A 71-year-old woman from Weymouth ‘dreads’ every time the post comes after receiving hostile and intimidating letters from debt collectors over a disputed car park fine.
Linda Smale was out shopping in Weymouth town centre and had decided to park at the St Nicholas Street car par after a friend had told it was a cheap option.
However, a week after her trip out, the 71-year-old received a letter stating she owed £100 for not having bought a ticket.
An error that led to the full registration of her car not printing on the ticket means Euro Car Parks, who run the car park, say ‘no valid pay and display permit was purchased’.
Despite sending two emails with proof that she had in fact bought a ticket, albeit with some of her registration missing, they refused her appeal stating it was down to a ‘major keying error’.
Mrs Smale has been disputing the fine since September and has had to deal with ‘hostile’ and intimidating’ letters.
She said: “I thought I would give it a try. I put three pounds in, as I didn’t know how long I would be, and I thought ‘this is good, its handy and very central’ but little did I know.
“I know I entered the full reg, they are saying there was a major keying error – the only error here is with their machine.
“This has been going on since September. I am a 71-year-old woman who has always paid and displayed. These accusations from Euro Parks are very upsetting and hostile.”
A debt recovery company has now taken over dealing with the fine and the total charge is now £170, but Mrs Smale is ‘adamant’ that she will not be paying it and is ready to fight the issue in court.
Mrs Smale added: I would go to court, I am adamant I am not paying.
“It’s absolutely awful, I dread the post coming now, it is just so hostile and very intimidating.”
“It has made me wary of where I park in fact so much now I will either walk into town or get my husband to drop me in and get bus home I don’t take the car into town much these days I am very warry.
“It’s very much the principle of the thing and it is just wrong. It is such a shame that in this day and age there are firms out there like this.”
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