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       #Post#: 85335--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Lidl parking without disabled badge
   DIR By: DWMB2
       Date: August 12, 2025, 8:28 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       I don't have much more to add other than that already helpfully
       shared by b789 above, other than to say if you have time, you
       may wish to respond to the private parking consultation in
       b789's signature.
       Whilst this latest issue is a symptom of the largely automated
       court process, rather than the conduct of the parking company
       per se, it's an example of yet another hurdle faced by disabled
       people in what is already a stressful process. If parking
       companies operated ethically, this farce would have been
       resolved with one letter to the parking company, explaining that
       an occupant of the vehicle was entitled to reasonable
       adjustments and did hold a blue badge. Instead, the farce rolls
       on...
       #Post#: 88103--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Lidl parking without disabled badge
   DIR By: Endorfin
       Date: September 2, 2025, 9:54 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote from: b789 link ---
       >
       > I can appreciate your frustration. You need to contact the
       court right away to flag both the deafness/BSL interpreter
       requirement and the unsuitability of telephone mediation.
       >
       > Telephone mediation is obviously inaccessible for you, and the
       court should never have booked it once you had made them aware
       of your hearing needs on the N180. They can (and should) either
       offer an in-person mediation with a BSL interpreter present, or
       simply bypass mediation and move the claim to the next stage.
       >
       > Here’s how I would suggest you handle it:
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       Please accept my sincere apologies for not replying to your
       response and thanking you, it must appear ungrateful but I've
       been otherwise preoccupied.
       Thank you very much for the advice and going to the trouble of
       drafting an email to send to the court, I have done this and
       emailed all the email addresses you listed. I didn't do this
       until fairly recently as I've been on some medication for nerve
       pain (pregabalin) and it's made me quite lethargic.
       I've received auto confirmation emails from all of the emails
       you listed, although the court ones state between 10 and 14
       working days for a response if one is needed.
       If I don't hear from them by Monday morning, I may need to ask
       my brother to call on my behalf to direct them to look at the
       email (who lives at the other end of the country) but I imagine
       that this will pose some sort of data protection issue without
       prior written authorisation.
       In other news, I've finally got a response from the hospital
       that the report on my MRI scan has been completed and sent to
       the consultant for review, so hopefully on the route to getting
       whatever treatment is required and on the road to recovery.
       Many thanks again, and I will update any response from the
       court/DCBL
       #Post#: 88111--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Lidl parking without disabled badge
   DIR By: Endorfin
       Date: September 2, 2025, 10:23 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote from: DWMB2 link ---
       >
       > I don't have much more to add other than that already
       helpfully shared by b789 above, other than to say if you have
       time, you may wish to respond to the private parking
       consultation in b789's signature.
       >
       > Whilst this latest issue is a symptom of the largely automated
       court process, rather than the conduct of the parking company
       per se, it's an example of yet another hurdle faced by disabled
       people in what is already a stressful process. If parking
       companies operated ethically, this farce would have been
       resolved with one letter to the parking company, explaining that
       an occupant of the vehicle was entitled to reasonable
       adjustments and did hold a blue badge. Instead, the farce rolls
       on...
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       Thank you.
       Yes, it's a daily bane of my life that companies and
       organisations insist on using telephone calls, when the initial
       contact was made by email/app/online etc.
       Some quick examples:
       Hometree emergency home cover - push you to use online fault
       reporting rather than telephone, perfect for me - except when
       they then try to ring you to confirm engineer booking, several
       times. Then email you to tell you it's been cancelled because
       they weren't able to get hold of me!
       LG ThinQ: Big on online connectivity, push to use their app for
       the WiFi connected fridge with all the state of the art tech,
       report a fault via the app & then multiple phone calls,
       eventually a no-reply text message saying we've tried to get
       hold of you on number provided with no success so fault
       allocation has been closed, if you still require assistance
       please use the app to open a new fault etc
       Even my GP, email to get an appointment, receive a no-reply text
       to say "your telephone appointment with Dr *** is at 2pm today,
       if this is not suitable please telephone the surgery" - email to
       say I can't use the phone, get an email saying I've missed my
       appointment with a little reminder of how much missed
       appointments cost the NHS, then an email a couple of days later
       apologising for the oversight and suggesting it may be best to
       come into the surgery to book an appointment in future
       Worse one is the hospital/NHS who openly state that they
       won't/can't use email or text to inform you of appts, discuss
       results etc for various reasons, even though there's the NHS app
       which is meant to be very secure, I simply don't understand it.
