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#Post#: 103414--------------------------------------------------
No PCN just straight to Debt Recovery
DIR By: Ermie2
Date: December 21, 2025, 4:18 am
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On October 23rd, I parked the car I am registered keeper of at a
local town leisure facility to watch a film. I parked in bays
outside the facility for more than 2 hours, it now seems. I have
a vague recollection that I checked signage before parking in
the end space. I also have a though that maybe we were asked to
sign our car in on a tablet so as to get free parking for the
duration.
I heard nothing until December 19th when I got a letter (dated
15th December) from Trace Debt Recovery asking for £170.
Their client at Parking Control Management UK Limited had
instructed Trace Debt Recovery to seek payment within 14 days of
their letter, because I had paid the charges owed to them
detailed in letters they say PCM UK Ltd had sent.
Needless to say perhaps but I had not received anything from PCM
UK Ltd which might have included photo evidence.
The address on the letter from Trace DR is correct.
Can I ignore this?
I could try to contact the leisure facility to ask if there was
a free-parking option that night and/or to see if they can
contact PCM UK Ltd to erase the charge but I am mindful of what
others have said on this forum about trying to make any sort of
contact (although I did visit PCM UK Ltd's website and entered
my car reg to see if they'd let me pay the original fine -
whatever that was. The message came back saying it had been
referred to debt collection or something like that).
#Post#: 103415--------------------------------------------------
Re: No PCN just straight to Debt Recovery
DIR By: jfollows
Date: December 21, 2025, 4:23 am
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Is the car’s V5C correct?
#Post#: 103461--------------------------------------------------
Re: No PCN just straight to Debt Recovery
DIR By: Ermie2
Date: December 21, 2025, 12:47 pm
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No, it isn't.
I moved home and did not update it (I updated my driving
licence).
I have paid all vehicle tax from new new address.
I have just checked and the V5C was last updated when I bought
the car which was my previous address.
I have failed to update my V5C, it seems.
I only have one physical copy and there seems to be no way to
see where the car's V5c is registered to now?
#Post#: 103471--------------------------------------------------
Re: No PCN just straight to Debt Recovery
DIR By: jfollows
Date: December 21, 2025, 1:14 pm
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HTML https://www.gov.uk/change-address-v5c
to fix this now.
The V5C clearly still refers to your old address.
That explains why you didn’t get the PCN.
#Post#: 103480--------------------------------------------------
Re: No PCN just straight to Debt Recovery
DIR By: b789
Date: December 21, 2025, 2:36 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
The parking operator only has one place to get your details: the
DVLA keeper database. If your V5C address was wrong, the Notice
to Keeper was sent to whatever address DVLA had on file.
You are legally required to keep your V5C up to date. If you
don’t tell DVLA about changes, you can be fined because the
vehicle register must be accurate. This has nothing to do with
your driving licence. The V5C is about the registered keeper of
the vehicle, not your driving entitlement.
The next lesson for you is the fact that you should never, ever,
EVER identify the driver. You have managed to spectacularly do
that with your opening post. To get around this point without
lying, is to only ever refer to the driver in the third person.
NI "I did this or that", only "the driver did this or that".
Trace have made simple credit reference search to obtain your
correct details. however, that does not mean that PCMUK will not
use the correct address to issue a claim against you, the
Keeper. Because they hold two possible addresses, you must send
a Data Rectification Notice (DRN) to the PCMUK (ignore Trace)
Data Protection Officer (DPO) instructing them to update their
records with your current address for service and to erase all
other addresses they may hold for you. The highlighted words are
there for a reason, so use them.
As for Trace or any other powerless debt collector, you can
safely ignore them. All debt collectors are powerless to do
anything except to try and intimidate the low-hanging fruit on
the gullible tree into paying out of ignorance and fear.
Send a complaint to PCM UK Ltd now (not Trace) that forces them
to disclose what the allegation actually is and what evidence
they say supports it, without adding any driver narrative.
State that:
[indent]1. You have not received any Notice to Keeper or any
prior correspondence from PCM UK Ltd, and your first awareness
of any allegation is a debt collector demand dated 15 December
and received 19 December.
