Fixed charge notice - not my car

nicol

Hi,

Just received a FCN in the post alleging that I broke the speed limit last week. The problem is that at the time of the alleged offence I was over 50 miles from where it happened, as was my car. I've never even been on the stretch of road that the FCN mentions. There is a grainy photo on the notice and I can't really make out the reg but it definitely has the correct end digits and possibly the county.I can't make out the year. Is it possible to get a higher resolution image or how should I approach the whole scenario.

Cheers

Atlantic Dawn

Is it the same model of car?

nicol

It's difficult to tell, photo was taken in the dark. Looking at the light array it looks different. Checked car tell and there's a car 2 years older than mine, same county and Id number that would have a light array like the one in the photo.

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Is it the same model of car?

savagethegoat

send it back and tell them it wasn't you. They don't seem to have adequate proof.

nicol

nicol wrote: »

It's difficult to tell, photo was taken in the dark. Looking at the light array it looks different. Checked car tell and there's a car 2 years older than mine, same county and Id number that would have a light array like the one in the photo.

No, mine's a primera and the other car is a mondeo, I'll post photos shortly.

C4Kid

I wouldn't worry, just call them....The exact same thing happened me, received a FPN from Mayo with a photo of the reg of the offender. The G on their reg looked like a C which was my reg with the same digits. There was also a tow hitch in the photo which I don't have.

I rang up and said it wasn't me and they owned up straight away and said it was their mistake. They had the full photo and could see it was a different car altogether. They will send you a letter stating no further action will be taken.

nicol

Cheers for that, hopefully it'll be that straightforward in my case. I've attached photos, would like to know if people agree that it looks like a mondeo

C4Kid wrote: »

I wouldn't worry, just call them....The exact same thing happened me, received a FPN from Mayo with a photo of the reg of the offender. The G on their reg looked like a C which was my reg with the same digits. There was also a tow hitch in the photo which I don't have.

I rang up and said it wasn't me and they owned up straight away and said it was their mistake. They had the full photo and could see it was a different car altogether. They will send you a letter stating no further action will be taken.

savagethegoat

clearly not yours and very like the Mondeo

nicol

Cheers, good to get someone else's opinion. I'll call them on Monday and hopefully they'll sort it out!

savagethegoat wrote: »

clearly not yours and very like the Mondeo

mickdw

That photo they sent is a joke.

The_Chap

mickdw wrote: »

That photo they sent is a joke.

I agree, looks like a 12 week scan to me

Had a similar thing years ago with a parking fine. Similar reg, same colour, but totally different car. One was a carvan, the other a car, different makes. I rang them up, pointing out that I wasn't in that town on that day, told them the make of my car and they just struck it out.

jca

A woman working with me her uncle who has the remains of a building business got a speeding fine that he was going to pay without question.... She had a look at the letter and it was for his teleporter supposedly doing 130 km/h on the N11.... Go Safe laughed and cancelled it without a bother. Her uncle said it would be a good trick seeing as the engine block was cracked in the freeze of 2010 and it hasn't run since.

nicol

Unbelievable, whatever software they're using for the ANPR would need to be seriously overhauled!

jca wrote: »

A woman working with me her uncle who has the remains of a building business got a speeding fine that he was going to pay without question.... She had a look at the letter and it was for his teleporter supposedly doing 130 km/h on the N11.... Go Safe laughed and cancelled it without a bother. Her uncle said it would be a good trick seeing as the engine block was cracked in the freeze of 2010 and it hasn't run since.

jca

nicol wrote: »

Unbelievable, whatever software they're using for the ANPR would need to be seriously overhauled!

I think they just spit them out and only investigate when there's a query.

savagethegoat

nicol wrote: »

Unbelievable, whatever software they're using for the ANPR would need to be seriously overhauled!

I believe that images from speed vans are assessed manually so it's likely to be human error not a software issue

9935452

jca wrote: »

A woman working with me her uncle who has the remains of a building business got a speeding fine that he was going to pay without question.... She had a look at the letter and it was for his teleporter supposedly doing 130 km/h on the N11.... Go Safe laughed and cancelled it without a bother. Her uncle said it would be a good trick seeing as the engine block was cracked in the freeze of 2010 and it hasn't run since.

My friends father got a fine in the post for not paying the toll bridge in dublin. The friend rings up and tells them his father or his car hasnt been in dublin for the last few years.
The man on the other end of the phone admitted to him that they had nearly all the digits of the number plate but couldnt make out the last one, so sent out fines to everyone with a variation of that number plate ie 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,0. So far he was the 6th person to ring up saying itwasnt them.
Apparently they do that the whole time

Brady

Is there a chance, that some has cloned your number plate which can be quite common for the likes of grabbing petrol from stations and driving off, although normally they would find an identical car and colour.

nicol

It's a possibility I suppose but as you say they'd likely go for same make and model.

Brady wrote: »

Is there a chance, that some has cloned your number plate which can be quite common for the likes of grabbing petrol from stations and driving off, although normally they would find an identical car and colour.

jca

9935452 wrote: »

My friends father got a fine in the post for not paying the toll bridge in dublin. The friend rings up and tells them his father or his car hasnt been in dublin for the last few years.
The man on the other end of the phone admitted to him that they had nearly all the digits of the number plate but couldnt make out the last one, so sent out fines to everyone with a variation of that number plate ie 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,0. So far he was the 6th person to ring up saying itwasnt them.
Apparently they do that the whole time

Good job they couldn't make out the last 2 digits. ..a lorra lorra letters for one fine.

josip

jca wrote: »

I think they just spit them out and only investigate when there's a query.

They obviously value their own time more highly than everyone else's who they waste.
They should be on a sliding scale for incorrect notices. The more they send out the more they pay in penalties.

Elemonator

Ring them OP. That photo is not adequate proof, regardless if its your car.

nicol

Just to give you all an update. I contact the FCN Office to inform them that the car pictured was not mine. They told me to email in a FCN Cancellation Request and a photo of the rear of my car.

It took them a little over a week to get back to me but I received a letter yesterday informing me that I no longer had any obligation in respect of the offence and that the matter was now closed.

They also apologised profusely for any inconvenience and stress caused :p:p (not really true, wishful thinking on my part)

Anyway a happy outcome in this case!!

Cheers everyone for your advice.

Atlantic Dawn

Not a great system of appeal, really you should just have to send an email saying it's not your car and they should then verify from the photo and your reg that it is or isn't your model of car. If it happens to me I will sent an email saying it was not me and leave it at that and let it go to court if they want additional evidence, I won't be spending time doing someone elses job and will let it go to court to make an example of them.

REXER

nicol wrote: »

Just to give you all an update. I contact the FCN Office to inform them that the car pictured was not mine. They told me to email in a FCN Cancellation Request and a photo of the rear of my car.

It took them a little over a week to get back to me but I received a letter yesterday informing me that I no longer had any obligation in respect of the offence and that the matter was now closed.

They also apologised profusely for any inconvenience and stress caused :p:p (not really true, wishful thinking on my part)

Anyway a happy outcome in this case!!

Cheers everyone for your advice.

You're probably lucky that they didn't send back your own photo as proof that it was your car.

nicol

Not a great system at all, but I wouldn't want to have to go to court to prove my innocence. It'd mean having to take time off work to attend and the added stress of having to appear in court, innocent or not.

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Not a great system of appeal, really you should just have to send an email saying it's not your car and they should then verify from the photo and your reg that it is or isn't your model of car. If it happens to me I will sent an email saying it was not me and leave it at that and let it go to court if they want additional evidence, I won't be spending time doing someone elses job and will let it go to court to make an example of them.