       So they insist on sending via the post.
       It's every day and a complete pain in the a***. And then you get
       people coming up to you saying "ey ent technology marvellous, it
       must be a godsend for you to be able to just email nowadays"
       :-X
       I must sound like a whinging old fart, and I suppose I am! ;D
       If it was 1994, I'd understand, back then I was super excited
       about the future of email, I didn't think that 30 years later
       companies with a big online prescence would still insist on
       phone calls.
       #Post#: 88114--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Lidl parking without disabled badge
   DIR By: b789
       Date: September 2, 2025, 10:44 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       This is such a powerful and frustrating account. The irony is
       staggering: companies boast about their tech-forward platforms,
       yet still default to phone calls, completely ignoring
       accessibility needs. For someone who’s profoundly deaf, that’s
       not just inconvenient—it’s exclusionary.
       I suggest you contact mainstream media and your MP. Here are a
       few practical ways to push this forward:
       [indent]• Media outreach: Consider writing a personal piece for
       outlets like The Guardian, BBC, or Channel 4. They often publish
       stories that highlight systemic failures, and this is exactly
       the kind of issue that deserves attention.
       • Disability advocacy groups: Reach out to organisations like
       Scope, RNID, or Disability Rights UK. They can help amplify your
       voice and may offer support or legal guidance.
       • Social media: A well-written thread on X (Twitter), LinkedIn,
       or TikTok could gain traction—especially if you tag the
       companies involved and use hashtags like #DeafAccess or
       #AccessibilityFail.
       • Engage your MP: Send a direct email explaining the issue. MPs
       are obligated to respond to constituents, and this is a cause
       they won’t want to ignore. You can also ask them to raise the
       issue in Parliament or push for policy updates around digital
       accessibility.
       • Document everything: Keep records of missed appointments,
       failed communications, and inaccessible services. It builds a
       strong case if you need to escalate.
       • Suggest alternatives: Companies should be offering live chat,
       secure messaging, or email-first protocols. These tools
       exist—they just need to be used properly.[/indent]
       And no, you don’t sound like a “whinging old fart.” You sound
       like someone who’s been patient for far too long. This isn’t a
       rant—it’s a call for change.
       #Post#: 89107--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Lidl parking without disabled badge
   DIR By: Endorfin
       Date: September 9, 2025, 7:07 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Heard back from the courts yesterday by email.
       Copy and pasted below:
       ===============================================================================
       Good morning,
       Thank you for your email.
       Please accept our apologies for the arrangement of a telephone
       mediation call for your appointment.
       Please note the telephone call email you received is a generic
       email sent to all parties as all of our appointments are
       telephone based.
       We reached out to you shortly after the appointment was booked
       offering you alternative arrangements for you to be able to
       attend the appointment comfortably but we had not yet received a
       response for you.
       I can confirm that we have rebooked your appointment to
       01/10/2025 at 1330-1630 PM instead and this appointment will be
       a Microsoft Teams Video call with a BSL Interpreter present.
       The link for the mediation appointment will be sent to you via
       email on the day around the beginning of your appointment.
       If you have any more concerns or need further assistance, please
       do not hesitate to reach out to us
       Regards,
       Tonisha
       Small Claims Mediation Service
       Northampton Civil National Business Centre | HMCTS
       ===========================================================
       Not sure how they reached out to offer alternatives as nothing
       was received.
       Again, it's not paid attention to my available dates, but I've
       moved things around and will make myself available for the Teams
       video call.
       I've not been in this position before, what can I expect and
       what shall I say? Do I mention that I do have a disabled badge
       and did have a valid badge on that date that had fallen to the
       floor? I was a paying customer at Lidl and have the receipt.
       Many thanks for your continued help.
       #Post#: 89120--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Lidl parking without disabled badge
   DIR By: b789
       Date: September 9, 2025, 7:51 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Sadly, this whole process is a complete waste of time and
       resources. The mediation is not part of the judicial process and
       no judge is involved. The mediator is not legally trained and
       cannot (should not) offer advice other than opinion on the
       possible outcome.