2. You require PCM UK Ltd to supply, by return, a full copy of:
(a) the original PCN/Notice to Keeper and any reminder(s),
including the dates of issue,
(b) all photographs (ANPR or warden images) and the full
unredacted timestamps,
(c) the location identification (site name, full address, and
the specific area/bays where the vehicle is alleged to have
been),
(d) the exact allegation (overstay, failure to pay, failure
to register on a tablet/terminal, leaving site, or any other
supposed breach),
(e) the payment/registration/validation log for that date and
vehicle registration (including whether any terminal entry was
recorded and at what time),
(f) a copy of the signage terms relied upon at the material
time, and a site plan showing sign positions.[/indent]
3. Put them on notice that you will not engage with any payment
demand unless and until they properly particularise the
allegation and provide the evidence they rely upon.
4. Tell them to treat this as a complaint that must be handled
under their complaints procedure, and that any continued
escalation (including further debt collection activity) while
you are disputing and seeking basic evidence will be raised as
unreasonable conduct.
5. Separately, you should obtain your own contemporaneous proof
of patronage for that evening and keep it ready:
(a) cinema booking confirmation or ticket email,
(b) bank card transaction(s) showing you were at the venue,
(c) any receipt(s) from the facility,
(d) if possible, a screenshot or email from the leisure
facility confirming whether a “register your vehicle on a
tablet” system was in place on that date and what the rules
were.[/indent]
Do not ask the leisure facility “to cancel” as your first move.
Ask for factual confirmation of the parking scheme on that
night:
[indent]• whether parking was limited to 2 hours or otherwise,
• whether customers had to register a VRM on a tablet/terminal,
• where the tablet was located,
• whether staff were instructed to tell patrons,
• what happens if the tablet fails or a VRM is entered
incorrectly,
• whether they can provide an audit log or written confirmation
of the policy.[/indent]
If PCM’s allegation turns out to be “failure to register on the
tablet”, your response is then straightforward: you challenge
whether that term was clearly communicated on entry and at the
bays, and you require strict proof that the system was
operational and that the signage made the requirement prominent.
If the allegation is “overstay”, you require proof of the actual
parking period (not merely entry/exit images) and strict proof
that the terms, including the charge, were adequately brought to
the driver’s attention.
The practical outcome you are aiming for at this stage is
simple: pin PCM down to one clear allegation, one set of
evidence, and one set of terms, so you can then rebut it cleanly
(and, if needed, complain to the landholder with proof of
patronage).
#Post#: 103489--------------------------------------------------
Re: No PCN just straight to Debt Recovery
DIR By: Ermie2
Date: December 21, 2025, 3:37 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Thankyou very much.
I shall carry your recommended course of action.
#Post#: 103677--------------------------------------------------
Re: No PCN just straight to Debt Recovery
DIR By: b789
Date: December 23, 2025, 11:03 am
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote ---
> Quote from: Ermie2 22/12/2025, 10:19:09
>
> Hi,
> I have done what you suggested and emailed my complaint to PCM
UK Ltd.
> (I also don't know how to add a reply to the original thread.)
>
> PCM UK Ltd have replied:
> "Thankyou for your email. This email is for general advice and
guidance. We are unable to assist with parking charge notices.
>
> As your case has now been formally passed on to our debt
recovery team, we are no longer able to assist directly or make
changes from our side. At this stage, all further communication
and resolution will need to go through them."
>
> Then they conclude by providing phone numbers and links to
various sites. :-\
>
> What are your thoughts as to the next steps?
>
--- End Quote ---
What PCM have sent you is a standard brush-off. It has no legal
effect and it does not change your position.
PCM cannot wash their hands of this by saying it has been
“passed to debt recovery”. That is simply not how it works. PCM
remain the parking operator, the alleged creditor, the
principal, and the data controller. A debt collector is just a
letter-sending agent. They have no authority to decide
liability, no authority to handle disputes, and no authority to
refuse a complaint on PCM’s behalf.
So, what happens now is this...
First, you ignore the debt collector completely. Do not write to
them, do not phone them, do not “explain” anything to them. They
are irrelevant and powerless. They exist only to scare people
into paying.
Second, you go straight back to PCM and escalate. You do not
accept their attempt to shut you down. You tell them, calmly and
firmly, that:
– You have not received any Notice to Keeper or prior
correspondence from them.
– Your first awareness of any allegation is a debt collector
letter.
– Their statement that they “cannot assist” is rejected.
– Passing a matter to a debt collector does not remove their
obligation to deal with a dispute, a complaint, or a data
rectification request.
