Traffic ticket drama: A magician, a hefty fee, and a Guy Fawkes on a bike!

[Carmageddon]

So, I recently tangled with a traffic ticket in London that was as confusing as a Rubik's Cube on a rollercoaster. After a quick hunt online, I stumbled upon an admin who suggested I consult a so-called guru of traffic debt appeals. This expert promised to make my debt disappear faster than you can say "abracadabra."

Then came the plot twist: she wanted a hefty fee, payable directly into her private bank account.

After some sleuthing, it turns out this so-called expert has a track record that’s as shaky as a jelly on a trampoline. Plus, she’s linked with some rather eccentric characters, including a Guy Fawkes lookalike who roams around on a motorcycle, waving placards at bewildered drivers about mobile speed cameras.

I’m new to this circus, so does anyone know these two jokers?

[John Uskglass]

I’m new to this circus, so does anyone know these two jokers

It would help if you were more specific.

That being said, in relation to your traffic matter, try

https://www.ftla.uk/

It's the heir to the well regarded 'Pepipoo' and has some very expert people giving advice, but be sure to follow the stickied instructions.

[Carmageddon]

Interestingly, I ended up at FTLA, and they helped sort out my traffic ticket nightmare. Their dedication to tackling traffic ticket troubles is indisputable.

However, I'd approach a website called 'Pepipoo' with caution.

Then things got spicy. An FTLA admin recommended that someone fill out forms for a hefty fee. Another member, armed with a Google search and a sense of justice, called this person a fraud, citing a trail of disgruntled customers and a colourful criminal history. The admins leapt into action, shutting down the whistleblower faster than you can say "conspiracy." The discussion then migrated to Telegram, where it all spilt out—warts and all.

The unfolding events were nothing short of a gripping drama. The FTLA admin, the 'traffic appeal fixer,’ and all her skeletons—criminal records and home address included—were laid bare. It was akin to witnessing a real-life soap opera! This raised a crucial question: Is a ‘serial fraudster’ operating on FTLA with the admin’s approval? Are they knowingly promoting a scammer and concealing her dubious past? These are the questions that demand answers!

[aesmith]

Do you have links to any of those discussions, particularly that advice from an FTLA admin?

[Carmageddon]

Although the original thread was removed by cp8759, I searched the forums and discovered a recurring theme with the same subjects.

https://www.ftla.uk/civil-penalty-charg ... 3g#msg3561

Promoted on this thread: https://www.ftla.uk/civil-penalty-charg ... g#msg25255

Promoted again: https://www.ftla.uk/civil-penalty-charg ... g#msg28948

Multiple promotions: https://www.ftla.uk/civil-penalty-charg ... g#msg28969

https://www.ftla.uk/civil-penalty-charg ... g#msg24622

Praised: https://www.ftla.uk/civil-penalty-charg ... 3g#msg4422

The whistle-blower put the following out in the thread, which admin, cp8659 quickly deleted : https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=sheil ... nt=gws-wiz

I couldn't provide the Telegram conversations directly from the app. Still, it mentions a connection: the proposed adviser was spotted at an exhibition stand at the Birmingham NEC alongside the individual who operates this website: http://notomob.co.uk. This individual, known by various names, is a prominent activist opposing mobile enforcement cameras. His campaigns typically involve riding a motorcycle with a Guy Fawkes mask over his helmet and standing by the roadside holding a placard to warn drivers about the cameras.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/ ... 77664c.jpg

[Footloose52]

Interestingly, I ended up at FTLA, and they helped sort out my traffic ticket nightmare. Their dedication to tackling traffic ticket troubles is indisputable.

However, I'd approach a website called 'Pepipoo' with caution.

FTLA was set up by the same people who were providing advice on PePiPoo and include qualified solicitors and a retired magistrate amongst others. The issue was the original promoters of Pepipoo were no longer contactable and the website registration for the forum expired.

As such I find your comment rather odd especially as the help forums on PePiPoo are no longer accessible as a result although, for some reason, the front page is still live.