       All you do is offer £0 and it should be over in minutes.
       The response you received sounds like they are now scrambling to
       cover their backsides. You should absolutely rebut their claim
       that they “reached out” by invoking what’s called a rebuttable
       presumption of service.
       [indent]• By post: Civil Procedure Rule (CPR) 6.26 says service
       is deemed two business days after posting — but only if they can
       show proof of posting. If they can’t produce a certificate of
       posting or recorded delivery, their claim to have “reached out”
       carries no evidential weight.
       • By email: CPR PD 6A para 4.1 requires prior consent for email
       service. If they had sent an email, they should be able to
       produce the email header metadata to prove it left their system.
       Simply saying “we reached out” is not proof of sending or
       delivery. You can make it clear that absent evidence, their
       assertion is denied.[/indent]
       As for the mediation date:
       [indent]• You’re not obliged to accept a unilateral date they
       drop on you. The whole point of Section E2/F4 on the N180 is
       that you supply unavailable dates so the service can avoid
       clashes. If they ignore this, you can (and should) push back.
       • You can tell them you require them to offer you a range of
       alternative dates, excluding the ones you have already declared
       unavailable. That way, you’re seen as cooperative but not a
       pushover.
       • As to settlement: you are perfectly entitled to state in
       advance that your only position is a £0 settlement because you
       deny liability. Mediation then becomes largely pointless — but
       you still demonstrate good faith in turning up.[/indent]
       Here’s how you might word it:
       --- Quote ---
       > Subject: Claim No: [XXXX] – Mediation Appointment
       >
       > Dear Tonisha,
       >
       > Thank you for your email.
       >
       > You state that you “reached out” with alternative
       arrangements. I must rebut that assertion. I have received no
       such communication, whether by email or post. If you contend
       otherwise, I require you to produce evidence of sending — either
       email header metadata (for email) or proof of posting (for
       post). Absent such evidence, your claim carries no weight.
       >
       > Furthermore, the new date of 01/10/2025 was imposed without
       reference to the dates of non-availability I already provided on
       my N180 Directions Questionnaire. It is not reasonable to
       disregard this information. If mediation is to proceed, I
       require you to offer me a selection of dates which exclude those
       periods I have already identified as unavailable.
       >
       > For clarity, my position remains that this claim is entirely
       without merit. My settlement position is £0, and therefore the
       utility of mediation is extremely limited. In truth, the whole
       exercise risks being a waste of everyone’s time and resources. A
       more proportionate use of court resources may be to dispense
       with mediation altogether and allow the claim to proceed to
       allocation. Nevertheless, if mediation is insisted upon, I am
       prepared to engage provided it is conducted in an accessible
       format with a BSL interpreter present and scheduled at a
       mutually convenient date.
       >
       > Please confirm that my requirements are properly recorded on
       the file so that further avoidable errors do not occur.
       >
       > Kind regards,
       >
       > [Your Name]
       --- End Quote ---
       #Post#: 89301--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Lidl parking without disabled badge
   DIR By: Endorfin
       Date: September 10, 2025, 5:05 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Thank you.
       I emailed yesterday with your draft, with some slight
       amendments:
       Dear Tonisha,
       Thank you for your email.
       You state that you “reached out” with alternative arrangements.
       I must rebut that assertion. I have received no such
       communication, whether by email or post.
       Furthermore, the new date of 01/10/2025 was imposed without
       consideration for the information I already provided on my N180
       Directions Questionnaire. It is not reasonable to disregard this
       information.
       For clarity, my position remains that this claim is entirely
       without merit. My settlement position is £0, and therefore the
       utility of mediation is extremely limited. In truth, the whole
       exercise risks being a waste of everyone’s time and resources. A
       more proportionate use of court resources may be to dispense
       with mediation altogether and allow the claim to proceed to
       allocation.
       Nevertheless, if mediation is insisted upon, I am prepared to
       engage provided it is conducted in an accessible format with a
       BSL interpreter present and scheduled at a mutually convenient
       date.
       To be clear, this means a face to face BSL interpreter. VRI in
       this situation isn't suitable, for various well documented
       reasons, but also due to my ongoing issues with my hands clear
       communication via sign is less possible and requires the
       interpreter to be able to understand deaf speech, which is
       acutely difficult via VRI.
