Parking charge notice for paying by phone

niknewx

I got a Parking charge notice while parked at a SIP car park in Manchester. I was staying at the hotel next door so I stayed there overnight. I got to the car park at around 14:55 and walked over to the pay and display to see the amounts and options to pay. I didn’t have any change but saw you could pay by phone, so after 5 minutes of my searching the website and inputting my details I managed to pay for 24 hours parking. As I was filling the details out it asked for the time so I put 15:00 as it was 14:59 by the time I’d got round to filling all the details out. I came back at around 18:15 that same day to get something from the car and there was no fine. The next morning I check out of the hotel at 11:30 and go to my car where I find the charge. On the charge it says the car was first seen at 14:55:59 which is probably correct, and then says the time issued is 15:09:53??? That would mean the officer stood there and watched me pay for my ticket on my phone, let me walk off to then put a ticket on my car...which also magically disappeared at 18:15 and then reappeared again the next day? Do I have any grounds to appeal this as I did pay for 24 hours parking and clearly the information on the ticket is false as I never had a ticket issued at 15:09! I’m worried they will reject an appeal because the time I bought the ticket was 15:00 and technically I drove in at 14:55 but it took me 5 minutes to input all my personal details and my card details! Surely they can’t charge people for this or else you’d see people sprinting to the pay and display as soon as they enter the car park!

Herzlos

Go over to the parking forum, who will help you. Absolutely don't pay.

It's also entirely possible that the warden watched you pay, enter a ticket and then ran over to put the invoice (not a fine) on the car, take a photograph and take it off again. These people are on commission and have no incentive to be above board.

They may argue that you should have entered the time on the machine as 14:55 since that's when you parked, but it's unlikely to be legally enforceable in any case.

sweetsand

niknewx said:

I got a Parking charge notice while parked at a SIP car park in Manchester. I was staying at the hotel next door so I stayed there overnight. I got to the car park at around 14:55 and walked over to the pay and display to see the amounts and options to pay. I didn’t have any change but saw you could pay by phone, so after 5 minutes of my searching the website and inputting my details I managed to pay for 24 hours parking. As I was filling the details out it asked for the time so I put 15:00 as it was 14:59 by the time I’d got round to filling all the details out. I came back at around 18:15 that same day to get something from the car and there was no fine. The next morning I check out of the hotel at 11:30 and go to my car where I find the charge. On the charge it says the car was first seen at 14:55:59 which is probably correct, and then says the time issued is 15:09:53??? That would mean the officer stood there and watched me pay for my ticket on my phone, let me walk off to then put a ticket on my car...which also magically disappeared at 18:15 and then reappeared again the next day? Do I have any grounds to appeal this as I did pay for 24 hours parking and clearly the information on the ticket is false as I never had a ticket issued at 15:09! I’m worried they will reject an appeal because the time I bought the ticket was 15:00 and technically I drove in at 14:55 but it took me 5 minutes to input all my personal details and my card details! Surely they can’t charge people for this or else you’d see people sprinting to the pay and display as soon as they enter the car park!

Hi

Sorry to hear about that.
The highlighted bit, did the display not have the phone number to call through and pay on the automated system???
I apologise if I have misunderstood you.
I try to steer clear of the phone type car parks but then again I rarely go out on my own and my OH usally takes care of it it can be very confusing and some car parks ask for the reg number as well when you pay at the machine.
I hope it all works out
Out of interest, what time did you leave the c park??

The_Slithy_Tove

What is the alleged contravention? I.e. what exactly does the PCN say is the reason for its issue? If they say it's non-payment at the issue time of 15:09, then this is clearly false, and can be proved so. If it's non-payment at 14:55, well duh, you'd only just arrived. Or was there some other reason?

Post up the PCN, redacted of personal details, locations, and reference numbers and barcodes (which contain such information), but leave in dates and times. Front and back, please.

D_P_Dance

Nine times out of ten these tickets are scams, so consider complaining to your MP., it can cause the scammer extra costs, and in some cases, cancellation. 

Parliament is well aware of the MO of these private parking companies, many of whom are former clampers, and on 15th March 2019 a Bill was enacted to curb the excesses of these shysters. Codes of Practice are being drawn up, an independent appeals service will be set up later this year,

Just as the clampers were finally closed down, so hopefully will many of these companies, persistent offenders denied access to the DVLA database and unable to operate.

Hopefully life will become impossible for the worst of these scammers, but until this is done you should still complain to your MP, citing the new legislation.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2019/8/contents/of these Private Parking Companies.

Coupon-mad

This sounds like a rare one where you will have sufficient evidence to win at IAS.

To be clear to any new posters, NO-ONE ever pays SIP or any private parking charge here unless they are in the 1% who lose in the end, in court.  But mostly there is no appeal worth trying,  HOWEVER IN THIS CASE THERE IS. 

AND IT'S NOT ABOUT NOT SEEING A PCN ON THE CAR AT 6PM.  IT'S ABOVE PROVING YOU PAID WITHIN 5 MINUTES!

iainscomputer

Why do these pay by phone for parking even exist? They are just not user friendly. The parking machines should all take bank cards. Pay on exit & paying for the exact time used, not paying for 1 hour units. In Spain I used a car park that charged €0.03 per minute, and was pay on exit.

Le_Kirk

iainscomputer said:

Why do these pay by phone for parking even exist? They are just not user friendly. The parking machines should all take bank cards. Pay on exit & paying for the exact time used, not paying for 1 hour units. In Spain I used a car park that charged €0.03 per minute, and was pay on exit.

So that they can make money by the failings of THEIR equipment (or sometimes because there is no phone signal).