– They remain fully responsible for providing the details of the
allegation and the evidence they rely on.
You also include a clear Data Rectification Notice. This is
important. Because you failed to update your V5C, PCM may hold
an old address. You must instruct them to:
– update their records with your current address for service,
and
– erase all other addresses they hold for you.
Those words matter. Address for service. Erase all others. You
are protecting yourself against a claim being issued to the
wrong address.
Third, you force PCM to particularise the allegation. Right now,
you do not even know what they say you did wrong. That is
unacceptable. You require them to supply:
– a copy of the original PCN / Notice to Keeper and any
reminders,
– all photographs with full timestamps,
– the exact location and bay/area alleged,
– the exact allegation (overstay, failure to register on a
tablet, etc),
– the payment or registration log for your vehicle on that date,
– the signage terms relied upon at the material time and a site
plan.
You make it clear you will not engage with any payment demand
unless and until they do this.
Fourth, you tell them this is a formal complaint and must be
handled under their complaints procedure. You also put them on
notice that any continued escalation while they refuse to
provide basic information will be treated as unreasonable
conduct.
That is it. That is your position.
Separately, for your own preparation, you gather proof of
patronage. Cinema booking, card transactions, receipts, anything
that shows you were a genuine customer and roughly how long you
were there. You keep this ready. You do not send it yet unless
it becomes useful.
Do not contact the leisure facility to “ask them to cancel” at
this stage. If needed later, you ask them factual questions only
about the parking scheme in place on that date (tablet or not,
time limits, what customers were told). No pleading, no
admissions.
The aim at this stage is very simple: pin PCM down to one clear
allegation, one set of evidence, and one set of terms. Once they
do that, the case becomes easy to assess and deal with. If they
refuse again, that refusal itself becomes evidence of
unreasonable behaviour.
You are not late. You are not in trouble. You are not obliged to
pay anything just because a debt collector has written to you.
The next move is entirely with PCM, not their hired bully.
Send the following formal complaint to dataprotection@pcmuk.com;
enquiries@pcmuk.com and CC yourself:
--- Quote ---
> Subject: Formal complaint and data rectification notice –
alleged PCN/Trace reference [xxxxx]
>
> Dear Parking Control Management (UK) Ltd,
>
> I write to formally escalate my complaint and to serve a Data
Rectification Notice.
>
> I do not accept your response stating that you are “unable to
assist” because the matter has been passed to debt recovery.
That position is incorrect.
>
> You remain the parking operator, the alleged creditor, and the
data controller. The involvement of a third-party agent does not
remove your obligation to deal with a dispute, to particularise
an allegation, or to ensure the accuracy of personal data.
>
> No prior notice received
>
> I have not received any Parking Charge Notice, Notice to
Keeper, or any prior correspondence from you. My first awareness
of any alleged parking charge was a third-party demand dated 15
December 2025 and received on 19 December 2025.
>
> Data rectification – address for service
>
> You are required to update your records to show my correct
address for service as:
>
> [INSERT FULL CURRENT ADDRESS]
>
> You must erase all other addresses you hold for me and confirm
in writing that this has been done.
>
> Particularisation of the allegation
>
> I require you to provide, by return, full details of the
allegation you are pursuing, including:
>
> [indent](a) a copy of the original PCN/Notice to Keeper and
any reminder(s), including dates of issue
> (b) all photographs relied upon, with full unredacted
timestamps
> (c) the precise location (site name, full address, and the
specific area or bays alleged)
> (d) the exact allegation being made (for example, overstay,
failure to register a vehicle on a terminal, or any other
alleged breach)
> (e) the payment, registration, or validation log for the date
in question and the vehicle registration
> (f) the signage terms relied upon at the material time,
together with a site plan showing sign locations[/indent]
>
> Put on hold
>
> This matter is formally disputed. You are required to place
the case on hold while this complaint is investigated and the
above information is supplied.
>
> Any continued escalation while refusing to provide basic
particulars and evidence will be treated as unreasonable
conduct.
>
> Yours faithfully,
>
> [NAME]
--- End Quote ---
#Post#: 104334--------------------------------------------------
Re: No PCN just straight to Debt Recovery
DIR By: Ermie2
Date: January 2, 2026, 11:56 am
---------------------------------------------------------
To b789
Very many thanks for your patience.
I had an emailed reply today from the Quality and Compliance
Manager at PCMUK Ltd.