       Please confirm that my requirements are properly recorded on the
       file so that further avoidable errors do not occur.
       Kind regards
       =========
       Received email this morning saying it's been cancelled:
       Mediation Cancelled
       Claim number: *****
       Parties: UK PARKING CONTROL LIMITED v ******
       Mediation: between 13:30 and 16:30
       Date: 01/10/2025
       Please note that the mediation appointment in the above matter
       has been cancelled as one or the other party is unable to meet
       the criteria for mediation. We are unable to provide any further
       information at this stage so please continue to follow any
       instructions issued by the court.
       If not already done so. the claim will now be transferred out of
       our business centre to a court where standard directions will be
       given and you will be notified in writing of the next stages to
       follow. It is important that both parties follow these
       instructions and adhere to the timetable set down by the Court.
       Further information can be found at; Make a court claim for
       money: What a court claim is - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
       If you require any further information about the next steps,
       please contact the home court. You can use the link below to
       find the contact details.
  HTML https://www.gov.uk/find-court-tribunal
       Civil National Business Centre | HMCTS | St Katharine's House
       21-27 St Katharine's Street | Northampton | NN1 2LH Phone: 0300
       123 4593 Email: scmreferrals[member=6517]justice[/member].gov.uk
       #Post#: 89341--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Lidl parking without disabled badge
   DIR By: b789
       Date: September 10, 2025, 8:30 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Good. That is one less waste of time and effort needed. The
       claim will now be located to you local county court and a
       procedural judge will make an order regarding the case.
       The most basic of orders will be to set a date and time for the
       hearing and a deadline for the claimant to pay the £27 trial
       fee. They will also set a deadline for the submission of witness
       statements and any other evidence either party is going to rely
       on.
       You must understand that this will never reach a hearing before
       a judge as DCB Legal will discontinue before they are required
       to pay the trial fee. As a matter of interest, considering your
       disability, how would you expect a (excuse the pun) 'hearing' to
       take place in person?
       #Post#: 89374--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Lidl parking without disabled badge
   DIR By: peodude
       Date: September 10, 2025, 10:48 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote from: Endorfin link ---
       >
       > Didn't have a clue what it was about so called them and gave
       them the email ref number. They said it was in reference to
       parking and they tried to get me to confirm reg number saying
       that they take data protections VERY VERY seriously, and as I
       have more than 1 vehicle, I gave the 1st 2 characters of the
       vehicle I didn't think it would be and they confirmed it wasn't
       that.
       > I said that it told me all I needed to know and unless there
       was a court order we had nothing to discuss..and he kept
       interrupting by unprofessionally forced laughing saying that
       "their clients ZZPS" is very litiguous and always will sue and
       they will issue me with a CCJ. I told them that only the court
       could issue a CCJ, and by all means, take me to court, again
       with the laughing and "ahhh entitlement, thank you so much for
       that today ma'am (more laughing) I love it when people try to
       tell me my job, love.....we'll continue to progress and will be
       adding more charges"
       >
       > I just ended the call at that point. The complete
       unprofessionalism assured me that I had nothing to worry about.
       Prior to getting this email, I had been getting emails from
       ZZPS, which I had been ignoring, so this was a progression from
       this.
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       In an earlier post, you said that you rang the Debt Collectors
       and spoke to them, so, with respect, why are you now unable to
       take a telephone mediation?
       #Post#: 89426--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Lidl parking without disabled badge
   DIR By: Endorfin
       Date: September 10, 2025, 3:05 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote from: b789 link ---
       >
       > Good. That is one less waste of time and effort needed. The
       claim will now be located to you local county court and a
       procedural judge will make an order regarding the case.
       >
       > The most basic of orders will be to set a date and time for
       the hearing and a deadline for the claimant to pay the £27 trial
       fee. They will also set a deadline for the submission of witness
       statements and any other evidence either party is going to rely
       on.
       >
       > You must understand that this will never reach a hearing
       before a judge as DCB Legal will discontinue before they are
       required to pay the trial fee. As a matter of interest,
       considering your disability, how would you expect a (excuse the
       pun) 'hearing' to take place in person?
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       If I needed to attend court it would be with a BSL interpreter
       provided by the court.
       Is that what you meant?
       *****************************************************
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