4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Yorkshire Pudding]

Has anyone else had this problem? I parked in one of those car parks where you have to enter your registration number into the machine when you buy your ticket. Had a forgetful moment, forgot that I had changed my car in the previous few weeks, and entered the old registration number... now I have a £60 fine to pay .

 

I appealed, politely explained that I had paid for my parking, but effectively made a clerical error. Offered to send them the ticket which I had kept, and documentation showing that I had recently changed my vehicle and that I had previously owned the registration I had entered.

 

I got a letter today which effectively said 'Your mistake, cough up.'

 

Is it just me or does that seem a bit harsh Dad says there is another one of these car parks near where my sister lives, and he regularly helps out OAPs flustered by the technicalities there. The machines are poorly designed, the keyboards unclear and difficult to use. The whole thing seems designed to catch people out, not enforce parking restrictions!

 

Sorry for the rant, thanks for listening. I feel better now!

[Willow]

I've not used a car park like that - I lead a sheltered life but that seems very harsh when you can prove the circumstances of the mistake and that you did pay.

 

I can see the appeal to the car park owners though - they must be raking it in !

[riane]

Appaling! take them to court and make your case!

[Couperman]

I would write and tell them that whilst it was your mistake, it was an honest one, one that that you can prove to be such and are willing to seek legal advice, advice of your local MP and local media and if necessary go to court.

 

See what they say.

 

There was a piece on the news yesterday about councils illegally profiteering from parking restrictions and the like, I reckon they will bork at it.

 

And I also reckon if it goes to court you should win at least from a moral point of view.

 

Kev.

[Guest]

If you refuse to pay, they might take you to court and then you can argue your case. (Or they might not bother, and then you've won anyway)

I think I'd be inclined to stick them out. They can't show any intention to cheat the system or to avoid paying for a ticket.

[Guest]

I would write and tell them that whilst it was your mistake, it was an honest one, one that that you can prove to be such and are willing to seek legal advice, advice of your local MP and local media and if necessary go to court.

 

See what they say.

 

There was a piece on the news yesterday about councils illegally profiteering from parking restrictions and the like, I reckon they will bork at it.

 

And I also reckon if it goes to court you should win at least from a moral point of view.

 

Kev.

 

totally agree, stand up to these highway robbers!

[Guest]

DH has just told me that the Motoring Man in saturday;s Telegraph recommends paying the fine and then appealing. (you should ask about the appeals process) Apparently most councils really don't want to go through the laborious appeals process, so they refund the money straight away.

 

There is a website somewhere, but DH couldn't remember what it is. If anyone else reads the motoring section, perhaps they'll know?

 

Edit: http://www.appealnow.com/ as recommended by Honest John who has his own website www.honestjohn.co.uk

[gooner.girl]

They have just stuck these machines in our local car parks and caused complete uproar. The Mid Sussex Times has letters and letters of protest in it most weeks (believe me not much happens round here so this is a HUGE issue!)

 

Actually, having used them myself they are completely irritating - once you know how to use the machines they're not too bad but waiting in a queue for 10/20 min to pay for your parking is ridiculous and that's whats happening most days.

 

Apparently the council thought about reconsidering - then decided against it. The old machines worked just fine and these cost stupid amounts of money to put in. The councils argument is people were paying for two hours of parking - only using one and then passing the ticket on to someone else sop they got that spot for 'free' and that that was wrong. A lot of people say if the space is paid for, for that amount of time - how are they losing money?

[Tara.F]

they have these machines near us...and here's the best bit

 

disabled drivers park free BUT they must go to the machine (far away from the disabled bays) and go through the same rigmorale as everyone else, typing in their reg number and 'pressing for ticket' without putting any money in.

Then they must go all the way back to their car and display the ticket alongside the blue badge

[Lesley]

- what a terrible system anyway.... and worse for disabled drivers

 

I thought I'd pay up and then appeal against my ticket as there was a two tier system, pay early and it was £x, leave it more than 2 weeks and it would be £xx - but I found that once I'd paid up I lost any bargaining power I'd had. I wouldn't pay and then appeal unless that is outlined as procedure on the back of the ticket.

[Jules.]

You need a PhD to work those machines in my experience

[Ziggy]

We have them in the car parks I use round here, and what really irritates me is how long it takes for the machine to register when you've pressed a button... I always end up thinking it didn't work, press it again, then after a while the number or letter appears twice and I have to start all over again...

The council here said they had introduced those to stop people harrassing other people trying to sell tickets that still had time on... totally silly excuse... they just wanted to stop people giving each other ticket, and make more money... no one ever tried to sell me a ticket in those places before, but we did use to give them or receive them from people who were leaving the car park... I thought that was nice, gave a community caring feeling to the whole thing, passing on tickets rather than wasting them... I know it wasn't supposed to be done, as the tickets are not officially transferable, but still, it was nice and now people can't do it any more...

