Penalty charge notice scam? Bristow and Sutor.

[castironplant]

I received an email, from what appears to be a legitimate company, called Bristow and Sutor, regarding an outstanding PCN. I haven't (most definitely) received a penalty charge notice, so I'm wondering if it's some sort of scam.

I typed in the case number provided, but it doesn't tell me how much the debt is, or give any details at all. It just takes me to a payment page to enter my address and card number and asks how much I wish to pay.

This is the email I received:

26 June 2024

URGENT NOTICE – PCN OVERDUE


My name is Gareth and I have attempted to contact you in an effort to discuss a Penalty Charge Notice that has gone unpaid to our client and now requires your urgent attention. Our records indicate that you have failed to pay your debt. You may not have responded previously due to an oversight

TAKE NOTE: A Warrant of Control has been issued by County Court with instruction to enforce the debt following the procedure set out In the Shedule 12 of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007.

Your case is about to be given to an agent. If they attend, your belongings or car may be removed and sold and you will be liable for the considerable costs involved if this happens. The time to choose to stop this from happening is now.

Take notice that it is our intention to continue action in regards to this matter. Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) teams are working in your local area 7 days a week, including overnight. There is now an ANPR marker on your vehicle which, once located, can be removed and sold, even in your absence.


To protect your personal belongs you must pay the balance outstanding in FULL immediately.


www.bristowsutor.co.uk




I must therefore urge you to contact me immediately on 01527 509582 to discuss this matter further or pay now: https://www.bristowsutor.co.uk/pay//_

Gareth
Telephone Collections Agent
Bristow & Sutor
01527509582
Please do not reply to this email.

Seems unlikely they would track you by email if no previous correspondence has been.

Bristow and Sutor are definitely collection agents and, in so far as Bailiffs can be reputable, they are.

Do you know who is all alleging this debt and in particular whether it is a Council or a private land owner?

Is the address on the V5 for your car up to date?

I don't have a car at the moment. I should have mentioned that, but that's how I know I haven't received a PCN.

No, there are no details at all given when I've entered the case number on their website.

Have you owned a car in the last few months?

Have you moved home in the same sort of timeframe?

The reason I'm asking this is that if correspondence like the Notice to Owner and paperwork which follows it have gone to an old address it's pretty common for it to be ignored. When it gets to the point where a Bailiff notice is received people suddenly take notice and it may be by that route the B&S have got your details.

No I haven't driven for a couple of years. I've also lived at this address for nearly 20 years.

OK. There's advice here on dealing with Bailiffs:

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/debt-and-money/action-your-creditor-can-take/bailiffs/stopping-bailiffs/dealing-with-a-letter-saying-bailiffs-will-visit/

I'm pretty sure B&S have to send a physical notice to you through your letterbox before actually attending at your home to enforce. That will happen when, as Gareth says, it's passed to an agent.

Probably worth a call to the guy at B&S to find out who has instructed them though others will say don't as it lets them know you have their notice.

Citizens Advice generally are pretty good with advice on this sort of stuff but local offices are often overloaded; getting an appointment, even by phone, can be difficult.

Why not just call them (maybe Google the number separately) and say you don't have a car and therefore there must be a mistake. That's what I'd do

If there is no car log book under your name then I can't see what recognition they are doing on the plate to trace it to you? There can't be any proof that you owe it if you have not been in possession of a car for 2 years. Unless it was more than 2 years ago and it is for you in your last car? I'd honestly be inclined to ignore it. I don't think they can do anything. They need to show you in the car in the photo don't they?

Call them. Someone will have used your name fraudulently. I had a similar letter years ago from a debt collection agency chasing a payday loan that was nothing to do with me. They cancelled it immediately and gave advice on clearing my credit score.

If they've got a warrant of control then there's a probability they will turn up at @castironplant's home. If there's a car on the drive they may assume belongs to them and clamp it. I've seen this where son owed debt and Bailiff clamped Mother's car. Wouldn't accept the V5 as proff of ownership.

OP needs to contact B&S to find out who the claimant is.

Use of the phrase Penalty Charge Notice implies a local council and either parking, a bus lane infringement or, in some parts of the country, minor moving traffic stuff like disregarding turn restrictions.

If you do call them google the number, do not assume the one on the letter is correct.

I would say a scam. I looked up that phone number on 'who called me' and got this.

The phone number quoted is that of Bristow and Sutor who are enforcement agents.

https://www.bristowsutor.co.uk/services/pcn/

I don't think you can assume scam and you'd be best to give then a call as PP have suggested.

Make clear that you are not paying them now and ignore any attempt to get your card details. You need to get them to tell you who they're acting for.

I was going to come on say this re 'who called me'. Also did you cut and paste as 'schedule' is spelt wrong which is a red flag. The number for Bristow and Sutor that comes up is not the one given to you. I would ring the number in their site 08716770070 to double check.

Don't ring that number either!!!

0871 numbers are chargable...

'Are 0871 numbers free? No, similar to other 087 numbers (0870, 0872 and 0873), 0871 numbers cost up to 13p per minute on top of any access charges from your provider. '

TAKE NOTE: A Warrant of Control has been issued by County Court with instruction to enforce the debt following the procedure set out In the Shedule 12 of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007.


Have you received any paperwork from the county court that issued this warrant of control? because if you think this is genuine, I'd be asking Gareth for copies as you seem not to have received them.

My name is Gareth and I have attempted to contact you in an effort to discuss a Penalty Charge Notice that has gone unpaid to our client and now requires your urgent attention. Our records indicate that you have failed to pay your debt. You may not have responded previously due to an oversight

And from someone who dealt with debt collectors in exjob, this is a standard ploy to panic you into paying and not thinking slowly and rationally.

And where did they get your email from?

https://www.bristowsutor.co.uk/news-media/news/general-news/guidance-on-bailiff-and-enforcement-officer-scam/

"Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) teams are working in your local area 7 days a week, including overnight. There is now an ANPR marker on your vehicle which, once located, can be removed and sold, even in your absence."

Scare tactics I'm sure.
The police have ANPR cameras.
This is a civil case.
To locate a car. That you do not own.

And where's the case reference on the email from Gareth?

Debt collectors will try to contact you a few times to get you to pay and give you the chance to say why you don't owe the money (if you don't). Ditto with court action - you get notification that this is going ahead so you can file a defence.

Email sounds very fishy if you've never dealt with these people before. Usually (IME, which doesn't include traffic stuff) they write letters.

Not taking the thread over, honest, but interesting Reddit discussion here

https://www.reddit.com/r/LegalAdviceUK/comments/pjo05s/call_from_mobile_number_claiming_there_is_a/?rdt=52866

If you ring the number in the OP it goes through to somebody named Gareth who sounds professional and has an accent appropriate to the Kidderminster/Redditch area asking for a case number etc.

That turned out to be a genuine case for a £30 parking penalty.

OP needs to ring Gareth and find what this is about.

True. There is, however, a lot of useful stuff on what to look for to sniff out a scam; which it sounds like this is. Contact by email, for a start.

OP needs to ring B&S on their number, not the one given, and ask for more details. Or go on the website and type in the case number.

And just because Gareth's got the right accent doesn't mean a thing.