Forecourt fuel drive-offs trigger wave of PCNs, AFP finds

Penalty charge notices (PCN) are increasingly being issued to recover the amount owed by drivers who leave forecourts without paying for fuel, the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP) has found.

Issued by Forecourt Eye, the notices have been sent to members of the AFP.

Paul Hollick, chair at the industry body, said several members of the industry body had reported receiving PCNs of this type in recent months.

He said: “Traditionally, accidental drive-aways of this kind have been dealt with using something called a ‘no means to pay’ (NMTP) notice, which normally takes the form of a letter from the fuel station operator stating you need to pay within seven days.

“It’s essentially an invoice and fleets have been happily paying them for years without any issues.

“However, we’ve started seeing these PCNs in the last 3 to 6 months, which use the same kind of approach as private parking operators.

“It’s an unwelcome development and we’re looking into the legality of whether this tactic can even be applied to fuel.”

Lee Jackson, a member of the AFP’s megafleet committee and group fleet manager at NG Bailey, added: “It appears that fuel stations are increasingly using Forecourt Eye to outsource the recovery of these debt payments, which is perhaps an understandable move.