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#Post#: 116903--------------------------------------------------
TfL AutoPay silent partial failure - four PCNs cancelled, four
more + tunnel PCN under review
DIR By: Pheebst
Date: April 24, 2026, 12:16 pm
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Posting in case this helps anyone else in the same boat — this
scenario seems increasingly common and I wanted to document it
publicly while I'm still going through the process. :)
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THE UNDERLYING ISSUE
My AutoPay account remained active throughout. Some payments
continued to process successfully. What had actually happened
was that coverage for certain charges had silently ceased for my
vehicle, without any notification from TfL. When I checked my
account, everything looked fine. The first I knew of a problem
was when enforcement letters started arriving.
It appears the Auto Pay service can partially fail — e.g.
coverage dropping for specific charging schemes — while the
account remains outwardly operational. No warning, no email,
nothing. This is a significant service failure in my view, and
from searches through this forum and elsewhere, I'm not the
first person it's happened to.
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WHAT I'VE DONE
1. Immediate remedial action
Added the vehicle back to AutoPay as soon as I became aware of
the issue.
2. Submitted representations on every PCN
Citing:
- The silent nature of the AutoPay failure
- No notification from TfL
- Good-faith belief the service was operating (supported by the
fact other payments were processing)
- Immediate remedial action on discovery
- Medical mitigation for lateness where relevant (with GP letter
pending)
3. Silvertown/Blackwall Tunnel scheme — four PCNs cancelled 8)
TfL cancelled four PCNs on discretion via a Notice of
Acceptance. The letter expressly confirmed the vehicle was "not
automatically covered for the date of travel" because it had
been added after the date of contravention. So TfL is implicitly
acknowledging that AutoPay coverage can lapse without the
account holder knowing. This is important — it's effectively an
admission.
4. Fifth Silvertown PCN — "Late Representation Disregard"
My representation here was late due to ill health, and I
received a Late Representation Disregard letter. I've now used
the "Update your representation" function to respond with
additional evidence and a fuller supporting letter, asking them
to reconsider on grounds of consistency (same underlying cause
as the four cancelled) and mitigating circumstances.
5. Four Congestion Charge PCNs — representations submitted
Including two at Charge Certificate stage. Submitted
representations online asking for discretionary cancellation on
the same grounds as the Tunnels cancellations. Representation
reference confirmed and enforcement suspended while under
review.
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KEY PRACTICAL POINTS FOR OTHERS
- If your AutoPay appears active and some payments are
processing, do NOT assume full coverage. Log in and check which
vehicles are registered for which schemes, specifically.
- If you get a PCN and believe AutoPay should have covered it:
check your AutoPay account BEFORE responding, and screenshot
everything.
- Don't pay — paying forfeits your right to appeal.
- Submit representations online (reference numbers are issued;
enforcement is suspended on submission).
- Attach any Notice of Acceptance you receive for related PCNs —
the consistency argument is genuinely powerful.
- If you're late because of ill health, a GP letter is worth
pursuing. GPs can write letters linking current presentation to
previously documented clinical history where applicable.
- If a representation is disregarded as late but you're invited
to provide additional evidence, "Update your representation" is
the right function — not "Challenge" (which starts over).
- Keep every piece of correspondence. Screenshot every
confirmation page.
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STILL IN PROGRESS
I'll update this thread when decisions come back. I want to see
how TfL handle the consistency point — i.e. whether they cancel
four PCNs on discretion for an AutoPay failure and then enforce
further PCNs on the same vehicle for the same failure. That's
the real test.
Happy to answer questions from anyone else going through the
same thing. :)
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