charity has now found that increasing numbers of Scottish car owners are being threatened with court action as their private parking tickets are being passed to third party debt collectors.

The new tactic by the private parking industry comes after a recent court case on the issue, and amid the launch of a lawsuit against the DVLA for releasing peoples’ personal details to parking firms.

CAS can also reveal today that in the first six months of this financial year nearly 20 Scots came to the Citizens Advice Service every day seeking advice about parking tickets. That is a higher rate than ever before.

The letters CAS has seen - all sent by specialist parking debt recovery agents Debt Recovery Plus Ltd - demand payment for tickets sometimes in excess of £100. Yet £100 is the maximum that the two industry bodies - the British Parking Authority and Independent Parking Committee - say is allowed to be charged.

The letters go on to say if payment is not made the company will “recommend to the creditor that court action should be taken to recover what you owe.”

CAS consumer spokesman Fraser Sutherland said: “We have recently seen evidence that Debt Recovery Plus Ltd have been sending letters to people who have had a parking ticket issued by a private parking firm for alleged infringements in places like supermarket car park or hospitals.

“It’s important that drivers check signage when parking to know their rights and responsibilities while using that car park. However recent debt collection letters obtained by CAS show that fees in excess of £100 are being demanded. This is in clear breach of the parking industry’s own self-regulation code.

“These examples are more evidence that self-regulation in the industry is not working, and that many car-parking firms are flouting their own regulations with a gung-ho attitude of simply collecting as much as possible from drivers.

“Citizens Advice Scotland will continue our campaign for better controls on private parking companies to ensure that they comply with consumer protection regulations. We also urge consumers to contact us for advice if they feel they have been unfairly treated by a private car-park or if they have received one of these debt collection letters.”