[Cooks]

I am a stubbourn old mule, I wouldn't pay on principal. It was only a small error, not as if you were trying to get out of paying to park.. what a load of jobsworths!..

 

nope wouldn't pay at all, would be happy to go to court and give them bad publicity

[chocchick]

We have them in the car parks I use round here, and what really irritates me is how long it takes for the machine to register when you've pressed a button... I always end up thinking it didn't work, press it again, then after a while the number or letter appears twice and I have to start all over again...

By coincidence I wanted 2 hours and it wouldn't register this, so I tried a few times, ended up with 1 hour ticket and had to phone up and ended up just buying a second 1 hour ticket and writing the new time and the car park attendant's number

Meanwhile it talks back to you LOUDLY about car theft which was quite cringeworthy and supposed to be humorous

 

I think that it is unreasonable as you paid for the time you parked. I suppose from their point of view they would say that you could have taken someone else's ticket (not allowed discourages community spirit) or they couldn't match the ticket to the car and be able to check times.

[Clur]

Can I just ask if you parked in a private car park or a council owned one? If privately owned, sadly, you probably won't get far with any appeal against the fine.

 

BUT!!!

 

If it's a council owned car park, photocopy your ticket and send it with a letter explaining your error to the department indicated on the fine notice. Usually you won't hear back anymore as they cancel the ticket. You need to put everything in writing though and you need to keep copies.

[The Dogmother]

They've introduced those machines in Banbury and there has been outcry in the local press as they are very unpopular. I have to admit that I've never used them as I always walk into town.

[Yorkshire Pudding]

Oh thank you all. I feel so much better now I know I'm not the only one who thinks this is downright mean!

 

Sadly the car park isn't owned by the council, but by a Sheffield-based company called Excel Parking Limited. Their appeals process is email only, no postal address, and when I emailed I explained that I could provide the ticket and other documentary evidence.

 

The letter I received says ' It is the motorists responsibility to input their vehicle registration details accurately into the machine and unfortunately as you did not do this the charge still applies.' In other words, you pay £60 for having a forgetful moment. The cameras photograph your registration plate and if a matching one isn't entered into the machine within a certain time limit, an automatic fine is generated and a letter sent. I entered the registration number of a vehicle that didn't enter the car park - I bet they won't refund my £4 parking fee! Perhaps i should take them to court for that!

 

I think I will have no choice but to pay up; if I don't it increases to £100 and court proceedings are threatened. I can't risk the potential costs of that. But if I, a supposedly intelligent person, find these machines frustrating and confusing, how are less able people supposed to manage? One of our ex-students came into school yesterday to ask us to sign his driving licence application form to confirm his identity. He's seventeen and has only just learned to read (and not well). How on earth would he manage?

[Clur]

Sorry to hear that, if it is a private car park, I'd pay up if I were you. Unfortunately these things aren't well governed, and unless it's a council-owned one, you aren't likely to win any appeal Daylight robbery if you ask me....

[Valkyrie]

I think Couperman is right. I think there was a court case recently where an elderly lady thought she had paid, but hadn't heard instructions to complete the transaction. I believe that she won. You on the other hand have paid and have the documents to prove it. I rest my case!

Bring it on! On the other hand, we should all go on a protest march in your favour. Being militant now, oops!

[chocchick]

It sounds like the sort of thing where you need a good lawyer's advice

Excel lost in court recently over something else and it was on radio 4. http://www.chad.co.uk/news/Judge-says-Excel-parking-fines.3903396.jp

You might have a case as the fine isn't in proportion to their processing charges.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I haven't seen that type of machine but it sounds horrible - and like you say, if it's possible for you to make an honest mistake, what chance has a person with learning difficulties, or someone elderly or confused .

 

I would appeal (although it's a bit scarey if you don't know how far it will have to go .)

 

I once bought my tax disc early, slipped it behind the existing one and forgot about it for 4 months, till I got a ticket . (Shows how long you can get away with not having valid road tax .)

 

I appealed and showed proof that I'd bought it (I was advised not to say where it actually was, just that it was "obscured"). I got a letter saying,

we'll let you off, but don't do it again or you'll have to pay up.

 

Good luck - I hope you manage to get somewhere if you do appeal!

[Guest]

I'd pay it if you're worried about escalating costs but I'd write to my local MP and ask for advice/help and say that you're considering contacting the local paper to show these highway robbers for what they are but that you will wait for the MP's comments.

 

If he/she can't/won't help then try writing to your local paper, this is just the sort of story they'd be interested in.

 

Do you have a free legal helpline you can call? Most car insurance policies have that included, maybe they could give you some advice.

 

These people shouldn't be allowed to get away with ripping people off like this

[Tessa the Duchess]

I suggest you go and see your Citizens Advice Bureau, they employ people who know about the law and would advise you, and it's free The local paper also sounds a good idea. It really makes my blood boil the way Councils make so much money from making car owner's lives a misery

 

Tessa