I have extracted some of the text:
"Having looked into the matter, I can confirm that following the
parking contravention on 23rd October 2025, a request was
submitted to the DVLA for the details of the registered keeper
and a notice was duly issued on 29th October 2025. As no payment
nor contact was forthcoming, a further notice was sent on 18th
November 2025, before the matter was escalated to TRACE Debt
Recovery on 5th December 2025. I attach copies of these notices
for your reference. While you aver that such notices were not
received, as above, I can confirm that they were duly sent and
in line with statutory protections, unfortunately, without
sufficient evidence to the contrary, they are deemed to have
been properly served. Section 7 of the Interpretation Act 1978
states that “…unless the contrary intention appears, the service
is deemed to be effected by properly addressing, pre-paying and
posting a letter containing the document and, unless the
contrary is proved, to have been effected at the time at which
the letter would be delivered in the ordinary course of post”
Further, under Schedule 4 of the Protection of Freedoms Act
2012, under which the initial notice was served to you, “a
notice sent by post is to be presumed, unless the contrary is
proved, to have been delivered (and so “given” for the purposes
of sub-paragraph (4)) on the second working day after the day on
which it is posted; and for this purpose “working day” means any
day other than a Saturday, Sunday or a public holiday in England
and Wales” In regards to the parking charge itself, while the
complaints process generally cannot be used as a forum to
dispute parking charges, I have reviewed the matter and
unfortunately, must maintain that it was correctly incurred."
There were several attachments including date/time-stamped
photographic evidence of the vehicle as well as copies of the
Notice to Keeper and Reminder Notices both of the same date, to
the incorrect address.
The rest is a further extract from PCMUK ltd's letter:
"Your Subject Access Request & Data Rectification Request Your
request for information has been processed as a formal Subject
Access Request. Therefore, please find enclosed all data held on
yourself and your vehicle. The only personal data we hold on
yourself is your name, current postal/email addresses, previous
postal address, and vehicle registration mark – including
photographs of your vehicle at the time of the contravention. I
wish to advise that the legal basis for processing your data is
as specified under the General Data Protection Regulations 2018;
6(1)(b) – Processing is necessary for the performance of a
contract with the data subject or take steps to enter into a
contract - by parking you entered and agree to a contract for
the use of the land. As part of these contractual obligations,
you agreed to pay a charge and to pursue this debt, we processed
your data. Photographic evidence was taken at the time of the
contravention in order to evidence this agreement and to comply
with all relevant legislation. 6(1)(f) - Processing is necessary
for the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by the
controller or by a third party… - Legitimate interests include
the pursuing of contractual obligations, the enforcement of
Parking Charge Notices and in the interests of landowner’s who
may contract the operator. This includes the protection of their
rights as owners of private land, as well as protection of any
rights that users of the land may be granted. Moving to your
request for rectification, I can confirm that the address data
has been updated on our system. Therefore, the data currently
held is: Marwoods Cross Wrangaton South Brent TQ10 9HJ While we
have disabled your previous address data, we, unfortunately, are
unable to erase it as records must be retained of the proper
service of the parking charge and the data obtained from the
DVLA. This is justified as a legitimate interest (please see
above for full details on the legal basis under which your
personal data is processed). In most circumstances, data will
be retained for the life of the debt and up to six years
thereafter. For further information on how your data is used and
processed, please see our Privacy Notices available at the
following web link -
www.parkingcontrolmanagement.co.uk/privacy-policy.php "
This is the final part of the letter:
"Next steps As it stands, as your case is being handled by TRACE
Debt Recovery, I would urge you to contact them to discuss your
payment options. While we trust that this has provided clarity
on our position and the justification for the same, as your
complaint has now been reviewed by a member of the Compliance
Team and/or the Quality and Compliance Manager, should you be
dissatisfied with the outcome, you may either write back to us
for further comment or, alternatively, you have the right to
complain to our Trade Association, the International Parking
Community (IPC) – www.theipc.info With regards to your data
protection concerns, should there be any inaccuracies within the
personal data provided, the General Data Protection Regulations
(‘GDPR’) grants you the right to rectification and if you wish
to exercise this right, please provide details in writing of
what requires rectifying. You also have the right to request
erasure and/or restriction of the processing of your personal
data. If you are not satisfied with this response or believe
the actions of Parking Control Management (UK) Ltd to be in
breach of relevant data protection legislation, we urge you to
contact us in the first instance so your complaint may be
investigated internally. However, under the GDPR, you do have a
right to complain to a supervisory authority. The Information
Commissioner’s Office are contactable via their website –
www.ico.org.uk or on their helpline on 0303 123 1113 "
I would be extremely grateful for your further observations,
advice and guidance on the matter.
