Fighting a Parking fine due to a faulty meter at small claims stage

dvdccd

MothballsWallet said:

Coupon-mad said:

Snakes_Belly said:

"This happened because although I had put enough money in the meter to cover my stay, the screen that displays the balance was broken, so when I pressed the green button to issue the ticket it did not give me the full time, as it must have missed counting one of the pound coins" dvdccd 


"I asked the 'officer' at Ladywell car park in Birmingham how much the parking charge was. As it was in the evening he told me it was £6 until the following morning, I was in a hurry as I was late for a show at the Hippodrome so I ran to the machine paid in £6 in coins and put the ticket in the car without even looking at it.

I had a PCN when I returned 3 hours later. It seems although I paid £6 only £5 registered and I was only given one hour. I assumed one coin was rejected but in my rush I never noticed and simply pressed the ticket button after inserting 6 £1 coins."
Jimsnap

A bit of a trend going on here. Birmingham, same operator. Machines that miss count pound coins.

Bit of a pattern indeed about badly maintained car parks and machines provided by ex-clamper Walton Wilkins.

Quite unusual this scam, with pound coins are not being counted or returned.

The cynic in me thinks that Mr Wilkins' company has bought ticket machines that are incredibly old, unreliable and possible not up to standards - I wonder what a full audit of the electrical systems in these car parks would turn up?

Especially if one of the locations has a flooding issue because if the water gets into the conduits for the electric supply to the ticket machines, they could fail and/or severely hurt someone (or worse).

Could be broken from general wear and tear, or it could be a crook deliberately breaking the screen and jamming the coin return slot for later collection. It seems to be happening in multiple car parks in the area, so I'd be inclined to think it may be deliberate.

nosferatu1001

Try rephrasing it as a statement. 

dvdccd

I sent my defence by email to CCBCAQ@Justice.gov.uk on Friday, should I be concerned I haven't received a reply? Its deadline is today at 16:00.

Le_Kirk

Did you receive an auto receipt?  Do you have a copy of it in your "SENT" e-mail folder?  Did you check your MCOL account?  As you sent it on Friday, MCOL probably won't be updated until today.

dvdccd

Le_Kirk said: Did you receive an auto receipt?  Do you have a copy of it in your "SENT" e-mail folder?  Did you check your MCOL account?  As you sent it on Friday, MCOL probably won't be updated until today.

I didn't get an auto receipt and it's not displaying on MCOL yet, but it is showing in my sent box.

nosferatu1001

When on friday did you send it?
Perhaps send it again today, to be doubly sure. It will not hurt especially if you explain in the body of the email why you are sending again, and maybe include a screenshot showing you sent it friday at X time

dvdccd

nosferatu1001 said:

When on friday did you send it?
Perhaps send it again today, to be doubly sure. It will not hurt especially if you explain in the body of the email why you are sending again, and maybe include a screenshot showing you sent it friday at X time

Good call this time I got an auto-response. I sent it late Friday at 16:22 btw.

nosferatu1001

They close at 4pm, remember, so they may switch off that system...