incident with paybyphone/parking eye

moneysaver128 · 24 May 2023 at 11:28AM

Having read several forum pieces around problems with paybyphone/parking eye I thought the following personal experience may interest forum users:

Fact: on entering a car park adjacent to Croyde beach, Devon, there were no barriers and no visible signs warning of ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) systems or app based phone parking. Once you entered you were covered by a camera and therefore subject to any charges. The camera was very high up and not immediately visible.

Fact: on parking and going to the machine, the card scanner for payment was not working on two machines. The cash was working but only for those with cash. No change possibilities are anywhere near.

Fact: the app notice and other details were on a board very high up and in small lettering thus making them useless for people with sight problems or physical problems.

Fact: Having an old style telephone and on telephoning the non app number alternative - the user was placed in a loop relating to entering reg number details that did not allow proper reg numbers.

Fact: if you entered this car park without any change with a non-smart phone - you were effectively trapped and would be forced to pay the £100 plus fine after leaving not being able to pay for the ticket. Some would regard the above as licensed extortion, because there is no way to pay the ticket and no cooling off minutes where you can leave the car park after reading and trying ways to pay.

Advice: always check the car park payment system before travelling and what type of car park is involved - If you see app or telephone parking is used then avoid them in my experience.