Hi all,

I have recently received a letter from company called eCollect. They are demanding a payment for some parking fine that was made in some other country outside EU and Switzerland back in 2014. I cannot recall ever receiving parking fine over there.

Apparently they either bought the loan or acting on behalf of European Parking Collection, which is one of those, and eCollect.ch is registered in Zug.

I have no idea on how they got onto my details and how they can request a payment?

Is this legal in Switzerland and shall I report this to local Gemeinde and Police?

Many Thanks

Honestly? I think you should support their innovative business model - they are a startup technology company with venture capital, FinTech sector, want to expand across Europe. What's there not to like?

Regarding their demands? It's just looks like factoring or plain debt collection. Pretty legal everywhere on this planet.

Has the parking fine any merit? That's your problem and that's what you need to challenge.

Exactly the point, how do you prove something that you have not done ?

On the other note, they say that they have the proof, but not sent any.

Well, tell them: Show me the proof or I won't pay. If you don't pay will they first send some reminder and then cannot sue you like in other countries, but start a very regulated process at the city hall called Betreibung. Latest at that stage will they have to prove you as well as the city official that you indeed owe them money... I bet they don't have proper proof and the more "unusual" the country is, the less likely will the city hall accept some claim without clear facts to back them up.

That's what you think - no disrepect etc.

Case in point: If you actually _were_ in that location at the specified date / time, what do you think is the likelihood that they invent something out of the blue?

Kindly reply the cheapest way possible (email, B post, whatever) and ask for the documentation.

Their next steps will be
- continue to issue demands and "Mahnung" and slap fees on top
- they will threaten Betreibung (which you will immediately reject as invalid - this is critical so that it does not show up the Betreibungsregisterauszug!)

Then every party will review whether to continue playing the game or not. You have not supplied enough information on amounts to make a guess on how worthwhile pursuing that thing could be for them. Note: It's not the principal which generates the income for them, it is the collection fees.

I know in the UK (and maybe EU) you would say you have no knowledge of the debt and ask for their evidence. That in itself should be enough to pause any debt collection against you. If they continue to ask for money then they're breaking the law. Even if they do have evidence very often parking fines are 'dodgy' as there might not have been adequate signage etc. In the UK the debt companies are not allowed to pursue a debt unless they have solid grounds that the debt is real and know for sure your'e the one who owes it. That doesn't stop them trying of course.

I once got a fine directly from my local police for parking and causing an obstruction. I asked for their evidence as I had no idea what they were talking about as I have never parked in that street. They replied "Sorry there was a technical error and the fine has been removed". I think the technical error was they typed in the wrong street name

But "TIS" and things are surely different

https://angel.co/ecollect

It's pretty interesting.. I have been getting letters regarding a parking fine from a private parking company in Scotland for 5 years now.. Every few months they send a letter with more RED capitals text and I throw it in the bin.
They say a car with my number plate was at xx place at xx time, i can't really prove I was elsewhere, they can't really prove it wasn't a cloned plate. In Scotland there's no route for them to take me to court.

But it's interesting that they may sell the "debt" to a swiss company should they discover the I'm here.

I am going to contact my rechtschutz company tomorrow and see what they have to say.

What is interesting is that they have sent me the letter, not orange other slip for payment, but instead gave their account number and SWIFT code. Also, letter was sent with normal post, without requirement for anyone to sign for it, and no return address anywhere on the envelope.

As an evidence, there is paper that claims that I was at certain place at certain time, and where photo is supposed to be, there is blank grey square...loads of steaming excrements.

Hi babaroga,

My Name is Hanna Keller and I’m working for the Swiss debt collection agency eCollect AG. Indeed, we are acting on behalf of Euro Parking Collection Pic - the holder of the asserted receivable. Our claim is absolutely justified and based upon proven legal facts. Please contact me in this regard at kontakt@ecollect.ch by giving the reference number of the discussed case and I’ll provide you thereupon with the necessary proofs.

I hereby assure the forum members that Euro Parking Collection Pic has all documents, photo evidences inclusive proving the data relevant to the concrete case such as contravention location, contravention date and time, license plate etc.




Kind regards,

Hanna Keller
Collection Agent

Big sister is watching...

Is this a wind up? Such public correspondence about a debt matter would likely be considered harrassment in the UK, but this is not UK and not even EU but CH where dodgey business practices seem to be the norm.

oh boy!

Then why wasn´t that Information provided in the first place? When I received a ticket for speeding from a town in Germany they also provided a "nice" picture. Just sending an invoice doesn´t cut it

She's been paid 120 CHF's a year for the past ten years, watching EF and just waiting for today, when she could finally join and post this.

yes to the popcorn, and have a read of this (looks unenforceable)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/...e-Fine....html

including first hand power of attorney to (potentially) collect such charges (speculative invoices) and conclusive evidence that the individual you are pursuing did and was able to enter into a contract with another party (which certainly wasn't Euro Parking Collection) which has been breached?

Because it is likely if it's a parking invoice, the only party able to take legal action is likely to be the land owner and the driver of the car - who someone claims breached the contract - may not be the person you're pursuing.

And that's before we ask when the contract was formed and the payment not made plus the statute of limitations in the jurisdiction where the violation may have occurred may have expired.

Seems an open and close case to me......

Oh well, she´s gone now ;-)