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Should I complain?

IMG_0904.jpg

This is my parking ticket from Stansted Airport. I had to take photo because The machine retains it when you leave car park. The £4.50 charge is for an hours parking and its around half that for 30 mins. As you can see I am there exactly 30 (from 05:09-05:39) mins on the ticket. Truth is I was actually 29 (05:38) minutes when I first put ticket in machine to pay and when it asked me for £4.50 I did a double take and pressed cancel to look at the ticket again to make sure I didn't make a mistake. I hadn't and when I put it back in to pay it went to the 30 mins (05:39). How can they charge me an hours parking when ticket says 30 mins?
Should I be asking for some money back?
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Comments

  • fluffnutter
    fluffnutter Posts: 23,179 Forumite
    You can try! I assume it's a private parking company in which case you won't even get a response.
    "Growth for growth's sake is the ideology of the cancer cell" - Edward Abbey.
  • pinkshoes
    pinkshoes Posts: 20,596 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    The first minute counts as 9 minutes past, so the final and 29th minute would be the 28th minute, so as soon as the clock changed to 29 minutes past, you were into the next half hour period, hence it's charged at an hour.

    (count it out on your fingers if you don't believe me, starting at 9...)

    (and yes, it sucks)
    Should've = Should HAVE (not 'of')
    Would've = Would HAVE (not 'of')

    No, I am not perfect, but yes I do judge people on their use of basic English language. If you didn't know the above, then learn it! (If English is your second language, then you are forgiven!)
  • pinkshoes wrote: »
    The first minute counts as 9 minutes past, so the final and 29th minute would be the 28th minute, so as soon as the clock changed to 29 minutes past, you were into the next half hour period, hence it's charged at an hour.

    (count it out on your fingers if you don't believe me, starting at 9...)

    (and yes, it sucks)
    I'm sure the machine is set up to count as pinkshoes has described, but it's not fair. Counting elapsed minutes from 5:09, which is what you should be charged, a 30 minute stay would in fact end at 5:39 (first minute ends at 5:10 and so on ...).

    If you think its worth your time and money to pursue a refund, carry on. Otherwise chalk it down to experience and don't cut it so fine next time! :o
    A bank is a place that will lend you money if you can prove you don't need it.
  • ryantcb
    ryantcb Posts: 273 Forumite
    pinkshoes wrote: »

    (count it out on your fingers if you don't believe me, starting at 9...)
    from 09 to 10 minutes past is 1 minutes and so to 11 is 2 and so on and i get

    01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
    10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33

    25 26 27 28 29 30 31
    34 35 36 37 38 39
    Hi, we’ve had to remove your signature. If you’re not sure why please read the forum rules or email the forum team if you’re still unsure - MSE ForumTeam
  • pinkshoes
    pinkshoes Posts: 20,596 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    ryantcb wrote: »
    from 09 to 10 minutes past is 1 minutes and so to 11 is 2 and so on and i get

    01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
    10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33

    25 26 27 28 29 30 31
    34 35 36 37 38 39

    Their machine won't count between minutes, so you need to start at 09 (which will be recorded as the first minute).
    Should've = Should HAVE (not 'of')
    Would've = Would HAVE (not 'of')

    No, I am not perfect, but yes I do judge people on their use of basic English language. If you didn't know the above, then learn it! (If English is your second language, then you are forgiven!)
  • unholyangel
    unholyangel Posts: 16,866 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    or we could assume he entered at 5:09:01 and didnt leave till 5:39:02.......thus taking him over the 30 minute period also?

    however i'm not an expert on car park machines so i'll take pink shoes word for it and thank her for doing the calculations so we dont have to! :D

    now, where did i leave that vodka?
    You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means - Inigo Montoya, The Princess Bride
  • halibut2209
    halibut2209 Posts: 4,250 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Also, I'm sure it took more than a minute for you to return to your car after paying and leave the spot.
    One important thing to remember is that when you get to the end of this sentence, you'll realise it's just my sig.
  • Flyboy152
    Flyboy152 Posts: 17,118 Forumite
    :09 to :39 is thirty-one minutes.
    The greater danger, for most of us, lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low and achieving our mark
  • Depends on whether you value the time and effort to reclaim £2.25 to be less than £2.25
    2014 Target;
    To overpay CC by £1,000.
    Overpayment to date : £310

    2nd Purse Challenge:
    £15.88 saved to date
  • Mark_Hewitt
    Mark_Hewitt Posts: 2,098 Forumite
    Move on with your life!
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