[Carmageddon]

I reckon they could have come up with a more memorable and less perplexing name for the website than Pepipoo. It’s no wonder I hadn’t stumbled upon it until now.

As for my 'rather odd' remarks, I’m puzzled why you find them rather odd, especially since I haven’t mentioned anything about a site called Pepipoo.

I’m just trying to figure out if we’re dealing with a scam, with or without the administrators’ knowledge. I don’t think this is an FMOTL operation, but the fact that an admin jumped in to protect the evident scammer is a bit suspicious. It makes you wonder if others have run into the same thing—as others have discussed elsewhere on the web.

[Footloose52]

I'm confused because you are saying you've had excellent advice on FTLA and then start downplaying the same people and site saying the admins are allowing a known scammer on the site. They are also the same people who provided exactly the same advice on a now defunct website (Pepipoo is no longer a source of help and the help forum is defunct). How can one, as you suggest, approach a non-existent help forum with caution? And you did mention PePiPoo in your post that I quoted.

As both John Uskglass and myself have pointed out FTLA is the successor to Pepipoo (which was set up in 2000 and stopped being usable earlier this year) and involves the same people. The owner of FTLA, who is also a moderator, is a practising solicitor.

It certainly isn't a scam, many folk have had a lot of success with advice from both sites, myself included.

[Carmageddon]

You should give my post another glance because I did not hint that FTLA or its predecessor is a scam.

My actual gripe was being assigned an adviser to help me fill out some forms. After doing a bit of homework on this person, I found out she’s got a well-documented academic past and a parade of disgruntled clients. Sure, the FTLA website has glowing reviews, but the praise given to their adviser read more like a Shakespearean sonnet than genuine praise. It's as if someone with creative writing majors had drafted it.

I'm genuinely astonished that a solicitor with a practising certificate dedicates so much time to an unpaid gig like running a website. Have you seen any proof of his credentials, or is he just moonlighting? I must confess, reading through his posts, he doesn't exactly display the language mastery or linguistic finesse one would expect from a solicitor.

[Hercule Parrot]

Hey "Carmageddon", are you Jason Bennison?

[Carmageddon]

I regret to inform you, but no, none of the others I encountered in my enquiries knew my real name either. You see, I noticed a rather amusing trend: people love to call others out by their real names, especially that adviser on FTLA. Your approach is the gold standard of this tactic.

[TheRambler]

Hey "Carmageddon", are you Jason Bennison?

The same thing crossed my mind, but If that’s the case it’s a very poor false flag attempt.

TheRambler

[Carmageddon]

Let's set the record straight—no false flag attempts here, just the facts.

I sought expert advice for a traffic infringement, and the FTLA's expertise shone through in the resolution. However, a real red flag (not one of your false ones) popped up when the FTLA administrator suggested I approach someone to fill out some basic forms for an unusually high fee. These forms were so simple that even a layperson, or in other words, anyone off the street, could complete them.

Enter the whistleblower, who exposed the adviser as a scammer. Apparently, this adviser uses the same vocabulary for every form, regardless of the specific traffic infringement. Essentially, they're peddling boilerplates and have a well-documented criminal history to boot.

It's not just me who's noticed the chorus of unhappy customers online. I'm not trying to whip up a conspiracy theory; I'm just laying out the facts for everyone to see if others have crossed paths with this same character.

An FTLA administrator went out of their way to shield someone who might be a fraudster, and the fact they muzzled the whistleblower was a big, waving red flag.

[wserra]

I'm genuinely astonished that a solicitor with a practising certificate dedicates so much time to an unpaid gig like running a website.

Ahem.

[Carmageddon]

The owner of FTLA, who is also a moderator, is a practising solicitor.

Ahem.

Nice detective work!

It turns out the big cheese at FTLA isn’t a solicitor, after all. I checked the SRA register, and it seems he’s never had a certificate—so there's no legal cape for him!