Thanks to everyone for taking the trouble to answer. As for insurance, I've already gone down the road of taking out the minimum insurance possible with the car hire company, but a full policy with a car hire excess insurance company, after specifically asking by mail if everything is included (gravel, ash damage, etc.), which it is. I don't think the pre-paid credit card is an option. I once hired from Hertz at Malta airport, and the bloke in charge chatted on to me about how he was sick of Italians presenting pre-paid cards, which he couldn't accept, as such cards could be full of credit today but empty tomorrow (pre-paid card use is particularly widespread in Italy). I'll take your advice about taking photos - and making sure they see me doing so - when I pick the car up, when I drop it off (getting there in good time) and insisting on an inspection and signed confirmation. Thanks again!

Hi everyone, this may seem a strange thread, as I'm not currently in any difficulty, but I'm trying to be proactive about a possible future problem. I hire a car a couple of times a year, and have done for several years (I'm British but live in Italy), and have never had any serious problems with any of the companies I've used, mainly in the UK, but also in Malta and Poland. In fact I've found them to be very professional with good customer service. I also make sure I have full insurance, not from the companies themselves but for a car hire excess insurance provider, which is much cheaper. I've hired a car for a holiday in Iceland in August, at Keflavik airport. I did some research before booking and all of the companies, bar none, have a reputation for inventing non-existent damage, often several months after the car has been returned. In the end I hired a car with the company that wanted least money! As providing a credit card is obligatory when hiring a car, it's not a case of them demanding money, it's a case of money being taken from the card without the card holder knowing. Has anybody got any advice about how to avoid such a rip-off? As I say, I've only had positive experiences in the past but want to be prepared. Photographing the car in front of the car hire firm is a must. But I've heard about cancelling the credit card, and about telling the credit card company not to pay the car hire company, etc. I'm talking about a UK credit card. I want to emphasise that I would always pay for REAL damage incurred, it's just that I want to be prepared for a possible [problem]. Any advice gratefully received!

Forum users more knowledgeable than me will be on tomorrow, and they will want to know what communications you have received from the parking company. From your post, it seems you had no communications until debt collectors sent you begging letters. Is that really so? No ticket on windscreen? No Notice To Keeper letter from the parking company? You mention other letters, from who? Oh, and it's not a fine. This is not the police or the council. It's a private parking company who are trying it on. The experts tomorrow will help you against these crooks. If in the meantime if you can post a timeframe of what happened and PDFs of communications received (with your details blanked out), even better.

Which surely was correct - ignore letters from debt collectors, but not from the court.

I've only been on the forum a short time, but browsing the threads it seems to me the advice is superb. Can you post links to the bad advice you were given please?

I'm a Newbie to the forums, but as no-one more experienced is replying, here goes. I had a similar experience to you some years ago, with National Express, from London Victoria train station to Stansted Airport. I had to flag down a taxi, which cost £102. Fortunately there were two Danish people waiting at the coach stop too, so they took the taxi with me, and I ended up paying £34. I asked the taxi driver for a receipt. I got home and immediately sent an angry e-mail to National Express. I added in the mail that I teach English to adults in Italy and I encourage my students to use National Express services (all true by the way) and hoped to be able to do so in future. Later I realised I had sent the mail to the wrong department and so sent a second mail. I got two different replies from the two departments. They said I should have allowed more time for the journey. But one sent me a cheque fro £34. The other sent me vouchers for future travel for £34! I e-mailed the Danes and encouraged them to pursue their complaints, but I don't know if they did. What I've written here is not "legal", and TBH I don't know if I was legally in the right or not, but the coach company took notice of my complaint. Maybe it would be worth your while sending a complaint letter/mail, especially given what's written upthread about their lack of notification?

Why? It's highly unlikely they'll take you to court, and if they did they'd lose. Plus, before taking you to court they have to send you a letter before action which you haven't yet received (and probably never will). You're light years away from court action. Try to think of the thing legally. If I knew your address, I could now send you a letter saying I've written a few posts on your thread and I want £100. I could add that I'm a reasonable person and you can appeal to my next-door neighbour, who is a good friend of mine. In my job I sometimes collaborate with a graphic design company. I could get them to send you a scary letter with symbols of court buildings and the scales of justice, and put in references to COURT and to BAILIFFS and to being HUNG DRAWN & QUARTERED. How much would you pay me? Not a red cent I hope! My claim for the £100 is obviously absurd. But so is their's. They're just trying to con you. Upthread other posters have mentioned several ways they haven't bothered to follow the legal procedure and would be humiliated in court, if they were stupid enough to start court action, which they won't. Legally you're in the right. They're not. It's them who are on the hiding to nothing. Not you. Silverfox has advised ignoring their rubbish unless you get the letter before action. Superb advice.

Natalie, others more knowledgeable than me will be on soon, but it seems to me the letter is the usual rubbish that the IAS send out. You were never going to win with them, they're not independent at all, they're just stooges of the parking companies. For goodness' sake don't pay them anything! Silverfox above has pointed out that LPS haven't bothered to go through the proper legal process and would lose in court, if they were stupid enough to issue court proceedings. Keep calm and the experts will reply to you soon!

Natalie64, I'm a newbie and know a hell of a lot less that the experts here, so won't say too much. However, until they come on, it seems to me that the parking companies are harping on & on about the Beavis decision in order to con/frighten motorists into paying. The Beavis case only concerned one type of car park, and one reason for appealing (genuine pre-estimate of loss). There are many other reasons for appealing. Don't panic, don't pay, wait for the experts who. it seems to me, have a brilliant record of beating the parking companies.

Yes, I have. Without a solicitor. And won. Easily. But that's not the point, you could threaten them back to sue them with 100 solicitors for £15m. But it would be silly. Anyone can threaten anything. Ask yourself what the real legal position is. Wait for advice from the forum. But hasn't it already been pointed out that the parking space is yours by right? (Newbie here, not wanting to step on anyone's toes).

They can only get bailiffs involved after beating you in court.