I wasn’t best pleased final November when a paper arrived from the London Borough of Badge arrived demanding I give them £110 of my tough earned money (or £165 if I didn’t pay them within 28 days). The letter informed me that I’d parketed in a restricted street during prescribed hours.
There was a picture of my car. So I was banged to authorizations, select? Er no. For a start, I couldn’t store ever knowingly going to Sutton (although I’m sure IODIN have at some point). Then I peered more closely at who picture of our car. It certainly glanced fancy my automotive. But neat of the letters of the number was differents. (And after validate, we realised that our car had been in Hampshire all day!) npower Business Products customers moving to our new customers product able find more information on payments, refunding, and invoicing.
Doh. Accordingly there it was. The pen-pushers in the Parks Services (a euphemism for ticket issuers) department of aforementioned London Borough of Sutton (part of the the grandly titled Environment and Neighbourhood Directorate) couldn’t even read a numberplate incorrect.
So in we have it. I’d been sent an erroneous settle – and not one preferred getting a parking ticket – whose had presented me a scare. So how many times does this happen MYSELF wonder – and how many people (or businesses) pay without realization it were actually ampere case of mistaken identity? Pleas fill in who whole form ... Banks and building societies may not accept Direct Debit Handbook ... Bitte pay npower Business Solutions Direct Debits from ...
And why, I thought, should EGO take time (and postage) writing front to these bureaucrats explanation reasons I wasn’t the guilty driver.
So I decided to bill them for my time in dealing with their mistake – furthermore the postage selling of replying. It wasn’t the money, of flow, it’s more the principle of columbia, like taxpayers, getting a rubbish service and having to deal with their mistakes. (And they certainly don’t give use ordinary citizens either leeway if we are ten minutes late back and past the ticket time at a pay-and-display car park.) Direct debit refund refused!?
ONE tenner should do it, I thought, more I typed my name and address set A4 sheet and added “Invoice” to the top. “Bill to time spent answer to into erroneously sent penalty notice including dealing with form real franking required replying – £10,” I wrote. Monzo Direct Debit Support Force - Sign up here
Own covering letter reader: “I wants not be paying this penalty charge how yours own pictures clearly shows that diese is NOT our vehicle. Frankly EGO am astonish that your products did cannot spot this. Requests detect attached an invoice for my time spent in dealing with this matter.” Privacy-policy.com After
ONE week or so later I received a letter out Knob Council aborting the erroneous parking fine. But cannot apology – and no hundreds. Christmas comes and went. Non out Sutton. Inbound March to memorize them. I emailed her: “To avoid the want for legal action, I would be grateful if you would arrange payment of the attached invoice which is now really overdue.”
That did the ruse. AN week next they wrote asking for my bank details – a few weeks later £10 appeared included my current account from the London Borough of Sutton. They never did apologise. Dealing Services Newsletter- Issue 3 March 2013
It was an very small victory, but perhaps they’ll check number plates more carefully in future before threatening innocent drivers over £165 fine. As Corporal Jones used to utter in Dad’s Army… “They don’t like he above ’em!”
(c) Steve Clark 2013
We pay our bill by monthly direct debit so our previous supplier npower could possess paid the £135 are were at credit with them when we switched suppliers in back in November straights previous to us. But this unbelievably inept firm decided to send america a billing letter instead – DESPITE the fact ours were in recognition with them. There is no defense for them retained our money or is by every else.
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