#Post#: 104367--------------------------------------------------
Re: No PCN just straight to Debt Recovery
DIR By: b789
Date: January 2, 2026, 6:29 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
You are exactly where I expected you to be after sending the
DRN/complaint. PCM have now done three things:
[indent]1. They have confirmed the DVLA pull and the dates they
claim they issued letters (29/10/25 and 18/11/25) and that they
then “escalated” it (05/12/25).
2. They have provided the attachments you asked for (photos +
copies of the NtK/reminder) and they have corrected your address
for service.
3. They have given you their standard boilerplate about “deemed
served” and told you to contact the debt collector. Ignore that.
It is irrelevant.[/indent]
Where you are now
You are no longer in the “what is this allegation?” phase. You
have the evidence and the paperwork.
You are also no longer at risk of a claim going to the wrong
address because they have updated your address for service. That
was the whole point of the DRN, and it has worked.
Now the only question is whether you want to (a) kill it via the
landholder, (b) ignore the noise and be ready to defend if they
ever issue a proper Letter of Claim/court claim, or (c) pay to
make it go away. That choice is yours.
About their “deemed served” paragraph
They are quoting presumptions. A presumption is not proof.
Both the Interpretation Act 1978 and the PoFA wording they
quoted only help them if they can first prove the preconditions,
i.e. that the notices were properly addressed, prepaid and
actually posted by the method they rely upon.
A compliance manager saying “I can confirm they were duly sent”
is not proof of posting. A copy of a letter is not proof it was
posted. A print date on a template is not proof it was posted.
If this ever went to court, they would be put to strict proof of
posting (for example, certificate of posting/mailing house
manifest/batch logs that show your notice was in the mail run
and the class of post used).
However, do not get too hung up on the service point in this
case because you have already admitted your V5C was not updated.
So the address they used (the DVLA keeper address at the time)
will likely be treated as the correct address for service at
that point in time. Non-receipt alone is rarely a silver bullet
when the Keeper failed to update DVLA.
So you treat their “deemed served” paragraph as background
noise, not as the main battleground. What matters now is the
alleged contravention itself.
Your opening post already flags the most likely real issue:
cinema/leisure sites often operate a “customers must register
their VRM on a tablet/terminal” system. If someone forgets, or
the tablet is not obvious, the operator issues charges even to
genuine patrons. Those are very often cancellable by the
landholder because the operator is harming the customer
experience.
So your next moves are:
[indent]1. Do not contact any debt collector. Ignore them
completely.
2. Get your proof of patronage together now:
[indent]• cinema booking confirmation / e-ticket email
• bank card transaction(s)
• any receipts[/indent]
3. Contact the leisure facility (management, not a receptionist)
and ask for factual confirmation first, then insist they
instruct PCM to cancel. Keep it short and firm:
[indent]• confirm whether VRM registration on a tablet/terminal
was required on 23/10/25
• where the tablet was located
• whether staff were instructed to tell patrons
• what the policy was for films running over two hours
• whether they will instruct PCM to cancel for a genuine
customer[/indent]
Do not write “I overstayed” or “I forgot”. Do not add
admissions. You simply say you were a genuine patron and you
require them to fix it.
4. If the landholder cancels it, it is dead.
If the landholder refuses or drags their feet, you then do
nothing further unless you receive either:
[indent]• a formal Letter of Claim (LoC) (from PCM or a
solicitor), or
• an actual county court claim form.[/indent]
Debt collector letters are not either of those things. You can
safely ignore all debt recovery letters. Debt collectors are not
a party to the contract allegedly breached by the
driver.[/indent]
What to expect
If PCM want to litigate, you will get a formal LoC first. That
is when you respond on the merits (signage/contract terms/tablet
system/strict proof) and you put them to strict proof of posting
and strict proof of the contravention. Until then, you do not
waste your time dealing with useless threat-o-grams.
So, in plain terms: you have stabilised your address position,
you have the evidence, and your best leverage now is the
landholder with proof of patronage.
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